Communication Skills for Business: Verbal, Written, and Non-Verbal Communication

This article covers the fundamental principles and methods of verbal, written, and non-verbal communication in a business context. It explains the importance of clear communication, effective listening, questioning, communication styles, rapport building, and more. It also provides tips on running effective meetings and making business presentations. The article discusses how to use visual aids effectively. It is a valuable resource for students and professionals who want to improve their communication skills.

Communication Skills

Contents
Understand fundamental principles and methods of verbal communication in business contexts............3
1.1 Explain the importance of clear communication and the impact of unclear communication ...........3
1.2 Describe the key elements of effective listening...............................................................................4
1.3 Explain the purpose of different types of questioning.......................................................................5
1.4 Explain the different communication styles.......................................................................................6
1.5 Explain how communication skills can be used to develop rapport with others...............................7
1.6 Describe the factors that make a telephone call effective................................................................8
2. Understand critical principles of written communication in a business context......................................9
2.1 Explain the importance to organizations of clear, concise, and complete written communication...9
3. Understand fundamental principles and methods of non-verbal communication in a business context
...................................................................................................................................................................10
3.1 Explain the importance of non-verbal communication, including 'personal space.'........................10
3.2 Explain the kinds of non-verbal signals they can send through their appearance...........................11
4.Know how to run an effective business meeting ...................................................................................12
4.1 Describe the factors that differentiate a productive meeting from an unproductive one...............12
4.2 Differentiate between a formal and an informal agenda.................................................................13
4.3 Describe the purpose and contents of the meeting minutes..........................................................13
4.4 Describe the responsibilities of a Chairperson................................................................................14
4.5 Explain how to make a positive contribution to any meeting..........................................................15
5 Know how to make an effective business presentation..........................................................................16
5.1 Describe the different work occasions which require information to be presented to others........16
5.2 Explain the characteristics of an effective presentation..................................................................16
5.3 Explain the difference between an effective (good) visual aid and an ineffective (poor) visual aid.17
6. Know how to deal with problems faced by a business organization......................................................18
6.1 Explain the nature of common business problems..............................................................................18
7.References..............................................................................................................................................20

Understand verbal communication methods and fundamental principles in business
context
1.1 Determine the importance of clear communication and the hazardous impacts of
unclear communication.
Communication is a process to exchange information between individuals using words, signs,
feelings, ideas, and thoughts. Straightforward communication means speaking in a calm and
understanding tone making the intentions and expectations clear. It features the following points:
a) Speak clearly
b) Remain presently active
c) Avoid interruptions and assumptions
Unclear communication results from talking more than listening, assuming more than asking
and speaking at people rather than responding with wisdom (Globalicn, 2019).
1.2 Discuss essential elements of effective listening
Listening is an essential part of communication. Effective listening includes better trust,
understanding, and increased respect at work (Managementstudyguide.com, 2021).
Following are the key elements of effective listening as illustrated below:

FIGURE 1: EFFECTIVE LISTENING
KEEP AN OPEN MIND: Effective listening can only occur when both persons are willing to
communicate with alertness and an active mind.
DON'T INTERRUPT: Listen carefully to what the other person has to say before answering.
We have to resist ourselves to say something in return.
PICTURE OUT WHAT THE SPEAKER SPEAKS: Effective listening also includes figuring
out the information available to the speaker.
ASK QUESTIONS: Pointing out appropriate questions reflect an active and stable mind of the
listener.
GIVE REGULAR FEEDBACK: Feedback is a statement of opinion of something asked from
the listener to return his information. It is a response to output or process.
MAINTAIN EYE CONTACT: The listener should always face the speaker maintaining direct
eye contact with him. He should always look at the person talking for which the speaker would
be grateful to him (David Horsager, 2021)
1.3 Discuss the objectives of various kinds of questioning
Questioning is the key to gaining more information, which helps us learn, solve problems, and
understand things more clearly (Skillsyouneed, 2021).
OPEN QUESTIONS
Open questions are those questions that require a more extended response.

Figure2: Open Questions
CLOSED QUESTIONS
Closed questions are easy and quick to answer with either "yes" or "no" or a single word. These
questions provide us with the facts and keep control over the conversation (Changingminds.org,
2021). The essential elements of closed questions are illustrated below:
Figure 3: Closed Questions
APPROPRIATE USE OF OPEN AND CLOSED QUESTIONS
Open questions are used in framing a screening questionnaire for recruitment. Closed questions
are mostly framed to conduct surveys where more than 1000 respondents.
1.4 Discuss various types of communication styles
PASSIVE COMMUNICATION: Passive communication is the opposite of being assertive. It
takes place when we hide our opinions and feelings from the other party, leaving us powerless.

