Communication

A process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common

system of symbols, signs, or behaviour. Communication is the sending and receiving of
information and can be one-on-one or between groups of people, and can be face-to-face or
through communication devices. Communication requires a sender, the person who initiates
communication, to transfer their thoughts or encode a message. This message is sent to
the receiver, a person who receives the message, and finally, the receiver must decode, or
interpret the message.
BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

Business communication is the process of sharing information between people within the
workplace and outside a company.Effective business communication is how employees and
management interact to reach organizational goals. Its purpose is to improve organizational
practices and reduce errors. It’s important to work on both your communication skills and
communication processes to achieve effective business communication.
Types of business communications
There are four standard methods of business communication:
• Verbal communication is the use of your voice to convey an idea or speak an opinion.
Examples include virtual meetings, phone calls and in-person conversations.
• Visual communication is the use of images or graphics to make an idea clear. Examples
include charts, maps, infographics and videos.
• Nonverbal communication is the message we send and receive through behavior.
Examples may include body language, gestures, dress and facial expressions.
• Written communication is what we deliver through print or digital media. Examples
include emails, letters, memos, reports and other documentation.
Using effective communication skills can benefit a business and its employees in a
variety of ways, including:
• Building better teams
• Preventing misunderstandings and conflicts
• Improving customer service
• Meeting goals and earning success
• Promoting creativity and innovation
• Advancing individual career prospects
Building better teams
Effective communication builds a positive atmosphere where teams can flourish. When
communication is positive and encouraging, team members become stronger and work better
together.
Preventing misunderstandings and conflicts
Listening is a part of communicating used to understand a situation fully. Good communicators
listen well, think before they speak and react appropriately. When conflicts arise, good
communicators address the problem right away and listen to the other side.
Improving customer service
Reliable and positive communication with customers is paramount to maintaining a valued
customer service reputation. Effective communication with customers by answering questions
and providing solutions helps to improve the business' reputation.
Meeting goals and earning success
For a business to be successful, short- and long-term goals must be clear and concise. When
employees know what the goals and visions of their company are, they are better able to focus
their efforts on achieving them. Communicate goals clearly, and regularly remind employees
of the team or individual goals to keep them motivated and encouraged.
Promoting creativity and innovation
People who are good communicators are usually open to sharing ideas without judgment. When
trust is built based on effective communication, team members are more apt to share with each
other to inspire creativity. Effective communicators are more inclined to collaborate to find
creative solutions, as well.
Advancing individual career prospects
Good communication skills, such as open and honest communication, eliminate surprises and
reinforce the commitment to solve problems and support the business.

The need or implication of communication.

Communication is:
 Basis of planning
 Basis of decision making
 Creating coordination and cooperation
 Establishment of effective leadership
 Development of human relations
 Helpful in building image
 Helpful in achieving peace and effective control
 Leading to high morale and motivation
 Unseen infrastructure of an organization
 Helpful in delegation of authority.
Importance of Business Communication

Communication is a vital force, it is an important aspect of effective business organization

Importance of Business Communication are:

1. Efficient functioning of the undertaking

2. Facilitates decision making
3. Proper planning
4. Minimize organisational conflicts
5. Job satisfaction and higher productivity
6. Democratic management
7. To establish better labour relations
8. Effective organizing
9. Enhance motivation and morale
10. Sound human and industrial relation
 Efficient functioning of the undertaking
Every type of organization whether small or big, public or private, communication plays a vital
role. It is said that “good communication is good business.” The efficient performance of
employees of an organization depends on effective communication within the organization.
 Facilitates decision making
Desired results of an organization largely depend on the right decision at the right time. A
communication system is a prerequisite for making a sound decision.

The quality of decision-based on the availability of data, facts, reports discussions and other
means of communication. It is also essential to communicate a decision to the person concerned
for effective implementation.

 Proper planning
Communication also facilitates effective planning According to Koontz and O’Donnell
“Effective planning occurs when everyone responsible for it has access to complete
information affecting areas of planning.” Thus, communication is required not only for
effective planning but also to ensure its better implementation.

