Comm11003 Professional and Technical Communication

Grace Wuth S0153459

Assessment Item 1 - Essay Submitted 04/08/10 Word Count: 1209

Communication is the key to any relationship and can often be the single factor that separates successful businesses from those that are struggling to attract and retain clients. There are many different forms of communication and modern businesses are taking advantage of the world wild web to reach out to current and prospective clients. One of these businesses is Accenture, a global company that provides consultative, technological and outsourcing services to other businesses in order for them to increase performance. The effectiveness of the websites communication can be assessed in terms of Locker & Kaczmareks PAIBOC principles (2009, p.12-13). PAIBOC is an acronym for matters that must be considered when constructing a form of communication; these being purpose, audience, benefits, objections and context. The principles can also be used to assess communication that has already occurred or been published. When critiqued against PAIBOC principles, Accentures website is generally an effective form of communication; however there are some areas that could be improved in order to increase the chance of the message being received positively by its readers.

Effective communication has a purpose to fulfil and this must be determined when constructing the message. According to Locker and Kaczmarek, (2009, p.8), organisations have three basic purposes which a message from an organisation may be created in order to fulfil. These are to inform, request or persuade and build goodwill and the message may have one or all of these. In the case of Accentures website, all three are applicable. The website is a form of advertising and serves to persuade new clients to the business, therefore increasing Accentures turnover. Musgrave (2007, p.11) states explains that websites another way to bring a business closer to its

customers and claims that the only reason a business goes online is to make money (p.15). The website also serves to create and improve goodwill with existing clients and inform them of other services that Accenture can provide. The question of whether the site achieves its purposes can be answered by the subsequent PAIBOC principles.

A key to effective communication, in any genre, is in identifying and understanding a target audience. A businesss message must be presented in such a way that it is positively received by its current and potential clients. According to Perry (2010), knowing who your market is and what they want will really allow you to meet their needs and wants. Accentures target market is tech-savvy business professionals, most likely at a management level, from varying cultures that are committed to excellence in the workplace. They are likely to be working at or own a progressive company that is willing to invest money in professional development and technology. Visually, the site would appeal to businesspeople due to its clean lines and professional layout. The illustration in the centre of the page catches the eye initially, and along with the inset text, serves to create interest and advertise Accentures key ideologies, these being innovation, flexibility and to be competitive within any particular industry. Potential clients will have a need to improve these aspects within their organisation, and the image creates the belief that Accenture can meet this need. The headings along the top of the page stand out and inform readers which specific services Accenture provides. The site also appeals to the target audience through relevant articles and other detailed information contained within.

Clear, complete and concise information allows the receptor to accurately interpret any particular message. Locker & Kaczmarek (2009, p. 24) suggest choosing information that an audience needs and will find interesting. One of Huseman, Galvin and Prescotts (1988, p.8-9) seven myths about the nature of communication is that you can never give someone too much information. They state that information overload is a common communication barrier and suggest that quality is more important than quantity. Accentures website contains excessive amounts of information and risks losing readers attention due to this factor. This may cause potential clients to miss insinuated reader benefits.

A key to improving someones attitude or actions is to successfully communicate reader benefits (Locker & Kaczmarek 2009, p.120). Accentures website serves to create goodwill and will persuade readers to engage the companys services and become new clients. This is achieved through demonstrate read benefits. According to the website, Accenture will deliver and help business achieve high performance. The statement High Performance. Delivered is written is plain view beneath the logo on the site and the information contained within the site, although excessive, generally supports this statement. Readers will believe that Accenture will help them to increase their businesss performance, resulting in increased wealth and personal satisfaction.

The success of a particular communication can be measured against its ability to overcome objections. Based on the message contained on the site, readers may object to engaging Accenture due to a perceived lack of affordability. The companys fee are not

listed, however the upmarket style of the site suggests that the fees may be quite high. This may deter smaller businesses and those unwilling to invest significant funds into development, technology or outsourcing. Mortensen (2010, p.77) states that financial concerns are a common objection from people who are considering an investment. He further goes on to say that this objection is usually overcome by providing evidence of value for money. Accentures website works to create a perceived value for their services through demonstrated reader benefits and this will help to overcome cost objections in the future. Potential clients may also have concerns around the relevance of Accentures service for their particular industry and situation. The site overcomes this by providing detailed information on every kind of service provided and industry served. If readers do not require any of the listed services or belong to one of the listed industries, then they do not form part of the target audience and are very unlikely to become a valued client.

Context is the current set of circumstances relevant to a particular audience and can affect the readers response to a particular message (Locker & Kaczmarek 2009, p.23). The business world has entered a technological age and social networking sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, provide excellent communication mediums to reach potential clients. Perry (2010) explains that You can not only use social media to learn about your target market, you can also use them to speak directly to your audience. Accentures website contains a link to follow us on twitter in plain view on the home page. This item serves to not only communicate with and gather information about current and potential clients, but also to illustrate to these parties that the company is innovative and involved in current technology.

Accenture is a large and progressive company that is continually striving to create relationships with potential clients and improve those with existing clients. This will ultimately help with business increase sales and improve profits. The company website was created in order to assist them in fulfilling this goal. In terms of Kitty and Lockers PAICOB principles, the website is generally effective in achieving its purpose. To further increase the chance of the website being well responded to positively by reader, Accenture should look into the site content and possibly condense the information into a more concise format.

References Galvin, M, Huseman, R.C & Prescott, D 1988, Business Communication: Strategies and Skills, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Group, Marrickville Kaczmarek, S & Locker, K 2009, Business Communication: Building Critical Skills, McGraw-Hill, New York Mortensen, K 2009, Persuasion IQ, AMACOM Books, New York Musgrave, J 2007, Your Business Online, New Holland Publishers, Sydney Perry, L 2009, Understanding Your Target Audience, viewed 11th August 2010, http://www.officialwire.com/main.php?action=posted_news&rid=164396