Soft Skills Lecture 16: Negotiation Skills PDF

Soft Skills Lecture 16 Negotiation Skills Dr. Binod Mishra Department of HSS, IIT Roorkee 1  What is Negotiation? Negotiation is any form of meeting or discussion in which you and the persons you are in contact with use argument an...

Soft Skills Lecture 16 Negotiation Skills Dr. Binod Mishra Department of HSS, IIT Roorkee 1  What is Negotiation? Negotiation is any form of meeting or discussion in which you and the persons you are in contact with use argument and persuasion to achieve an agreed decision or action. -- Alan Flower A process of combining conflicting positions into a common position under a decision rule of unanimity, a phenomenon in which the outcome is determined by the process. -- Zartman 2  Requisites of Negotiation Two parties Interests of both involved Agreement and not instruction/authority Discussion and persuasion 3  Types of Negotiation Formal & Informal Conditions for Formal Negotiation  Pre-announced meeting  Fixed agenda  Three people 4  Informal Negotiation  Unannounced and casual  No time to prepare  Requires only two persons  Friendly approach acts as influence 5  Factors affecting Negotiation  Place  Time  Exchange of views freely  Common ground 6  Subjective factors  Personal relationship  Fear Factor  Mutual obligation  Influence  Persuasion 7  Qualities of a Negotiator  Confidence  Appearance  Outlook  Honesty and reliability 8  Competence  Communication Skills  Flexibility 9  Stages of Negotiation  Preparation  Meeting - Speak simply. - Keep your cool. - Maintain conducive relations. 10  How to prepare for Negotiation  Know your subject.  Strength and weaknesses of the parties.  Collect fact and figures.  Identify the upper and lower limits. 11  Use your persuasive skills  Be prepared for *BATNA,*WATNA and *ZOPA  Every negotiation should end in a win-win situation. *BATNA: Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement *WATNA: Worst Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement *ZOPA: Zone of Possible Agreement 12  Remember “ Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate”. - John F Kennedy 13  Soft Skills Lecture 17 Negotiation Strategies Dr. Binod Mishra Department of HSS, IIT Roorkee 1  Persuasion as key factor  Style  You attitude  Talking & listening  Body language  Summarizing 2  Stages of Negotiation  Preparing planning  Exchanging initial views  Exploring possible solutions  Searching for common ground  Securing agreement  Implementing the agreement 3  Phases of Negotiation  Preparation phase  Interacting/ negotiating phase  Implementation phase 4  Preparation Phase Assess the relative strength of the two parties. Discover the real issue. Be realistic about objectives. “ Bear in mind that it is almost impossible for a negotiator to do too much preparation”. - Tim Handle 5  Negotiating Phase  Testing the initial position  Moving towards possible solution  Making of final possible solution  Agreement 6  Implementation Preparation and implementation are not parts of negotiation. Jot down the facts of the agreement. Also mention the roles. 7  Strategies of Negotiation  Plan discussion according to psychological needs and appropriate strategies.  Set amicable tone.  Highlight the sunny side.  Be ready with alteration.  Allow more time and space to other person.  Allow concessions. 8  Negotiating styles Collaborate Accommodate Compromise Control Avoidance 9  Things to avoid  Confrontational tone  Whole case in the beginning  Being personal  Ignoring the tone  Relying on only the words  Allowing the discussion to go long 10  Reaching Agreement  Be tactful and persuasive.  Emphasize the other party’s benefit.  Acknowledge the co-operation.  Suggest.  Note points. 11  How to resolve deadlock Point out no further concessions to be made. Explain & emphasize consequences. Use ethical aspect of agreement. Remain positive. 12  Contd. Avoid becoming rigid. Avoid conflict. Accept a win-lose situation. 13  Always remember “In business, you don’t get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate.” - Chester L. Karrass 14  Soft Skills Lecture 18 Culture as Communication Dr. Binod Mishra Department of HSS, IIT Roorkee 1  Culture A common population sufficiently large enough to be self-sustaining, to produce new generations of members without relying on outside people. Totality of that group’s thoughts, experiences and patterns of behaviour and their contact with other cultures. 2  The world today A global village Multicultural differences Culture affects people’s behaviour Globalization of markets 3  Business Trends Globalization Technological Revolutions Multicultural Workforce GATT (General Agreement on Tariff and Trade) NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) 4  Technological Advancements New transportation and information technologies. Availability of fresh flowers and fruits. Choices to have our own pick. Online store making business more smooth. 5  Multicultural Workforce  Prospects of peace, prosperity and education  Immigration on move  Multicultural Communication  Cultural Diversity 6  Culture as Communication  Complex system of values, traits, morals and customs  Not all cultures are alike.  