Business writing skills

1. Business Communication

2. Business Writing Skills

3. #
What is Communication?
Communication is transferring information
and understanding from one to one or one
to many. It could take place in a verbal or a
written mode and could use forms such as
face-to-face meetings, group discussions,
e-mail writing, and even non verbal modes
like gestures, body language, etc.

4. What is Communication process?
SENDER
CHANNEL DECODING
Message
FEEDBACK
RECEIVER
Message Message

5. #
Business Communication is any
communication that involves
communicating for business / official
purpose to achieve a predetermined
objective. This may include:
 CVs, Resumes
 Email, Web site, FAQs
 Letters, Newsletters, Brochures,
Articles, Catalogs
 Advertisements, Notice Board,
Pamphlets, Signs, Press Releases
 Presentations, multimedia, talks
 Reports, Manuals, Proposals,
Books
What is Business Communication?

6. #
Types of Communication
Verbal Written
Non
Verbal
Communication
Types of Communication
Verbal
Written
Non Verbal

7. #
Communication Equation
What you hear:
Tone of voice
Vocal clarity
Verbal expressiveness
40% of the message
What you see or feel:
Facial expression
Dress and grooming
Posture
Eye contact
Touch
Gesture
50% of the message
WORDS …
10% of the message!

8. #
Verbal Written
Non
Verbal
Communication
• Provides instant feedback
• Opportunity to check for
understanding
• Involves Questioning &
Paraphrasing
• Faster closure on open
items
• No record unless minutes
of the meeting recorded
• Usually unstructured
• Increases speed of
communication
Verbal
Communication

9. #
Verbal Written
Non
Verbal
Communication
• Provides record for future
reference
• More structured
• Tools to gain attention – like
bullets, bold, etc.
• Ability to provide details
• Can be sent to multiple
people at the same time
• More Formal
• It mainly consists of
diagrams, pictures, graphs,
reports, policies, rules,
orders, instructions,
agreements, etc.
• Comprehensive & Accurate
Written
Communication

10. #
Verbal Written
Non
Verbal
Communication
Non -Verbal
Communication
• Constitutes of Physical,
Aesthetic, Signs, Symbolic
• Complements Verbal
Communication - It may
accent
or underline a verbal message.
Pounding the table, for
example, can underline a
message.
• Gestures talk more than words
• Could be Positive / Negative
• Indicative of a person’s
personality

11. #
Verbal Written
Non
Verbal
Communication
Non -Verbal
Communication
• Constitutes of Physical,
Aesthetic, Signs, Symbolic
• Complements Verbal
Communication - It may
accent
or underline a verbal message.
Pounding the table, for
example, can underline a
message.
• Gestures talk more than words
• Could be Positive / Negative
• Indicative of a person’s
personality

12. Seven C’s of Effective Business
Communication
• Correctness
• Clarity
• Conciseness
• Completeness
• Consideration
• Concreteness
• Courtesy
https://www.managementstudyguide.com/seven-cs-of-effective-communication.htm

13. Seven C’s of Effective Business Communication
• Clear: The message should be clear and easily understandable to the recipient. The
purpose of the communication should be clear to sender then only the receiver will be
sure about it. The message should emphasize on a single goal at a time and shall not
cover several ideas in a single sentence.
• Correct: The message should be correct, i.e. a correct language should be used, and the
sender must ensure that there is no grammatical and spelling mistakes. Also, the
message should be exact and well-timed. The correct messages have a greater impact on
the receiver and at the same time, the morale of the sender increases with the accurate
message.
• Complete: The message should be complete, i.e. it must include all the relevant
information as required by the intended audience. The complete information gives
answers to all the questions of the receivers and helps in better decision-making by the
recipient.
• Concrete: The communication should be concrete, which means the message should be
clear and particularly such that no room for misinterpretation is left. All the facts and
figures should be clearly mentioned in a message so as to substantiate to whatever the
sender is saying.

