Study Unit- Bournemouth City College

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1、 ProgramDIPLOMA IN SALES ANDMAREKTING MANAGEMENT Level 1 DIPLOMA IN SALES AND MARKETING MANAGMENTModule3 BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONSBusiness CommunicationsContents1 THE PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION 2 A Communication Cycle 2 Barriers of Communication 5 Forms of Communication 9 Principles of Effective Communi

2、cation 21 Structuring Communication 432 WRITTEN COMMUNICATION 54 Writing Business Letters 54 Types of Letters 61 Principles of Design 78 Writing Notices 863 STATISTICAL INFORMATION 99 Graphical Presentation of Numerical Data 100 Communication in Organisations 106 Communication Systems 109 Communicat

3、ion Networks 1164 ORAL COMMUNICATION 118 Oral and Non-verbal Communication 118 Basic Skills of Oral Communication 118 Using The Telephone 124 Face-to-Face Encounters 128 Non-verbal Communication and Personal Presentation 135 Non-verbal Communication and Physical Presentation 139 Design and Presentat

4、ion in Written Communication 1415 VISUAL COMMUNICATION 145 Principles of Visual Communication 145 Illustrating Relationships and Flow 146 Organisation Charts 1476 MEETINGS, DISCUSSING AND INTERVIEWRS 1517 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FOR BUSINESS 174 Technology and Communication 174Module 3 Business Commu

5、nication 1 The Process of Communication 1.3.1 THE PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION IntroductionCommunication is something we do all the time, mostly without thinking about it. In business, though, thinking about it is very important because all forms of interaction between people and companies are built and

6、 maintained through some form of communication. It is, therefore, vital that communication is effective and the messages between firms, their customers, clients, and those between workers in the same organization especially between management and staff are clear and properly understood.This course i

7、s essentially practical to help you be effective in your communication, Before we get into the detail of what makes, say, an effective letter or telephone call, though, we need to examine some underlying principles about the process of communication itself. Understanding these will enable you to tak

8、e account of all the various components of the process when designing your own communication. You need to be particularly aware of the barriers of effectiveness which arise from these components, and the ways in which you can try to ensure that they do not affect your communication.In this first uni

9、t, we shall also take an overview of the three main media through which communication takes place the written word, the spoken word and non-verbal forms.A. The communication cycleCommunication may be defined as: “The imparting, conveying or exchange of information, ideas or opinions by the use of sp

10、eech, writing or graphics.”Basic Elements of the CycleIn any communication process there are three basic elements, though, as we shall see, there are many other components within this, which go to make up the whole of the process. The three fundamental ones are:Figure 1.SenderMessageReceiverA sender

11、 sends a message to a receiver in such a way that the receiver is able to understand it. Note also the way in which the cycle is completed by the element of feedback from receiver to sender. This element is not always there, but is a key part of the process since, at the very least; it provides the

12、means of acknowledging reception and understanding. This is rather a simple view of the process, however, and the study of communication has identified a number of further Module 3 Business Communication 1 The Process of Communicationcomponents within this basic cycle. These are crucial to its succe

13、ss or failure. The following diagram outlines these additional components look at it carefully before going any further.Key components Probably the easiest way to understand how communication works is to define each of the key terms shown in the diagram and build these definitions back into a comple

14、te picture of the process as a whole.i. Information/messageThis is the raw material of the communication the actual data which it is intended to convey to the recipient or receiver. Although it is usually called “information”, it does not have to be simply factual. It may be an opinion or an idea, o

15、r a combination of fact and opinion.ii. The SenderThe sender is the body responsible for passing on the information. Although it is most usually an individual, it can also be a group of people, such as a committee or a company.iii. EncodingThis is the process by which the sender puts the information

16、 into a form suitable for sending. Usually, this will be a language, either spoken or written. In some cases, such as non-verbal communication or “body language”, it could be a gesture or sign. In others, such as advertising, it could be a photograph or film with an accompanying slogan.The way in wh