Culture teaches people how to think, behave and react.  Humans are extra-ordinarily flexible. 7  Elements of Culture Symbols, rituals, values, heroes. (Hofsted) To understand a culture one needs to understand things as language and gestures, personal appearance, social relationships, religion, philosophy and values, family customs, education and communication systems. 24/06/2017 8  Characteristics of Culture  Cultures can be learned.  Culture norms are logical.  Culture represents identity and community.  It mixes both the visible and the invisible.  Culture is dynamic. 9  Major Dimensions of Culture  Context  Individualism  Formality  Communication Style  Time Orientation 10  Formality Tradition, Ceremony and Social rules  Americans: Casual, direct and coming to point soon  Mexicans: Hurt when asked to “get down to business”  Japanese: Exchange of cards and signing documents are treated as rituals. 11  Contd.  Europeans: Never use first name without invitation  Arabian, South Americans and Asians: Friendship first and business later  Western Countries: Relaxed about social status and power 12  Communication Style Americans: Straightforward, uncomfortable with silence and delays - Take words literally Arabs and South Americans: Poetic language Nigerians: Quiet and clear Germans: Direct but understated 13  Business Styles  Americans and Germans: Emphasis on words  Greek: Treat contract as formal statement  Japanese: Contract as statement of intention  Mexicans: Artistic exercises to be accomplished in an ideal world.  Arab: Contract as insulting 14  Time  Asians: Punctual  North Americans: A Commodity  Japanese: Take time to decide  Hispanics: More relaxed regarding time 15  Soft Skills Lecture 19 Communicating Across Cultures Dr. Binod Mishra Department of HSS, IIT Roorkee 1 “Culture is a code we learn and share, and learning and sharing require communication. Communication requires coding and symbols that must be learned and shared.” -Alfred G Smith, Communication and Culture 2  Cultural Contexts High context culture (Japan, China and Arab countries): Intuitive, contemplative, stress on non-verbals, meaning to physical and social setting. Low context culture (North America, Scandinavia, France and Germany): Logical, analytical and action- oriented. Values individualism. 3  Communication Contexts  International Study of the flow of communication between and among countries.  Global Trans-border transfer of information by groups/ institutions and government.  Cross cultural Comparing phenomena across culture.  Intercultural Face to face interactions among people of diverse cultures. 4  Superstition In Mexico Saloon where people gather to drink pulque, a distillate of cactus, is considered good fortune to get worms in your cup. In Japan Maneki neko (beckoning cat). In China Phonetic sound of 8 is most fortuitous of numbers auguring prosperity.  Contd. In Hong Kong A license plate with the number 8 is quite valuable. 4 can be read as shi, a homophone for death. In Arabs: Arabs of the same sex stand much closer than North Americans. U.S: People in U.S. require more room. 6  Cultural Variables Ethnocentrism Education Religious faiths Country laws Social mores Language Non verbal cues: Space, time, ways of greeting, and touch. 7  Ways to say ‘no’ U.S & Canada: shaking heads back and forth. Bulgaria: nodding up and down. Japan: moving their right hands. Sicily: raising their chin. 8  Misunderstandings o Hewlett Packard episode o Mazda o Trade show exhibition o Mad mannerism How was your weekend? Arab's way of gifting German red rose 9  Avoid Ethnocentrism Superiority of one’s own race -- Time is money. -- stop judging others by your own values. -- study/observe other cultures. 10  Bridge the gaps Tolerance Empathy Stop being judgmental Seek common ground Have patience 11  Facts to remember  People in low context culture are less concerned with face.  Mexicans, Asians and members of other high context culture are concerned with social harmony and saving face.  Germans are direct, Americans less direct and Japanese very subtle. 12  Move beyond stereotypes  Stereotype is an oversimplified behavioural pattern applied uncritically to groups.  People resent being stereotyped.  Discover individual personal qualities.  Move from ethnocentrism to ethno-relativism. 13 Various stages of Ethnorelativism  Denial  Defence  Minimization  Acceptance  Adaptation  Integration 14  Summing up Culture and communication are strongly connected. U.S. gives higher status to speakers. Asian culture views communication as co-operation to make meanings. Positive communication approach always pays. 15  Soft Skills Lecture 20 Organizational Communication Dr. Binod Mishra Department of HSS, IIT Roorkee 1  What is an Organization?  A social unit of people that is structured and managed to meet a need or to pursue collective goals. All organizations have a management structure that determines relationships between the different activities and the members, and subdivides and assigns roles, responsibilities, and authority to carry out different tasks. Organizations are open systems--they affect and are affected by their environment. 