Introduction to Business

Correspondence

UALE 1023/ MPU 32023

ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS
 Definition
•The types of English used in
business contexts for
correspondence
/communication
•Entails expectations of clarity,
particular vocabulary, and
grammatical structures.
 Preparing your resume and portfolio

Greetings &
Presentation Introductions
Telephone
interaction

COMPONENTS
OF BUSINESS
Readings of
ENGLISH
documents
Written
Correspondence

Speaking and
listening, on
technical terms Discussion/Meetings
and jargons
 Things to Consider in Business
Correspondence
•Mode of communication
•Content
 Include relevant information/documents
only
 Organize content
•First impressions
 Materials used
 Simple, clear language
•Tone
What is the importance
of business
correspondence in the
workplace
????
Functions of Business Communication (Guffey, 1997)

1. To inform
2. To persuade
3. To promote goodwill
 Two Forms of Business Communication
(Guffey, 1997)

1. Internal communication(superiors,
coworkers, and/or subordinates)

2. External communication (customers,

suppliers, governments agencies, and
public)
 Internal communication
Key Functions:
• Issue and clarify procedures and policies
• Inform management of progress
• Persuade employees or management to make
changes or improvements
• Coordinate activities and provide assistance
• Evaluate, compliment, reward, and discipline
employees
• Get to know individuals personally
 External communication
Key Functions:
•Answer inquiries about products or services
•Persuade customers to buy products or
services
•Clarify supplier specifications and quality
requirements
•Issue credit and collect bills
•Respond to regulatory agencies
•Promote a positive image of the organization
 Flow of Organizational Communication
(Eunson, 2005)
1. Vertical Communication Flow
a. Downward Communication Flow
b. Upward Communication Flow

2 . Horizontal Communication Flow

Effective Communication:
Seven Cs
Francis J. Bergin provide guidelines for
choice of content and style of presentation
adapted to the purpose of the receiver of
the message.
Completeness

Every communication must be complete and adequate.

Incomplete messages keep the receiver guessing, create
misunderstanding and delay actions.
Every person should, therefore, be provided with all the required
facts and figures.

For example, when factory supervisor instructs workers to

produce, he must specify the exact size, shape, quality and cost of
the product. Any assumptions behind the messages should also
be clarified.
While answering a letter, all the questions raised in the letter must
be replied.
Conciseness

In business communication, you should be brief and be able

to say whatever you have to say in fewest possible words
without sacrificing the other C qualities. Conciseness is
desired because of the following benefits:

1. A concise message saves time and expense for both

sender and receiver.
2. Conciseness contributes to emphasis; by eliminating
unnecessary words, you let important ideas stand out.
3. Concise messages are inherently more interesting to
recipients as they avoid unnecessary information.
Clarity

1. Clarity means getting your message across so the receiver will

understand what you are trying to convey.
2. You want that person to interpret your words with the same
meaning you have in mind.
3. Accomplishing that goal is difficult because, as you know,
individual experiences are never identical, and words have different
meanings to different persons.

Here are some specific ways to help make your messages clear:

1. Choose short, familiar, conversational words.

2. Construct effective sentences and paragraphs.
3. Achieve appropriate readability (and listenability).
4. Include examples, illustrations, and other visual aids, when
desirable.
Correctness

1. The term correctness as applied to business

messages means right level of language and
accuracy of facts, figures and words.
2. If the information is not correctly conveyed,
the sender will lose credibility.
3.Transmission of incorrect information to
outsiders will spoil the public image of the firm.
4. To convey correct messages, grammatical
errors should also be avoided.
5. You should not transmit any message unless
you are absolutely sure of its correctness.
Consideration

1. Consideration means that you prepare every

message with the recipient in mind and try to put
yourself in his or her place.
2. Try to visualize your readers (or listeners)—with
their desires, problems, circumstances, emotions, and
probable reactions to your request.
3. Then handle the matter from their point of view
4. This thoughtful consideration is also called "you-
attitude," empathy, the human touch, and
understanding of human nature. (It does not mean,
however, that you should overlook the needs of your
organization.)
Consideration

1. Consideration underlies the other six C's of good business communication

2. You adapt your language and message content to your receiver's needs
when you make your message complete, concise, concrete, clear, courteous,
and correct.

However, in four specific ways you can indicate you are considerate:

• Focus on "you" instead of "I" and "we."

• Show reader benefit or interest in reader.
• Emphasize positive, pleasant facts.
• Apply integrity and ethic
Courtesy

1.Courteous messages help to strengthen present

business friendships, as well as make new friends.
2. Courtesy stems from sincere you-attitude.

To be courteous, considerate communicators should

follow these suggestions regarding tone of the
communications.

• Be sincerely tactful, thoughtful, appreciative.

• Omit expressions that irritate, hurt, or belittle.
• Grant and apologize good-naturedly.
Concreteness

1. Communicating concretely means being

specific, definite, and vivid rather than vague
and general.
2.The following guidelines should help you
compose concrete, convincing messages:

• Use specific facts and figures.

• Put action in your verbs.
• Choose vivid, image-building words.
 Clarity, Complete & Concrete
We shall be very happy to meet
you at our Kuala Lumpur head
office on 20 June 2015 at 5pm.
Our technician will be at your
office on 1 August 2015 at 10am
to service your photocopier.
 Concise
It is with great regret that we must inform you
that we appear not to have received our order
of 30 notebooks that was supposed to be
delivered on 30 September.

We have not received the delivery of 30

notebooks that was due to arrive on 30
September.

Which one is concise?

 Courtesy
Matt, thank you so much for
helping out at our fundraising
drive last week. We couldn’t have
done it without you
 Considerate
We understand your company’s
financial situation during this
economic downturn and would
like to offer you another six
months to settle your payment
with us.
 Correct
Dear John, please meat me this
afternoon to discuss the projek
 Dangers of Poor Communication

•Misunderstanding
•No / wrong action taken
•Time wasted
•Business lost
•Reputation damaged
•Lack of trust
 • Bad communication in business
often takes the form of writing
that uses too many big words
and convoluted sentence
Communication structure to convey a simple
point.
Over-Inflated

• One example is that quoted by

communication training
consultant Dianna Booher of a
Written

Fortune 500 company manager

who issued a 40-word, nearly
incomprehensible sentence just
to say he was the training
director.
Conveying Important •In 2006, Radio Shack laid
Messages by Email off 400 workers by email
with no notice. Here the
mode of communication
was poorly chosen, as
email is not appropriate for
a layoff notice.
•In addition, the notice itself
was overwritten and hard
to follow.
 •One hallmark of bad
communication is its one-
Communication sidedness, as happens when
people contact their business
associates only when they want a
favor of some kind, such as when
they're job hunting or need some
ideas.
•When such people don't return
Selfish

telephone calls or emails at other

times, they reinforce the weakness
of their communication skills.
 •A prime example of bad
communication occurred in 2001 at
Communication
medical software company the
Cerner Corporation, where the CEO
Sent in Anger
sent an angry email to the entire
team berating staff members for
coming in late and leaving early,
and threatened to take revenge by
taking away benefits.
•The email was posted on the
Internet, resulting in a huge drop in
the company's stock price.
 10 Steps to Brilliant Business Writing
1. Write naturally and sincerely.
2. Be courteous and considerate.
3. Use an appropriate tone.
4. Use simple words and short sentences.
5. Use modern language.
6. Use active not passive voice.
7. Avoid nominalisations (using a noun instead of a verb).
8. Use positive language.
9. Use “you” and “we.”
10. Be consistent.
(Taylor, 2012)
THE END