Business Communication Notes (BIM 2nd Semester) Chapter 1: The Communication Process

Business Communication

The Writing Process

The writing process involves planning (pre-writing), organising and writing, and revising.
First, you must consider the fundamental issues that come with writing. It must have a definitive purpose, either to solve a problem or to convey information.
You may need to be persuasive, trying to convince the receiver about something, and making it acceptable to the receiver.
The message must be clear and concise. You must be audience-focused, trying to look at the problem from the perspective of the audience. Understanding these issues makes the work of a writer easier.

Planning

Planning is the first phase of the writing process. It begins by identifying the purpose, anticipating how your audience may respond to your message, and based on analysis, adapting your message to the audience. The following steps are not rigidly linear and these can be rearranged, abbreviated, or repeated, depending on the needs of an individual writer:
Analyse your purpose: Asking questions like " why am I writing this message?" and “what do I want to achieve?" will help figure out how to organise and present your message. A message can have either a primary or secondary purpose. For example, the primary purpose of this presentation is to fill the void/gap of business communication course materials at the higher secondary level of education in Nepal. Its secondary purpose is to be useful to anybody, in any professional area. Generally, business messages have the primary purpose of informing and persuading people, and their secondary purpose is to promote goodwill. Thus, how you develop your message depends on what your purpose is.

Select Appropriate Channel: This is the next thing you may do after identifying the purpose of your message. What type of channel is most effective to convey your message? For example, you have bad news to announce to your employees in your small organization. Which medium is more effective? Most likely, in such a small enterprise, you know everyone working there personally. Oral communication could be more effective to connect with them. If you were in a large organisation, a written message would be more effective. Your selection of the channel will depend on the importance of the message, the nature and speed of feedback you are wanting from your audience, the cost of using the channel, and the need to maintain records for future reference. Also, it will be determined by how formal and confidential you need to be.

Since face-to-face medium allows more interactivity and feedback, or verbal and visual cues, is considered more effective to tailor the message to the audience.
A memo, report or proposal is rather flat in its appeal. With the advancement in technology today, speed is paramount in any communication. Hence, mobile phones, SMS, social media applications, websites, and above all, emails, are the channels of choice in many communication tasks. Yet, for reasons of persuasion, formality, and record-keeping, many organisations continue to use written messages.

Electronic messages are the norm today. Hard copies are gradually becoming things of the past. Customers today can have direct access to business via websites and live chats. Customer service representatives in a company should know how to communicate electronically, not just in spoken language but also in written language. Today's business communicators must be versatile in various modes of communication. Planning is important for this reason.

Know your audience and adapt to it: Knowing your audience involves anticipating it, and adapting to their needs. Try to identify your reader accurately: What does he or she want? How will he or she respond to your message? Although you can't always know exactly who the receiver is, you can look for some characteristics of the reader and get to know him/her better.
Create a profile of your audience. This is very important in the process because the type of audience often determines the time taken, the need for a particular channel, and the form or type of message itself.
Tone, formal or informal, friendly or unfriendly, positive or negative, is a major indicator of the adaptation of a message to an audience. It is also important to stress the benefits to the audience, and show the audience through your message how your service or product will help them meet their goals, or address their problem.

Know your audience and adapt to it: Being audience-focused also means emphasising second-person pronouns (you, your) instead of first-person pronouns (we, us, our). Choosing to directly address the audience as "you" leaves a more positive impact whether the purpose is to inform, persuade, or promote goodwill. However, we should be careful not to overuse or misuse the second person pronoun “you”. Readers and listeners appreciate genuine interest; on the other hand, they resent obvious attempts at manipulation.
Professionalism is at the heart of business communication. Use appropriate diction. Diction is the choice of words or phrases in written or spoken language. Depending on your needs or situations, the choice is between unprofessional or inappropriate diction (e.g., slang, fragments, abbreviations such as lol for laugh out loud, BTW for by the way, etc.), conversational or middle-level diction, formal or high-level diction and overly formal or very high-level diction. In the name of being informal or interesting, many young people use unprofessional language. For example, writing an email like this is very unprofessional in business communication: Hey, boss, what’s up? Ya, dude, I'm Gr&!

Know your audience and adapt to it: You should express yourself positively. Use positive rather than negative language. Positive messages are uplifting and pleasant to read. If you can, avoid using negative words such as isn't, doesn’t, cannot, not possible, etc.
Example: Your order cannot be processed by the first week of Mangsir.
Better: Your order will be processed by the end of the first week of Mangsir.
Similarly, avoid words that give the impression that you are accusing or blaming people. Loaded words or phrases like your claim, complaint, defective, failed, mistake, and neglected as well as expressions such as you should, you must, and you have to come with a negative tone.

