Business Communication Chapter 1 PDF

Business Communication Chapter1 Professional Communication in a Digital, Social, Mobile World  If you have ever served a customer, you know how challenging it can be to ensure that they have a positive experience with your company Introduction and will come back for more. Imagine, th...

Business Communication Chapter1 Professional Communication in a Digital, Social, Mobile World  If you have ever served a customer, you know how challenging it can be to ensure that they have a positive experience with your company Introduction and will come back for more. Imagine, then, the challenge of handling thousands of comments and questions a day via multiple social media channels and in several key languages. Why Communication Matters Communication is the process of transferring information, meaning, and understanding between senders and receivers. For communication to be considered successful, it also must transfer or negotiate understanding. Figure listed in the next slide indicates that, communication can happen in a variety of ways, including successful transfers of information and understanding, negotiations in which the sender and receiver arrive at an agreed-on meaning, and unsuccessful attempts in which the receiver assembles a different message than the one the sender intended. Communication is Important to your Career You can have the greatest ideas in the world, but they usually aren’t much good to your company or your career if you can’t express them clearly and influentially. Some jobs, such as sales and customer support roles, are primarily about communicating. In fields such as engineering or finance, you often need to share complex ideas with executives, customers, and colleagues, and your ability to connect with people outside your field can be as important as your technical expertise. If you have the entrepreneurial urge, you will need to communicate with a wide range of audiences—from investors, bankers, and government regulators to employees, customers, and business partners.  Communication is Important to your company (1 of 2) Aside from the personal benefits, communication should be important to you because it is important to your company in three essential areas: 1. Operations: Every company needs fast, effective communication between managers and staff, within departments, between departments, and between the company and its external business partners. 2. Intelligence: Companies need to keep a constant “ear to the ground” to be alerted to new opportunities, risks, and impending problems— both internally and externally.  Communication is Important to your company (2 of 2) 3. Relationships: Just as in personal and social relationships, business relationships depend on communication. Effective communication strengthens the connections between a company and all its stakeholders. Stakeholders are any persons or organizations significantly affected by a company’s business decisions and operations. Stakeholder groups include employees, customers, investors, creditors, suppliers, and local communities. What Makes Business Communication Effective (1 of 4) Provide practical information. Give recipients useful information that helps them solve problems, pursue opportunities, or take other action. Give facts rather than vague impressions. Use concrete language, specific detail, and information that is clear, accurate, and ethical. When an opinion is called for, present compelling evidence to support your conclusion. Communicate efficiently. Concise messages show respect for people’s time, and they increase the chances of a positive response. What Makes Business Communication Effective (2of 4) Clarify expectations and responsibilities. Craft messages to generate a specific response from readers. When appropriate, clearly state what you expect from audience members or what you can do for them. Offer compelling arguments and recommendations. When a situation calls for persuasive communication, show your readers how they will benefit if they respond the way you would like them to respond. Communicating as a Professional (1 of 3) What it means to communicate as a professional in a business context. A good place to start is to consider what it means to be a professional. Professionalism (definition) is the quality of performing at a high level and conducting oneself with purpose and pride. Communicating as a Professional (2 of 3) Professionalism meaning practically: Doing more than putting in the hours and collecting a paycheck: True professionals go beyond minimum expectations and commit to making meaningful contributions. Professionalism can be broken down into six distinct traits: - Striving to excel - Being dependable and accountable - Being a team player - demonstrating a sense of etiquette - Maintaining a positive outlook - making ethical decisions  Understanding what employers expect from you (1 of 2) Employers expect you to possess a wide range of communication skills. These skills may be summarized as follows: 1. Acquiring, processing, and sharing information: Employers expect you to be able to recognize information needs, find and evaluate reliable sources of information, organize information into cohesive messages, and use information ethically. 2. Using communication to foster positive working relationships: This task includes listening, practicing good etiquette, resolving conflicts respectfully, and communicating with people from diverse background.  Understanding what employers expect from you (2 of 2) 3. Representing your employer in the public arena: Employers expect you to act responsibly and professionally on social media and in other venues and to follow accepted standards of grammar, spelling, and other aspects of quality writing and speaking. 4. Efficiently using the tools that your employer provides: Aside from in-person conversations and meetings, every instance of business communication involves some level of technological assistance, so employers expect a level of proficiency with the tools they provide you to use.