 Minimize organisational conflicts

In an organisation where various employees are working at different level, the conflicts arise
due to one or more reasons. Proper communication reduces the conflicts by developing
understanding. Communication helps them to know the views, problems, and thoughts of
others.

 Job satisfaction and higher productivity

Effective communication promotes better performance as people are able to understand their
jobs and roles in a better manner. Various sources of production such as machine, material,
money does not resulted into productivity unless highly motivated men are there, and it is done
with the help of co
 Democratic management
Modern business organization are following democratic system of management. It requires
good channels of communication so that employees, consumers and other stakeholders share
information and participate in discussion, consultation and decision making.

 To establish better labor relations

Industrial peace is the need of the day. An effective communication creates better management
and labour relationship. Labour communicates their problems, suggestion and expectations to
the organizational head, on the other hand manager share their policies, programmes with
subordinate and explain them that and how they are beneficial to them also. It results into better
labour relationship.

 Effective organizing
Organizing involves delegation of authority, assigning liability, decentralization and
establishes relationship between the members which cannot be done in absence of
communication.

 Enhance motivation and morale

Communication helps in enhancing morale of the employees, because they are aware of their
role in business firm. It awakens a sense of security and encourages them to work. Effective
communication plays critical role in enhancing the motivation and morale of employees.

 Sound human and industrial relation

Robert D. Berth states “It is impossible to have human relations without communication.” The
basic reason of disputes between the labour and management is communication gap. With the
help of effective communication sound relations can be maintained as it promotes mutual
understanding, cooperation and goodwill.

7 Cs of Communication
There are 7 Cs of effective communication which are relevant to both written as well as oral
communication. These are as follows:

 Completeness: The communication must be complete. It should convey all facts required
by the audience.
 Conciseness: means communicating what you want to express in the least possible words
without forgoing the other C’s of communication.

 Consideration: implies “stepping into the shoes of others”. Effective communication

must take the audience into consideration.

 Clarity: implies stressing on a particular message or goal at a time, rather than trying to
achieve too much at once.

 Concreteness: Concrete communication means being particular and clear rather than
fuzzy and general. Concreteness strengthens confidence.

 Courtesy: in message entails the message should show the sender’s expression as well as
should respect the receiver. The sender of the message should be sincerely polite,
judicious, reflective and keen.

 Correctness: in communication means that there are no grammatical errors in

communication.

https://theintactone.com/2019/02/11/bc-u1-topic-3-principles-of-
effective-business-communication/
Check the above link for explanations
 BARRIERS TO BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS
These may be classified into three categories:
(A) External Barriers,
(B) Organisational Barriers; and
(C) Personal Barriers.

EXTERNAL BARRIERS
1. Semantic Barriers:
The words and symbols used to communicate the facts and feelings may have variety of
meanings. Different people interpret the same message in different ways depending upon their
education, experience, social and cultural backgrounds etc. The language of the sender may be
incomprehensible to the receiver. Thus, words and symbols sometimes fail to convey the true
meanings.

2. Emotional or Psychological Barriers:

Emotional or psychological factors are the prime barriers in inter-personal communication.

The following are some of the emotional barriers:

i. Inattention:
It is one of the major chronic psychological barriers. When the receiver does not pay complete
attention to the message, communication becomes ineffective. A person may be pre-occupied
with other important matters, or the message may be uninteresting or contrary to his/her
expectations.

