QCRS College

Administrative Office Management

CHAPTER III
IMPROVING COMMUNICATION SKILLS
 Communication occurs when a message is sent by one person and received and
understood by another person.
 Communicating effectively is essential to successful business operations.
 Company personnel must communicate with coworkers, clients, and vendors to achieve
the company’s goals.
 The communication process involves a message, a sender, a channel, a receiver, and
feedback:
1. A message is a symbol or group of symbols that conveys meaning, such as a thought
or idea. For example, a letter contains words that are written symbols. These words
convey a message to the reader.
2. The sender is the person who creates the message and transmits it via a channel. In
the previous example, the sender is the person who writes the letter.
3. A channel is a means by which a message is sent, such as a letter, speaking in person
or by telephones, or electronically by e-mail.
4. The receiver is the person who receives the message, such as the recipient of a letter
or an e-mail message.
A. Listening Skills
 In the words of author Robert Louis Stevenson, “All speech, written or spoken, is a dead
language, until it finds a willing and prepared listener.”
 Listening is hearing and trying to understand a message using the sounds you hear.
 Listening is the communication skill that many people use the most.
 Being an effective listener can help you be more productive and improve your
relationships with others.
B, Verbal Communication Skills
 Factors such as pitch, tone, volume, and rate of speech can affect your verbal
communications.
 Using the proper degree of formality when talking with coworkers and clients is also
important.
1. Pitch
 Pitch is an attribute of sound that can be described as high or low.
 Someone who is nervous or frightened may speak in a high-pitched voice as her or
his throat tightens.
 On the other hand, people who speak in a low-pitched voice project calmness and
control.
 If you are nervous or tense as you prepare to speak at a meeting or with a client,
make a conscious effort to relax your body.
 Drinking something warm will help relax your vocal cords so you can speak in a low-
pitched voice.
2. Tone
 Tone is an attribute of voice that conveys the attitude or emotional state of the
speaker.
 The same words spoken in different tones can convey different meanings.
 Be aware of your tone of voice to be sure you are sending the message you want to
send.
3. Pace and Volume
 If you speak too quickly or softly, the listener may miss part of your message.
 If you speak too slowly, the listener may become frustrated and lose interest in your
message.
 Control your voice to speak at a medium pace and volume so that your message
can be received and understood.
C. Nonverbal Communication Skills
 Nonverbal communication is sending a message without spoken or written words.
 A job candidate in an interview who sits up straight, makes eye contact with the
interviewer, and looks interested in the conversation reinforces the message that he
or she is interested in the job and company.
 A candidate who slumps in the chair, does not make eye contact, and is not
focused on the discussion sends the nonverbal message that he or she is not
interested in the company or job.
 Even though the candidate may express interest, nonverbal cues contradict the
spoken words.
D. Written Communication Skills
 Is written communication as important in the workplace today as it was ten years ago?
The answer is a resounding yes.
 Written communication in all of its forms remains extremely important.
 Ineffective written communication costs the organization greatly, often resulting in
misunderstandings and thus increased time on tasks, loss of customers, and resultant loss
of profits.
 Writing with the reader’s needs and interests in mind is called the you approach.
 The first example shown here is not written with the you approach.
 The second example uses the “you’ approach and will be more appealing to the reader.
 When using the “you” approach for e-mail messages, memos, and letters, the first
paragraph of the message typically begins with you, your, or the person’s name.