AGGRESSIVE COMMUNICATION: It often takes place when someone communicates
aggressively.
ASSERTIVE COMMUNICATION: Assertive behavior and wise interaction are excellent for
both parties, leaving them satisfied (Nswnma.asn.au, 2021).
Importance and elements of Assertive Communication
Assertive communication has three basic elements: empathy, statement of the problem and
statement of what you want.
1.5 Discuss the ways in which communication skills can be utilize to develop rapport with
others.
Camille Fournier, CTO at Rent the Runways, says, "Treat your peers as interesting fellow
humans, and you may be surprised what it does for their motivation, dedication, and
engagement" (Getlighthouse, 2021).
The effectiveness of communication depends on the responses we receive. The nature of voice
can also affect the rapport; however, when we are nervous, we tend to talk more quickly.
Moreover, it is much easier to build rapport with the person having the same areas of interest.The
initial stages of communication include listening to what the other person saying and sharing the
experiences accordingly (Building rapport, 2021).
1.6 Discuss the various types of factors which help to make telephone call effective
A telephonic call is a conversation over a telephone network between the calling party and the
receiver. Industry expert Christine Knott, the Managing director at Beyond the Box, shares the
factors to make a telephone call effective.
Stay focused: Concentrate on what the caller has to say and prevent yourself from external
noises.
Ask questions: We can attain more detailed information and clarify our doubts by asking
appropriate questions.

Say it again: It is better to make the necessary adjustments when you are facing difficulty in
listening. Ask the caller to repeat rather than assuming what he has to say (Call center helper,
2021).
2. Understand critical principles of written communication in a business context
2.1 Discuss the importance of concise, clear and complete writing communication in context
of organization.
Written communication can be define as the process of conveying a message with the help of
written symbols. It relies on grammar, punctuation, and word choice. A well-structured written
communication helps us to achieve business goals. Following are some points that feature the
importance of written communication in an organization:
Creates a permanent record: It helps to create a permanent record for future reference. With
this record, business owners can easily access information, especially when it is in digital form.
Clear and concise: Passing clear message with appropriate information which is required is one
of the effective way to understand the message by reader. For example, an executive must write
memos to his staff to avoid confusion (Small business-chron.com, 2019).
3. Identification of non-verbal communication and fundamental principles in context of
business.
3.1 Determine and discuss the importance of non-verbal communication
Non-verbal communication is a conversation made between two or more persons without using
words, either written or spoken.
Personal space: The distance between two people to make themselves comfortable is called
Personal Space.
The importance of Non-Verbal Communication has been illustrated below:

Figure 4: Importance of Non-verbal Communication
3.2 Explain the kinds of non-verbal signals they can send through their appearance
Non-verbal communication involves many different parts of the body that convey emotional
states and compliment verbal messages. Following are the kinds of Non-verbal Communication:
Body movements (Kinesics): This is one of the most favorable and controllable forms of non-
verbal communication. It includes hand movements and gestures.
Personal Space (Proxemics): Personal space varies from one person to another, depending upon
their behavior. It is a portable and invisible boundary surrounding the people in which others
may not trespass. It expands and contracts according to the amount of space offered.

Physiology: It includes physiological changes in the body, such as sweating, rapid blinking, and
other physical disabilities that may occur both in the sender and receiver (Masterclasscom,
2021).
1. Know how to run an effective business meeting
4.1 Describe the factors that differentiate a productive meeting from an unproductive one
Productive meeting: A productive business meeting refers to gathering two or more people who
gather at one place to discuss various business goals and objectives. The objective of an effective
meeting is to carry out important decisions related to the organization.
Unproductive meeting: Unproductive meeting defines the inability of the business to meet
deadlines and goals. Such meetings fail to motivate its employees and boost their areas of
interest. This results in the wastage of efficiency and creativity.
4.2 Differentiate between a formal and an informal agenda
Formal Agenda: It is an integral part of a planned meeting with the team members where the
agenda is kept formal and well framed. The events and topics in this agenda are sequenced, and
it has all the details like attendees, type of meeting, facilitators, etc.
Informal Agenda: On the other hand, an informal plan is created by small business firms that do
not provide a specific layout to record the meeting minutes. This type of agenda works well for
daily meetings among peer groups and also among personnel.
4.3 Describe the purpose and contents of the meeting minutes
Minutes: Minutes is an official workplace document that contains all the points discussed in the
meeting and helps to review the same post-meeting.
Meeting minutes serve several purposes:
1. It serves as a record of discussions for future reference.
2. It informs the discussions made, and action plans to the absent attendees.