14. Cont.
• Concrete: The communication should be concrete, which means the message should
be clear and particularly such that no room for misinterpretation is left. All the facts
and figures should be clearly mentioned in a message so as to substantiate to
whatever the sender is saying.
• Concise: The message should be precise and to the point. The sender should avoid
the lengthy sentences and try to convey the subject matter in the least possible
words. The short and brief message is more comprehensive and helps in retaining
the receiver’s attention.
• Consideration: The sender must take into consideration the receiver’s opinions,
knowledge, mindset, background, etc. in order to have an effective communication.
In order to communicate, the sender must relate to the target recipient and be
involved.
• Courteous: It implies that the sender must take into consideration both the feelings
and viewpoints of the receiver such that the message is positive and focused at the
audience. The message should not be biased and must include the terms that show
respect for the recipient.

15. Barriers to Business CommunicationExternalBarriers
• Semantic Barriers
• Emotional or Psychological
Barriers
• Inattention
• Perceptual Barrier
• Loss by Transmission and
Poor Retention
• Premature Evaluation
• Undue Reliance on the
Written Words
• Distrust of
Communicator
• Failure to Communicate
OrganizationalBarriers
• Organisational Policy
• Status Relationship
• Organisational Rules and
Regulations
• Complexity in Organisation
Structure
• Organisational Facilities
• Information Overload
PersonalBarriers
• Barriers in Superiors
• Attitude of Superiors
• Fear of Challenge to
Authority
• Lack of Confidence in
Subordinates
• Lack of Time
• Lack of Awareness
• Ignoring Communication
• Barriers in Subordinates
• Unwillingness to
Communicate
• Lack of Proper Incentive
http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/business-communication/barriers-to-business-communication-business-management/70120

16. Methods of Overcoming Communication Barriers
http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/business-communication/barriers-to-business-communication-business-management/70120
1. Full Information:
To make the communication effective, it is first of all necessary that the communicator
should know completely and clearly what he intends to communicate.
2. Mutual Trust:
Communication is intended for acceptance and desired action. Such acceptance is, to a
great extent, influenced by trust and confidence in the motives and sincerity of the
communicator. If trust is lacking, communication will fall short of its expected results.
So, it is necessary that an environment of trust and confidence is established within the
organisation. This will encourage people to communicate honestly with one another.
3. Appropriate Language:
The language used for communication should be such that it can be easily
comprehended by the receiver. Most popular symbols, clear and precise language
should be used for proper communication.
4. Inter-Personal Relationship:
Proper inter-personal relationships must be developed between the superiors and the
subordinates so that the latter may feel free and frank to transmit complete and correct
information to the former. The superiors must appreciate useful criticisms and
beneficial suggestions of the subordinates.

17. Cont.
5. Selection of Appropriate Channel:
The managers must be competent enough to select the most appropriate channel for sending
messages. A rich channel such as face-to- face discussion or telephone should be used to
send a complicated message. On the other hand, memos, letters or electronic mail may be
used to send routine messages, because there is hardly any chance of misunderstanding.
6. Mutual Understanding:
It is of considerable importance for both the senders and receivers to make a special effort to
understand each other’s perspective. By understanding others’ perspectives, remarks can be
classified, perceptions understood, and objectivity maintained.
7. Empathy in Communication:
The way for effective communication is to be sensitive towards the receiver’s needs, feelings
and perceptions. The communicator should convey the message in such a way that the
emotions and sentiments of the receiver are not hurt. When the sender of the message looks
at the problems from the receiver’s point of view, many of the misunderstandings can be
avoided.
8. Two-Way Communication:
Communication is a two-way process. Two-way communication brings two minds
together—which is the basic core of any communication. It involves a continuous dialogue
between the sender and receiver of the message. Upward communication can become a

18. Cont
9. Supporting Words with Actions:
The most persuasive kind of communication is not what you say but what you do. The
managers must make sure that their actions support the communication process. This will
ensure the seriousness in communication.
10. Examples and Visual Aids:
To fix the idea of communication in the receiver’s mind, appropriate stories and word
pictures may be used in appropriate situations to the understanding of the receiver. Further,
visual aids through charts and diagrams can be advantageously used to stress particular
points or ideas which may be difficult to describe properly by words.
11. Good Listening:
Careful listening is essential for effective communication. By this process, one is not only
giving chance to others to speak but gathers useful information for further communications.
By concentrating on the speaker’s explicit and implicit meanings, the manager can obtain a
much better understanding of what is being said.
12. Delaying Reaction:
It is a good practice for effective communication not to be influenced by immediate reaction
of the first impression. Hasty reaction often results in ignoring the real implication of
communication and experience shows that the delaying of action by the recipient becomes
helpful in understanding the intended meaning of the communication.