Know your audience and adapt to it: Another issue that offends readers is biased language relating to gender, race, ethnicity, age, and disabilities. Avoid using words like lady driver, female doctor, or cleaning woman. Use neutral forms simply as a driver, doctor, and cleaner. More examples: chairman (chairperson), waitress (server), stewardess (flight attendant), mankind (humanity), man-made (artificial), wife (spouse), businessman (businessperson), etc. Omit all kinds of expressions that imply racial or ethnic stereotypes.
Example: A Sherpa porter, a Newar businessman, a Madhesi teacher, an Indian vendor, etc. Include age only if relevant. We should avoid all words or expressions that can be demeaning to people.

Know your audience and adapt to it: You can also adapt your message to the audience by using simple and familiar words. Look at these words and see the difference: commensurate (equal), obfuscate (confuse), interrogate (question), remuneration (pay or salary), terminate (end). Of course, sometimes unfamiliar words that convey an important point or idea may be unavoidable. Be selective in using jargon, the technical or specialised terms within a field. They can be useful to communicate information internally, but may only confuse or even annoy an outside audience.

Know your audience and adapt to it: What does business jargon like "S.W.A.T. team" or "swim lane” mean to the general audience? To new recruits, outsiders, or the secondary audience, these may only serve as barriers to their understanding.
Another important language task to adapt to the audience is to use precise and strong words and avoid imprecise and dull words. Strong verbs and concrete nouns give receivers more information and keep them interested.
For example, instead of using “some increase in profit" it is more precise to say "a 30 per cent increase in profit." You can use a thesaurus (or the thesaurus program on your computer) to select the most appropriate and effective vocabulary.

Collaborative and work in teams: Business communication in today's workplace increasingly relies on collaboration and teamwork. Generally, large projects with short deadlines may require immediate input from experts, hence collaboration. Sometimes, smaller projects also can benefit from teamwork.

Abide by the guidelines, laws and ethics: You must follow certain company guidelines on language, mechanics, and style. Some companies may even have in-house guidelines on writing style.
You must follow legal and ethical rules. Safety information, including warnings, must tell consumers clearly how to use a product safely and motivate them to do so. Writers describing potentially dangerous products worry not only about protecting people from physical harm but also about being sued. Manufacturers are obligated to warn consumers of any risks in their products. These warnings must do more than suggest danger; they must also clearly tell people how to use the product safely.

Abide by the guidelines, laws and ethics: In addition to being honest, marketing information must not promise more than what is intended. Sales and marketing messages are illegal if they falsely advertise prices, performance capability, quality, or other product characteristics. Marketing messages must not deceive the buyer in any way. Sellers of services must also be cautious about the language they use to describe what they will do. Letters, reports, and proposals that describe services to be performed may be interpreted as contracts in court. Therefore, language must not promise more than intended.
Communicators in human resources must use careful wording (particularly in employment recommendations and employee handbooks) to avoid lawsuits. They must also avoid oral promises that can result in lawsuits. Be careful in your language evaluating the works of employees, writing the rules in the employee handbook, describing their work habits or skills, and writing recommendations for them. Be sensitive to the rights of others and to your own rights. The key elements in this adaptation process are awareness of laws, sensitivity to interpretations, and careful use of language. In Nepal, a large part of the business world still remains heedless to these rules, but gradually some organisations have begun to take them seriously.

Abide by the guidelines, laws and ethics: In the publication, one must be mindful of copyright laws. Writers should assume that everything is copyrighted. Nepal's Copyright Act, 2059 (2002) protects authors -literary, dramatic, and artistic - of published and unpublished works. It protects a work for the lifetime period of the creator and 50 years after the creator's life. Give credit to anything you borrow, such as words, charts, graphs, photos, and music that was created privately. Some items are not copyrighted and are free to be used, but check to make sure of their legal status and hence free to be used by anyone, unless the owner prohibits their use. Observe fair-use restrictions. Never use large amounts of materials from others’ work, even if they are given due credit. It is always safe to obtain permission. For some materials you use, you may have to pay the copyright owner. Giving citations or references can prevent plagiarism, but it may not prevent you from copyright infringement (breach/violation).

The second phase of the writing process involves researching, organising, and then composing the message.
For example, if you are writing a brochure, you will have to identify the key message and determine your audience. You may like to check brochures by your competitors on the same topic or theme. You might brainstorm with your colleagues and some potential clients to generate a variety of messages to choose from. Once you have collected enough information, you will have to organise them effectively.
How would you start the text? Should you begin with an introduction or with key highlights of the brochure? Should you organise in a narrative format or arrange the ideas thematically? Once you decide how to organise it, you will compose the brochure.

Gathering Information, Conducting Research

Gathering information is part of the research process. Business communicators collect information using formal or informal research techniques.

