BUSINESS COMMUNICATION NOTES

MBA 2014
SEM ESTER I

Professor Saramma Thomas

CONTENTS.
1.INTRODUCTION TO MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION
2. PRINCIPLES OF NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION
3. GROUP COMMUNICATION
4.MANAGERIAL WRITING
5. EFFECTIVE PRESENTATION
6. INTERVIEW SKILLS
7.REPORT WRITING

INTRODUCTION TO MANAGERIAL SKILL

What is Business Communication ?
Communication is neither transmission of message nor message itself. It is the mutual exchange
of understanding, originating with the receiver. Communication needs to be effective in business.
Communication is essence of management. The basic functions of management (Planning,
Organizing, Staffing, Directing and Controlling) cannot be performed well without effective
communication. Business communication involves constant flow of information. Feedback is
integral part of business communication. Organizations these days are very large. It involves
number of people. There are various levels of hierarchy in an organization. Greater the number of
levels, the more difficult is the job of managing the organization. Communication here plays a
very important role in process of directing and controlling the people in the oragnization.
Immediate feedback can be obtained and misunderstandings if any can be avoided. There should
be effective communication between superiors and subordinated in an organization, between
organization and society at large(for example between management and trade unions). It is
essential for success and growth of an organization. Communication gaps should not occur in any
organization.
Business Communication is goal oriented. The rules, regulations and policies of a company have
to be communicated to people within and outside the organization. Business Communication is
regulated by certain rules and norms. In early times, business communication was limited to
paper-work, telephone calls etc. But now with advent of technology, we have cell phones, video
conferencing, emails, satellite communication to support business communication. Effective
business communication helps in building goodwill of an organization.
Business Communication can be of two types:
1. Oral Communication - An oral communication can be formal or informal. Generally

business communication is a formal means of communication, like : meetings,

interviews, group discussion, speeches etc. An example of Informal business
communication would be - Grapevine.
2. Written Communication - Written means of business communication includes - agenda,
reports, manuals etc.
Managerial Communication - Meaning and Important Concepts
Why do individuals need to communicate with each other ?
Information if not shared is of no use. Communication plays a pivotal role in information
sharing. Individuals working together in the same organization need to speak to each other to
keep themselves abreast with the latest developments in the organization.
It is practically not possible for an individual to do everything on his own. He needs a medium
which helps him discuss various ideas and evaluate pros and cons of proposed strategies with
people around. Here comes the role of communication.

What is Managerial Communication ?

Managerial communication is a function which helps managers communicate with each
other as well as with employees within the organization.
Communication helps in the transfer of information from one party also called the sender to the
other party called the receiver.
Managerial Communication helps in the smooth flow of information among managers
working towards a common goal. The message has to be clear and well understood in effective
communication.
The team members should know what their manager or team leader intends to communicate.
Effective managerial communication enables the information to flow in its desired form among
managers, team leaders and their respective teams.
Managerial communication is of the following two types:

Interpersonal Communication - Interpersonal communication generally takes place

between two or more individuals at the workplace.
Organizational Communication - Communication taking place at all levels in the
organization refers to organizational communication.

Ways of Managerial Communication

A successful manager is one who communicates effectively with his subordinates. It is really
essential for managers to express their views clearly for the team members to understand what
exactly is expected out of them.
Usually there are two ways managers communicate amongst themselves and with their
subordinates:
i.

Verbal Communication
Communication done with the help of words is called as verbal communication. No
written records are available in verbal communication.
In verbal communication individuals need to be very careful about their speech. What
they speak and how they speak matter a lot. Managers must choose the right words to
address their team members. Make sure you do not confuse your team members.
One has to be loud and clear while interacting with employees at the workplace. Be very
clear and precise.

ii.

Written Communication
Communication is also done through emails, letters, manuals, notices and so on. Such
mode of communication where written records are available is often called written
communication.
Managers must inculcate a practice of communicating through emails with their juniors
as it is the one of the most reliable modes of communication. It is essential for the
managers to master the art of writing emails. Avoid using capitals, bright colours,
designer font styles in official mails. Make sure your signatures are correct.

Organizational Communication are of two types:

i.

Formal Communication
Communication which follows hierarchy at the workplace is called as formal
communication. Employees communicate formally with each other to get work done
within the desired time frame.

ii.

Informal Communication
Employees also communicate with each other just to know what is happening around.
Such type of communication is called as informal communication and it has nothing to do
with designation of individuals, level in the hierarchy and so on.

Direction of Communication Flow

i.
Upward Communication
Flow of information from employees to managers is called upward communication.
Upward communication takes place when employees share their views with their
managers on their nature of work, job responsibilities and how they feel about the
organization on the whole.
ii.

Downward Communication
Downward communication takes place when information flows from managers to the
subordinates.
Managers often give orders and directions to their subordinates as to what to do and how
to do various tasks. Such type of communication is called downward communication.

Types of Managerial Communication

Managerial communication refers to interaction among managers and their subordinates
within an organization.

It is essential for managers to communicate with their team members and vice a versa to ensure
maximum productivity and peace at workplace.
Communication generally takes place as:
Managerial communication generally takes place through the following ways:

Verbal Communication
Written Modes of Communication

Body Movements

Facial Expressions

Gestures

Verbal Communication
Verbal communication is one of the most common ways of communicating at the
workplace. Managers call their team members on a common platform and instruct them as to
what is expected out of them.
In verbal communication, team members are told about their roles and responsibilities orally
through words.
The addressee needs to be extremely careful about the choice of words whereas recipients need
to pay attention to the speaker.
The speaker needs to take care of his pitch and tone in verbal communication. It is the way you
speak which is important in verbal communication. Make sure you are audible to all even to the
person sitting on the last bench.
Speak clearly. Stick to the topic and do not confuse others.
Presentations, seminars, group discussions and so on are all forms of verbal communication.
Verbal communication can take place through face to face interactions, communicating over
phone or addressing a group of employees.
Body Language
Individuals need to take care of their body language while communicating. Make sure you
exude positive body language while interacting with your fellow workers and team
members.

Facial Expressions, Hand movements and Gestures

Do not carry a frown on your face. Smile more often. This way people would love interacting
with you and pay attention to whatever you intend to communicate.
Hand movements also play an important role in effective managerial communication. The
speaker must not fiddle with things while speaking. It is essential for managers to make an eye
contact with team members for the desired impact.
Written modes of communication
Communicating through emails is considered as one of the most reliable modes of
communication.
After communicating verbally with your team members, make sure you do send a mail to them
briefing everything that was discussed at the meeting.
Emails need to be self explanatory with a relevant subject line. Do not write stories in emails.
Emails should be short, crisp and effective.
Do not use capitals in emails unless required.
Take care of your spellings, grammar and punctuation marks.
Official emails should not have flashy icons and images. Keep it simple and avoid using stylish
fonts. Official emails should ideally be written in Arial Font with text size 12.
All related employees must be kept in the loop. The employees should also mark a carbon copy
to their team leaders for them to know what is happening around.
Communication also takes place through circulars and notices. Notices should be displayed
on the companys main notice board for everyone to read Notices must have important dates and
relevant information. Ask your office boy to get the circular signed by everyone.
Components of Communication Process
Communication is a process of exchanging verbal and non verbal messages. It is a continuous
process. Pre-requisite of communication is a message. This message must be conveyed through
some medium to the recipient. It is essential that this message must be understood by the
recipient in same terms as intended by the sender. He must respond within a time frame. Thus,
communication is a two way process and is incomplete without a feedback from the recipient to
the sender on how well the message is understood by him.

Communication Process
The main components of communication process are as follows:
1. Context - Communication is affected by the context in which it takes place. This context
may be physical, social, chronological or cultural. Every communication proceeds with
context. The sender chooses the message to communicate within a context.
2. Sender / Encoder - Sender / Encoder is a person who sends the message. A sender makes
use of symbols (words or graphic or visual aids) to convey the message and produce the
required response. For instance - a training manager conducting training for new batch of
employees. Sender may be an individual or a group or an organization. The views,
background, approach, skills, competencies, and knowledge of the sender have a great
impact on the message. The verbal and non verbal symbols chosen are essential in
ascertaining interpretation of the message by the recipient in the same terms as intended
by the sender.
3. Message - Message is a key idea that the sender wants to communicate. It is a sign that

elicits the response of recipient. Communication process begins with deciding about the
message to be conveyed. It must be ensured that the main objective of the message is
clear.
4. Medium - Medium is a means used to exchange / transmit the message. The sender must

choose an appropriate medium for transmitting the message else the message might not
be conveyed to the desired recipients. The choice of appropriate medium of
communication is essential for making the message effective and correctly interpreted by
the recipient. This choice of communication medium varies depending upon the features
of communication. For instance - Written medium is chosen when a message has to be
conveyed to a small group of people, while an oral medium is chosen when spontaneous
feedback is required from the recipient as misunderstandings are cleared then and there.
5. Recipient / Decoder - Recipient / Decoder is a person for whom the message is

intended / aimed / targeted. The degree to which the decoder understands the message is
dependent upon various factors such as knowledge of recipient, their responsiveness to
the message, and the reliance of encoder on decoder.
6. Feedback - Feedback is the main component of communication process as it permits the

sender to analyze the efficacy of the message. It helps the sender in confirming the
correct interpretation of message by the decoder. Feedback may be verbal (through

words) or non-verbal (in form of smiles, sighs, etc.). It may take written form also in
form of memos, reports, etc.
Oral Communication - Meaning, Advantages and Limitation
Oral communication implies communication through mouth. It includes individuals conversing
with each other, be it direct conversation or telephonic conversation. Speeches, presentations,
discussions are all forms of oral communication. Oral communication is generally recommended
when the communication matter is of temporary kind or where a direct interaction is required.
Face to face communication (meetings, lectures, conferences, interviews, etc.) is significant so as
to build a rapport and trust.
Advantages of Oral Communication
There is high level of understanding and transparency in oral communication as it is
interpersonal.
There is no element of rigidity in oral communication. There is flexibility for allowing
changes in the decisions previously taken.

The feedback is spontaneous in case of oral communication. Thus, decisions can be made
quickly without any delay.

Oral communication is not only time saving, but it also saves upon money and efforts.

Oral communication is best in case of problem resolution. The conflicts, disputes and
many issues/differences can be put to an end by talking them over.

Oral communication is an essential for teamwork and group energy.

Oral communication promotes a receptive and encouraging morale among organizational

employees.

Oral communication can be best used to transfer private and confidential

information/matter.

Disadvantages/Limitations of Oral Communication

Relying only on oral communication may not be sufficient as business communication is
formal and very organized.
Oral communication is less authentic than written communication as they are informal
and not as organized as written communication.

Oral communication is time-saving as far as daily interactions are concerned, but in case
of meetings, long speeches consume lot of time and are unproductive at times.

Oral communications are not easy to maintain and thus they are unsteady.

There may be misunderstandings as the information is not complete and may lack
essentials.

It requires attentiveness and great receptivity on part of the receivers/audience.

Oral communication (such as speeches) is not frequently used as legal records except in
investigation work.