19. Cont
http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/business-communication/barriers-to-business-communication-business-management/70120
13. Strategic Use of Informal Communication (Grapevine):
A manager should use the informal channels of communication to supplement the formal
communication system. For this purpose, he must understand the informal communication
networks and should make their intelligent use to fill up the gaps in formal channels of
communication.
14. Evaluation:
There should be continuous programme of evaluating the flow of communication in
different directions. This would highlight the problems in this area, identify their causes and
thereby enable the adoption of suitable corrective action. The superiors should not be quick
to evaluate the information before understanding it properly.

20. #
ACBDE Format of Written Communication
1
2
3
4
Analyze the Purpose
Consider the Audience
Build the Structure
Detail & Design Approach
5 Execute with Confidence

21. #
Before you begin writing:
• What is the purpose of writing
the mail / letter / memo / etc.?
• What information do you wish
to exchange?
• What does your reader want to
know?
• What action do you want the
reader to take?
• What relationship do you have
with the reader?
If you can’t answer these questions, then you should wonder, whether you should even
the send the communication. #
Subject of the Mail
• Subject should convey the
purpose
• Subject field is the first thing
reader will see before opening
the communication sent
• Subject field of your message
should be meaningful
• Subject field [when you use the
‘reply’ option in case of e-mails]
should accurately reflect the
content of the message
• Subject should be brief - Does
not need to be a complete
sentence
Analyze the Purpose

22. #
Recipients & Gender Bias
• Write the name of the person that
you are writing to, in the ‘To’ field
• Write the name of the person /
persons you want to be informed
about the contents of the mail in the
‘Cc’ field
• Do not write names in the ‘Bcc’ field
• Avoid using he / she repeatedly.
• Write sentences in the plural
For example, “A vendor should give
all his details for setting up the
database.” can be changed to
“Vendors should give all their details
for setting up the database.”
Consider the Audience

23. 2. Content 3. Closing
1. Salutation
Build the Structure
Structure of
Written
Communication

24. #
3. Build the Structure
Salutation
• Write to the reader as you would
talk to him / her naturally - If you
address John Smith as John in
person, do not address him as Mr.
Smith in your email, however,
memos / circulars are more formal
and hence require Mr. / Miss.
• Use first names - Hi Chris …
• Avoid “Good Morning” or “Good
Afternoon” as your communication
might reach late / different time
zone

25. Do’s
 Mention any specific information that is
requested by the reader - If you cannot
answer a question or provide definite
information:
 state when you can send the information.
 explain why you won’t be able to answer
the query.
 tell as much as you know / offer
additional information when available.
 Use Positive statements
For e.g. “This report discusses each step briefly.”
 Content should be accurate & crisp
Don’ts
х Don’t tell the reader what you or they can’t
do... tell them what can be done
х Negative statements - Don’t tell them
something negative unless it is important that
they have the information
For e.g. “ This report never goes into any
phase of the matter in detail, but covers each
part briefly.”
х Don’t use casual language – Business
communication is always formal & organized
Cont.

26. #
Closing
• The final paragraph of a written
business communication states what
you want the person to do
• Give timelines
• Signoff with your name and contact
details in case of any questions /
clarifications
• Do not say ‘thanks in advance/
anticipation. If you would like to
thank someone for their help. Do it
after the job. Say ‘ I appreciate your
help’. Or ‘Thanks for the quick
response’
• Close on a pleasant note
Cont.