Using research methods: Two types of research methods can be used: formal and informal.
Usually, longer reports and proposals require some type of formal research method. Using formal research methods can involve searching for information electronically, such as the internet, accessing it via CDs, DVDs, or in databases. You can also search manually, in public and college libraries, from encyclopedias, reference books, handbooks, dictionaries, directories, and almanacks (annual publications). Talk to people directly, interview them, or conduct focus group discussions.
Another way is to use primary sources, such as original documents like diaries, notes, manuscripts, receipts, etc. Aside from these, you may also conduct surveys and scientific experiments.

Gathering Information, Conducting Research

Informal research methods are generally used for routine work, to compose short reports, correspondences and presentations such as emails, memos, letters, informational reports, and oral presentations. You look for information in company files; you talk with your manager, interview the target audience, or brainstorm ideas with co-workers.

Generating ideas by brainstorming: Invite a few people to discuss and generate ideas. They are there to contribute ideas, not to criticise someone or to debate something. Short sessions are better than a longer one. Begin by defining the problem. Create an agenda outlining the main topics that will be covered in the discussion. Ideally, you can specify the number of ideas you would like to generate. Generally, everyone present must contribute at least one idea of his or her own. List every idea generated on a blackboard, whiteboard, or flip-chart somewhere near the wall where everyone present can see. When people have done contributing ideas, organize and classify the ideas, and select the best ones.

Organising Ideas

Listing main topics is useful to organise data in simple messages, whereas creating an outline works better to organize more complex messages. A list includes a series of ideas, usually in bullet points or numbered items.
An outline divides the main topic into three to five major components, which in turn could be broken into sub-points. An alphanumeric outline arranges items either in Roman numerals (I, II, III, etc.), capital letters (A, B, C, etc.), and numbers (I, 2, 3, etc.). A decimal outline uses decimals (1., 1.1, 1.1.1, 1.1.2, etc.).

Making a quick scratch list:

In developing simple messages, some writers make a quick scratch list of the topics they wish to cover. Writers often jot (not down) this scratch list in the margin of the letter or memo to which they are responding (the majority of business messages are written in response to other documents). These writers then compose a message on their computers directly from the scratch list.

Writing an Outline

This is useful for longer documents or complex messages. It offers you a roadmap to your project, and the specific details involved in the message. It helps to organize your thoughts before you get lost in many other aspects of your message, such as grammar or mechanics, evidence in support of your arguments, or references. The outline provides you a focus, a boundary. In your outline, group ideas into components or categories. These ideas will serve you later as headings or subheadings of your document. Ideally, include three to five categories. Start by defining the main topic or purpose in the title. Divide the main topic into major components and break them into sub-points. Remember that components should not overlap with one another; they should be exclusive. Never have only one item under a component; it is always better to integrate it with another similar component. To substantiate each sub-point, use details, explanations, and evidence.

Using Patterns

Business messages are generally organised using at least two patterns - direct and indirect. In the direct pattern, the main idea is presented first, followed by details, explanation, or evidence. This pattern is useful to share the most important points or ideas first and is effective to reach a receptive audience. Readers don't have to wait long to get the key points.

As the name suggests, an indirect pattern reverses the order of key ideas; it starts with details, explanations and evidence. This is effective to reach an unreceptive audience, those you believe will be intimidated by a direct pattern. Letters, emails and memos that convey bad news, refuse requests, deny claims, or disapprove credit usually adopt indirect patterns in order to minimise negative reactions from the audience. However, these patterns may be combined in the same message depending on your communication goals.

Composing the Draft

When your outline is ready, you will begin composing. Most writers these days use computers to compose the message. If you still write in ink, you may approach a typist to compose for you. While writing the first draft, writers usually are working at the sentence level. Hence, while composing, pay attention to the following issues involving sentences:

Use short sentences: Shorter sentences with words up to 20 are more effective in conveying the ideas clearly. Research has found that the audience finds it difficult to comprehend longer sentences. In the English language, if you use 8-word sentences, the comprehension level is said to be 100 per cent. And if the word count for a sentence exceeds 28 words, the comprehension level comes down to 50 per cent.

Composing the Draft

Avoid sentence fragments: To use sentences effectively, you should be able to recognise basic sentence elements such as subjects, objects, verbs, clauses, and rules of punctuation. Three errors are common: fragments, run-on or fused sentences, and comma-splice sentences.

Fragments are broken-off parts of a complex sentence. Never punctuate them inappropriately. Examples: When candidates apply. We conduct a thorough background check. When candidates apply, we conduct a thorough background check. The order was cancelled. Even though we made the payment. Even though we made the payment, the order was cancelled.
Run-on sentences result when a sentence with two independent clauses is not joined by coordinating conjunctions (and, or, nor, but) or by a semicolon (;) or when it is not separated into two sentences. Examples:
Incorrect: The bulk of the goods you buy in Kathmandu streets come from China some come from India.
Correct: The bulk of the goods you buy in Kathmandu streets come from China, and some come from India.
Incorrect: Forget the contract I will work for you anyway.
Correct: Forget the contract; I will work for you anyway.