2  Organizational Communication “Organizational communication is a process which involves the transmission and accurate replication of ideas ensured by feedback for the purpose of eliciting actions which will accomplish organizational goals”. - William Scott 3  Responsibilities at Workplace  Responsibilities at work place are defined based on specialization and requirements.  An organization is a combination of various people with various skills working for its objective.  Also, organization needs communication for effective management. 4  Functions of Communication in Organization  Forecasting  Planning  Organizing  Instructing  Coordinating  Controlling 5  Communication Objectives  Increasing job performance and updating their knowledge  Promoting employees’ sense of belonging  Convincing employees about decisions  Developing employees’ roles  Empowering employees with information 6  Management of Communication Effective Communication helps an organizations in proper operation and management:  Interpersonal Role  Informational Role  Decisional Role 7  Maslow’s Theory of Human Needs  Physiological  Security and Safety  Social Needs  Ego Needs  Self-actualization 8  Communication Strategies Communication in an organization flows vertically or horizontally. It may also flow cross-wise and spiral depending upon the nature of Communication. 9  Traditional Management Styles  Work and Pay  Sources of labour  Fulfilment of primary needs  Not supposed to be interested in organization’s welfare. 10  Modern Management Styles  A balance between control and freedom.  People as humans.  Fulfilment of higher level needs.  Language of control and language of control and persuasion. 11  Line and Staff Management  Line Managers: Responsibility for main activities of company, such as sales and manufacturing.  Staff Managers: Support and service areas such as accounting, distribution and personal. 12  Informal Communication  Chat  Grapevine Communication received through informal channels are not negative always. “The most effective communication results when managers utilize the informal organization to supplement communication channels of the formal organization”. - H. Koonz and O Donnel 13  Types of Communication at Workplace  Statutory: Terms and condition of service  Routine/ Normal: Formal briefing  Major Policies  Information Bulletin  Communication during crisis hours 14  Remember A satisfied employee is more productive than a dissatisfied employee. 15  Soft Skills Lecture 21 Communication Breakdown Part I Dr. Binod Mishra Department of HSS, IIT Roorkee 1  What is Communication Breakdown? Imagine the following: A small child crying continuously…… You plan to travel with a valid ticket yet cannot board the train. You visit the doctor, follow his advice and then feel more complications. You write an e- mail in a very good language to a foreign friend and do not get any reply. 2  Understanding Breakdown Any step in the communication process which blocks, restricts or interferes with the smooth flow of messages can be termed as communication breakdown or barrier. 3  Identify why things go wrong  Find out the cause.  Find out the solution.  Decide what can suit best.  Apply the best and seek feedback. 4  Classification of Breakdown  Breakdown at the source  Breakdown between people  Breakdown within the organization 5  Breakdown at the source  Faltering with words  Uncertainty about content  Differing background  Wrong inferences  Categorical Thinking 6  Contd. Differences in perception Fact-inference confusion Rigid categories (frozen evaluation, polarization, blindering) Categorical thinking (know it all, allness syndrome) 7  Breakdown between people  Difference in Perception  Limited vocabulary  Emotional Outbursts  Poor Listening 8  Contd.  Communication Selectivity  Noise  Imbalance between verbal and non-verbal messages 9  Perception Perception of reality - Selective perception Language – an arbitrary code ―The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.‖ — Mark Twain 10  Semantic Gap  One word may have myriad meanings.  Words don’t have meaning. Meaning lies with the user.  Meaning is contextualized. 11  Soft Skills Lecture 22 Communication Breakdown Part II Dr. Binod Mishra Department of HSS, IIT Roorkee 1  Organizational Breakdown  Organizational Characteristics  Fear of Superior’s Perception  Negative attitudes in organization  Misunderstood application of Media  Information Overload 2  Contd.  Who should talk to whom?  Disparity in status  Gap between senior and junior level employees  Lack of trust  In large organizations, often groups and sub-groups are formed. 3  Too many transfer stations  Message gets twisted.  The message sent is not the message received. 4  Wrong choice of medium  Media richness  Technical and objective messages are lean media. 5  Physical Distraction  Venue  Acoustics  Outside disturbances  Lighting and climatic conditions 6  Ethical Considerations  Difference between what you have a right to do and what is the right thing to do.  Plagiarism  Misquoting  Predictions 7  Ways to overcome  Non-judgmental  Proper selection of words  Empathetic  Avoid assuming too much 8  Contd.  Listen patiently.  Avoid using jargons.  