Business Communications Lecture Notes

Nonverbal communication is less structured and more spontaneous than verbal communication.
Nonverbal communication is important because it (1) has more impact than verbal communication, (2) is considered a more accurate and reliable indicator of meaning than words, and (3) conveys information quickly and efficiently.
Six varieties of nonverbal behavior:
- Facial expressions and eye behavior
- Gestures and postures
- Vocal characteristics
- Personal appearance
- Touching behavior
- Use of time and space
Men and women use and interpret nonverbal communication differently.
Verbal communication is the use of words arranged according to rules of grammar.
Although business people tend to rely more heavily on oral than written communication, some things need to be put in writing.
Using multiple channels (both written and spoken) gives your message maximum impact.
People spend more time receiving information than transmitting it.
the listening/reading process requires the ability to register, interpret, evaluate, sort, and store information.

Communication process:
1. Sender has idea
2. Idea becomes message (encoding)
3. Message is transmitted
4. Receiver gets message (decoding)
5. Receiver reacts and sends feedback
communication is a dynamic process that can be interrupted before it really begins. Problems include
- Trouble selecting the right amount and type of material
- Lack of information about the purpose of the message and the audience's needs
- Lack of skill in using language
Communication barriers between people include
- Individual perceptions of reality
- Incomplete or overzealous screening or abbreviating of information before passing it on
- Word choice and interpretation
- Lack of attention on the receiver's part
- Negative reactions to message content or sender-receiver relationship
- Individual life experiences
Communication barriers within organizations include
- Too much information
- Individual conflicts about content as well as difficulty with dry or technical material
- Divided audience attention
- Unwillingness to give and receive bad news
- Inability to build trust
- Formal restrictions on who may communicate with whom
- Lack of media richness
- Directive or authoritarian corporate structure
- Illegal or unethical messages
- Unnecessary messages
- Bad connections, acoustics, copy, and so forth

Five qualities of good communicators:
- Perception
- Precision
- Credibility
- Control
- Congeniality
Six steps to creating effective messages:
1. Think about purpose; analyze audience's background and needs
2. Tell audience what to expect; preview contents.
3. Use concrete, specific language; pin down general concepts with memorable, graphic words.
4. Stick to the point; weed out unnecessary information, but develop each idea adequately.
5. Connect new information to existing ideas to help audience sort, store, and accept message.
6. Emphasize and review key points: allocate the most space to the most vital ideas; use graphics, format, and body language to highlight main ideas; and summarize major sections.
To minimize noise:
- Choose the communication channel and medium most likely to attract attention.
- Tailor messages for the reader's convenience.
- Remove environmental distractions.
- Reduce the number of links in the communication chain.
Feedback is vital but can be disruptive in some situations, so
- Think about how and when you want to obtain feedback.
- Choose the channel and medium accordingly.
- Encourage honest feedback.
- Ask questions to draw out the audience's reaction.
- Listen with an open mind.
- Avoid defensive reactions.
- Revise message and try again if audience doesn't understand.