Composing the Draft

Avoid sentence fragments: Comma splice is caused when you join two independent clauses with just a comma. You need to either add a coordinating conjunction (and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet) after the comma, or join the two independent clauses with a semicolon. Examples:
Incorrect:
Most people bought smartphones, others purchased laptops.
Correct:
Most people bought smartphones, and others purchased laptops.
Most people bought smartphones; however, others purchased laptops. Most people bought smartphones; others purchased laptops.

Composing the Draft

Emphasise Key Ideas: To emphasise important ideas, writers often use boldface, underline, or italicise certain words or phrases. They use other techniques such as placing the important idea at the beginning or at the end of a sentence, using vivid words, making the important idea a subject of the sentence, etc.
Use active and passive voice appropriately: Active voice emphasises the doer or the subject. Passive voice emphasises the action, the acted upon, or the object. Active voice is more commonly used in businesses; it is direct and easier to understand. However, there are occasions when you may have to use passive voice, such as to emphasise an action or the acted upon (The orders have been cancelled), to emphasise negative news (The discounts cannot be given), to conceal/hide the doer of an action (The soft drinks were found to be contaminated), etc.

Composing the Draft

Avoid misplaced modifiers: Confusing sentences are often the result of misplaced modifiers. Use modifiers close to the words they describe or limit.

Example: Noticing that the stocks of books were running out, a new purchase order was made immediately. (Did the purchase order notice that the stocks of books were running out?).
Correct version: Noticing that the stocks of books were running out, we immediately made a new purchase order.

Drafting Strong Paragraphs

A paragraph is a combination of sentences. A well-crafted paragraph usually begins with a topic sentence and focuses on one idea. You should pay attention to the basic paragraph elements, such as sentence patterns, transitions, coherence etc. Apart from the topic sentence, a paragraph also has supporting sentences that explain the topic sentence with examples and evidence. It also contains “to be sure" or "limiting sentences," showing alternative or contrasting ideas or facts. The following tips on paragraph construction can be useful:

Drafting Strong Paragraphs

Use direct paragraphs to define, classify, illustrate, or describe:

Direct paragraphs (topic sentences followed by supporting sentences) are useful to define, classify, illustrate, and describe. Confusing sentences are often the result of misplaced modifiers.
Topic sentence: Remittance has emerged as one of the biggest factors in poverty reduction in Nepal.
Supporting sentences: If the individuals that are currently receiving remittance had the payments cut, their poverty level would be at 35.3 percent, compared to 19.3 percent currently, according to the Nepal Millennium Development Goal Report (MDG) 2013. According to the Third Nepal Living Standard Survey 2010-11, 55.8 percent of households receive remittances, with each household receiving an average of Rs 80,436 per year. The scale of remittance in Nepal is 25 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), which is the highest among the South Asian countries, according to the latest 'Migration and Development Brief published by the World Bank. A report by the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) says that Nepal received remittance worth Rs 434 billion in the last fiscal year 2012-13.

Drafting Strong Paragraphs

Use pivoting paragraphs to compare and contrast:

This type of paragraph begins with a limiting sentence, followed by a topic sentence and supporting sentences. A pivoting paragraph is effective in comparing and contrasting. The transition in the paragraph is usually indicated by but or however. The following example contrasts the disadvantages and benefits in hotel investments in eastern Terai:

Drafting Strong Paragraphs

Use pivoting paragraphs to compare and contrast:

Limiting sentences: Investing in hotels outside Kathmandu, especially in the eastern Terai, is certainly not a risk-free business. Not many foreign tourists visit the region; the economy remains stagnant there, and the little-remaining young workforce has already left for foreign shores.
Topic sentence: However, for investors who have set their eyes on the long-term growth prospects in eastern Terai, the region is emerging as a choice for hotel investments.
Supporting sentences: The region is close not just to one but three other international borders, and growth in neighbouring regions of India, China, Bhutan and Bangladesh is expected to benefit eastern Terai in a significant way. The population here is highly literate, second only to Kathmandu, and in a few years’ time, it is projected that as people return from foreign employment, there will be an ample supply of skills needed in the hotel industry.

Drafting Strong Paragraphs

Use indirect paragraphs to explain and persuade:

It starts with supporting sentences and concludes with a topic sentence. The supporting sentence is intended to build a basis before presenting the big idea that may be unfavourable to your audience or may come as a surprise. The following is an example of a text written by a company CEO to his top executives:
Supporting sentence: Rupandehi, Kathmandu, Morang, Sunsari, Parsa and Bara are the districts where Nepal’s manufacturing plants remain concentrated, according to the 10th National Census of Manufacturing Establishment 2011- 12 released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). These six districts contain 35 percent of the total number of industries in the country. Rupandehi, with its 320 industries, leads other traditional manufacturing hubs like Kathmandu, Morang, Sunsari, Parsa and Bara. This concentration has made Rupandehi relatively competitive in managing energy needs, raw material or skill supplies, and labor disputes.
Topic sentence: Therefore, I believe that we should move some of our manufacturing plants to Rupandehi so we can be more competitive in the market and expand our synergy and ultimately improve our profit margins.