17、ich the information is encoded is crucial to the correct understanding of the message by the recipient. Indeed, so important is this that the key element in encoding is working out the best way for the receiver to understand the information and then putting it into that form.iv. The messageOnce the

18、information is encoded, it is known as the message. It contains the meaning that the sender wishes to convey to the receiver.v. The mediumThe medium is the larger group of communication instruments within which the message belongs. Generally speaking, there are three main media: Written communicatio

19、n; Oral (spoken) communication; and Visual communication.vi. The channel This is the physical means by which the message is communicated: For written communication, a postal service or a notice-board; For oral communication, a personal interview or a telephone system: For visual communication, a dra

20、wing, a photograph or film.Module 3 Business Communication 1 The Process of Communicationvii. The aimThe aim is the main reason why the act of communication has been undertaken. There are generally three chief aims: To inform This is the desire to supply factual information, or an assessment or judg

21、ment of the value of an item or product. To Influence This is the desire to persuade the recipient to adopt a particular idea or possible course action. To initiate Action This is the desire to persuade the recipient respond by performing a particular task.Within an organisation, all three aims are

22、often present as part of any individual act of communication. It is important to be clear about the overall aim of the communication because this can affect the way the information is encoded the media and channels used to convey the message.viii. The recipient This is the object to whom the message

23、 is directed. It may be an individual, a group (such as committee or firm), or even as in the case of an advertising campaign a specific target group among the general public.ix. DecodingThis is the process by which the recipient interprets the meaning of the message. Note that this may or may not b

24、e the same as the interpretation originally intended by the sender the result of this process is what the recipient understands the message to mean.Some understanding of this part of the process by the sender is very helpful because it can influence the way the information is encoded and the media a

25、nd channels used to convey the message.x. FeedbackFeedback is the name given to the information the sender derives from the way in which the recipient reacts to the message. From it, the sender can decide whether or not the message has achieved its intended effect. However, feedback properly refers

26、only to indirect reactions of the recipient rather than any message sent in return. It is thus up to the sender to watch the recipients response carefully, to look out or “scan” for such reactions when it is possible for them to be directly observed, for example in a personal interview.xi. Motivatio

27、nAlthough it is not shown in the diagram, motivation is a crucial element in communication. It is the urge or desire to achieve a purpose, alter a given situation, or satisfy a need. If motivation is strong, it is likely that communication will be effective.These are the principal elements in the cy

28、cle of communication. They are completed when the process is reversed and the recipient communicates in response to the senders original message. Module 3 Business Communication 1 The Process of CommunicationThere are, then, many elements involved in the communication process and this makes it more

29、complex than you may initially have thought. The number of elements mean that there is a lot that can go wrong.B. Barriers to communicationAny system which involves the exchange of information, especially when the information is complex and the distance over which it is exchanged is large, has to ov

30、ercome many barriers. These may be divided into two kinds, i.e. those that are found within the sender and the recipient, and result in part from a difference in attitude or experience between them; and those, which result from outside influences in the communication process.Barriers Caused by Sende

31、r and RecipientWhen you are thinking about these, dont forget that they are only very rarely created deliberately by either party. More often they arise from incomplete understanding of the information, the situation, or the vocabulary and attitudes of the party.i. DistortionDistortion is a process

32、which occurs either at the stage of encoding or decoding the message. It comes about when the information is put into form, which does not express its true nature in a way that the recipient can fully understand.We all believe that language is shared by everyone, and that we all use the same words t

33、o express ideas; but this is often far from true. I am sure that, like me, you may have succeeded, quite unintentionally, in offending another person by saying something, which was “taken the wrong way” or interpreted as an insult instead of a compliment.Distortion in communication can lead to incor

34、rect understanding of the message, or only partial comprehension of its meaning by the recipient. Where the distortion arises at the encoding stage, the sender is responsible. This is by far the most likely source of the problem, since every effort must be made to frame the message, in a way in whic

35、h the receiver can understand. Distortion at the decoding stage may arise where the recipient is not paying the necessary attention interprets the message in a way, which the sender could not have anticipated. In such cases, the failure to communicate is the responsibility of the receiver.It could b