Written Communication - Meaning, Advantages and Disadvantages

Written communication has great significance in todays business world. It is an innovative
activity of the mind. Effective written communication is essential for preparing worthy
promotional materials for business development. Speech came before writing. But writing is
more unique and formal than speech. Effective writing involves careful choice of words, their
organization in correct order in sentences formation as well as cohesive composition of
sentences. Also, writing is more valid and reliable than speech. But while speech is spontaneous,
writing causes delay and takes time as feedback is not immediate.
Advantages of Written Communication
Written communication helps in laying down apparent principles, policies and rules for
running of an organization.
It is a permanent means of communication. Thus, it is useful where record maintenance is
required.
It assists in proper delegation of responsibilities. While in case of oral communication, it is
impossible to fix and delegate responsibilities on the grounds of speech as it can be taken
back by the speaker or he may refuse to acknowledge.
Written communication is more precise and explicit.
Effective written communication develops and enhances an organizations image.
It provides ready records and references.
Legal defenses can depend upon written communication as it provides valid records.
Disadvantages of Written Communication
Written communication does not save upon the costs. It costs huge in terms of stationery and
the manpower employed in writing/typing and delivering letters.
Also, if the receivers of the written message are separated by distance and if they need to
clear their doubts, the response is not spontaneous.

Written communication is time-consuming as the feedback is not immediate. The encoding

and sending of message takes time.
Effective written communication requires great skills and competencies in language and
vocabulary use. Poor writing skills and quality have a negative impact on organizations
reputation.
Too much paper work and e-mails burden is involved.
Seven Cs of Effective Communication
There are 7 Cs of effective communication or principles of effective communication which
are applicable to both written as well as oral communication. These are as follows:
1. Completeness - The communication must be complete. It should convey all facts
required by the audience. The sender of the message must take into consideration the
receivers mind set and convey the message accordingly. A complete communication
has following features:
Complete communication develops and enhances reputation of an
organization.

Moreover, they are cost saving as no crucial information is missing and no

additional cost is incurred in conveying extra message if the communication
is complete.

A complete communication always gives additional information wherever

required. It leaves no questions in the mind of receiver.

Complete communication helps in better decision-making by the

audience/readers/receivers of message as they get all desired and crucial
information.

It persuades the audience.

2. Conciseness - Conciseness means wordiness, i.e, communicating what you want to
convey in least possible words without forgoing the other Cs of communication.
Conciseness is a necessity for effective communication. Concise communication has
following features:

It is both time-saving as well as cost-saving.

It underlines and highlights the main message as it avoids using excessive and
needless words.

Concise communication provides short and essential message in limited words

to the audience.

Concise message is more appealing and comprehensible to the audience.

Concise message is non-repetitive in nature.

3. Consideration - Consideration implies stepping into the shoes of others. Effective

communication must take the audience into consideration, i.e, the audiences view
points, background, mind-set, education level, etc. Make an attempt to envisage your
audience, their requirements, emotions as well as problems. Ensure that the selfrespect of the audience is maintained and their emotions are not at harm. Modify your
words in message to suit the audiences needs while making your message complete.
Features of considerate communication are as follows:

Emphasize on you approach.

Empathize with the audience and exhibit interest in the audience. This will
stimulate a positive reaction from the audience.

Show optimism towards your audience. Emphasize on what is possible

rather than what is impossible. Lay stress on positive words such as jovial,
committed, thanks, warm, healthy, help, etc.

4. Clarity - Clarity implies emphasizing on a specific message or goal at a time, rather

than trying to achieve too much at once. Clarity in communication has following
features:

It makes understanding easier.

Complete clarity of thoughts and ideas enhances the meaning of message.

Clear message makes use of exact, appropriate and concrete words.

5. Concreteness - Concrete communication implies being particular and clear rather than
fuzzy and general. Concreteness strengthens the confidence. Concrete message has
following features:

It is supported with specific facts and figures.

It makes use of words that are clear and that build the reputation.

Concrete messages are not misinterpreted.

6. Courtesy - Courtesy in message implies the message should show the senders
expression as well as should respect the receiver. The sender of the message should be
sincerely polite, judicious, reflective and enthusiastic. Courteous message has
following features:

Courtesy implies taking into consideration both viewpoints as well as feelings

of the receiver of the message.

Courteous message is positive and focused at the audience.

It makes use of terms showing respect for the receiver of message.

It is not at all biased.

7. Correctness - Correctness in communication implies that there are no grammatical

errors in communication. Correct communication has following features:

The message is exact, correct and well-timed.

If the communication is correct, it boosts up the confidence level.

Correct message has greater impact on the audience/ readers.

It checks for the precision and accurateness of facts and figures used in the
message.

It makes use of appropriate and correct language in the message.

Awareness of these 7 Cs of communication makes you an effective communicator.

Effective Listening Skills - An essential for good communication

Listening is a significant part of communication process. Communication cannot take place

until and unless a message is heard and retained thoroughly and positively by the
receivers/listeners. Listening is a dynamic process. Listening means attentiveness and
interest perceptible in the posture as well as expressions. Listening implies decoding
(i.e., translating the symbols into meaning) and interpreting the messages correctly in
communication process.
Listening differs from hearing in sense that:

Hearing implies just perceiving the sounds while listening means listening with
understanding whatever you are listening. Both the body as well as mind is involved
in listening process.
Listening is an active process while hearing is a passive activity.

Hearing is an effortless activity while listening is an act requiring conscious efforts,

concentration and interest. Listening involves both physical and psychological
efforts.
Effective listening requires both deliberate efforts and a keen mind. Effective listeners

appreciate flow of new ideas and information. Organizations that follow the principles of
effective listening are always informed timely, updated with the changes and
implementations, and are always out of crisis situation. Effective listening promotes
organizational relationships, encourages product delivery and innovation, as well as helps
organization to deal with the diversity in employees and customers it serves.
To improve your communication skills, you must learn to listen effectively. Effective listening
gives you an advantage and makes you more impressive when you speak. It also boosts your
performance.
Effective Listening Skills
1. Discover your interests field.
2. Grasp and understand the matter/content.
3. Remain calm. Do not loose your temper. Anger hampers and inhibits communication.
Angry people jam their minds to the words of others.
4. Be open to accept new ideas and information.
5. Jot down and take a note of important points.
6. Work upon listening. Analyze and evaluate the speech in spare time.
7. Rephrase and summarize the speakers ideas.
8. Keep on asking questions. This demonstrates that how well you understand the
speakers ideas and also that you are listening.
9. Avoid distractions.
10. Step into the shoes of others, i.e., put yourself in the position of the speaker and
observe things from his view point. This will help creating an atmosphere of mutual
understanding and improve the exchange of ideas in communication process.
Characteristics of Good and Effective Listener
Good and effective listener tries to give maximum amount of thought to the speakers ideas
being communicated, leaving a minimum amount of time for mental exercises to go off track.
A good listener:
1. Is attentive- Good listener must pay attention to the key points. He should be alert. He

should avoid any kind of distraction.

2. Do not assume- Good listener does not ignore the information he considers is

unnecessary. He should always summarize the speakers ideas so that there is no

misunderstanding of thoughts of speakers. He avoids premature judgements about the
speakers message.

3. Listen for feelings and facts- Good listener deliberately listens for the feelings of the

speaker. He concentrates totally on the facts. He evaluates the facts objectively. His
listening is sympathetic, active and alert. He keenly observes the gestures, facial
expression and body language of the speaker. In short, a good listener should be
projective (i.e. one who tries to understand the views of the speaker) and empathic
(i.e. one who concentrates not only on the surface meaning of the message but tries to
probe the feelings and emotions of the speaker).
4. Concentrate on the other speakers kindly and generously- A good listener makes

deliberate efforts to give a chance to other speakers also to express their thoughts and
views. He tries to learn from every speaker. He evaluates the speakers ideas in spare
time. He focuses on the content of the speakers message and not on the speakers
personality and looks.
5. Opportunizes- A good listener tries to take benefit from the opportunities arising. He

asks Whats in it for me?

To conclude, effective listening enhances the communication quality. It makes all attentive. It
encourages optimistic attitude, healthy relations and more participation. It leads to better
decision- making in an organization. Effective listening is directly related to our ability to do
team work. It must be noted that We listen at about an efficiency rate of 25 percent
maximum, and we remember only about 50 percent of what is delivered during a ten minute
speech/lecture/communication.

PRINCIPLES OF NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION

Nonverbal communication has a distinct history and serves separate evolutionary functions from
verbal communication. For example, nonverbal communication is primarily biologically
based while verbal communication is primarily culturally based. This is evidenced by the
fact that some nonverbal communication has the same meaning across cultures while no
verbal communication systems share that same universal recognizability
Nonverbal communication also evolved earlier than verbal communication and served an early
and important survival function that helped humans later develop verbal communication.
While some of our nonverbal communication abilities, like our sense of smell, lost strength
as our verbal capacities increased, other abilities like paralanguage and movement have
grown alongside verbal complexity. The fact that nonverbal communication is processed by
an older part of our brain makes it more instinctual and involuntary than verbal
communication.
Non Verbal Communication - Actions Speak Louder than Words

Nonverbal Communication Conveys Important Interpersonal and Emotional Messages

Youve probably heard that more meaning is generated from nonverbal communication than
from verbal. Some studies have claimed that 90 percent of our meaning is derived from
nonverbal signals, but more recent and reliable findings claim that it is closer to 65 percent.For
example, the question What are you doing tonight? could mean any number of things, but we
could rely on posture, tone of voice, and eye contact to see if the person is just curious,
suspicious, or hinting that they would like company for the evening.
Nonverbal Communication Is More Involuntary than Verbal
There are some instances in which we verbally communicate involuntarily. These types of
exclamations are often verbal responses to a surprising stimulus. For example, we say owww!
when we stub our toe or scream stop! when we see someone heading toward danger.
Involuntary nonverbal signals are much more common, and although most nonverbal
communication isnt completely involuntary, it is more below our consciousness than verbal
communication and therefore more difficult to control.
Nonverbal Communication Is More Ambiguous
We learn that the symbolic and abstract nature of language can lead to misunderstandings, but
nonverbal communication is even more ambiguous. As with verbal communication, most of our
nonverbal signals can be linked to multiple meanings, but unlike words, many nonverbal signals
do not have any one specific meaning. If youve ever had someone wink at you and didnt know
why, youve probably experienced this uncertainty. Did they wink to express their affection for
you, their pleasure with something you just did, or because you share some inside knowledge or
joke?
Nonverbal Communication Is More Credible
Although we can rely on verbal communication to fill in the blanks sometimes left by nonverbal
expressions, we often put more trust into what people do over what they say. This is especially
true in times of stress or danger when our behaviors become more instinctual and we rely on
older systems of thinking and acting that evolved before our ability to speak and write.
What is Non Verbal Communication ?
It is communication of feelings, emotions, attitudes, and thoughts through body movements /
gestures / eye contact, etc.
The components of Non Verbal Communication are:

Kinesics: It is the study of facial expressions, postures & gestures. In Argentina to raise a
fist in the air with knuckles pointing outwards expresses victory, in Lebanon, raising a
closed fist is considered rude?

Oculesics: It is the study of the role of eye contact in non verbal communication. Did you
know that in the first 90 sec - 4 min you decide that you are interested in someone or not.
Studies reveal that 50% of this first impression comes from non-verbal communication
which includes oculesics. Only 7% of comes from words - that we actually say.

Haptics: It is the study of touching. Acceptable level of touching vary from one culture
to another? In Thailand, touching someone's head may be considered as rude.

Proxemics: It is the study of measurable distance between people as they interact. The
amount of personal space when having an informal conversation should vary between 18
inches - 4 feet while, the personal distance needed when speaking to a crowd of people
should be around 10-12 feet?

Chronemics: It is the study of use of time in non verbal communication. Have you ever
observed that while AN employee will not worry about running a few minutes late to
meet a colleague, a manager who has a meeting with the CEO, a late arrival will be
considered as a nonverbal cue that he / she does not give adequate respect to his superior?