Drafting Strong Paragraphs

Write coherent, short and readable paragraphs:

Coherent paragraphs are characterised by ideas that stick together, that flow logically. Well-written paragraphs make sense because one idea leads to another and because they include signal words and phrases that indicate a transition, re-emphasis, repetitions, and familiar expressions. Notice the following:

Drafting Strong Paragraphs

Write coherent, short and readable paragraphs:

Use transitional expressions: Transitional words like and, but, therefore, so that, however, because, contrary to, instead of. next, finally, etc. help to connect, clarify or strengthen ideas, show cause and effect, and compare and contrast ideas.
Use re-emphasis techniques: An idea found at the end of a sentence, if repeated at the beginning of the next sentence, can be effective in connecting both sentences. This is particularly useful in difficult and abstract paragraphs. Example: Auto dealers in Nepal say that the industry is growing annually at the rate of 10 percent, carrying immense scope of further growth. The growth has added to traffic woes, especially in the capital. Managing the growth effectively has become necessary if the industry is to expand sustainably.

Drafting Strong Paragraphs

Write coherent, short and readable paragraphs:

Use familiar pronouns: Personal pronouns like he, she, we, they, and it, as well as demonstrative pronouns, such as this, that, these, and those help to convey continuity of actions or things; but they need a noun before they can be restated as a pronoun. In the following example, these rules refer to prohibitions or restrictions (nouns): Restaurants are not allowed to entertain guests after midnight, and they are prohibited from selling liquor to people below 18 years. These rules are, however, not followed through.
Write short, readable paragraphs: Ideally, include eight or fewer lines in a paragraph because shorter paragraphs are more readable, and they also look good with enough empty white space in the page. However, do not use the same length for every paragraph. For variety, alternate the number of lines.

Revising

Revising is re-writing and finalising your first draft. This is the third phase of the writing process. It involves tasks such as modifying, proofreading, and evaluating. Here you will work to improve the readability of your document in terms of clarity, conciseness, and tone. You will make the required changes and may repeat the process several times. Then you will focus on grammar, mechanics, style, organisation, or format issues. Finally, you will assess your message or document in terms of how effectively it conveys the meaning you want it to convey to your target audience. The following headings offer some examples:
Revise to make the message concise
Time is money in the world of business. Short is good and effective. It is also easy. The revision process should pay attention to the following points:

Tighten your writing: Look for loose sentences and flabby expressions. Trim the unnecessary words and phrases that only make your writing convoluted.
Avoid wordiness: Often, we tend to use too many words when we need only a few.
Example: If I may, I would like to congratulate you from the bottom of my heart on your success in winning the bid!
A more concise way is: Congratulations on winning the bid!

Revise to make the message concise

Purge (clean) empty words: Words like the fact that, matter, it appears that, degree, instance, nature, quality, etc. may look familiar, but they are often useless and can be avoided without affecting the meaning of sentences.
Example: The company is aware of the fact that many employees want better pay.
Better: The company is aware that many employees want better pay. Never state the obvious.
Example: I bought two brand new cell phones. I paid in check for those cell phones.
Better: I paid in check for two brand new cell phones.
Eliminate unnecessary fillers: In some sentences, a word like it is/was and there is/are can serve no other purpose than to delay conveying the main point.
Example: There are so many problems in my office that need urgent attention.
Better: Many problems in my office need urgent attention.

Revise to make the message concise

Avoid redundancies (unnecessariness): Avoid using certain adjectives, adverbs, and phrases that repeat things already stated.
Examples: true facts (facts), mutual cooperation (cooperation), end result (result), past experience (experience), refer back (refer), each and every (each/every), again and again (again), absolutely essential (essential), unexpected surprise (surprise), etc.

Revise to make the message clear

In order to ensure clarity of your message, the revision process should focus on ways that make the message easy to understand:

Use the KISS formula: Avoid wordiness, slang and clichés in your message. Keep it short and simple (KISS). Direct voice helps to avoid winding pompous and indirect expressions.
Example: All pedestrians in the streets of Kathmandu are hereby advised to take care of their belongings in order to protect themselves from pick-pocketers.
Better: Pedestrians in Kathmandu streets should take care of their belongings to protect themselves from pick-pocketers.
Avoid stale business phrases: Avoid stale phrases that are in use all the time. Examples: as per your request (as you request), enclosed please find (enclosed is), every effort will be made (we'll try), in accordance with your wishes (as you wish), please do not hesitate to (please), thank you in advance (thank you), under separate cover (separately), with reference to (about), etc.

