Oral Communication in Business

Introduction
Oral communication is the process of expressing information or ideas by word of mouth.
Learn more about the types and benefits of oral communication, and find out how you
can improve your own oral communication abilities.
Definition and Types of Oral Communication
Great communication skills are your ticket to success in the academic and business
world. But have you ever been overcome by fear or anxiety prior to going on a job
interview or speaking in front of an audience? Knowing when to choose oral
communication and polishing your speaking skills can help you at every stage of your
career.
Oral communication is the process of verbally transmitting information and ideas from
one individual or group to another. Oral communication can be either formal or
informal. Examples of informal oral communication include face-to-face conversations,
telephone conversations, or discussions that take place at business meetings. More
formal types of oral communication include presentations at business meetings,
classroom lectures, or a commencement speech given at a graduation ceremony.
With advances in technology, new forms of oral communication continue to develop.
Video phones and video conferences combine audio and video so that workers in distant
locations can both see and speak with each other. Other modern forms of oral
communication include podcasts (audio clips that you can access on the Internet) and
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) which allows callers to communicate over the
Internet and avoid telephone charges. Skype is an example of VoIP.
Advantages of Oral Communication
There are many situations in which it makes sense to choose oral over written
communication. Oral communication is more personal and less formal than written
communication. If time is limited and a business matter requires quick resolution, it may
be best to have a face-to-face or telephone conversation. There is also more flexibility in
oral communication - you can discuss different aspects of an issue and make decisions

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more quickly than you can in writing. Oral communication can be especially effective in
addressing conflicts or problems. Talking things over is often the best way to settle
disagreements or misunderstandings. Finally, oral communication is a great way to
promote employee morale and maintain energy and enthusiasm within a team.
Disadvantages of Oral Communication
Despite the many benefits of oral communication, there are times when written
communication is more effective. For example, you may want to exchange important
information that needs to be documented using written communication. A lot of
transactions in the business world require some type of written record, and you will find
that even strong verbal skills are not a substitute for putting things in writing.
Additionally, oral communication tends to be less detailed and more subject to
misunderstanding than written communication. It's best to always think carefully about
which method of communication best fits your objective.
Communicating effectively for business
Effective communication is a vital tool for any business owner. Your success at getting
your point across can be the difference between sealing a deal and missing out on a
potential opportunity.
You should be able to clearly explain company policies to customers and clients and
answer their questions about your products or services. It is crucial to communicate
effectively in negotiations to ensure you achieve your goals.
Communication is also important within the business. Effective communication can help
to foster a good working relationship between you and your staff, which can in turn
improve morale and efficiency.
This guide will explain the key aspects of both verbal and non-verbal communication,
how to listen to and understand others, and how to make the best possible first
impression on the people you encounter in and around your business.
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Understanding communication
Success in any conversation is likely to be achieved through both parties listening to and
understanding each other. Practice the following skills in any business situation where
you communicate with others.

Key communication skills

Useful communication skills for building positive interpersonal relationships include:
 active listening
 understanding non-verbal signals
 maintaining eye contact
 assertiveness
 being mindful of people's individual space
 dealing with different points of view.
Personal awareness skills that help with communication include:
 understanding the benefits of a positive attitude
 awareness of how others perceive you
 self-confidence
 presentation - dressing differently and appropriately for different occasions.
It also helps to consider the circumstances surrounding your communications, such as
the situational and cultural context.
Verbal communication
Verbal communication can bring great rewards to your organisation when carried out
successfully, but it can also be hazardous to your business when approached the wrong
way. The words you use are important, but equally important is the way you express
them.
Using positive language
You are more likely to achieve positive outcomes when you use positive, rather than
negative, language.

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Positive language is helpful and encouraging; it suggests alternatives and offers solutions
to problems. It is language that stresses positive actions and consequences.
For example, if you are negotiating with a supplier who is not willing to budge on price,
your language should convey the desire for a 'win-win' scenario (i.e. a situation that both
parties can be happy with). This is likely to make your supplier more willing to negotiate
(perhaps on issues other than price, such as delivery costs or payment terms), than if
you also refuse to budge and accuse them of being inflexible.

Using 'I' statements

'I' statements, rather than 'you' statements, often yield better results in verbal
exchanges.
For example, 'I need more information to make a decision' sounds much better than,
'You need to give me more information before I can make a decision'. The reason the 'I'
statement sounds better is that you are saying what you need rather telling someone
what they should do.
Assertiveness versus aggression
Assertiveness (often through the use of 'I' statements) is stating what you plan to do.
Instead of coming across as hostile, you are making a statement about something you
feel or perceive.
Aggression is completely different and is usually perceived as hostile or unfriendly
behaviour. It often uses the word 'you'. People can become unhappy when you tell them
what to do. Even when talking to employees it is wise to soften language when asking
them to perform tasks, as they are likely to respond better to requests than orders.
Consistent assertiveness shows others that you're confident and open to suggestion, but
won't be taken advantage of, leading to a mutually acceptable outcome.
Speaking style
Speaking style means the tone, pitch, accent, volume and pace of your voice.