Paralinguistics: It is the study of variations in pitch, speed, volume, and pauses to

convey meaning. Interestingly, when the speaker is making a presentation and is looking
for a response, he will pause. However, when no response is desired, he will talk faster
with minimal pause.

Physical Appearance: Your physical appearance always contributes towards how people
perceive you. Neatly combed hair, ironed clothes and a lively smile will always carry
more weight than words.

Remember, what we say is less important than how we say it as words are only 7% of our
communication. Understand and enjoy non verbal communication as it helps forming better first
impressions.
Importance of Communication in an Organization
Effective Communication is significant for managers in the organizations so as to perform the
basic functions of management, i.e., Planning, Organizing, Leading and Controlling.
Communication helps managers to perform their jobs and responsibilities. Communication
serves as a foundation for planning. All the essential information must be communicated to the
managers who in-turn must communicate the plans so as to implement them. Organizing also
requires effective communication with others about their job task. Similarly leaders as managers
must communicate effectively with their subordinates so as to achieve the team goals.
Controlling is not possible without written and oral communication.
Managers devote a great part of their time in communication. They generally devote
approximately 6 hours per day in communicating. They spend great time on face to face or
telephonic communication with their superiors, subordinates, colleagues, customers or suppliers.
Managers also use Written Communication in form of letters, reports or memos wherever oral
communication is not feasible.
Thus, we can say that effective communication is a building block of successful

organizations. In other words, communication acts as organizational blood.

The importance of communication in an organization can be summarized as follows:
1. Communication promotes motivation by informing and clarifying the employees about
the task to be done, the manner they are performing the task, and how to improve their
performance if it is not up to the mark.
2. Communication is a source of information to the organizational members for decisionmaking process as it helps identifying and assessing alternative course of actions.
3. Communication also plays a crucial role in altering individuals attitudes, i.e., a well
informed individual will have better attitude than a less-informed individual.
Organizational magazines, journals, meetings and various other forms of oral and written
communication help in moulding employees attitudes.
4. Communication also helps in socializing. In todays life the only presence of another
individual fosters communication. It is also said that one cannot survive without
communication.
5. As discussed earlier, communication also assists in controlling process. It helps
controlling organizational members behaviour in various ways. There are various levels
of hierarchy and certain principles and guidelines that employees must follow in an
organization. They must comply with organizational policies, perform their job role
efficiently and communicate any work problem and grievance to their superiors. Thus,
communication helps in controlling function of management.
An effective and efficient communication system requires managerial proficiency in delivering
and receiving messages. A manager must discover various barriers to communication, analyze
the reasons for their occurrence and take preventive steps to avoid those barriers. Thus, the
primary responsibility of a manager is to develop and maintain an effective communication
system in the organization
Communication Flows in an Organization
In an organization, communication flows in 5 main directions1. Downward
2. Upward
3. Lateral
4. Diagonal
5. External
1. Downward Flow of Communication: Communication that flows from a higher level in
an organization to a lower level is a downward communication. In other words,
communication from superiors to subordinates in a chain of command is a downward

communication. This communication flow is used by the managers to transmit workrelated information to the employees at lower levels. Employees require this information
for performing their jobs and for meeting the expectations of their managers. Downward
communication is used by the managers for the following purposes Providing feedback on employees performance
Giving job instructions
Providing a complete understanding of the employees job as well as to
communicate them how their job is related to other jobs in the organization.
Communicating the organizations mission and vision to the employees.
Highlighting the areas of attention.
Organizational publications, circulars, letter to employees, group meetings etc are all
examples of downward communication. In order to have effective and error-free
downward communication, managers must:

Specify communication objective

Ensure that the message is accurate, specific and unambiguous.

Utilize the best communication technique to convey the message to the

receiver in right form
2. Upward Flow of Communication: Communication that flows to a higher level in an
organization is called upward communication. It provides feedback on how well the
organization is functioning. The subordinates use upward communication to convey their
problems and performances to their superiors.

The subordinates also use upward communication to tell how well they have understood
the downward communication. It can also be used by the employees to share their views
and ideas and to participate in the decision-making process.
Upward communication leads to a more committed and loyal workforce in an
organization because the employees are given a chance to raise and speak dissatisfaction
issues to the higher levels. The managers get to know about the employees feelings
towards their jobs, peers, supervisor and organization in general. Managers can thus
accordingly take actions for improving things.
Grievance Redressal System, Complaint and Suggestion Box, Job Satisfaction surveys
etc all help in improving upward communication. Other examples of Upward
Communication are -performance reports made by low level management for reviewing
by higher level management, employee attitude surveys, letters from employees,
employee-manager discussions etc.
3. Lateral / Horizontal Communication: Communication that takes place at same levels
of hierarchy in an organization is called lateral communication, i.e., communication

between peers, between managers at same levels or between any horizontally equivalent
organizational member. The advantages of horizontal communication are as follows:
It is time saving.
It facilitates co-ordination of the task.
It facilitates co-operation among team members.
It provides emotional and social assistance to the organizational members.
It helps in solving various organizational problems.
It is a means of information sharing
It can also be used for resolving conflicts of a department with other department or
conflicts within a department.
4. Diagonal Communication: Communication that takes place between a manager and
employees of other workgroups is called diagonal communication. It generally does not
appear on organizational chart. For instance - To design a training module a training
manager interacts with an Operations personnel to enquire about the way they perform
their task.
5. External Communication: Communication that takes place between a manager and
external groups such as - suppliers, vendors, banks, financial institutes etc. For instance To raise capital the Managing director would interact with the Bank Manager.
Grapevine Communication (Informal Business Communication)
Grapevine is an informal channel of business communication. It is called so because it stretches
throughout the organization in all directions irrespective of the authority levels. Man as we know
is a social animal. Despite existence of formal channels in an organization, the informal channels
tend to develop when he interacts with other people in organization. It exists more at lower levels
of organization.
Grapevine generally develops due to various reasons. One of them is that when an organization is
facing recession, the employees sense uncertainty. Also, at times employees do not have selfconfidence due to which they form unions. Sometimes the managers show preferential treatment
and favour some employees giving a segregated feeling to other employees. Thus, when
employees sense a need to exchange their views, they go for grapevine network as they cannot
use the formal channel of communication in that case. Generally during breaks in cafeteria,the
subordinates talk about their superiors attitude and behaviour and exchange views with their
peers. They discuss rumours about promotion and transfer of other employees. Thus, grapevine
spreads like fire and it is not easy to trace the cause of such communication at times.
Examples of Grapevine Network of Communication
1. Suppose the profit amount of a company is known. Rumour is spread that this much
profit is there and on that basis bonus is declared.
2. CEO may be in relation to the Production Manager. They may have friendly relations
with each other.

Pros and Cons of Grapevine Communication

Advantages of Grapevine Communication
1. Grapevine channels carry information rapidly. As soon as an employee gets to know
some confidential information, he becomes inquisitive and passes the details then to his
closest friend who in turn passes it to other. Thus, it spreads hastily.
2. The managers get to know the reactions of their subordinates on their policies. Thus, the
feedback obtained is quick compared to formal channel of communication.
3. The grapevine creates a sense of unity among the employees who share and discuss their
views with each other. Thus, grapevine helps in developing group cohesiveness.
4. The grapevine serves as an emotional supportive value.
5. The grapevine is a supplement in those cases where formal communication does not
work.
Disadvantages of Grapevine Communication
1. The grapevine carries partial information at times as it is more based on rumours. Thus, it
does not clearly depicts the complete state of affairs.
2. The grapevine is not trustworthy always as it does not follows official path of
communication and is spread more by gossips and unconfirmed report.
3. The productivity of employees may be hampered as they spend more time talking rather
than working.
4. The grapevine leads to making hostility against the executives.
5. The grapevine may hamper the goodwill of the organization as it may carry false negative
information about the high level people of the organization.
A smart manager should take care of all the disadvantages of the grapevine and try to minimize
them. At the same time, he should make best possible use of advantages of grapevine.

Feedback Communication
Receivers are not just passive absorbers of messages; they receive the message and respond to
them. This response of a receiver to senders message is called Feedback. Sometimes a feedback
could be a non-verbal smiles, sighs etc. Sometimes it is oral, as when you react to a colleagues
ideas with questions or comments. Feedback can also be written like - replying to an e-mail, etc.
Feedback is your audiences response; it enables you to evaluate the effectiveness of your
message. If your audience doesnt understand what you mean, you can tell by the response and
then refine the message accordingly.
Giving your audience a chance to provide feedback is crucial for maintaining an open

communication climate. The manager must create an environment that encourages feedback. For
example after explaining the job to the subordinated he must ask them whether they have
understood it or not. He should ask questions like Do you understand?, Do you have any
doubts? etc. At the same time he must allow his subordinated to express their views also.
Feedback is essential in communication so as to know whether the recipient has understood the
message in the same terms as intended by the sender and whether he agrees to that message or
not.
There are lot of ways in which company takes feedback from their employees, such as :
Employee surveys, memos, emails, open-door policies, company news letter etc. Employees are
not always willing to provide feedback. The organization has to work a lot to get the accurate
feedback. The managers encourage feedback by asking specific questions, allowing their
employees to express general views, etc. The organization should be receptive to their
employees feedback.
A manger should ensure that a feedback should:
1. Focus on a particular behaviour - It should be specific rather than being general.
2. Impersonal - Feedback should be job related, the manager should not criticize anyone
personally.
3. Goal oriented - If we have something negative to say about the person, we should always
direct it to the recipients goal.
4. Well timed - Feedback is most effective when there is a short gap between the recipients
behaviour and the receipt of that feedback.
5. Use I statements - Manager should make use of statements with the words like I,
However etc. For example instead of sayingYou were absent from work yesterday,
manager should sayI was annoyed when you missed your work yesterday.
6. Ensure understanding - For feedback to be effective, the manager should make sure that
the recipients understands the feedback properly.
7. While giving negative feedback to the recipient, the manager should not mention the
factors which are not in control of the recipient.
Communication Barriers - Reasons for Communication Breakdown
Communication is a process beginning with a sender who encodes the message and passes it
through some channel to the receiver who decodes the message. Communication is fruitful if and
only if the messages sent by the sender is interpreted with same meaning by the receiver. If any
kind of disturbance blocks any step of communication, the message will be destroyed. Due to
such disturbances, managers in an organization face severe problems. Thus the managers must
locate such barriers and take steps to get rid of them.

There are several barriers that affects the flow of communication in an organization. These
barriers interrupt the flow of communication from the sender to the reciever, thus making
communication ineffective. It is essential for managers to overcome these barriers. The main
barriers of communication are summarized below.
Following are the main communication barriers:
1. Perceptual and Language Differences: Perception is generally how each individual
interprets the world around him. All generally want to receive messages which are
significant to them. But any message which is against their values is not accepted. A same
event may be taken differently by different individuals. For example : A person is on
leave for a month due to personal reasons (family member being critical). The HR
Manager might be in confusion whether to retain that employee or not, the immediate
manager might think of replacement because his teams productivity is being hampered,
the family members might take him as an emotional support.
The linguistic differences also lead to communication breakdown. Same word may mean
different to different individuals. For example: consider a word value.
a. What is the value of this Laptop?
b. I value our relation?
c. What is the value of learning technical skills?
Value means different in different sentences. Communication breakdown occurs if
there is wrong perception by the receiver.
2. Information Overload: Managers are surrounded with a pool of information. It is

essential to control this information flow else the information is likely to be

misinterpreted or forgotten or overlooked. As a result communication is less effective.
3. Inattention: At times we just not listen, but only hear. For example a traveler may pay
attention to one NO PARKING sign, but if such sign is put all over the city, he no
longer listens to it. Thus, repetitive messages should be ignored for effective
communication. Similarly if a superior is engrossed in his paper work and his subordinate
explains him his problem, the superior may not get what he is saying and it leads to
disappointment of subordinate.
4. Time Pressures: Often in organization the targets have to be achieved within a specified

time period, the failure of which has adverse consequences. In a haste to meet deadlines,
the formal channels of communication are shortened, or messages are partially given, i.e.,
not completely transferred. Thus sufficient time should be given for effective
communication.
5. Distraction/Noise: Communication is also affected a lot by noise to distractions. Physical

distractions are also there such as, poor lightning, uncomfortable sitting, unhygienic room
also affects communication in a meeting. Similarly use of loud speakers interferes with
communication.