Revise to make the message clear

Drop clichés and slang: Clichés are jargon, overused words or phrases. They lack freshness and clarity. Examples: beyond a shadow of a doubt, easier said than done, first and foremost, good to go, last but not least, pass with flying colours, stand your ground, think outside the box, etc. More examples: hammer it out (to make a decision, to type something up), keep in the loop (inform), best of breed (finest specimen), bring to the table (make an offer), win-win (win for everyone), world-class (best). Slang words are used informally and do not have fixed meanings. As they lose their popular appeal, they go out of fashion soon. Examples: blockbuster, cash cow, bang for the buck, climb the corporate ladder, fast track a project, hard sell, jump the gun, mum's the word, reality check, through the roof, etc.

Revise to make the message clear

Avoid changing verbs into nouns: Words like acquisition, establishment, development, discussion, reduction, preparation, consideration, assumption, and conclusion are wordy nouns created from verbs like acquire, establish, develop, discuss, reduce, prepare, consider, assume, and conclude. When they come in the form of phrases, they look wordy and hamper the clarity of the message.
Examples: engage in the preparation of - prepare; make a discovery of - discover; reach a conclusion that - conclude; perform an analysis of - analyse; take action on - act, etc.
Control your intensifiers: Maintain moderation in qualifying nouns or actions with intensifiers like totally, absolutely, really, actually, definitely, quite, completely, extremely, very, etc. Sometimes, they may be necessary, but in formal business communication, you should learn to control them.

Design the document to make it readable
A good design enhances readability. It also protects your work as professional and well organised. Appropriate use of typefaces numbered and bulleted lists, and headings for visual impact, white space, and margins contribute to a good design of your document. The following points explain these with examples:

Use appropriate typefaces: There are a wide variety of typefaces. In business, serif or sans serif typefaces are used most often. Serif typefaces such as Times New Roman, Century, Georgia, and Palatino are used for formal, long documents, including books. Sans serif typefaces such as Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, Tahoma, Univers, and Verdana are used for headings, and signs. Avoid fancy typefaces unless absolutely necessary.
Use effective fonts and sizes: A font is the style of a typeface, such as italics, capitalisation, boldface and underline. Use font style carefully to emphasise or highlight key points and ideas only. Excessive use of these can be irritating. The standard font size used in many body texts is 10- to 12-point type. Headings use larger fonts.
Use appropriate lists and bullets: List and bullets help readers to quickly access key points of the text. They break complex texts into smaller chunks and provide a focus for the reader They make the text readable and comprehensible. You can either use numbered lists for items in a sequence or bulleted lists for items that are not necessarily in a sequence. Punctuate at the end of each item only when the listed item is a complete sentence, otherwise use a comma (,) or semicolon (;). Do not overuse lists.

Design the document to make it readable

Use headings and subheadings: Doing so also enhances readability by highlighting information. Notice this section you are reading, it has headings and subheadings, often bold-faced and ending with a colon. Longer documents rely on headings, too, often to chunk information and organise them into different categories.
Use enough empty or white space: As discussed earlier, shorter sentences and paragraphs help leave enough white space and thus avoid the clutter of text and graphics in a page. White space breaks the monotony of texts and makes them accessible and readable.
Keep appropriate margins and alignments: Margins demarcate (separate) the reading area and leave white space around the margins. Most documents in A4 size pages leave a margin of 1 inch on all sides. A word processor in your computer can be useful in determining the margins for your document.

Proofread messages to eliminate grammar, punctuation and spelling errors

This task is carried out at the end because documents are often changed in the earlier part of the writing process, and it can be a waste of time to proofread before the final product is ready. Ideally, it is better to go back to proofread a finished document a full day after it was completed. The time-lapse provides you with a detached look at your work. Here are some useful tips at this stage of the writing process:

Look for errors: Most often, errors involve spellings of words, and names of people or places. Errors in grammar relate to agreements between subjects and verbs, pronouns and their antecedents (predecessor), and other mechanics. Similarly, other errors concern punctuations, such as commas and semi-colons. Verify numbers and statistics with original sources. It is embarrassing to misspell the names and addresses of people you are writing to. Finally check the format of a document, and consistencies in margins, headings, typefaces, fonts, and indents.

Proofread messages to eliminate grammar, punctuation and spelling errors

Take an appropriate approach: Depending on the type of document, you will either have to do light proofreading or substantial proofreading. Most routine documents like letters, documents and brochures may need light proofreading. If you find it difficult to proofread on a computer screen, you may like to get a printed page. In substantial proofreading, you may have to be extra careful. Read from a printed copy, take more time, and use proofreading symbols. You may also use the Spelling and Grammar checker, and Track Changes in your word processor to eliminate most of the common errors before you get a printed copy to read more closely. Alternatively, if you are working in a group or collaborating with a number of people, you may also have to do " soft-proofing" electronically. Besides word processor, learn to use tools like Adobe Acrobat Pro and Standard that come with a variety of useful markup tools.