Keep your cultural bias aside.  Use short sentences and paragraphs. 9  Contd.  Create a synergy between your verbal and non-verbal.  Adopt an audience- centred approach.  Encourage open communication climate.  Reduce the number of levels.  Facilitate feedback.  Commit to ethical communication.  Create lean, and efficient messages. 10  Contd.  Create a candid environment.  Care for audience’s background.  Minimize transfer stations.  Beware of cultural diversity.  Select the most suitable medium. 11 “I celebrate myself, and sing myself, And what I assume you shall assume, For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.” — Walt Whitman 12  Soft Skills Lecture 23 Advanced Writing Skills Dr. Binod Mishra Department of HSS, IIT Roorkee 1 Characteristics of Advance Writing  Conceptualizing  Researching  Drafting  Revising 2  Aims and importance Aims  to convey ideas  To inform or to explain Importance  Writing reveals ones personality.  Writing represents one even in absence.  It reveals one’s notion of correctness and standards of language.  It serves as record. 3 Informative and Persuasive writing Persuasive: -Explains opinions and not facts - argumentative -Convinces readers --reader centered 4  Effective Writing Features  Directness  Easy to understand  Choice of words -Use words as per your needs. -Use adequate words to achieve your purpose. 5  Outline Main Point Supporting points Restatement 6  Some examples You will do me a personal favor by submitting the report before 5 P.M. tomorrow. Please submit the report to me no later than 5 P.M. tomorrow. 7  Organization Nine Basic Patterns: Direct Plan Indirect Plan Order of importance Chronology 8  Contd. Problem-solution Causal: cause to effect, effect to cause Spatial Structure/function Topical 9  Organization Direct plan  Routine  Neutral  Pleasant  SVA, Active &You tone  Contd. Congratulations! Your proposal for the workshop has evoked interest among students. We advise you to send your lecture topics and journey plan. 11  Indirect plan Unpleasant Negative - Delayed opening, reasons for negative message, positive ending  Thank you for your letter of application for the position of computer programmer. You are right that we are one of the largest organizations. Because of the size and reputation of our organization, we review the education, background and other characteristics of the candidates. 12  Order of Importance  State the most important reason first  State the second most important reason  State the least important reason I recommend Mr. X for the position of H.R. Manager. He has great communication skills. He has the ability to know people’s needs. He can take initiatives and manage people well. 13  Chronology Most useful in resume Accident reports Instructions and directions 2006 Graduated from Galgotia Institute of Management in Finance. 2008 Masters in Finance and Accounts. 2009 Diploma in Company Secretaryship. 14  Problem Solution First message deals with the problem and the second with the solution. Helpful in development of readers’ understanding and retention. 15  Causal From cause to effect and vice versa Pali as a language seems to lose its significance by 60 percent. The reason is the decreasing number of users. 16  Spatial Geographic pattern The sales of our product seems increasing in the north and south while it seems decreasing in the east and west. 17  Structure This pattern describes the structure first and function next. Compensation and benefit Training and development Labor relations 18  Topical Categorical Pattern Topics or subjects broken into subtopics or categories 19  Contd. Companies prefer CS to content. Hence candidates having exposure to spoken skills get easily selected. More and more geniuses are joining the world of teaching. The lucrative pay scales and other facilities have attracted their attention. 20  Secret of Effective Writing “True Ease in Writing comes from Art, not Chance, As those move easiest who have learn'd to dance.” — Alexander Pope 21  Soft Skills Lecture 24 Principles of Business Writing Dr. Binod Mishra Department of HSS, IIT Roorkee 1  Principles of Business Writing Clarity Courtesy Consideration Conciseness Cordiality 2  Aim of Business Writing The goal of business writing is to express and not to impress. A good writing is such that is clear, concise and plain. 3  Clarity Unskilled writers create foggy messages because they‟ve not learnt how to communicate clearly. Foggy message: Employees have not been made sufficiently aware of the potentially adverse consequences involved regarding these chemicals. Clear: Warn your employees about these chemicals. 4  Contd. Remove  Unclear words  Unfamiliar with familiar Exemplify Quantify meaningfully 5  An advice Don‟t use words too big for the subject. Don‟t say „infinitely when you mean „very‟; otherwise you‟ll have no word left when you talk about something really infinite.‟ — T.S. Eliot 6  Contd.  We grew hot and cold when the customers complained about the malfunctioning of the high priced ACs supplied by your firm. Will you let me know what should I do to recover my money for the ACs bought at an exorbitant price from one of your distributors notorious for supplying the branded ones? I may kindly be returned the amount incurred on buying your product. 