6. Emotions: Emotional state at a particular point of time also affects communication. If the

receiver feels that communicator is angry he interprets that the information being sent is
very bad. While he takes it differently if the communicator is happy and jovial (in that
case the message is interpreted to be good and interesting).
7. Complexity in Organizational Structure: Greater the hierarchy in an organization (i.e.

more the number of managerial levels), more is the chances of communication getting
destroyed. Only the people at the top level can see the overall picture while the people at
low level just have knowledge about their own area and a little knowledge about other
areas.
8. Poor retention: Human memory cannot function beyond a limit. One cant always retain

what is being told specially if he is not interested or not attentive. This leads to
communication breakdown.
Effect of Communication Barriers in Business Communication

An organization is an individuals first home as one spends the maximum time here only. No
organization runs for charity, it is really important that the organization achieve its goals. How
does an organization become successful ? How will an organization achieve its goals ?.
The employees are the assets for any organization and the profitability of any organization is
directly proportional to the labour put by its employees. Putting labour does not mean getting
involved in hard physical work or digging the gold mines, it actually refers to the smart work
done by employees, transparency between the team members, free flow of information from the
superior to the subordinates. How does free flow of information happen? How is the transparency
between the team members achieved ? - Through Communication and not only through
communication but effective communication.
In organizations the barriers in communication go a long way in distortion of the message and the
information does not reach in its desired form.
Imagine a situation where you want some report from your team members which needs to be
forwarded to the managing director of the organization. What if your team misinterprets your
information, screws up the project and fails to submit it within the deadline. The managing
director will literally sit on your head and make your life miserable. The poor communication
can actually cost you your job.
Let us now understand how barriers in communication effect business communication.
Noise acts as a devil in business communication. Any information downloaded at a noisy place
is bound to get distorted and result in a complete mess.

Petty wanted to go through the complete budget of the sales, marketing and the operations team.
She passed on this information to Joe at his workstation around which lots of other employees
were shouting, the base phone was constantly ringing and the photocopier machine was making a
terrible noise. At the end of the day, Joe submitted the report but the budget for the operations
team was missing in the report. Joe actually had heard only about sales and marketing
department and thus skipped the report of the operations team. Petty fired Joe and even stopped
his appraisal. Unwanted distractions, noise, chit chats of the other employees etc played the
culprit and poor Joe missed out on his promotion. Noise reduces the chances of the correct flow
of information from the sender to the receiver. If the office is noisy, errors are bound to happen
and thus increasing conflicts among the team members and decreasing the efficiency of the
employees.
Unorganized and Haphazard thoughts also lead to ineffective communication in
organizations. Business communications are bound to suffer due to ineffective communication.
If any individual wants something from his team members, he first must be himself very clear
what actually he expects from his team. The boss must clearly mention his team members key
responsibility areas in clear words to avoid wastage of manpower, duplicacy of work, effective
time management and more output from them.
Not cross checking among themselves or with the superiors also spoils the business
communication to a large extent.
Misha was sharing her phone number with her client and she never bothered to verify with her
client whether he has noted the correct number or not. One day, the client had a major query and
he had to discuss with Misha on an urgent basis. He kept on trying the same number which
Misha gave but someone else was responding. He then had to call the front desk lady to get
connected with Misha and obviously he was furious. The client had wrongly noted Mishas
number and thus wasted his precious time and lost his temper. While sharing any important
contact number it is the responsibility of the speaker to cross check with the listener. Email ids
must be spelled out properly to avoid wrong spellings and unnecessary wastage of time.
During any business meeting, presentation or seminar, the speaker has to be very careful
about his pitch and tone. It has been observed that during seminars or presentations only the
front benchers are attentive, the last benchers are almost lost in their own sweet world. The
person who chairs the meeting has to speak very clearly, has to be very confident and must
maintain a tone audible to everyone, even to the individuals sitting on the last row. Information
must pass to them also to expect the best out of them and increase their efficiency. Try to make
the seminar or the meeting interactive. Dont just speak, also invite questions from the team. After
any seminar or meeting, the superior or the incharge must send the minutes of the meeting
through e mail to all the required recipients to avoid last minute confusions and discrepancies.
The speaker must ensure whether everyone is clear or not ?
In any organization, it is mandatory to understand which employee can do a particular
assignment, and which employee is not fit for a particular role. Chelsea was not keen for a
branding profile but his boss could never understand her interest and always wondered why
Chelsea was not effectively performing ? In any organization, before assigning responsibilities to

the employees, it is a must to understand the employee and his area of specialization and interest.
Communication will be for sure ineffective if a person from an accounting background is asked
to deliver a presentation on sales techniques. He is bound to get nervous and the message will
fail in creating the required impact. Dont just impose work on any employee, give him the work
he enjoys doing the most.
Difference in thought process also results in a poor communication in business areas. A boss
and the employee can never think on the same level. Let us try to understand the situation with
the help of an example.
Jude to Harry - Harry, I need the complete financial report by end of the day
By financial report, Jude actually meant the complete financial analysis, which would include the
complete details of how much the company spends in advertising, promotional activities, and
other marketing activities.,analyse the inflow and outflow of expenditure patterns and so on.
Harry could never understand Judes thought process. He simply compiled the expenditure
details and handed over to Jude. Jude was obviously not happy. He was expecting much more
from Harry. Harry had to resubmit the project resulting in duplicacy of effort and wastage of
time. Jude should have made it very clear from the very beginning what all he was expecting
from Harry. He kept half of his things within himself and did not share with Harry. Poor Harry
had to redo his work. Every individual has a different mindset, different level of understanding
and thus it is important to share each and every detail with others and clarify the things from the
very beginning.
One should remember that the listeners are also a part of the conversation. The listeners must
give their feedback at the end of the conversation. If you are not clear what your boss is
expecting out of you, or what you are actually supposed to do, please ASK. Dont hesitate, ask
questions. Dont hide your queries, ask and clear your doubts then and there only. Your boss will
only feel happy if you share your queries with him.
For the successful running of an organization, it is important that transparency is maintained
among the employees at all levels. Communication barriers must be overcome in organizations
to ensure the free flow of information between the sender and the recipient and for an effective
communication among the employees. Effective communication reduces the error rate, reduces
conflicts and mis understandings and in turn increases the profitability of the organization. Every
employee must try their level best to avoid the communication barriers in organizations for an
effective business communication.

Overcoming Communication Barriers

There are a lot of communication barriers faced these days by all. The message intended by the
sender is not understood by the receiver in the same terms and sense and thus communication
breakdown occurs. It is essential to deal and cope up with these communication barriers so as to
ensure smooth and effective communication.

As, in the previous section we have discussed the major barriers of communication. Lets talk
about how to overcome these barriers of communication.
1. Eliminating differences in perception: The organization should ensure that it is
recruiting right individuals on the job. Its the responsibility of the interviewer to ensure
that the interviewee has command over the written and spoken language. There should be
proper Induction program so that the policies of the company are clear to all the
employees. There should be proper trainings conducted for required employees (for eg:
Voice and Accent training).
2. Use of Simple Language: Use of simple and clear words should be emphasized. Use of
ambiguous words and jargons should be avoided.
3. Reduction and elimination of noise levels: Noise is the main communication barrier

which must be overcome on priority basis. It is essential to identify the source of noise
and then eliminate that source.
4. Active Listening: Listen attentively and carefully. There is a difference between

listening and hearing. Active listening means hearing with proper understanding of
the message that is heard. By asking questions the speaker can ensure whether his/her
message is understood or not by the receiver in the same terms as intended by the
speaker.
5. Emotional State: During communication one should make effective use of body

language. He/she should not show their emotions while communication as the receiver
might misinterpret the message being delivered. For example, if the conveyer of the
message is in a bad mood then the receiver might think that the information being
delivered is not good.
6. Simple Organizational Structure: The organizational structure should not be complex.

The number of hierarchical levels should be optimum. There should be a ideal span of
control within the organization. Simpler the organizational structure, more effective will
be the communication.

7. Avoid Information Overload: The managers should know how to prioritize their work.

They should not overload themselves with the work. They should spend quality time with
their subordinates and should listen to their problems and feedbacks actively.
8. Give Constructive Feedback: Avoid giving negative feedback. The contents of the

feedback might be negative, but it should be delivered constructively. Constructive

feedback will lead to effective communication between the superior and subordinate.
9. Proper Media Selection: The managers should properly select the medium of

communication. Simple messages should be conveyed orally, like: face to face interaction
or meetings. Use of written means of communication should be encouraged for delivering
complex messages. For significant messages reminders can be given by using written
means of communication such as : Memos, Notices etc.
10. Flexibility in meeting the targets: For effective communication in an organization the

managers should ensure that the individuals are meeting their targets timely without
skipping the formal channels of communication. There should not be much pressure on
employees to meet their targets.

Effective Presentation Skills

Presentation can be defined as a formal event characterized by teamwork and use of audiovisual aids. The main purpose of presentation is to give information, to persuade the audience to
act and to create goodwill. A good presentation should have a good subject matter, should match
with the objective, should best fit the audience, and should be well organized.
Characteristics of a Good/Effective Presentation
1. The presentation ideas should be well adapted to your audience. Relate your presentation
message/idea to the interests of the audience. A detailed audience analysis must be made
before the presentation, i.e., an analysis of the needs, age, educational background,
language, and culture of the target audience. Their body language instantly gives the
speaker the required feedback.
2. A good presentation should be concise and should be focused on the topic. It should not
move off-track.
3. A good presentation should have the potential to convey the required information.
4. The fear should be transformed into positive energy during the presentation. Be calm and
relaxed while giving a presentation. Before beginning, wait and develop an eye contact
with the audience. Focus on conveying your message well and use a positive body
language.
5. To communicate the desired information, the speaker should use more of visual aids such
as transparencies, diagrams, pictures, charts, etc. Each transparency/slide should contain

limited and essential information only. No slide should be kept on for a longer time. Try
facing the audience, rather than the screen. The speaker should not block the view. Turn
on the room lights else the audience might fall asleep and loose interest. Organize all the
visuals for making a logical and sound presentation.
6. A good presentation must be planned. The speaker must plan how to begin the
presentation, what to speak in the middle of presentation and how to end the presentation
without losing audience interests at any point of time.
7. Rehearse and practice the presentation. This will help the speaker to be more confident
and self-assured. The more the speaker rehearses the better the presentation turns to be.
8. The speaker should encourage more questions from the audience. He should be honest
enough to answer those questions. If any biased question is put forth by the audience,
rearticulate it before answering.
9. Summarize the presentation at the end. Give final comments. Leave a positive impact
upon the audience.
10. The speaker must have a presentable appearance while giving a presentation. The speaker
should stand with feet far apart maintaining a good balance. He must use confident
gestures. He must use short and simple words.
11. Try to gain and maintain audience interest by using positive quotes, humour, or
remarkable fact.
12. The speaker must be affirmative and optimistic before giving presentation. He should
ensure all tools and equipments to be used in presentation are working well.
13. The speaker must state the objectives of the presentation at beginning of the presentation.
Effective Report Writing

What is Report Writing ?