36、e due to lack of concentration in either party, or perhaps even that the ideas are so complex than clear and a complete expression of them is very hard to achieve. The latter is often the case when a specialist in a technical field tries to address a non-specialist audience: there isno common langua

37、ge for discussing very complicated ideas, and so the communication fails. However, there are ways in which barriers at encoding and decoding can be avoided, as a later section will clear.ii. Inadequate communication skillsCommunication skills are the abilities to send and receive messages clearly an

38、d effectively, with no possibility of misunderstanding. They include the ability to express ideas clearly in writing, in language suitable to the intended recipient and the intended purpose of the communication. They also include the ability to read not only to read words on a page, but also to inte

39、rpret Module 3 Business Communication 1 The Process of Communicationsigns and symbols of all kinds such as body language, which are presented in a communication exchange. A major barrier to communication is created when one or the other party fails to process the necessary communication skills. Mess

40、ages are incorrectly encoded, or encoded in the wrong medium: alternatively, they may be misread and fail to have intended effect.iii. Lack of listening abilityThe ability to listen is an essential ability for all of us. Unless we have it we are unable to understand what is going on around us, with

41、potentially disastrous results. In the study of communication, however, it is even more important to be able to “listen”.The term is used to include the ability to work out the way in which somebody is responding to an item of communication, with the same meaning as the term to “scan” for feedback.

42、Unless the sender can listen, he or she will be unable to discover the real response of the recipient. Unless the recipient can listen, he or she will fail to grasp the true significance of the message.This then, is another cause of communication breakdown.iv. AttitudesAll of us have certain attitud

43、es towards daily life, which have been produced by our education, environment and general experience. If they are extreme, they are called prejudices. Whatever their form, they can distort our awareness of messages in communications and thus hamper the communication process. Attitudes to moral quest

44、ions, and those induced by different cultural wishes to communicate effectively, therefore, one must try to be aware of both his or her own attitudes and those of the intended recipient, otherwise a further barrier may appear.v. Incorrect InformationAs well as the more complex barriers discussed abo

45、ve, there is one, which is more straightforward, but just as disruptive: the fact that the information may simply be wrong. You could argue that, if incorrect information is successfully transmitted, a successful communication exchange has been achieved. However, this is only a short-term view, sinc

46、e the mistake will probably be discovered, and will have to be put right. This will undermine the recipients trust in the sender, and may create a barrier in attitude, which can hold up effective communication in later exchanges.vi. Other Barriers There are three more general elements, which can act

47、 as barriers to communication. Perceptual bias occurs where the recipient has “selective hearing” and selects what they want to hear. This can result in the wrong message being received. For example, smokers may see the warning message on cigarette packets but the message may not be transmitted beca

48、use a barrier is created which enables smokers to select only favourable messages about smoking.Module 3 Business Communication 1 The Process of Communication Information overload can occur if the recipient of the message receives too much information, or information, which is too technical. For exa

49、mple, if customers are given too much technical information about a product the result is that they will probably not remember or understand the key message being communicated.Barriers Caused by Outside Influences (Noise)Noise is the name given to the feature of the setting in which the communicatio

50、n takes place which interfere with the accurate transfer of information. In literal terms, it can be physical noise, such as heavy traffic, constantly ringing telephones or people talking to you while you are reading a letter. It can also refer to other kinds of interference such as poor telephone c

51、onnection or unreadable photocopying.The physical environment within which a communication takes place can be very significant, depending on the circumstances. For example, shops take a lot of trouble over the right decoration and lighting to ensure they make the right impression on potential custom

52、ers and if they get it wrong, it may affect sales. Similarly, the surroundings in the doctors surgery may affect the effectiveness of communication between doctor and patient. Think about the layout and decoration of the reception area to your workplace or other firms offices how does it make you fe

53、el even before any form of communication with the receptionist has begun?C. Overcoming the barriersMany of the most important barriers to communicating may be overcome by following a few simple rules.Defining the Purpose Ask yourself what is the purpose of this communication what are you trying to achieve. This must be the over-riding consideration. You must make sure that the message achieves its purpose.Think car