Evaluate the document to see if it meets your needs and goals
Finally, evaluate if the document or the message meets your needs or goals. Feedback is the best and the most effective means to know how effective or successful your message is. Therefore, seek feedback as much as possible. In addition, you can ask your friends or colleagues to read or review the message and give you their critical comments. Does your message attract readers' attention? Does it engage them? Is your document professional enough to demand readers' involvement? Is it able to convey the meanings you intended to convey? How can you make sure that it is successful in its objectives?
Listen to the feedback, whether positive or negative, with an open mind. Incorporate relevant and useful comments to improve the message. Evaluating requires nerves because you often end up doing things you never thought you would do. For example, you may delete portions of your text or cut them even if you were not prepared for those tasks. Group work involves listening to many comments. In the workplace, communication consultants are hired by companies to give feedback and refine the messages.

Part II

Verbal Communication Process

Oral communication involves direct face-to-face communication between two or more people. It can take place in a variety of settings, such as interpersonal communication, small group communication, and public speaking.
The basic elements of the communication process apply to oral communication as well, but the terminologies may vary slightly.

The sender (source or speaker) is where the information is derived from.
The message is the encoded information sent by both speaker and listener.
The channel or the transmitter is something that helps the receiver to decode the sent information into a meaningful message, such as the radio, wave, air, internet etc.
A signal is a medium such as sound, body gestures and pictures.
The receiver is the listener or one who receives the message. Naturally speaking, it could be our ears, and in the case of nonverbal communication, our eyes.
Feedback is the response given to a message by the receiver.

The models of communication (the linear, interactive, transactional, and constructivist) also apply to the oral communication process
A speaker can become a listener and vice versa at the same time.
Oral communication involves exchanging information in verbal language or in speech. Examples of oral communication include face-to-face conversations, interviews, informal encounters, meetings, speeches, conferences, telephone calls, and skyping or using Viber/WhatsApp etc.
Oral communication in business is useful to make presentations, to exchange ideas, to persuade people toward a point of view, or to solve problems. The process of oral communication is important because unlike written communication, the speaker is often directly involved with a strong presence in front of the audience.
The following major steps are involved in the oral communication process:

Verbal Communication Process

Organising Your Messages

To be effective, prepare and organise your oral message before the actual event or presentation.
Remember that at any given time, hundreds and thousands of oral messages today compete to get the attention of target audiences. How can you make your message rise above those many voices and become successful in gaining your listener's attention? How can your listener be able to receive the message and decode its meaning without much effort? The following tips can be useful in organising your oral message:

Verbal Communication Process

Organising Your Messages

Connect with the audience: Be the first to introduce yourself to others. Tell your name clearly so others know exactly who you are. Try your best to know people who are in conversation with you.
Open with what your audience needs to know: Your purpose of communication should be the main idea of your message. Audiences are likely to remember what you say in the beginning and how you send your message. Start and close with something that sticks to their mind.
Focus on a key idea and say it in fewer words: A listener cannot absorb everything you say. The environment and the noise can distract them and too much information may make your listener confused or irritated. Ideally, in interpersonal communication, it is effective to focus on only one key idea and around three supporting points.

Verbal Communication Process

Organising Your Messages

Take a different approach: Listeners remain divided in their attention when listening to you, for example following your words and at the same time interpreting your nonverbal signals while fighting to cope with noise and distractions. Make the work easy for them by telling them first what you are going to tell them, and often reminding them what you just told them. Don't keep them guessing. Explain things to them, and make your expectations clear to them.
Discard unnecessary words: Use simple and familiar words and avoid slang and technical jargon. In oral settings, people do not have time to consult a dictionary or review words; it is often difficult to absorb complex and abstract words.

Verbal Communication Process

Organising Your Messages

Make your messages relevant to your listener: Remember, what you think is important or interesting is not necessarily so to your listeners. Don't get carried away with your interests and feelings. Focus on what your listeners really need and want. Speak from their perspective to be relevant to their needs.
Pause occasionally: It takes time for the listeners to process the information you impart. Leaving brief pauses can give them the time to absorb your message. Pauses are especially useful when you are trying to emphasise a point, change the topic of discussion, or request something. At the same time, the speaker can use this brief pause to gauge the receptivity of the audience by reviewing their body language and other nonverbal behaviours.