3. Facts, decisions, conflicts, and other factors can be retrieved with the help of meeting
minutes.
Following are the contents of the meeting minutes
Note the important details: This step includes date and time, subject, attendees, agenda items,
action plan status, schedule of the next meeting, and items to be discussed in the next meeting.
Keep it simple: Notes should be written simply, and repetition can be asked if required.
Format notes: Meeting minutes should be in a proper format to make it easier for all the team
members. It includes clarifications, attaching, and saving the documents.
Review notes: This step ensures that everything is accurately recorded and the chairperson
approves all the agenda items.
4.4 Describe the responsibilities of a Chairperson
The person who is in charge of a meeting, organization, or committee is called a Chairperson.
The role of a Chairperson is illustrated below:
Figure 5: Role of a Chairperson
Ability to chair meetings: A good chairperson ensures that all business discussions mentioned
in the agenda are carried out efficiently. He must listen to every team member and ensure that all
the agreements are reached out to them.
Understanding the business: An experienced chairperson has a broader understanding of the
business.

Good Communication: An efficient chairperson owns a solid communicative relationship with
his stakeholders to hold the shareholder pressure (Sprigg HR, 2021).
4.5 Explain how to make a positive contribution to any meeting
A positive contribution can make a meeting successful considering the following points:
End on a positive note: Summarize the outcome of the meeting a few minutes before the
session ends. Tell the entire team how successful and productive the meeting was and highlight
one good point about the conference (The secret cheat sheet to create perfect meeting agenda,
2021).
5 Know how to make an effective business presentation
5.1 Describe the different work occasions which require information to be presented to
others
Business presentation is formal information about business practices that organizations often
utilize for training purposes and motivate their employees. Different types of presentations that
are used to pass information include:
Informative: Informative presentations make sure to support each topic with facts and figures.
They are precise and to the point.
Instructional: These presentations are highly descriptive and take a long time to present. The
content and the knowledge are vast, and information is transferred formally.
Persuasive: Such presentations try to build the audience's trust emotionally by influencing their
soft feeling about the topic.
5.2 Explain the characteristics of an effective presentation
An effective presentation involves a topic and audience through which we can relate what to
speak about and with whom. Characteristics of an effective presentation are as follows:
Clear structure: The primary purpose of framing a structure is to inform the team members
about whether to fix the existing plan or learn something new.

Connection: A good presentation establishes a connection with the audience and conveys the
relevance and significance of what is being communicated (Slideplayer.com, 2016).
5.3 Explain the difference between an effective (good) visual aid and an ineffective (poor)
visual aid
Effective visual aid: Visual aids are essential to make the information visual and enhance the
presentation. It summarizes the data and reduces the number of spoken words and helps in
explaining the points clearly
Unlike good visual aids, Ineffective visual aids have the opposite effect leaving the audience
confused and distracted. Poor visual aids jam so much information in one slide that it becomes
messy and unclear.
How to prepare visual aids
1. Visual aid should be used very clearly to support the topic and make the audience
understand the same.
2. Charts and graphs to be used to present data.
3. Always highlight the points through visual aids to avoid distraction between reading and
watching.
4. The font size, colors, and positions should be consistent.
5. In case of any technical problems, ensure that the presentation works well even without
visual aids.
6. Face the audience while speaking and ensure you follow the same visual aid you are
talking about.
7. Know how to deal with problems faced by business organizations

6. Know how to deal with problems faced by a business organization
6.1 Explain the nature of common business problems
Nature of business problems: Every business requires careful planning, nurturing, dedication,
and understanding of a wide variety of activities.
Let's differentiate between maintenance and achievement problems
Whether large or small, every business has some maintenance problems to be fixed by the
facility manager. This includes the barriers that are responsible for achieving the goals and
objectives of the organization.
Maintenance problem has been classified under three failures
1. Mechanical failure- It includes the misalignments, worn out moving parts, and fatigue of
machine members
2. Chemical failure- failure of protective linings like glass, rubber.
Achievement problems involve the following factors:
Absence of clear direction: The organization lacks the alignment to transform its sustained
growth.
Lack of awareness: With the changing times, managers fail to invest their time in recognizing
the talent of their team members and lose their focus and commitment.
Difference between urgent and non-urgent problems
Urgent problems are often new problems that claim urgency. Some of the common essential
problems are as follows:
Business failure- Sooner or later, a business will fail due to poor performance.
1. Conflict- Conflict generates pain and ultimately can affect performance.
2. Competition- A fear generated from a competitor to take away the customers (Problems,
2016).

On the other hand, non-urgent problems are, however, essential but not urgent. Some of the non-
urgent problems are as follows:
1. Planning- It involves framing an action plan to highlight the new targets to be achieved.
2. Performance- Keep a check to maintain the evaluation and implementation of the team
members (The sweaty startup, 2021).
The six-step process of analyzing a problem and finding the right solution is illustrated below:
Figure 6: Six-step problem-solving model
Define the problem: Select and define the problem to establish a precise statement.
Determine the root cause of the problem: Identify the potential cause of the problem.
Develop alternative solutions: List all the possible solutions, plan them accordingly and gain
approval for the same

Select a solution: Specify all the essential details of the solution to be implemented.
Implement the solution: It means to implement the planned solution.
Evaluate the outcome: This step includes analyzing the data on the implemented solution to
check whether the desired results are achieved or not.
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