7  Clarity A number of many At your earliest possible convenience soon Fullest possible extent fully It would be unreasonable to assume I assume 8  Courtesy  You cannot meet the Director. Don‟t you know that he is out of station?  Will you send me 125 geysers at the official rate?  The Executive committee meeting is postponed.  You must know that PAN can alone make online tax procedure easy. 9  Consideration  Your project is being returned since there are no more funds this year. Send it next year.  Please explain why you are not making adjustments for the cracks developed in the DVD players bought from your firm last month. 10  Conciseness Messages without flabby phrases and redundant expressions are easier to comprehend and less time consuming. Brevity is the soul of wit. Wordy expression: There are three things I want you to do. Concise: I want you to do three things. 11  Contd.  Improper verification procedure in the Quality Control Division has brought a sea of complaints from our customers and hence, needs an investigation without any loss of time.  You are not the only person to have problems as regards deadlines. You should not ignore the official instructions and should submit the report in no time. 12  Cordiality Negative and lackadaisical attitude towards readers may cost us heavily.  We fail to understand what ails the progress of this firm.  As you are not a member, we can‟t entertain your demands.  Your report doesn‟t sound satisfactory as it is silent on many aspects. 13  Optimism “If you pretend to be good, the world takes you very seriously. If you pretend to be bad, it doesn't. Such is the astounding stupidity of optimism”. — Oscar Wilde 14  Soft Skills Lecture 25 Types of Business Writing Part I Dr. Binod Mishra Department of HSS, IIT Roorkee 1  Types of Business Writing  Business Letters  Reports  Memorandum  Letter Reports  Circular 2  Contd.  Notice, Agenda & Minutes  Electronic Mail  Technical Proposal  Research Paper 3  Memo Reports Memorandum is a piece of official as well as business writing which is circulated within the organization. Since it is an internal communication it is also called inter-office memorandum. 4  Purpose Memo aims at ensuring smooth flow of information in the organization. It helps in establishing sound business relationships. It also has other functions, such as;  to confirm  to suggest/request  to explain  to announce  to report  to warn 5  Structure & Style  Structured like a letter, a memo does not have either salutation or complimentary close yet it ends with the writer’s name written on the right hand side towards the end of the message.  Conversational tone, informal 6  Format of a Memo a. Name of the organization in top centre b. ‘To’ and ‘From’ on the left hand side c. Subject d. Reference and date on the right hand side e. C.C. towards the end on left hand side f. Signature of the person issuing a memo 7  A Sample Memo Salman Business School 25/07, Rabindra Path, Uttamnagar. To: All Heads Reference: FDD/48 From: Dean, Admission Date: 07 March 2017 Sub: Training for faculty members It has been observed that campus placement in our institution has been dissatisfactory. This has badly affected the admission process for the last two years. It is high time we realised the needs and expectations of recruiters. I would like you to propose faculty Development training for all departments. Send two training proposals and names of experts in the said area from each department. I would like to meet all the departmental heads before giving shape to training programme. Anurag Joshi Dean, Admission C.C. Dean, Academics 8  Letter Report A Report written in a business letter format Informal yet formal Circulated both inside and outside the organization Some scope for illustrations 9  Format of a Letter Report Dariwal & Sons, Naubatpur, C.G.  Date  Inside address  Sub:  Salutation  Main Body - Introduction - Findings  Complimentary close  Signature  Enclosure 10  Differences A letter report is longer than a memo. Less informal. Internal and external circulation. Complimentary close. 11  Circular  A short piece of business writing which is to be circulated to everyone concerned in the organization. Circulated both within and outside organizations. Helps in launching and promoting new product and policies. Aims at making matters of general interest known to several persons. 12  Types of Circular o Informative: factual content and relevant information o Public: matters of general awareness o Partnership and Companies: of shareholders and business partners o Official Circular: for wider population 13  Soft Skills Lecture 26 Types of Business Writing Part II Dr. Binod Mishra Department of HSS, IIT Roorkee 1  Notice, Agenda and Minutes JACKSONS LTD RIMJHIM ENCLAVE, SAHIBABAD-234076 19th July, 2016 The tenth meeting of the Board of Directors will be held as per the following schedule: Date: 23rd July, 2016 Day: Saturday Time : 3.45 PM Venue: Board Room, Piyush Hotel, Sahhibabad. The agenda is attached. Atanu Kumar Secretary To: The members, Board of Directors 2  Notice, Agenda and Minutes Minutes  describe the happenings of the meeting.  