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The same sentence can be conveyed, and understood, in entirely different ways based
on the way in which it is said. People you speak to can be motivated by a positive
speaking style, just as they can be put off by a negative style.
You should always try to speak with a positive voice - avoid monotone responses, or
talking too quickly or slowly. Be as clear as possible, and try to engage the listener, as
this is far more likely to promote the response you are after than if they leave the
conversation deflated.

Speaking and Listening

‘To speak’ and ‘to speak well’ are two things. A fool may talk, but a wise man speaks.
~Ben Johnson

It is better to keep one's mouth shut, and be thought a fool, than to open it and resolve
all doubt. ~Abraham Lincoln

The words you choose to say something are just as important as the decision to speak.
~Author Unknown

Speaking consists of two parts:

What to say- Content development:

The first step is Brainstorming

The next step is to choose a Presentation Format/ Storage System.

The Final step is the Presentation itself.

Individual Brainstorming is the process of you getting your ideas out on paper. The idea
is to put down all of / most of your ideas on paper. This has two advantages.

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 - It encourages the unrestricted flow of thoughts.
- It facilitates the strategic or comparative evaluation of your ideas .i.e.

Once on paper, you have the opportunity of ranking your ideas in terms of importance
and efficacy. You may now pit your ideas against one another and choose the best ones.

Now that we know what we are going to speak, we need to put down all our ideas in the
most presentable manner. We need a Format as per which we may present these Ideas.
We may call it a Presentation/Display Format.

How to say it –

Speed - number of words per minute. Slowing down on rate of speech is

the first step towards better speech.

Clarity - Speech should be loud enough to carry to all the listeners. Judge
the acoustics of the room. Voice Clarity can be mastered with regular
practice.

Punctuation – Always remember that English is not "phonetic". That

means that we do not always say a word the same way that we spell it.
Use a Good Dictionary or work with your Trainer to correct pronunciation.

Pronunciation – Pause at Full Stops, Commas, Semi colons, Interjection

marks and Question marks.

Familiarity - Learning new words, Using known words in new contexts

and Understanding contexts and situations before reading

Fluency - Developing Fluency is a matter of having all the other

parameters in place. Fluency indicates that a comfortable working ability
with the language has been established

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 Expression - transforming of ideas into words, and also the outward
manifestation of a mood or a disposition by way of words. Expression of
different feelings with words, word stress, tone, pitch and inflection.

Listening
- “Most of the successful people I've known are the ones who do more listening
than talking,” Bernard M. Baruch
- “To listen well, is as powerful a means of influence as to talk well, and is as
essential to all true conversation” Chinese Proverbs
- “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we
speak.” Epictetus quotes

There are different kinds of listening:

- Appreciative Listening
- Empathetic Listening
- Comprehensive Listening
- Critical Listening
- Sympathetic Listening.

1. The Listening Process involves sensing, seeing, and interpreting what is being
communicated.

The listening sequence allows the listener to become more involved in the process.
- Receive the message
- Perceive the message
- Interpret the message
- Remember the message
- Evaluate the message
- React to the message

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2. Problems in the Process can be costly for an organization; the first step to correcting
communication problems is to recognize them.

- Paying attention is a big problem; the problems may be related to an attention

span, attention wandering, and concentration on the speaker’s message.
- Understanding the information is key to effective communication. Problems may
be in understanding the meaning or the difference between speaking and
listening speeds.
- Remembering the information after the conversation is over is often difficult.
- Difficulties can be related to attention and understanding, short-term memory,
and information recall.

3. Behaviors That Inhibit Listening are habits that need to be changed.

- Calling the subject uninteresting makes paying attention very difficult.

- Judging delivery instead of content makes it difficult to pay attention.
- Jumping to conclusions makes the listener miss key points and possibly the main
idea of the message.
- Listening for details, not the “big picture” is a backwards approach to listening.
- Taking excessive notes takes a lot of extra time and energy during the listening
process.
- Attentive listening shows respect.
- Creating or tolerating distractions make concentration almost impossible.
Failing to listen to difficult material makes it even more difficult to understand.

4. Techniques for Improving Listening come from practice.

- Deciding to listen before a meeting clears your mind of outside thoughts.

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- Getting rest and food allows for better concentration because you are not tired
or hungry.
- Finding comfortable seating close to the speaker keeps your focus on the speaker
and the message.