A report can be defined as a testimonial or account of some happening. It is purely based on

observation and analysis. A report gives an explanation of any circumstance. In todays corporate
world, reports play a crucial role. They are a strong base for planning and control in an
organization, i.e., reports give information which can be utilized by the management team in an
organization for making plans and for solving complex issues in the organization.
A report discusses a particular problem in detail. It brings significant and reliable information to
the limelight of top management in an organization. Hence, on the basis of such information, the
management can make strong decisions. Reports are required for judging the performances of
various departments in an organization.
An effective report can be written going through the following steps1. Determine the objective of the report, i.e., identify the problem.
2. Collect the required material (facts) for the report.
3. Study and examine the facts gathered.
4. Plan the facts for the report.
5. Prepare an outline for the report, i.e., draft the report.
6. Edit the drafted report.
7. Distribute the draft report to the advisory team and ask for feedback and
recommendations.
The essentials of good/effective report writing are as follows1. Know your objective, i.e., be focused.
2. Analyze the niche audience, i.e., make an analysis of the target audience, the purpose for
which audience requires the report, kind of data audience is looking for in the report, the
implications of report reading, etc.
3. Decide the length of report.
4. Disclose correct and true information in a report.
5. Discuss all sides of the problem reasonably and impartially. Include all relevant facts in a
report.
6. Concentrate on the report structure and matter. Pre-decide the report writing style. Use
vivid structure of sentences.
7. The report should be neatly presented and should be carefully documented.

8. Highlight and recap the main message in a report.

9. Encourage feedback on the report from the critics. The feedback, if negative, might be
useful if properly supported with reasons by the critics. The report can be modified based
on such feedback.
10. Use graphs, pie-charts, etc to show the numerical data records over years.
11. Decide on the margins on a report. Ideally, the top and the side margins should be the
same (minimum 1 inch broad), but the lower/bottom margins can be one and a half times
as broad as others.
12. Attempt to generate readers interest by making appropriate paragraphs, giving bold
headings for each paragraph, using bullets wherever required, etc.
Checklist for Effective Resume Writing
A resume is also known as CV or curriculum vitae. Resume is an influential and credible
summary of an individuals employment qualifications. There is no standard format for a resume.
It gives an idea to the reader that how you can be an asset to their organization. A resume should
be:
Have
Clearly
indicate
- Up to date

factual
why

and
Self
you

are

relevant
best

suited

for

Neat
information
describing
this
job

Resumes should be written not for yourself but for the reader. A good resume must be properly
planned, drafted and finally revised. Regard your resume as work in progress and give it a polish
every couple of months. You never know when you will be asked for it. Your resume needs to
recap and capture the spirit of our competency/whats best about you.
Resumes are of two types:
i.

ii.

Chronological Resume- These resume gives a quick brief up of what the candidate has
done in a timeline-beginning with the latest events and moving back in reverse
chronology. It stresses upon the degrees, job headings and the dates. Such a resume
demonstrates steady development/movement to the current time.
Skills Resume- These resume stresses upon the skills and competencies possessed and
used by the candidate, rather than the job and the date in which those skills have been
used. It is generally prepared when the candidate frequently changes his job or when his
education and experience do not harmonize/match with the position for which the
candidate is applying.

Dos and Donts in your Resume

1. Shouldnt be too long. It should not exceed two pages generally.
2. CV should be true and factual.
3. The first page should contain enough personal details for a recruitment consultant or
potential employer to contact you easily.
4. Choose a format that highlights key skills, key competencies, key achievements or key
attributes.
5. Your employment background should begin with your current job and work backwards.
6. List all relevant qualifications.
7. Do not include negative or irrelevant information.
8. Include details of training or skills development events attended.
9. Include personal details.
10. Use a very good quality paper.
11. Do not use a type size less than 11pt.
12. Typefaces such as Times New Roman or Arial should be used.
13. CV should be carefully typed. No spelling errors should be there.
14. Use bulleted paragraphs. This will save space and make the CV more effective.
15. Emphasize achievements that are recent, and are most relevant for the position for which
the candidate is applying.
16. Items in resume must be concise and parallel.
17. While submitting a resume, it must be accompanied with a cover letter to make the
readers aware of what is being send, and how can it be beneficial to the readers.
18. Include references if possible in a resume. If giving references, use three to five. Include
atleast one lecturer, and at least one employer.
19. To stress upon the key points in a resume, put them in appropriate headings, list them
vertically, and provide details.
Job Interview - Meaning, Tips for Interviewee & Interviewer
An interview means a face to face interaction between the interviewer and the
candidate/candidates so as to obtain desired information from him/them. It can also be defined as
a way of exchanging meanings between individuals by using a common set of symbols.
Interviews generally need a preparation. Job interviews seem frightening, even if the individual
is well prepared. Interviews have a definite structure. Clear communication should take place

during an interview. All interviews have a definite purpose familiar to the interviewer and the
candidate/interviewee.
Tips for the Interviewee
1. The interviewee should be dressed formally, and not casually. Have a pleasing
appearance as the candidates personality is a significant part of the communication.
2. Always carry an extra CV, a notepad to write on, a pen, and all essential things required
in an interview.
3. Practice, practice and practice in advance. Prepare and rehearse for the unexpected also.
4. Research a lot about the organization for which you are being interviewed.
5. As soon as the interview gets over, pen down the name of the interviewer, your strengths
and weaknesses, answers to questions raised by you during the interview and the
feedback of the interviewer.
6. Be punctual. Try reaching before time for the job interview.
7. Do not indulge in a fight or argument with the interviewer.
8. Answer the questions specifically, truly and undoubtedly.
9. Be courteous and sophisticated during an interview.
10. Just be yourself. Do not boast about yourself. The interviewer is smart enough to judge
the candidates intelligence and aptness for the job.
11. Do not make negative statements or comments about your past employer.
12. Your body language should be positive during the interview, i.e., maintain an eye-to-eye
contact with the interviewer, sit in well balanced and confident posture, do not lean on the
table, do not yawn, smile when appropriate, etc.
Tips for the Interviewer
1. The interviewer should be an active listener. He should not interrupt unnecessarily.
2. The interviewer should be considerate enough. Even if the interviewer does not agree
with the interviewee, he must respect the latters feelings.
3. The interviewer should be friendly and understanding. He should begin the interview in a
friendly manner, some friendly conversation and then show concern in family
background, hobbies, etc. This will make the interviewee more relaxed and comfortable.
4. The interviewer should restrain to the time allotted. He shouldnt indulge in arguments
unnecessarily. He should try to be precise.
5. The interviewer must be thoroughly prepared for the questions that are likely to be asked.
He should be a good planner.

6. The interviewer must focus attention on the interviewee. He should use positive gestures
when conducting the interview.
7. Encourage/invite questions from the interviewee. Ensure that the interviewee clarifies the
question he has. When selected a candidate should not feel he was not told about a certain
aspect of the job.
8. Avoid distraction in the interview area.Ensure that there is no or minimal distraction
where the interview is being conducted. A phone ringing all the time in the background
can distract the interviewer and interviewee.
Role of Communication in Group Discussion
An effective communication is a vital key to a successful group discussion. Remember you
are not the only one speaking in the group discussion; there are other participants as well who are
vying for the limelight. You might get only a single chance, and you just cant afford to miss the
opportunity to create that first impression, and as they say first impression is the last impression.
An individual might have complete knowledge about the topic assigned to his group, might be
well aware of what is happening around him, but if he cant effectively communicate his ideas to
others, he will fail to create his mark. The way an individual communicates his ideas has to be
very impressive for him to live up to the expectations of the deciding authorities.
Let us understand this real life situation
Teddy appeared for an interview with a reputed media house. He had been eyeing for this
company for quite a long time. He fared extremely well in the face to face rounds and was
looking forward to getting selected in the organization. Unfortunately something else was in
store for him. He could not get through the GD Round. He was exceptionally good in academics,
had a healthy professional background and even expressed his ideas in his best possible way in
the group discussion. Why did he then fail ?
The problem was in his communication level. He did try his level best but failed to impress the
interviewer and thus lost out on his dream job.
Effective communication is the backbone of a successful group discussion.
Converting your thoughts into words is an art and one has to master it to win over the trust and
confidence of the assessor. One has to very sensibly and carefully choose the right words to share
his thoughts with the other participants and make his points clear. Never use slangs, instead go
for some corporate jargons or professional terminologies for the desired edge. Also avoid
cracking jokes in between as it is considered highly unprofessional. An individual must not
stammer in between or chew half of his words. Speak clearly and your voice must never be
shaky. There is no one who will beat you there, so why to get afraid of a group discussion ?
Keep a positive attitude. No one will ever deduct your marks if you greet your fellow
participants well. Use warm greetings and never forget the handshake on meeting. These gestures
actually help in breaking the ice and create a bond among the participants. Someone has to begin

the discussion, so why not you? Take the initiative and start the discussion. Introduce yourself
and your team members well.Never believe in personal favours. If any participant is unwilling to
speak, do not force him unnecessarily. If someone has spoken well do not hesitate to give him a
pat on his back. Such non verbal communications sometimes go a long way in boosting the
morale and self confidence of the participants. Be very confident to win over the trust of the
interviewer as well as the other participants.
The pitch and tone must also be taken good care of. You are speaking not for yourself, but for
others to listen and respond. Always ensure that you are audible to one and all. Every participant
must be able to hear you clearly and understand what you intend to convey. An individual must
also learn the art of voice modulation. Dont keep the same pitch always; learn to play with your
tone as per the importance of the word or the sentence. If you want to raise a question to your
fellow participants, it must also reflect in your voice. Avoid shouting or being too loud in group
discussions. You are here to voice your opinion, not for fighting. Keep your voice polite, soft
but convincing. Never sound unintelligent or foolish, as the interviewer has a constant eye on
you. Do take care of your punctuation marks and the flow of words. It is no harm to take pauses
or breaths in between sentences. Never repeat sentences as it will lead to monotony and others
will tend to ignore you. Dont just speak for the sake of speaking.
Always remember there are other individuals also who are participating in the group discussion.
They may not be from the same background as you are, might have an altogether different
thought process, but you have no right to make fun of their views. Always respect their opinion.
If a participant is speaking, never criticize or oppose him in between. You will get your time to
speak, and please wait for your turn. An individual has to be very patient, calm, dignified,
sophisticated and above all professional in his approach.
Dont start fighting with your team mates. Give weightage to everyones opinion and
thought process. Always be a good listener. Stay alert, keep your ears open and be attentive all
through the discussion. Be sure about what you speak, never depend on assumptions or guess
works. Try your level best to sound impressive and prefer using articulate English. Never panic
in a group discussion, have a control on your words, stay calm and composed and then
there is no one stopping you and you will definitely emerge as a winner.