27. Punctuation
• Inappropriate use of punctuation
could change the meaning of the
sentence
• It makes the communication look
more structured & clear
Paragraphing
• Keep one main idea per
paragraph
• Use short paragraphs
• Ideas in successive paragraphs
can be related
Formatting
• All letters should be Arial -
size 10 / 12
• Use line spacing set in the
template
• Separate paragraphs with
one blank line in between
Components of
Detail &
Design
Detail & Design Approach

28. #
• Never write when you are upset
• Write quickly; Write the easy parts
First
• Write like you talk: You’ll fix it later
• Imagine explaining the subject in
person.
• Do a spell check before sending
• Read the message a one more time
before sending
Execute with Confidence

29. Have I stated my
purpose correctly
and provided
information that
the readers would
like to know?
Is the communication
well organized in
terms of formatting,
structuring, etc.?
Have I stated clearly
what response I want
from the reader ?
Have I written in
appropriate, short and
crisp sentences?
Is my
communication
sounding pleasant?
Execute with Confidence
The ‘Write Perfect’ Checklist - Before clicking on ‘send’… Review!

30. <
1
Letters & Memos
• Open & closed
punctuation
• Full stops at end
of addresses
• Full stops in
abbreviations
• Date & Signature
• Subject Line –
optional & rare
2
Meeting Agenda
• Time & place must
be mentioned
• Purpose of meeting
must be clearly
mentioned.
• Dial-in numbers
must be given in
case of virtual
conferences
3
Minutes of the
Meeting
• Decisions
reached
must be listed
• Action Items
along with
stakeholders’
names must be
documented
4
Mailing List
• Check mailing
list
for every
communication
sent
• Keep updating
your mailing list
• Categorize
mailing list as
per
the information
5
Netiquette
• Never flame.
• Use FULL CAPS
only to emphasize
• Send messages on
a need basis
• Don’t forget to add
attachments if
mentioned
FIVE FUNCTIONS OF MANAGEMENT
Tips for Smart Communication

31. <
6
Resume
• Content: Name,
Objective, Education,
Experience, Personal
details, References
• Two pages max
• Highlight strengths
• Use templates but
enhance them
7
Reports
• Content: Cover
page, Index,
Executive
summary,
Appendices
• Steps: Define
problem, Gather
information,
Analyze & organize
information
8
Sales Proposal
• Content: Budget,
Objectives,
Strategy & Tactics,
Schedule, Results,
and Closing
• Should be
persuasive &
accurate
9
Covering Letters
• Brief - 3
paragraphs, bullets
• Focus on - Major
requirements
• Differentiators -
Research through
Web / friends /
colleagues
• Do not plead
10
FAQs
• Should be correct
and based on
research
• Should be created
by Subject Matter
Experts [SMEs]
• Should have a
contact person’s e-
mail
FIVE FUNCTIONS OF MANAGEMENTTips for Smart Communication

32. Exercises on Written Communication
Rewrite in simple words
1. Campus Jewelers’ main objective is to increase sales. Specifically, the objective is to double
sales in the next five years by becoming a more successful business.
Campus Jewelers’ objective is to double sales in the next five years.
2. As of this date I haven't received any documents
So far I haven't received any documents.
3. I am in receipt of your letter.
I have received your letter.

33. Rewrite in simple words
4. In the event that it happens, I will go to Australia.
If it happens, I will go to Australia.
5. It often rains in the month of July.
It often rains in July.
6. Kindly confirm the same.
Please confirm.
Exercises on Written Communication

34. Use a comma to separate a phrase which precedes the main sentence.
1. For any further clarification on vendor discount related issues please call Monica Giroux
on Dial Comm. 8*622 2107.
For any further clarification on vendor discount related issues, please call Monica Giroux
on Dial Comm. 8*622 2107.
I believe the changes went in, have we tested the changes to see if the data is following the
assignment rules?
I believe the changes have been made. Have we tested them to see if the data is following the
assignment rules?
Exercises on Written Communication
Which one is correct usage of a comma / period / full stop?

35. Happy Writing!