provide written description of the events of the meeting.  are written by the secretary of the meeting.  record logical sequencing of the happenings of the meetings.  serve as records for future references. 3  Agenda List of items to be discussed in the minutes. Agenda is often attached to the notice. Informs members in advance about the matter to be discussed in the meeting. Prepared by the secretary in consultation with the chairman. The agenda is kept a secret during an urgent meeting. 4  Items of the Minute Name of the organization/office Date, time and place of the meeting Names of the members both present and absent Name of the Chairman Record of discussions Signature of the Secretary and the Chairman 5  Language  Simple and to the point  Written in the past tense  Agenda is written on the left hand  Details of minutes on the right hand 6  A Sample Minute JACKSONS LTD RIMJHIM ENCLAVE, SAHIBABAD-234076 Minutes of the 10th meeting of Board of Directors held on at 3.45 PM in the Board Room on 23rd July, 2016. Present: Shri Suneel Kumar, Chairman Shri B.K. Chauhan Shri Naresh Puri Shri Nikhil Kumar Pant 7  Contd. Ms. Alka Rani Shri Brijesh B Roy Shri Atanu Kumar, Secretary Absent: Shri Atul Prakash Shri Pranay Anand 8  Contd. 10.01: Confirmation of the Minutes of the previous meeting The minutes of Executive Council’s meeting held on 23rd July, 2016 were read and approved by the members. 10.02: Chairman’s report The Chairman presented the last year’s report. All the members expressed their satisfaction over the organization’s performance. 10.03: Provision of laptops to office staff The request of some senior staff for providing laptops to office staff was discussed. The Chairman expressed the organization’s inability to provide laptops to all senior staff at the same time. Ms. Alka Rani proposed that the distribution can be done phase wise in three phases. Shri Brijesh B. Roy seconded the proposal and said that such a bid would prompt the office work and valuable data will be available without adding to the burden of too much paper work. 9  Contd. 10.04: Dividend to share holders The Secretary proposed that in the light of the company’s progress, all the share holders be given a dividend of 10 percent. Shri Naresh Puri also proposed that the employees of the organization should also be given company shares. While there was consensus on both the proposals, the provision for number of shares to an employee will be decided in another special meeting, the members said. 10.05: Any other matter Shri Nikhil Kumar Pant suggested that the company’s canteen should be asked to arrange food at subsidized rates as many employees (especially working in shift duties) find it difficult to bring since they are not able to bring food from their home. The Chairman assured that steps in this direction were being taken. The meeting ended with a vote of thanks to the chair. Suneel Kumar Atanu Kumar Chairman Secretary 25 July, 2016 10  Electronic Mail One of the fastest modes of communication. Several advantages and disadvantages. Discretion to be used while drafting and sending an e-mail. Avoid using words in capital. 11  Contd. Avoid sarcasm and satire. Use subject lines judiciously. Watch your tone. Keep signature lines brief. 12  Research Paper A formal and systematic piece of writing structured from the findings of a research in a specific discipline. Creative and innovative idea. Process of discovering new and novel ideas to bring change. 13  Contd. Technical papers Conference papers Journal article A review article 14  Preparatory Steps Planning and Process  Selection of topic  Literature review  Outlining  Statement of purpose  Analysis 15  Sample Topics Misuse of Technology in Communication Importance of Soft Skills at Workplace Role of Media in Women Empowerment 16  Contd.  Style: Formal, objective and scholarly.  Proper Revision. 17  Soft Skills Lecture 28 Business Letters: Format & Style Dr. Binod Mishra Department of HSS, IIT Roorkee 1 Format of Business Letters  Full Block  Modified Block  Semi-block Format  Simplified Format 2 Contd. 3  Full Block  All the parts of the letter start at the left-hand margin.  The date, salutation, complimentary close, and signature are placed are flushed towards left.  There is no punctuation followed.  Double space is followed between: i. Salutation & Subject line ii. The end of the body & the complimentary close. 4  Vikas Publishers Kalidas Marg, Achalpura, Jaipur- 303908 March15, 2017 Prof. Jayant Mishra Alpha Engineering Institute 65, Ramkrishna Marg Puducherry-605001 Dear Sir: Subject: ___________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Yours sincerely Priyam Sunder 5 6  Modified Block  It is block because the address, subject line, and salutation are aligned with the left-hand margin.  The paragraphs in the body are blocked.  Date, complimentary close and signature are placed between the right hand margin and centre of the page. 7  Format Vikas Publishers Kalidas Marg, Achalpura, Jaipur- 303908 March 15, 2017 Prof. Jayant Mishra Alpha Engineering Institute 65, Ramkrishna Marg Puducherry-605001 Dear Sir: ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ Yours sincerely Priyam Sunder 8 9  Semi-block Format  More or less similar to the modified block style.  