These may cause lack of attention. It is a common phenomenon that people simply fail to react
to bulletins, notices, minutes and reports.

ii. Perceptual Barrier:

Every individual has specific areas of interest. So, he/she may hear, read or see that part of the
message which is valuable to him/her. People see what they want to see and consider it a reality.
Some persons interpret the message in terms of their own viewpoint which may be misleading,
thus perception leads to filtering of the message unconsciously.

iii. Loss by Transmission and Poor Retention:

When communication passes through various channels in the organization, successive
transmissions of the same message are decreasingly accurate. It is said that in the case of oral
communications about 30% of the information is lost in each transmission. Poor retention of
the information is again a malady. It has been shown by the researchers that the employees
retain about 50% information only, whereas the supervisors retain about 60% of it.

iv. Premature Evaluation:

Communication is hampered when the receiver evaluates the message before getting the
complete information. On several occasions, the managers start evaluating the information
before reaching proper understanding. Decision is taken before knowing the full facts. Such a
premature evaluation tends to inhibit the free flow of information and understanding and
distorts the communication.

v. Undue Reliance on the Written Words:

Written words are no substitute for sound face-to-face relationships. A written communication
might fail to explain the purpose of order, procedure or directive. Written communication often
tells what is to be done, but not why it should be done, and lacks the persuasive quality.
Moreover, a written communication may be above the comprehension level of the reader and
failure to ascertain the response to communication is also there. Hence, written media must be
considered as supplementary to productive face-to-face relationships.

vi. Distrust of Communicator:

It arises out of all ill-considered judgments or illogical decisions by the communicator.
Repeated experience of this kind gradually conditions the receiver to delay action or act
unenthusiastically, thus, making the communication unsuccessful, though apparently it is
complete.

vii. Failure to Communicate:

It is quite an accepted fact that the managers often fail to transmit the needed messages. This
might be because of laziness on the part of the communicator or his/her false assumption that
everybody knows it.

[B] Organisational Barriers:

Major organisational barriers may be as follows:
i. Organisational Policy:
The general organisational policy regarding communication acts as an overall guideline to
everyone in the organisation regarding how he is normally expected to behave in this matter.
The policy might be in the form of explicit declaration in writing, or it has to be interpreted
from the behaviour of organisation members, particularly people at the top. If this policy is not
supportive to the flow of communication in different directions, communication flow would
not be smooth and adequate.

ii. Status Relationship:

In the formal organisation structure, superior-subordinate relationship may cause obstacle to
free and frequent communications, more particularly in upward direction. A manager may not
communicate to subordinates his/her weaknesses. The subordinates do not feel free to talk to
the superiors. They pass on only what the superiors would like to hear and hold back unpleasant
facts. They may communicate to their superiors only those things which they expect would be
appreciated by the latter. When a subordinate does not have trust in his superior,
communication becomes less effective.

iii. Organisational Rules and Regulations:

Organisational rules and regulations affect the flow of communication by prescribing the
subject-matter to be communicated and also the channel for such communication. The rules
may restrict the flow of certain messages and may leave many important ones.

iv. Complexity in Organisation Structure:

In an organisation, where there are a number of managerial levels, the number of filtering points
is many. As a result, the process of communication gets delayed and the chances of
communication getting distorted increase. This is more true in the case of upward
communication, because the subordinate employees generally do not like to pass up the adverse
criticism either of themselves or of their superiors.

The more complex the organisation structure is, the more difficult it becomes to ensure that
correct information is passed on to the right person at the right time through the right medium.

v. Organisational Facilities:
Organisational facilities provided for smooth, adequate, clear and timely flow of
communication may take a number of forms such as meetings, conferences, complaint box,
suggestion box, social and cultural gathering, etc. If these are not properly emphasised,
generally people fail to make effective communication.

vi. Information Overload:

The managers are overloaded with information from various sources. They may not always be
able to regulate the flow of information. As a result, the effectiveness of communication is
reduced. They may ignore or misinterpret some of the messages. Time pressures may also
create communication problem.

