Transcript BUSINESS COMMUNICATION ENGB213

Unit 2
Speaking, listening and non-verbal communication
Overview
 Why are communication skills important?
 Oral communication in the workplace
 Speaking skills
 Listening skills
 Non- verbal communication
 How to improve your non-verbal communication skills
 The telephone
 Voice processing
Why are communication skills
important?
To secure an
interview
To get the
job
To do your
job well
To advance
in your
career
Oral communication in the workplace
 Private discussion
 Conversation over lunch
 Gossip in the lift
 Telephone conversation
 Chance meeting in the corridor
 Informal gathering of staff
 Instructing subordinates
 Dealing with clients
 Formal meetings
 Interviews
 Training sessions
 Giving a presentation
 Conferences/seminars
Speaking skills
 Most people find talking easier than writing because phrases
can sometimes be used in speech that would not be
appropriate in written communication.
 However, if understanding is to be complete and effective,
the spoken language needs to be chosen carefully
Listening skills
Listening skills
 Listening is half of oral communication
 All effective leaders and managers realise the
importance of acquiring good listening skills
 Consequences of not listening carefully could be
disastrous.
The listening process
1.Receiving
2. Interpreting
3. Remembering
4. Evaluating
5. Responding
6. Acting
• Physically hear message and take note
• Affected by external factors i.e noise
• Infer speaker’s meaning based on own experiences
• Need to understand speaker’s frame of reference
• Store message for future reference
• Consider points mentioned and assess their
importance
• Reacting to speaker’s message
• In certain occasion, action is vital. Put all promised
action in writing and make sure to deliver promises
Barriers to effective listening
 Pre-judgement
 Selfishness
 Selective listening
Non- verbal communication
Posture
Facial
expressions
Eye contact
Gestures
Touching
How to improve your non-verbal
communication skills
 1. Be honest, especially when communicating emotions
 2. Use a firm, friendly handshake
 3. Maintain eye contact
 4. Reinforce your words with tones and gestures
 5. Be aware of your posture
 6. Use appropriate gestures to support your points
 7. Imitate the posture and appearance of people you want to
impress
 8. Show respect for speakers and listeners
 9. Touch people only when appropriate and acceptable
 10. Smile genuinely, as a fake one will be obvious
The telephone
 Most people use the telephone several times a day; calls are
usually straighforward and require little planning
 However, using the telephone for business purposes is very
different
 The person on the telephone represents the company
 Important to use tone of voice, inflections and attitude
carefully to show professionalism, your readiness to listen
carefully, and your ability to communicate clearly
Making effective telephone calls
Before calling
 Choose the right time to call
 Check the number
 Plan your call
 Be prepared
 Avoid interruptions
Making effective telephone calls
During the call
 Be courteous and establish a rapport
 Put a smile in your voice
 Check your notes
 Obtain feedback
 Close in a positive, courteous manner
Making effective telephone calls
After the call
 Make notes
 Take action
Taking messages
 Requires both oral and written communication skills
 A pencil and telephone message pad should always be kept
by the telephone
 When taking messages, remember that the caller cannot see
you; need to give verbal signals to know the message is being
understood
 A telephone message should be passed to its recipient
immediately, or placed on the person’s desk if the recipient is
out
Voice processing
 Voice mail
 Allows one to send, store and retrieve verbal messages. Often used in
business to replace brief inter-office notes or emails and messages that
need no response
 Recording your voice mail greeting
 Keep it brief – no longer than 20-30 seconds
 State action clearly
 Be professional – businesslike voice
 Leaving a voice mail message
 Effective voice mail message: keep it brief, speak precisely and
clearly