Paragraphs are indented.  The date and complimentary close are the same as in the modified block style.  The inside address is written on the left-hand margin. 10 11  Simplified Format  Followed when the writer is not aware of status/gender of the receiver.  The date, complimentary close, and signature are spaced on the right-hand margin.  The attention line is also written in capital letters. 12 13  Style and Language Adopt a language that is reader friendly. Develop a You-approach. Show your courtesy and consideration. Avoid blaming the reader. Avoid being negative. 14  Contd. Be precise but be natural. Be simple and specific. Make judicious use of I and We. Minimize the use of Passive. 15  Examples of unprofessional language Your refrigerator’s warranty has already expired. Any service for your machine will be provided on payment basis. We are glad we can now send your Xerox machine. We also look forward to receive orders from our customers in future as well. Your application cannot be entertained as you don’t fulfil our required qualification. Why don’t you try next year? 16  Contd. You have not mentioned the model and the colour of the cell phone you want to buy from us. It is very difficult to continue business relation with you. If we get customers like you, our business will come to a halt. As a valued customer you should know that we have full faith in our quality control division. We are not responsible for the damages occurred during transportation. 17 “Say all you have to say in the fewest possible words, or your reader will be sure to skip them; and in the plainest possible words or he will certainly misunderstand them.” – John Ruskin 18  Soft Skills Lecture 29 Types of Business Letters Part I Dr. Binod Mishra Department of HSS, IIT Roorkee 1  Types of Business Letters Sales Letter Letter of Enquiry Letter for Placing orders Letter of Credit Refusal Letter 2  Contd. Collection Letter Claim Letter Adjustment Letter Letter of Recognition 3 Characteristics of a Business Letter Clear Content Tone of goodwill Correct format 4  Secret of a good Sales letter “If he is rude, be specially courteous. If he is muddle-headed, be specially lucid. If he is pig- headed, be patient. If he is helpful, be appreciative he convicts you of a mistake, acknowledge it freely and even with gratitude.” --Sir Ernest Gower 5  AIDA Process Arousing interest Creating desire Carrying conviction Inducing action 6  Steps to writing BL Analysis, anticipation and adaptation  Determine your purpose  Anticipate audience’s reaction  Visualize the audience  Organize your letter carefully  Revise and proofread 7  Introductory paragraph  Make a striking statement  State a significant point  Relate an anecdote  Make special offers  Focus the central selling point  Make special appeals  Ask a question 8  Body of Sales Letter Explain the qualities of your product and its special features. Convince him that your claims are true. Ways to do so Trial offers Guarantees free samples Testimonials and test results Statistics Enclosing additional literature. 9  Concluding the Sales letter Repeat the points made earlier, e.g. Send your orders today and be the first in the town to own our newly designed television. Avoid such conclusions Negative endings, Do not miss this opportunity; it is an unusual offer. You will regret your decision if you do not order now. 10  Letters of Enquiry Put the main idea first Punctuate polite command with a period and not with a question Show appreciation before closing your letter We are grateful for the information you will provide because it will help us have a smooth transaction. I appreciate this information that will enable me to decide our order for 45 ACs for our offices. 11  Replying Letters of Enquiry Provide easy to understand subject line Avoid the following: o Article o Complete sentence o Ending the sentence with a period Subject: Your letter of February 25 about Lumia Cellphone 12  Opening, body and close Announce the good news first and avoid dull openings: Please find the information you had requested for…. Body:  Explanation and additional information  Arrange information sequentially in case of many queries  Provide a bulleted list and explanation of the items 13  Dealing with Mixed messages Emphasize the good news Yes, I would be delighted to deliver a talk to your final year students. Explain a problem My schedule for the first two weeks of March are very tight as I’ll be out of the country for a conference in Sweden. Present the bad news in the middle Although I cannot deliver a talk to your final year students during that time, perhaps we can schedule a date during the third week of March. 14  How to end the message End the message cordially Thanks for the invitation to deliver a talk to your final year students. I look forward to arranging a date in the third week of March when I can talk to them about the growing importance of Soft Skills in the business world. 