The InterviewDifferent Types

There are many different types of interviews. Once you are selected for an interview, you may
experience one or more of the situations described below. When you schedule an interview, try to
get as much information as possible about whom you will be meeting. Note that it is rare to have
only one interview prior to a job offer. Most employers will bring back a candidate a number of
times to be sure a potential employee will fit into the company culture

1. Structured Interview

Here, every single detail of the interview is decided in advance. The questions to be asked, the
order in which the questions will be asked, the time given to each candidate, the information to
be collected from each candidate, etc. is all decided in advance. Structured interview is also
called Standardised, Patterned, Directed or Guided interview. Structured interviews are pre
planned. They are accurate and precise. All the interviews will be uniform (same). Therefore,
there will be consistency and minimum bias in structured interviews.
2. Unstructured Interview
This interview is not planned in detail. Hence it is also called as Non-Directed interview. The
question to be asked, the information to be collected from the candidates, etc. are not decided in
advance. These interviews are non-planned and therefore, more flexible. Candidates are more
relaxed in such interviews. They are encouraged to express themselves about different subjects,
based on their expectations, motivations, background, interests, etc. Here the interviewer can
make a better judgement of the candidate's personality, potentials, strengths and weaknesses.
However, if the interviewer is not efficient then the discussions will lose direction and the
interview will be a waste of time and effort.
3. Group Interview
Here, all the candidates or small groups of candidates are interviewed together. The time of the
interviewer is saved. A group interview is similar to a group discussion. A topic is given to the
group, and they are asked to discuss it. The interviewer carefully watches the candidates. He tries
to find out which candidate influences others, who clarifies issues, who summarises the
discussion, who speaks effectively, etc. He tries to judge the behaviour of each candidate in a
group situation.

4. Exit Interview
When an employee leaves the company, he is interviewed either by his immediate superior or by
the HRD manager. This interview is called an exit interview. Exit interview is taken to find out
why the employee is leaving the company. Sometimes, the employee may be asked to withdraw
his resignation by providing some incentives. Exit interviews are taken to create a good image of
the company in the minds of the employees who are leaving the company. They help the
company to make proper HRD policies, to create a favourable work environment, to create
employee loyalty and to reduce labour turnover.

5. Depth Interview
This is a semi-structured interview. The candidate has to give detailed information about his
background, special interest, etc. He also has to give detailed information about his subject.
Depth interview tries to find out if the candidate is an expert in his subject or not. Here, the
interviewer must have a good understanding of human behaviour.
6. Stress Interview
The purpose of this interview is to find out how the candidate behaves in a stressful situation.
That is, whether the candidate gets angry or gets confused or gets frightened or gets nervous or
remains cool in a stressful situation. The candidate who keeps his cool in a stressful situation is
selected for the stressful job. Here, the interviewer tries to create a stressful situation during the
interview. This is done purposely by asking the candidate rapid questions, criticising his answers,
interrupting him repeatedly, etc.
This form of interview was more common in sales positions and is rare today. However, you
should be aware of the signals. The stress interview is usually a deliberate attempt to see how
you handle yourself under pressure.
The interviewer may be sarcastic or argumentative, or may keep you waiting. Do no take it
personally. Calmly answer each question. Ask for clarification if you need it and never rush into
an answer.
The interviewer may also lapse into silence at some point during the questioning. This may be
an attempt to unnerve you. Sit silently until the interviewer resumes the questions. If a minute
goes by, ask if he/she needs clarification of your last comment.
7. Individual Interview
This is a 'One-To-One' Interview. It is a verbal and visual interaction between two people, the
interviewer and the candidate, for a particular purpose. The purpose of this interview is to match
the candidate with the job. It is a two way communication.

8. Informal Interview
Informal interview is an oral interview which can be arranged at any place. Different questions
are asked to collect the required information from the candidate. Specific rigid procedure is not
followed. It is a friendly interview.
9. Formal Interview
Formal interview is held in a more formal atmosphere. The interviewer asks pre-planned
questions. Formal interview is also called planned interview.

10. Panel Interview

Panel means a selection committee or interview committee that is appointed for interviewing the
candidates. The panel may include three or five members. They ask questions to the candidates
about different aspects. They give marks to each candidate. The final decision will be taken by
all members collectively by rating the candidates. Panel interview is always better than an
interview by one interviewer because in a panel interview, collective judgement is used for
selecting suitable candidates.

Traditional Face-to-Face Interview

Most interviews are face-to-face. The most traditional is a one-on-one conversation.
Your focus should be on the person asking questions. Maintain eye contact, listen and respond
once a question has been asked.
Your goal is to establish rapport with the interviewer and show them that your qualifications
will benefit their organization.

Behavioural Interview
In a behavioural interview you will have to demonstrate your knowledge, skills, and abilities,
collectively known as competencies, by giving specific examples from your past experiences.
The interviewer wants to know, not that you can do something, but that you have done it. He or
she, prior to the interview, determines what competencies are required for the position. Then the
interviewer develops a series of questions that will allow him or her to find out if you, the job
candidate, possess the necessary competencies to perform the job. The basic premise of the
behavioural interview is that past performance is a good predictor of future performance.
This type of question generally starts with the words Give me an example when... or Tell me
about a time when

Case Interview
In some interviews you may be asked to demonstrate your problem-solving skills. The
interviewer will outline a situation or provide you with a case study and ask you to formulate a
plan that deals with the problem.

 You do not have to come up with the ultimate solution. The interviewers are looking for how
you apply your knowledge and skills to a real-life situation. Speak and reason aloud so
interviewers have a full understanding of your thought process.
Before answering a case interview question, be prepared to ask the employer numerous
questions for clarity and informational purposes. Most employers will provide responses that
could result in additional inquiries.
The more you are able to analyze and dissect the case study, the more you will likely impress
your interviewer.
This is the only interview for which it is acceptable, even encouraged, to bring a pad of paper
and pencil. Most interviewers will allow you to take notes and jot down thoughts as you work
through the case.
Telephone Interview
Many organizations will conduct interviews by telephone to narrow a field of candidates.
Telephone interviews may also be used as a preliminary interview for candidates who live far
away from the job site.
It is important to treat this interview as you would a face-to-face connection. Arrange for a
quiet space and time to schedule the conversation. Clear a work surface to minimize distractions.
Focus on the conversation. Listen to the questions carefully before you answer.
Have a copy of your resume nearby as a reference.
Avoid using a phone with call waiting. You do not want to be interrupted during an interview.
Try to use a landline phone or a cell phone that is not prone to dropping calls.
Group Interview
A group interview is usually designed to uncover the leadership potential of prospective
managers and employees who will be dealing with customers.
The front-runner candidates are gathered together in an informal, discussion type interview. A
subject is introduced and the interviewer will start off the discussion.
The goal of the group interview is to see how you interact with others and how you use your
knowledge and reasoning to influence others.
Lunch/Dinner Interview
The same rules apply at a meal as those in an office. The setting may be more casual, but
remember that it is a business meal and you are being watched carefully.
Use the interview to develop common ground with your interviewer. Follow his/her lead in
both selection of food and etiquette.
Avoid messy foods and do not drink alcohol at any point in this part of the interview process.
.

Discipline Interview
They are formal sessions during which an employee is officially warned about a specific workperformance or policy infraction. If the warning remains unheeded and the same problem
reoccurs a written warning is issued . After 3 written warnings and possibly suspension the
employee could be terminated.
Appraisal Interview
The interview is conducted to evaluate the achievements of subordinates. It is a periodical
assessment of employees. This type of interview is more of discussion form rather than question
answer form. Conducted once in a year to increase the efficiency of the organization

Master the Art of Interviewing

Although your resume is the key to landing an interview, it is essentially the interview that will
get you the job.
Many job seekers assume that they can rely on their resume and experience to impress potential
employers and often make the mistake of not fully preparing for an interview.
It is important to take every avenue of opportunity to sell yourself to potential employers,
especially in the interview, since this is the most crucial component to your job search.
An interview is the time to let your personality shine and to demonstrate to employers that you
would be a valuable asset to their organization.
It is essential to do your research before interviewing to learn successful techniques to increase
your chances of receiving a job offer.
Listed below are some tips on how to effectively handle the interview process:

Do Your Research - Its important to be confident and prepared.

The first step you should take in your job search is to conduct research on companies of
interest before applying to a job or showing up for an interview.
By understanding and showing interest in the company, you can customize your pitch,
demonstrate the value you will bring to the organization and confidently convince employers that
you are the right candidate.
Practice, Practice, Practice - Prepare for an interview by running through commonly asked
interview questions. Understand that interviewing is a skill and as with any skill, practice makes
perfect!

Dress Professionally - When you are on an interview, you are marketing yourself as the best
candidate for the job, so its important to dress professionally. Appropriate attire and good

personal hygiene demonstrates that you are not only willing to take that extra step to look your
best but also do your best.
Make a Positive First Impression - First impressions are critical. Arrive early, give a firm
handshake and make eye contact throughout the interview. It is important to be confident, but
most importantly, be yourself!
Go Beyond the Canned Response - Behavioural interviewing is an ever-growing interview
technique. Rather than merely telling the interviewer what you would do in a situation,
demonstrate your knowledge, skills, and abilities by giving specific examples from past work
experiences. Use this as an opportunity to emphasize the value you would bring to the company
by citing a situation where you effectively used your skill set to overcome a difficult situation.
Ask Questions - Express interest and willingness to learn about the company by asking
questions and listening to details about the organization. Remember, that you are not the only
one being interviewed you are also trying to determine if the company and position are right
for you. This portion of the interview is your chance to shine. Not having any questions for the
interviewer can show that you are uninterested and unprepared.
Follow Up - Reinforce to the employer that you bring value to their organization by developing a
well-written thank you note. A thank you note is an easy and sure-fire way to show your
appreciation, reiterate you are the best candidate and demonstrate your initiative and followthrough. It is also appropriate to make a follow up call, unless instructed otherwise by the
employer.
Prove You Are the Right Candidate for the Job
Regardless of the position you are interviewing for, it is equally important to impress potential
employers with your interviewing style and technique. Before your next interview, be sure to
brush up on your interviewing skills and remember to be calm and confident to prove you are the
best candidate for the position.

Top 10 Interview Tips From An Etiquette Professional

Interview--one of the most dreaded words in the English language for job seekers young and old.
Do your hands begin to tremble or do you break out in a cold sweat when you hear the word?
You're not alone.
Could there be a more difficult situation than walking into a room with one or more strangers,
sitting in what feels like a criminal interrogation spotlight, knowing your every word and gesture
are being evaluated, while attempting to appear to be composed, confident and professional?
As you head out the door for that next important interview, don't forget to pack one of the most

powerful business tools available: ETIQUETTE. Your etiquette and people skills can make the
difference between an adequate performance and one that will launch you to level 2 of the hiring
process
Your attitude and behaviour toward others are as important as your resume, experience, training
and technical abilities
Human qualities that make the difference in business relationships: courtesy, respect, trust and
reliability. Manners and respect are the underlying foundation of good relationships, and good
relationships translate to business success.
How do your manners measure up? Here's how to outclass your competition by avoiding some of
the mistakes that have derailed job hunters from reaching their goal.
1.NO DO-OVERS IN FIRST IMPRESSIONS
You have 5 seconds to make a first impression in most situations. In a job interview you're given
a bit more time to shine--approximately 30 seconds. Since there's no rewind button to undo a
false start, don't blow this opportunity to cement the image you want to leave in the minds of
each and every member of an interview team.
You are on stage from the moment you walk into the building where the interview will take
place. Smile. Be enthusiastic. Turn off your cell phone or Blackberry before you enter the
building. When you arrive at the office where the interview will take place (and never more than
10 minutes early), politely introduce yourself to the receptionist, and sit at attention in the
waiting area--no cell phone, BlackBerry, magazines. Stand and shake hands with the person who
comes to escort you into the interview.
Enter the interview room with enthusiasm and energy, both of which can help to mask your
nervousness. Smile, make eye contact, and try to maintain an open posture (line your shoulders
up with the shoulders of the person you are meeting) as you shake hands with each individual in
the room. If possible, walk around the side of the table or desk to shake hands; try not to have a
barrier between you and the person you are meeting. Introduce yourself using your first and last
name as you shake hands (at least to the first person, if there are several people on the interview
team)
2.AVOID WARDROBE MALFUNCTIONS
Always dress up and dress conservatively for a job interview. Even if you are applying for a job
behind a steam table in a fast-food restaurant or in the relaxed environment of an IT company,
this is a strategy that works. Remember how your parents told you to dress up to go to church or
to visit Grandma? Their reasoning was that we show respect for an organization or an individual
by dressing up. Your polish indicates that you think the interview and potential employer matter
and
that
you
respect
them
and
the
situation.

3. DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF A SMILE.

A smile shows not only confidence, but a pleasant nature. It invites others to get to know you.
Remember that not only is an employer filling an opening in a workforce, but is filling an
opening in a business family.
4. BODY LANGUAGE SPEAKS VOLUMES
Employers interpret your attitude and interest in the job vacancy and in their company through
your body language, just as they do from your smile and your words. Sit up straight and plant
your feet firmly on the floor during an interview. You may think that a relaxed pose will show
your confidence, but it shows, instead, a lack of respect or interest. Don't sit with both hands in
your lap beneath the table--you will look like a nervous child. Rest an arm on the arm of your
chair
or
on
the
table.
Make eye contact and maintain an open posture. This means aligning your shoulders with the
shoulders of the person to whom you are speaking, whenever possible. Do the best you can in a
situation where a number of people are interviewing you. Do not fidget in your chair, cross your
legs, or wring your hands, and try not to use too many hand gestures. Hold a pencil or a pen if
that
helps
to
control
your
nervousness.
5. MASTERING THE ART OF MEET AND GREET
How you greet people reveals a great deal about you--your confidence, your attitude, your
polish. Learn to give a good handshake. Begin with your hand parallel to the floor with your
thumb pointing to the ceiling, and go all the way into your partner's hand until the space between
thumbs and index fingers touch. Wrap your thumb and fingers all the way around your partner's
hand and squeeze assertively--not painfully--and shake 3-4 times. Always stand for a handshake
in business, and in a North American business environment the space between partners is approx
2 feet (more when meeting Asians, less when meeting Latin Americans or people from the
Middle East.) Never have your left hand in a trouser pocket when shaking hands, and don't feel
obligated to return a double handshake (left hand placed over the two hands shaking) or a pat on
the upper right arm. Make no comment about a handshake that does not come off perfectly.
Maintain an open posture when shaking hands, smile, make eye contact, and say your first and
last name. When meeting someone for the first time, always try to say their name as you shake
hands and use an honorific (Mr. Ms., Mrs., Dr., Gen.) and their last name. These rules apply to
both men and women in a North American business environment. When meeting people from
other countries, you need to research cultural differences in order not to offend others or

embarrass yourself. In some cultures for example, a hug, kiss or air kiss may accompany that
first handshake--you don-t want to be taken off guard.
6. WHAT'S IN A NAME?
People love to hear the sound of their name, so use names when you meet interviewers and when
you say goodbye. It is not necessary to sprinkle their names throughout the interview: "That's an
interesting question, Mr. Davis" will seem artificial and cloying if said more than once. Because
you may be nervous when entering an interview room, you may not hear and remember all of the
names of the people you are meeting for the first time. Instead, when you are contacted by the
interview scheduler, ask for the names and titles of the individuals who will be interviewing you,
and write them down in the notebook or portfolio that you will carry to the interview. Memorize
this list. Then, when you enter the interview room, you can use an individual's name when you
shake hands: "Good morning, Mr. Peterson. It's a pleasure to meet you." And always, always
use an honorific (Mr., Ms., Mrs., Dr., Gen.) and last name when meeting someone for the first
time in business. When introducing yourself, either in person or on the telephone, use your first
and
last
name.

8. TABLE TALK

After you shake hands with all of your interviewers, stand behind a chair until you are invited
to sit down, or politely ask where the interviewer would like you to sit. When you take your
seat at an interview table, do not place personal items on the table--no cell phones,
Blackberrys, handbags, briefcases. All of these things should be placed under your chair or
on a chair beside you. You may place a portfolio or notepad and pen in front of you. If a
beverage is offered, decline politely. Remember to sit up straight with both feet planted on
the
floor.
9. FOR WHOM THE BELL TONES

If, for some unfathomable reason, your cell phone or Blackberry rings during an
interview, some serious damage control will be required. Do not look at the display
window and do not answer it to explain that you cannot talk at that moment. Reach down
(because your cell phone is in your bag under your chair) and hit the "off" button
immediately. Look at the interviewers and say sincerely. "I'm so sorry. I was so caught
up in preparing for my interview that I forgot to turn it off."
10. EXIT STRATEGY

When the interview is over, reiterate your interest in the position (if sincere), and thank
the group for spending time with you. You may ask about the time frame for filling the
job and notifying candidates. Make eye contact, shake hands with everyone in the room
and try to use the name of each individual as you shake hands. If possible, stop in the
outer office to thank the individual who greeted you when you arrived or who escorted
you into the interview room. This is not a strategy, just good manners. Keep a smile on
your face and your cell phone turned off until you leave the building.
11. POST GAME PLAY

Write and mail a thank you note to each person on the interview panel within 24-48 hours
of the interview. You will have collected names and titles when the HR or company
representative called to set up the interview, or you may ask the receptionist for this
information as you leave. You may contact the HR department or the interviewer for a
status update on the hiring process once the prescribed period of time has passed. You
may send interviewers a quick email thank-you message if you believe that your note will
take a long time to reach them, but a hand-written note shows your good manners.
Don't underestimate the power of people skills in an interview. When interviewers like
you, they begin to "pull" for you to do well, often without knowing they are doing so.
Some interviewers will explain questions more fully, help you along when you are
searching for a word or an example to answer a question, and they become more relaxed
in how they pose questions and rate your answers. All of these things can help you to
succeed in your interview

DIFFERENT TYPES OF LETTER

The letter is an important means of communication. It has been said that letters are ambassadors.
Writing letters is an act of creation. Everyone will have to write letters at one time or other.
Letters are an index of personality. When we write to people whom we have never met, they will
judge us in the only way they can-by our letter.
Skill in wring good letters is a must for you to succeed in your career and life, A good letter must
be clear, concise and courteous.
We write letters for business and personal reasons . Business letters are more formal than
personal letters. This include a wide variety. It can be an application for jobs, ,letters of

complaint, sales letters and others.

Personal letters include correspondence between family members and their friends. It can be an
invitation to a wedding, declining a wedding invitation, Invitation to a dinner, accepting and
declining ,sending condolences, replying to letter of condolences, congratulating someone on a
new job or exam result
Personal letters, also known as friendly letters or social notes may not take a format of the
business letter and is more flexible in nature. People generally use a more casual tone and style
in personal letters than in business letters and therefore fewer rules govern the form of personal
letters than that of business letter
You can achieve remarkable skills in writing letters through constant practice. If you are writing
a business letter it is better to make a brief note of the points you want to cover. After that think
how you can put those into words. Prepare a rough copy . At the end, check for the sentence
structure, grammar accuracy and appropriate wording. Use simple sentences as far as possible
rather than long ones. Dont use stuffy expressions or include unnecessary details.

Types of Business Letters

Letter writing is a prized skill in the world of work. The higher you advance in your career, the
more you will need to write letters. Letters are more formal and official than other types of
business communication. They offer personal, verifiable authorization. Unlike e-mail, letters
often must be routed through channels before they are sent out. Letters are the expected medium
through which important documents such as contracts and proposals are sent to readers.
There are four basic types of business letters: inquiry letters, special request letters, sales letters,
and customer relations letters. Business letters can be further classified as positive, neutral, or
negative. Inquiry and special request letters are neutral, sales letters are positive, and customer
relations letters can be positive or negative.
Inquiry Letters
An inquiry letter asks for information about a product, service, or procedure. Businesses
frequently exchange inquiry letters, and customers frequently send them to businesses. Three
basic rules for an effective inquiry letter are to state exactly what information you want, indicate
clearly why you must have this information, and specify exactly when you must have it.

Special Request Letters

Special request letters make a special demand, not a routine inquiry. The way you present your
request is crucial, since your reader is not obliged to give you anything. When asking for
information in a special request letter, state who you are, why you are writing, precisely what
information you need, and exactly when you need the information (allow sufficient time). If you
are asking for information to include in a report or other document, offer to forward a copy of the
finished document as a courtesy. State that you will keep the information confidential, if that is
appropriate. Finally, thank the recipient for helping you.
Sales Letters
A sales letter is written to persuade the reader to buy a product, try a service, support a cause, or
participate in an activity. No matter what profession you are in, writing sales letters is a valuable
skill. To write an effective sales letter, follow these guidelines: (1) Identify and limit your
audience. (2) Use reader psychology. Appeal to readers' emotions, pocketbook, comfort, and so
on by focusing on the right issues. (3) Don't boast or be a bore. Don't gush about your company
or make elaborate explanations about a product. (4) Use words that appeal to readers' senses. (5)
Be ethical.
The "four A's" of sales letters are attention, appeal, application, and action. First, get the reader's
attention. Next, highlight your product's appeal. Then, show the reader the product's application.
Finally, end with a specific request for action.
In the first part of your sales letter, get the reader's attention by asking a question, using a "how
to" statement, complimenting the reader, offering a free gift, introducing a comparison, or
announcing a change. In the second part, highlight your product's allure by appealing to the
reader's intellect, emotions, or both. Don't lose the momentum you have gained with your
introduction by boring the reader with petty details, flat descriptions, elaborate inventories, or
trivial boasts. In the third part of your sales letter, supply evidence of the value of what you are
selling. Focus on the prospective customer, not on your company. Mention the cost of your
product or service, if necessary, by relating it to the benefits to the customer. In the final section,
tell readers exactly what you want them to do, and by what time. "Respond and be rewarded" is
the basic message of the last section of a sales letter.
Customer Relations Letters
These deal with establishing and maintaining good working relationships. They deliver good
news or bad news, acceptances or refusals. If you are writing an acceptance letter, use the direct
approach-tell readers the good news up front. If you are writing a refusal letter, do not open the
letter with your bad news; be indirect.
Follow-up Letters. A follow-up letter is sent to thank a customer for buying a product or service
and to encourage the customer to buy more in the future. As such it is a combination thank-you
note and sales letter. Begin with a brief expression of gratitude. Next, discuss the benefits already
known to the customer, and stress the company's dedication to its customers. Then extend this
discussion into a new or continuing sales area, and end with a specific request for future
business.

Complaint Letters. These require delicacy. The right tone will increase your chances of getting
what you want. Adopt the "you" attitude. Begin with a detailed description of the product or
service you are complaining about. Include the model and serial numbers, size, quantity , and
color. Next, state exactly what is wrong with the product or service. Briefly describe the
inconvenience you have experienced. Indicate precisely what you want done (you want your
money back, you want a new model, you want an apology, and so on). Finally, ask for prompt
handling of your claim.
Adjustment Letters. Adjustment letters respond to complaint letters. For an adjustment letter that
tells the customer "Yes," start with your good news. Admit immediately that the complaint was
justified. State precisely what you are going to do to correct the problem. Offer an explanation
for the inconvenience the customer suffered. End on a friendly, positive note. For adjustment
letters that deny a claim, avoid blaming or scolding the customer. Thank the customer for
writing. Stress that you understand the complaint. Provide a factual explanation to show
customers they're being treated fairly. Give your decision without hedging or apologizing.
(Indecision will infuriate customers who believe they have presented a convincing case.) Leave
the door open for better and continued business in the future.
Refusal of Credit Letters. Begin on a positive note. Express gratitude for the applicant for
wanting to do business with you. Cite appropriate reasons for refusing to grant the customer
credit: lack of business experience or prior credit, current unfavorable or unstable financial
conditions, and so on. End on a positive note. Encourage the reader to reapply later when his or
her circumstances have changed.