[C] Personal Barriers:

As communication is basically an inter-personal process, there are also some personal factors
which are responsible for blocking communication.
 Personal barriers may be listed as follows:
1. Barriers in Superiors:
The role of the superiors in communication is very vital. Because of their hierarchical
relationships with the subordinates, they act as barriers in a number of ways discussed below:

i. Attitude of Superiors:
The attitudes of the superiors towards communication in general, or in any particular direction,
affect the flow of messages in different directions. If this attitude is unfavorable, there is a
greater possibility that messages would not flow adequately from and/or to the superiors.

ii. Fear of Challenge to Authority:

A person in the organisation always tries to get a higher position and prestige. As such, the
managers generally try to withhold the information coming down the line or going up—as
frequent passing of information may disclose their weakness.

iii. Lack of Confidence in Subordinates:

The superiors generally perceive (correct or otherwise) that their subordinates are less
competent and less capable, they are not able to advise their superiors or they may not have
some information to convey.

iv. Lack of Time:

The superiors feel—whether correct or otherwise—that they are over-burdened with the work
and they have little time to talk to their subordinates.

v. Lack of Awareness:
Sometimes the superiors may lack the awareness about the usefulness and significance of
communication in different directions in general or particular subject-matter. In such a case,
communication How is blocked.

vi. Ignoring Communication:

Sometimes the superiors —consciously and deliberately ignore the communication from their
subordinates to maintain their importance. This works against the willingness of the
subordinates to communicate.

2. Barriers in Subordinates:
Vertical communication in either direction can take place only when the subordinates also
actively participate in this process. There are various factors in the subordinates that adversely
affect such active participation on their part.

Some of these are mentioned below:

i. Unwillingness to Communicate:
Sometimes, the subordinates do not communicate upwards certain information because they
are not willing to do so. If a subordinate feels that he/she is likely to be adversely affected by
supplying a particular information to his superior, he/she would not be willing to supply it.
 Information going up is utilised for control purposes and the subordinates would not be willing
to give any information to their superiors about any unfavorable happening. If there is any
compulsion to communicate, they would do the same after modifying the information in such
a way so as to protect their own interest.

ii. Lack of Proper Incentive:

Lack of motivation to communicate also refrains the subordinates from communicating
upwards. If a novel suggestion by a subordinate does not evoke any attention from the
superiors, he/she would not convey it.

What is the Language of Business?

In business, there are three main “languages” – accounting, finance, and economics. While
there are many other disciplines in business, such as marketing, human resources, operations,
etc., it’s the core principles and terminology behind accounting, finance, and economics that
drive decisions across businesses

Oral Presentation
Oral presentations are commonplace in the business world. Individuals who work in small
companies may be especially busy giving presentations as sharing information is vital in a
small company. There are fewer employees for each department in a small company, which
necessitates the frequent sharing of information. Whatever the case, oral presentations at the
workplace must achieve a specific goal, include visual aids and be delivered to the right
audience.

Significance

1. An oral presentation in the workplace is an employee's chance to show off the work she has
been doing, and prove her value to the company. Whether an employee is presenting to a
department or company-wide, it is important to gear the presentation toward the audience.
For example, engineers that are presenting to marketing and financial managers will need to
share information that is relevant to product features and the cost of production, respectively.
In addition, the engineer may need to explain more technical terms in his presentation.