15  Letters for placing orders Let the reader immediately know about the purchase “Please send me 45 Hitachi Window ACs.” List orders vertically Inform the payment procedure. Conclude on a cordial note 16  Credit Letter Buying on credit has become a way of life in modern business. Buy now and pay later schemes are floated by sellers to promote business. 17  Requirements of Credit Letter Mention source of information about the product. Place the order indicating the desired terms of credit. Essential information about the business. Supply credit references. Promise to supply further information if required to establish financial credibility. 18  Refusal Letter Thank the applicant for the request. State the reasons. Try to retain the customer by encouraging him to pay cash for the present transaction. Suggest the possibility of making credit arrangements in future. 19  Soft Skills Lecture 30 Types of Business Letters Part II Dr. Binod Mishra Department of HSS, IIT Roorkee 1  Collection Letter Varies in tone. Starts with a gentle tone. Becomes harsh in the second letter. Tone gets indirect in the third letter.  Message becomes intimidating and stronger. 2  A Sample Collection Letter Dear _____ Despite three reminders, we have not received an outstanding amount of Rs. ______ for the purchase of 20 Photo Copiers. You have ignored our previous request and failed to explain the circumstances which have blocked our payment. You are morally obliged and bound to pay what you owe to us. Your further delay may force us to hand the matter over to legal agencies. Please do your best to avoid any embarrassing situation. Kindly send the cheque at the earliest and inform us telephonically by 5 P.M. tomorrow. Sincerely 3  Claim Letters When a customer writes to correct a wrong, the letter written for this purpose is called a claim letter. An observation: “You are most likely to hear from customers when they have a complaint , and that's good thing. They are not only giving you a chance to help them, but they’re initiating a dialogue, which is exactly what you want to have with your best customers.” 4  Opening the Claim letter Open with statement of the problem or with the action you want to take: “Please send your service engineer to rectify the technical problems in 20 geysers bought from you against our order of March 03, 2017.” “Since two of our employees with confirmed reservations were refused rooms on February 25, 2017, would you clarify your room reservation policy for late arrivals.” 5  Explain the problem Explain what went wrong. Appeal to the company’s fair reputation. State the inconvenience. State the adjustment you want. 6  Contd.  Avoid blaming and becoming angry.  Include copies of all documents.  Suggest alternate remedy.  Close with a courteous statement. “We realize that mistakes in ordering and shipping sometimes occur. Because we’ve enjoyed your prompt service in the past, we hope that you will be able to send us the ACs by March 20th, 2017.” 7  Granting claims and making adjustments Key points:  Organizations value their customer and want to retain them.  Complaints are chances to improve relationships.  Customer complaints provide them useful information than customer surveys. 8  Goals in Adjustment Letters  Rectification of the wrong  Regaining customers confidence  Promotion of further business 9  Things to do  Convey the adjustment first, such as the action you are taking.  Explain why things went wrong.  Give additional information for the same product or send some new materials.  Close the letter emphasizing the action that you want your customer to take.  Address your claimant by name. 10 Open with the good news: You will be receiving shortly a new Lumia Cell phone to replace the one having the touch screen problem. Avoid the use of negative words, such as: trouble, regret, misunderstanding, fault, error, inconvenience, you claim etc. 11  Contd.  Avoid blaming customers even if they are at fault.  Be professional by not blaming any individual or department.  Avoid making unrealistic promises, such as – this situation will never occur. 12  Use of Language Sensitive, and empathetic: We are really sorry for the problem. You are right to be disappointed with the Lumia cell phone which had problems of touch. 13  Closing the Adjustment Letter Express appreciation Thanks for writing. Your satisfaction is important to us. We hope that your new Lumia Cell phone convinces you that service to our customers is our top priority. Our goal is to earn your confidence and continue to justify that confidence with quality products and excellent services. 14  Letters of Recommendation  Purposes: - To nominate people for awards, memberships, and recognition. - To recommend/ evaluate present or former employees. 15  Features Honesty Confidentiality Proper estimate of the candidate Evaluation of a candidate’s traits such as communication skills, behavioural skills, organizational skills, team skills and initiative. 16  Some guidelines Respond only to written requests. State that your remarks are confidential. Focus on job-related information. Avoid vague or ambiguous remarks. Stick to the truth. In case of any negatives, supply specific evidence. 17  To conclude “The art of art, the glory of expression and the sunshine of the light of letters, is simplicity”. -Walt Whitman 18