Writing a Complaint letter Letter

The complaint letter should be written in the business letter format. When writing a
complaint letter you want to keep it short and to the point to help ensure that your letter
will be read in its entirety, if you write a seven page complaint letter, it's highly
unlikely that someone will sit down and read all seven pages.
The complaint letter should be addressed to the customer service/consumer affairs
department or the head office if there is no customer service department. The address
and contact information of the customer service department should be available on the
company's products or website.
Complaint Letter Writing
In the first paragraph you should identify what the issue is and any relevant
information that you believe is important. Be sure to include the following information
if it's applicable to the situation: the date/time of the issue, location, name of person on
duty, name of product, what the problem was, your account number, model number,
price, warranty information and reference number. Be sure to stick with the facts and

avoid putting emotions into your letter.

The next paragraph should state what you would like done to resolve the situation. If
you received poor service, you could request an apology or a coupon. If a product
malfunctioned, you could request that you could exchange the product for a new one or
request a refund.
The last paragraph should thank the reader for the time. You can also throw in some
compliments about something you liked about their company's product or service.
You should include your telephone number/e-mail address after your printed name so
that they can contact you ASAP if necessary.
Be sure to keep a copy of the letter for yourself and include photocopies of any relevant
documents and enclose them with your letter.
e typist's initials in lower case in the following format; AG/gs or AG:gs.
Writing a Condolence Letter
Writing a letter of condolence is one of the most difficult tasks we undertake because its always
hard to know just what to say. Of course, what you say depends on how close you were to the
deceased and/or the recipient of the letter.
Condolence Letter Writing
A condolence letter should be written in a friendly format. Unless you are a close friend or
relative. start the letter by introducing yourself. In the next paragraph, offer your sympathy. The
third (and final) paragraph is the place to offer assistance (if you are sincere in your desire to help)
and to try to say something that genuinely helps the bereaved work through their grief.
Condolence Letter Tips/Notes
1. Keep condolence letters short. The family may have a mountain of cards and letters to read
and answer. Dont add to their burden.
2. Never say you know how they feel. if you have endured a similar situation, grief is a very
intimate series of feelings that are unique to each individual. Dont intrude on them.
4. Do share a fond memory of the departed in the body (second paragraph) of your letter.
The passing of a loved one leaves a big hole in our lives. A well-written condolence letter helps
fill the hole with friendship and love..

What is collection letter? Features of collection letter

Meaning of collection letter: Letters written for realizing payments from the debtors are known
as collection letters. The need for writing collection letters arises from credit sales. Selling on
credit is a traditional business policy that enhances volume of sales. Under the credit sales policy,
the sellers allow the customers a definite period for payment of dues. However, sometimes the
buyers make unexpected delay in paying their dues. Even, some custom stances, the sellers write
letters reminding and requesting the customers to pay the due bills. Instead of sending one letter
or repeated copies of the same letter, credit departments send a series of letters.
Collection letters are written in a series. When collection letters are written in a
series beginning with a simple reminder and end with a warning letter indication
legal action the dues promptly by retaining the customers with the company.

Features of collection or dunning letter

Collection or dunning letters possess some distinct features that differentiate them from other
business letters. Some of the features of collection letter are as follows:

 Parties involved: Buyer who buys on credit and seller are involved in collection letter. Seller
writes this letter to the buyer for payment of dues.
Series of letter: Collection letters are written in a series. The series includes remainder letter,
inquiry letter, appeal and urgency letter and warning letter.
Objective: The prime objective of writing collection letter is to realize the dues from the
customers.
Governing principle: The governing principle of the letter is to collect the dues by retaining
the customers with the company.
Referring the previous letter: When dunning letters are written in a series, every
subsequent letter mentions the reference of immediate earlier letter.
Threat for legal action: The last letter of collection letter series warns the customer that the
matter has been handed over to the lawyers for taking necessary legal action.
Sent through registered post: The seller sends collection letter especially, the lat letter of
the series though registered with acknowledgement to avoid unnecessary delay, or missing of the
letter or denial from the part of the customer.
Language: The letter is written by using friendly, persuasive but straightforward language
When your customers fail to pay their bills on time, you must try to collect. If you follow
conventional business practice, you are likely to use letters in your efforts. You could use other
waysfor example, telephone calls or personal visits' But letters are the, most common.
A Series of Efforts
In studying collection letters, you must first understand how businesses usually collect past-due
bills. Typically, their collection efforts consist of a series of steps. Each step is a contact (usually
by mail) with the delinquent customer. The first step is the bill that is sent on the due date. If this
bill is not paid, a second or even a third bill may be sent. Sometimes a few reminder words, such
as "Please," "May we remind you?", and "Probably you have forgotten,"' are added to a past-due
bill for extra strength. These reminders may take various forms printed enclosures, stickers, or
stamped messages.
If the reminders fail to bring in the money, the efforts get stronger. Typically, a letter is sent
urging payment. If this one fails, another is sentand another. The letters get progressively
stronger. As we shall see, how many letters are written depends on company policy. When the
succession of letters fails to bring in the money, a final letter ends the mail effort. Additional
action, through credit bureaus or the courts, could follow.
In a sense, the buildup of collection efforts resembles a stairway (see Figure 11-1). Each step
represents a collection effort. The first steps are called early-stage collection efforts. Mainly
these are the reminders. The assumption at this stage is that the debtors will pay. The company
need only remind them.
Following the early stage, comes the middle stage. Here the company's purpose is to convince
the debtors that they should pay. This truly is a persuasion stage: The company's goal is to sell
the debtors on' the idea of paying. This stage makes up the bulk of most collection series.

After all persuasive efforts to collect have failed, the letters must stop. So a final stage must end
the collection-letter series. In this stage, the company's objective is to convince the debtors that
they must pay. Called last-resort, this stage consists of just one letter. Because this letter is so
different from the others, it justifies being a stage in itself.
Throughout the will-pay, should-pay, and must-pay stages, we assume, from an ethical point of
view, that the debtors can pay. That is, they have the financial ability to pay. If debtors
demonstrate that for some reason they cannot pay, this fact becomes a possibility for modifying
the stairway. If an unforeseen circumstance (death of a spouse, divorce, loss of job) occurs, most
firms work out a payment schedule based on the facts of the one situation. This schedule changes
the stairway. But such unforeseen happenings are only one of several factors that necessitate
adapting the number of steps ana timing between collection efforts.
How to write the perfect collection letter
In this article, you will learn about the various kinds of collection letters. You will also learn
what actions you can take before turning an overdue account over to a collection agency.
Do not suggest in any collection letter that the customer might be dissatisfied with the product or
service he/she purchased from you.
The point of the collection letter is always to collect the money that is owed. A new type of
collection letter is sent each time you escalate your demand for payment. Below are examples of
several types of collection letters that may help you to collect your money.
The Reminder Collection Letter
The first collection letter should only be a friendly reminder. Assume that the customer has
forgotten to pay and courteously invite him/her to pay promptly. Most people will make a
payment after a couple of reminders. If there is no response to these reminders, you should
assume that the customer is not paying because of financial, medical, or other personal
difficulties.
Suggestions for a typical format:
Send a copy of the original bill.
Stamp on it Reminder or Past Due and highlight the amount past due.
Include a short statement indicating the amount due, the due date, late charges (if any), and the
account number.
Make sure the address where the customer should send payment is plainly indicated. Including a
pre-addressed envelope for payment (with or without postage) is also helpful.
If the customer has not even made a partial payment after a couple of gentle Reminder Collection
Letters, you can send a final reminder collection letter to ask why the customer is not paying. A
final reminder letter should explain that there will be consequences for continued nonpayment. If
no payment on the amount owed is received, then you will need to take a more aggressive
approach in follow-up collection letters.

The Inquiry Collection Letter

Before you employ any harsher means, try to discover if the customer has extraordinary
circumstances that are preventing him/her from making any payment. You can help maintain a
good relationship with the customer and go a long way toward collecting your debt if you are
sensitive to any potential problems. The Inquiry Collection Letter demonstrates your willingness
to help the customer solve his/her current financial difficulty by offering new terms. If you are
willing to accept a partial payment now with regular payments after that, most people in financial
difficulty will be grateful for this option and agree.
Remember, it is better to collect your money through a series of payments than not to collect it at
all. It is also better to work with your customers than to alienate them as their present difficulties
may resolve and they may prove to be more reliable in the future.
Tip for the first inquiry letter: Make a request for prompt payment, and add your willingness to
help the customer by offering new terms for repayment.
Tip for the second inquiry letter: Use positive wording, but state firmly that the customer will
pay a penalty for continued nonpayment such as a late fee, a collection fee, or interest on the
amount owed.
The Appeal Collection Letter
If the customer fails to respond to any of the Reminder Collection Letters or to the Inquiry
Collection Letters, you must take a more aggressive approach. Because the customer has not
responded to date, you should assume that he/she will probably not respond to any further
demands for payment. This is why many organizations at this point turn their debtors over to a
collection agency. If you do choose to continue the collection process yourself, there are two
basic approaches you can take:
Positive appeal approach: Try to appeal to the customer's sense of fairness, personal pride, or
his/her desire to maintain a good credit standing and its connected privileges.
Negative appeal approach: If the positive approach is ignored, inform the customer that
continued nonpayment could result in various penalties:
the loss of his/her good credit standing and its connected privileges the initiation of legal action
to reclaim any purchased goods; any services will be discontinued he/she may incur additional
debt through collection fees and/or interest on the amount owed
The Ultimatum Collection Letter
If the customer does not answer any of your collection letters, you can give him/her a final
chance to pay. The Ultimatum Collection Letter needs to state the specific action you will take if
the customer does not send payment by a certain date. Your statements should be fair, reasonable,
and logical. In your last letter:
First review the history of the account: what the customer purchased, your repeated efforts to
collect, etc.

Give a deadline for payment or for the customer to commit to a repayment agreement--otherwise
you will take legal action to reclaim the purchased goods and/or turn the account over to a
collection agency.
Be careful not to use name-calling or to make accusations, which are both illegal. Always be
careful with what you put in print! Simply state the facts and why his/her inaction is causing you
to take action.
If the Ultimatum Collection Letter fails to bring results, be sure to follow through with your
stated action.
Note: Debt collection is not an enjoyable pastime, but if you follow these logical steps in
preparing your collection letters, you will succeed in collecting payment on many of your
delinquent accounts.
Credit Collection Form Letters
Whether or not your business chooses to use cash discounts or delinquency charges, a systematic
follow-up procedure should be employed with all past-due accounts. Usually, this will take the
form of a series of letters or telephone calls or both, as required.
First Collection Letter
When an account becomes approximately 15 days past due, the customer should be sent the first
collection letter. Since the account cannot be considered seriously delinquent at this time, the
tone of the letter should be moderate. Later letters should establish a firmer tone so that the
customer is made aware of the seriousness of the situation.