Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is the primary reason for communicating to the public about a product?
What is the primary reason for communicating to the public about a product?
Which of the following is NOT a quality of effective communication that senders must focus on?
Which of the following is NOT a quality of effective communication that senders must focus on?
How can appearance impact business communication effectiveness?
How can appearance impact business communication effectiveness?
What is the risk associated with conveying wrong or incomplete information?
What is the risk associated with conveying wrong or incomplete information?
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What quality is associated with ensuring the correct spelling and grammar in communication?
What quality is associated with ensuring the correct spelling and grammar in communication?
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Which communication skill should the receiver focus on improving?
Which communication skill should the receiver focus on improving?
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What impact can poor spelling and grammar have on a business's communication?
What impact can poor spelling and grammar have on a business's communication?
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Which principle is essential for maintaining positive public relations through communication?
Which principle is essential for maintaining positive public relations through communication?
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Which pillar of politeness is crucial to remember in conversations?
Which pillar of politeness is crucial to remember in conversations?
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What is the primary purpose of conciseness in business communication?
What is the primary purpose of conciseness in business communication?
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Which of the following phrases demonstrates conciseness by reducing unnecessary modifiers?
Which of the following phrases demonstrates conciseness by reducing unnecessary modifiers?
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How can courtesy be demonstrated in written communication?
How can courtesy be demonstrated in written communication?
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What is a key factor in making a reader feel comfortable in communication?
What is a key factor in making a reader feel comfortable in communication?
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Which phrase best reflects courtesy when making a request?
Which phrase best reflects courtesy when making a request?
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What is one way to enhance productivity through communication?
What is one way to enhance productivity through communication?
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Which of the following does NOT contribute to effective communication?
Which of the following does NOT contribute to effective communication?
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What is the relationship between conciseness and clarity in communication?
What is the relationship between conciseness and clarity in communication?
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What should be done if a caller is placed on hold for more than 60 seconds?
What should be done if a caller is placed on hold for more than 60 seconds?
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Why is it important to keep a phone call short and discreet when other people are present?
Why is it important to keep a phone call short and discreet when other people are present?
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When leaving a voice mail, what information is essential to include?
When leaving a voice mail, what information is essential to include?
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What is the recommended action if the call duration is expected to exceed 60 seconds while someone is on hold?
What is the recommended action if the call duration is expected to exceed 60 seconds while someone is on hold?
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Which of the following is a pillar of politeness in conversation?
Which of the following is a pillar of politeness in conversation?
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What is the appropriate way to handle a situation where information cannot be obtained right away on a call?
What is the appropriate way to handle a situation where information cannot be obtained right away on a call?
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How should courtesy in writing be achieved?
How should courtesy in writing be achieved?
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Which action should be avoided while making a call in a public place?
Which action should be avoided while making a call in a public place?
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Study Notes
Communication Skills Notes
- Communication is the process of conveying a message to another person. It's more than just speaking or writing; it involves ensuring the message reaches the target audience and is understood correctly.
- Communication is influenced by factors affecting human behavior.
- Communication is a process of exchanging meaning, an activity, and a series of behaviours.
- Communication is not a fixed product, but a dynamic, continuous process without a fixed beginning or end.
- Successful communication happens when the receiver understands the message as intended by the sender.
- Symbols (words, signs, pictures, sounds) are used to convey ideas.
- Communication in an organization is essential for management, establishing relationships, and building positive interpersonal relationships
- Managing human resources involves influencing attitudes, motivating and maintaining relationships.
- Communication plays a key role in the success of organisation objectives, activities and goals.
- Communicating effectively is essential in team-building and teamwork.
- Effective communication is key for marketing, informing the public and persuading potential customers.
Topic 1: Introduction to Communication
- Communication involves transferring information and meaning using understandable symbols.
- Meaning is central to communication; successful communication relies on the receiver understanding the intended meaning.
- Communication is successful when both parties agree on the transmitted information and its meaning.
Cs of Good Communication
- Correctness: Accurate spelling, grammar, and language are essential to maintain a good impression of the sender and to avoid miscommunication. Conciseness (avoiding unnecessary words), proper structure, clarity (use of simple and easy to understand sentences), and consistency (consistently using the same style throughout) are also important.
- Clarity: The message must be clear at the first reading so that it requires little time to follow and understand. Clarity depends on simple and everyday words that everyone understands.
- Consistency: Consistency in the use of numbers, units of measure, technical terms, abbreviations, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.
- Coherence: Logical sequence of ideas, presenting the ideas in an organised and understandable manner. Clear plan, logical connection of ideas, and proper use of numbers facilitates coherence.
- Concreteness: Using specific details and examples instead of vague, general terms.
- Conciseness: Expressing your thought concisely, making each word count, using as few words as possible.
Courtesy
- Courtesy is consideration for others and seen in individual behaviour when interacting with others.
- Courtesy in formal situations like letters involves the use of courtesy words like "please," "thank you," "excuse me," and "sorry."
- Tone, style, and choice of words must be appropriate to the occasion and the relationship.
- It is important to be attentive, prompt in responding, and respectful when interacting with others.
Communication Process
- Communication is a dynamic process with components (Source/sender, Audience/receiver, Goal/purpose, Message/content, Medium/channel, Feedback, Environment/context)
- The source encodes a message, the receiver decodes it, and feedback completes the cycle.
- Noise and external factors can impede the message.
Communication Barriers
- Physical Barriers: Obstacles prevent the message from reaching the intended recipient; defects in the medium or background noises are examples.
- Semantic Barriers: Words have different meanings for different people, which can lead to misinterpretations.
- Organisational Barriers: Information loss happens when messages pass through different organizational levels, impacting the original message.
- Cultural Barriers: Cultural background, norms, and values can affect how a message is interpreted.
- Gender Barriers: Communication styles may differ between genders.
- Psychological Barriers: Individuals' emotions, biases, and experiences affect the receiver's understanding of messages.
Classification of Communication
- Internal Communication: Occurs within the organization (e.g. between departments, staff). Information flow within an organisation.
- External Communication: Occurs between the organization and external parties (e.g., customers, suppliers).
- Formal Communication: Follows designated channels (e.g. organisational charts).
- Informal Communication: Occurs through unofficial channels ("grapevine").
- Downward Communication: Communication from superiors to subordinates.
- Upward Communication: Communication from subordinates to superiors.
- Horizontal Communication: Communication between peers.
- Intrapersonal Communication: Communication within oneself (self-dialogue).
- Interpersonal Communication: Communication between two or more people (e.g., conversation, meetings)
Writing Skills
- Use proper format for the writing style required.
- Use clear and precise language.
- Be respectful and considerate in your language.
- Maintain a consistent tone and style.
- Use paragraphs to organise your ideas.
Summary Writing
- Summarisation extracts the key information from a text. It is important to condense the information from a source to highlight the main points.
- Steps in summary writing: Extract main points, write a draft, eliminate unnecessary parts or points then write the final copy.
Report Writing Skills
- Reports contain facts and information. They are used to review progress, evaluate issues, and provide recommendations.
- Report sections include: Letter of transmittal, Table of contents, Executive summary, Introduction, Body, Conclusion, Recommendations, References, Appendices.
Interviews
- Interviews are communication transactions used to gather data or evaluate someone.
- Types of interviews: Information gathering, employment.
- Interview preparation involves researching the company and possible interview questions.
Public Relations and Customer Care
- Public Relations is about building a positive reputation. It involves planning activities to build good relationships with the public or organization.
- Customer care is focused on customer satisfaction.
- Types of customers include loyal, discount, impulsive, need-based, and wandering customers.
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