Verbal Communication Process

Using Nonverbal Language and Vocal Elements

Non-verbal communication, along with the tone of voice, is part of the oral communication process. They add meaning to your address. Here are a few tips to make the process effective and useful:

Maintain good posture: Your body’s position, whether you
Your body's position, whether you are sitting, standing, or walking, communicates your attitude and mood toward a topic. Speak only when you are facing your listeners and avoid talking when your back is turned. Do not remain stiff when talking. Speak while remaining erect, sitting. or standing, because it imparts a sense of steadiness, confidence and competence.
Gesture appropriately: Moving your arms, head, hands, and fingers at appropriate moments while speaking can be very effective in oral communication. If you don't move at all, it can be boring for the audience. Use gestures to emphasise, show, or visualise certain points in your speech or conversation. Gestures help to show enthusiasm and to enliven communication.
Show cheerful facial expressions: Happy and cheerful faces contribute immensely to the success of an oral communication process. Keep smiling while talking. It helps to connect with the listeners. It exudes a sense of friendliness, warmth, and acceptance. It makes you open, appealing and approachable. In other words, they are likely to take you positively and absorb information more easily.

Verbal Communication Process

Using Nonverbal Language and Vocal Elements

Maintain eye contact: People are more likely to trust you when you look at them directly while speaking. Make eye contact to demonstrate that you are engaged with the audience. Eye contact helps to establish credibility and confidence. Eye movements tell many things. They help to show interest, understanding, happiness, irritation, confusion, fear, and anxiety.
Keep your distance: Don't go too close to your audience unless the communication process is intimate, friendly, and personal. In some cultures, it is rude to invade the personal space of listeners. In professional and public speaking settings, it is always prudent to leave a distance between you and your listener.
Use vocal elements effectively: To be interesting and engaging. vary the rate of your spoken words. Speak slowly when your audience needs time to absorb what you are saying. Lower the pitch of your voice to demonstrate authority; however, raise it when you are asking questions or expressing uncertainty. Never take a lower or higher pitch to an extreme. Similarly, vary the volume of your voice for your audience to hear you or for a dramatic effect, but never take it to the extreme as well. To break the monotony or to enable the audience to absorb what you are saying, punctuate your speech with pauses. To help the audience understand you easily, articulate words clearly with confidence and competence.

Verbal Communication Process

Offering and Receiving Feedback
Feedback is an important part of the communication process. It helps connect the speaker with the receiver and vice versa. Feedback can be in the form of comments, body language such as nodding your head, questions seeking clarification, or paraphrasing portions of the message to make sure you understood them. You may also provide feedback in the form of reviews, assessments and critical appraisals. Feedback, however, should not be necessarily negative or critical. It should be professionally objective, descriptive and positive. The following key points can be useful in the feedback process:

Maintain a positive tone: Always remain open to feedback. Offer feedback with enthusiasm and appreciation. Always praise efforts, even if they are not very significant. Avoid negativism, assigning blame, and using "you" to refer to people while giving critical feedback. As a speaker, it is better to refer to yourself as "I" and give examples of your experience.
However, do not appear/sound dominating or demanding. While some negative words or phrases can be unavoidable, do not use many words with negative connotations such as not, don't, never, etc.
Maintain clarity: Make the conversation a two-way process. Don't keep the audience passive and guessing. Maintain clarity by repeating questions like: "Are you following me?" " Should I clarify anything?" or "What do you say on this?”
Be tactful: Being tactful is being able to maintain good relations with others while speaking. It is the ability to avoid offending others. Be friendly, considerate and courteous.
Be careful not to hurt the feelings or sentiments of the listeners. Be open to suggestions and responsive to their concerns and needs. Focus on interests that both sides share. Show interest in the conversation and ask questions to remain engaged. Indicate or show that you like to make improvements.

Verbal Communication Process

Offering and Receiving Feedback

Control your emotions: Sometimes negative feedback or comments can provoke you. Keep calm until your emotions cool down. When you are critical, give generalised comments rather than singling out an individual. Be constructive, fair, and balanced. Offer positive observations even with negative comments, if they are not avoidable.
Choose the proper setting and time for feedback: It can be embarrassing to provide critical or negative feedback to people in front of others, say, in a public meeting hall. After the public conversation is over, choose a neutral or private place to offer such feedback.
Give others permission to disagree with you: Let people disagree with you when they beg to differ. Even if you don't like someone's idea, never show disagreement outright; rather, try to show interest to learn more about it. Do not dominate conversations; listen to others' ideas as much as you speak. Try to listen to diverse points of view.
Provide solutions: Generally, people tend to blame others, find faults, and identify problems. You should listen to them all with an open mind. However, your focus should be on offering solutions, and recommendations that directly address the needs of the audience.

Group Work and Collaboration Process

With new technological developments, increased globalisation and diversity in the workplace, group work and collaboration have become all the more important today. In fact, most communication tasks are collaborative.
Much of the work in companies today relies on the internet, telecommunication, and videoconferencing, which require multiple people from different professional backgrounds working together, between or across diverse organisations, countries, and cultures. Writing documents such as proposals, manuals, and reports, building websites, conducting webinars, posting wikis, working on shared documents like Google docs, and doing PowerPoint presentations requires collaboration. It is essential in bridging the gap between people of diverse backgrounds, academic degrees, professions, expertise, ages, gender, culture, and ethnicities that makeup today's workforce.