Features
1. The employee or manager should first decide how to present the information. A manager
may be able to use slides or transparencies for a less formal presentation. However,
presentation software that includes Powerpoint and Keynote will usually make a greater
impact. Limit the number of slides, including those on a laptop, to eight or 10. The average
presentation should last about 10 minutes, allowing five minutes for questions and answers.
Slides should be easy to read and have plenty of white space. Adding color and pictures to
slides can also enhance an oral presentation.
Identification
1. A presentation should have an opening, body and closing. The manager should open with a
comment or question that gets the audience's attention, according to the article "Making
Business Presentations Work" at businessknowhow.com. The opening should comprise about
10 percent to 20 percent of the presentation, including showing the first slide. Managers
should get to the point in the body of their presentation, allocating about 65 percent to 75
percent of their time to it. Finally, the manager should rehash the key points, then close with
a statement that encapsulates the main goal of the presentation. Including questions, the
closing should be 10 percent to 20 percent of the overall presentation.
Function
1. Everyone gets nervous when giving presentations. The manager or employee should relax
and take a deep breath before commencing their presentation. It is also important to maintain
good posture, speak clearly and not to fast, focus on the message, and maintain eye contact
with the audience. Use a pointer to stress certain points on the screen if you are using an
overhead projector. However, it is important to turn back toward the audience when talking.
Considerations
1. Individuals should rehearse before their presentation. Practicing will better help a person
memorize what they will say. While practicing, the manager should use a stopwatch to get
their exact timing down. The stopwatch will also help the manager gauge the right tempo for
his presentation. In addition, it always helps to anticipate the types of questions people will
ask. The manager should be an expert on the material.
PPT Presentation
A PowerPoint slideshow or a PPT presentation is a digital presentation that’s designed with the
help of Microsoft’s PowerPoint software. The software is part of Microsoft’s custom Office
Suite.
 The suite provides business communication tools for creating reports, presentations, text
documents as well as tools to send emails.
 A PPT presentation is made up of slides. The software allows the user to add animations,
audio, and visuals to these slides. The objective is to convey ideas and stories in the most
engaging way possible.
 Microsoft PowerPoint is an excellent tool to share content, with collaboration also
possible. It is quite easily one of the world’s most recognized and used presentation
software.
 Imagery, audio, and video must be added to elevate the impact of the slideshow. The
PPT presentation software will always rely on the PPT designing agency’s skills.
 A designed PPT presentation helps reduce the presenter’s anxiety by drawing the
viewer’s eyes onto the projector screen. This makes hiring a PPT design agency to
custom design visually appealing and engaging presentations crucial.

PPT Presentation Benefits

 The visual impact that an effective slideshow presentation provides is beneficial in many
ways. The audience’s focus is improved. The interactivity and spontaneity are also
boosted.
 Whether it is a sales PPT, fundraising PPT, analyst presentation, conference PPT,
elevator pitch or financial PPT, the presentation software will make the company
business model and business proposition standout.
 PPT Presentations are Customizable
 PowerPoint slides can be easily customized. Companies can get a PPT touch up or a
PPT makeover designed by top PPT designers. The same designer that arranges a PPT
from scratch, can re-do a PPT to make it better.
 The presentation can be a combination of both images and text (text-heavy slides tend
to appear mundane and monotonous)
 Apart from being customizable, PowerPoint slides can also be shared via a sharable web
link or email. The presentations stored over the web can be accessed anytime and
anywhere.
 PPT Presentations leave an Impression
 A lasting impression with business stakeholders, clients, and investors is important. PPT
presentations convey the company’s brand identity.
 Brand guidelines, which comprises of marketing collateral, company vision, company
logo, and company products, get resonated with the audience.
 PPT presentations help collaborate ideas
 PPT presentations allow team members to collaborate on ideas to improve either the
flow or design elements. The presentation then becomes streamlined.
 PPT presentations save time
 PPT presentations impact visually
 An engaging PowerPoint presentation combines the usage of graphics, animation, and
multimedia. The ideas are turned into effective business communication.
  The overall addition of audio, video and visual imagery provides a visual impact that
wows audiences. For the presenter, the blend of animation, visuals, and text builds
interaction.

Visual Aids: Definition and Meaning

Visual aids are visual materials, such as pictures, charts, and diagrams, that help people
understand and remember information shared in an oral presentation.
When giving a speech or presentation, a speaker communicates information orally. Whether
expressing an opinion, advocating a course of action, or presenting factual or statistical
information, a speaker who relies on just the spoken word may leave their listeners confused.
Their listeners may also struggle to remember key facts and ideas.
What is a visual aid used for?
A visual aid is typically used to help an audience understand and remember information in a
presentation. It can also be used to maintain an audience's attention, inspire listeners to action,
clarify the organization of a presentation, or make a presentation more persuasive.
What are 5 types of visual aids?
Five common types of visual aids are photographs, infographics, diagrams, videos, and data
charts and graphs, such as pie charts and bar charts.

Reasons to use visual aids for speeches and presentations

 Presentation visuals grab an audience’s attention—and keep it

 Presentation visuals make complex ideas easier to understand
 Presentation visuals build emotional bridges with the audience
 Presentation visuals help audiences retain information
 Presentation visuals keep your speech on track