L.16 - Business Communication

Where the enviorment itself, Nourishes the ambition to succeed, There will occur the 'Sanskar', For the youth to be 'Achivement- Motivated'.

UDYAM SHASTRA- Chapter 4, Verse 4

Key Objectives:

• • Reading this module and doing the student's activities will enable the students to:

  • Write a business letter.

  • Understand and to be Understood.

  • Use telephone as a business tool.

  • Appreciate other means of communication.

Enterprise Concepts:

Communication: Communication in short means :

"To understand and to be understood" Some of the aspects of Business Communication are:

1. Goal clarity in communication

2. Use of common language

3. Care to avoid 'Hierarchical distortion' when the communication passes from one person to another.

4. Listening

5. Writing

6. Observing and watching the 'Body language' of people.

Business letter: A business letter is used to establish contact, communicate thought etc. in relation to an enterprise or business.

Fax: Fax is a method of sending printed material over phone lines.

E-Mail: E-mail i.e electronic mail means sending messages over phone lines between computers

Letter-head: A printed paper with name of company, its address, telephone number, e-mail address etc.

Writing a business letter (BL): Trainer should explain to the student some of salient features of writing a Business Letter.

1. A business letter should be concise and clear.

2. A business letter is usually written on your company letter-head.

3. A business letter usually has

a. An introduction ,in which subject of the letter is introduced

b. The body of the letter, where the main point are discussed as precisely as possible.

c. The conclusion, where the sender closes the letter politely

d. Signature or initials.

The business letter should look neat. It is often a good practice to write the letter aligned from left

Enterprise Skills:

The student 'Activities' in each lesson are designed to clarify the ENTERPRISE CONCEPTS of the lesson and develop some ENTERPRISE SKILLS (E.SKILLS).

The E.SKILLS included in a lesson may not be exhaustive, but are indicative.

E.SKILLS stated in a lesson elsewhere may also get addressed through the activities of a particular lesson.

Some useful E.SKILLS are dealt with below:

Oral communication skill: An entrepreneur should have good oral communication skills which means ability to talk professionally, speak distinctly, use proper pronunciation, grammatical construction of sentence etc, so that the person to whom he/she is talking to may understand what he/she is trying to talk and convey.

Public speaking: Public speaking involves oral communication skills as made in front of large group of people. Public speaking involves oral communication skills as given above and also appropriate body language i.e. gesture, to highlight what one is speaking.

Debating: An entrepreneur is often called upon to participate in debate concerning some business or enterprise issue. The entrepreneur then has to present, carefully thought-out argument, reasoning, facts and figures as a part of the debates to prove his or her point. In order to debate effectively the entrepreneur should be well read in journals, magazines, business news, legal requirement of his or her business etc.

Activities:

Activity 1 - WRITE A BUSINESS LETTER.

Instruction To Students:

• • The student should read the sample business letter given below.

  • The students should then write a business letter on any one of the following topics.

  • a. ABC company wants to order 50 boxes of resistors from XYZ company

  • b. ABC company wants information on a new mixer launched by XYZ co.

  • c. ABC company wants to send proposal for electric wiring to XYZ Co.

  • After completing the activity, each group should present and share its main discussion points with the rest of the class.

Sample Letter:

ABC Co. wants to thank the local XYZ Bank for the sanction of Rs.25,000 loan for business.

ABC Co.,

66, Dr.Rajendra Prasad Road, Bangalore

Ref.No.2003/07 Date: 7 October, 2002.

To,

Manager

Bank of XYZ

M.G. Road

Bangalore.

Sir,

I am writing to thank you for sanctioning Rs. 25, 000 loan for my ABC business. We are enclosing the signed loan-agreement papers. We request for early disbursement of the loan amount. I appreciate it that you are giving me a chance to start my business.

Thanking you and with best regards,

Yours sincerely,

Anil S. Kumble

Proprietor

Select a similar topic and write another letter for practice.

Activity 2 - HELLO ! HELLO !

Instruction To Students

• • Two students to come to the front of the class and stand about 8 feet apart. They should pretend that they are talking on the phone with each other.

  • First student should act as if he is a customer who is calling up the second who is a shop owner, to complain about an electric appliance he purchased last month from the shop.

  • The second student should tactfully handle the complaint.

  • After completing the activity, each group should present and share its main discussion points with the rest of the class.

WORK SHEET:

1. What comments do you have on the conversation that took place ?

______________________________________________________________________________________

2. What could be the improvement points for the conversation?

______________________________________________________________________________________

ACTIVITY 3A: PICK THE COIN

Instruction To Students:

• Two volunteer students should come in front of the class.

• One student should sit at a table .

• The other student should stand behind.

• Trainer will place a coin some one-foot away from the edge of the table near the sitting student.

• The sitting student should keep his eyes open. And place his index finger on the table. and reach the coin.Students should note how fast the student can reach the coin.

• Trainer will next blindfold the sitting student with a handkerchief.

• The second student should then guide the blind-folded student by oral instructions to locate the coin by directing him to touch the table with his index finger and move it based on his instructions, till the index finger touches the coin. The instructions could be short and clear like, “Move your finger a little to the left, now move it forward etc…”

• Once the blind-folded student has touched the coin with his finger, the blind-fold can be removed.

• Students should discuss the question given below and write the answer.

• After completing the activity, each group should present and share its main discussion points with the rest of the class.

WORK SHEET:

1. Why did the student take longer time when blindfolded, to reach the coin?

______________________________________________________________________________________

2. How was he able to reach the coin finally? What factors facilitated him?

______________________________________________________________________________________

ACTIVITY 3B: PASS THE MESSAGE

Instruction To Students:

• • • Four students to stand at four corners of the class.

    • Trainer will write a message on a piece of paper. He will whisper that message in the ears of the first student. This student should then walk up to the second student and repeat the message only once.

    • The second student should then rush to the third student and repeat the message and so on to the fourth student.

    • The fourth student should then write down the message as he got it , on to the black-board.

    • The trainer will then write the original message on to the black-board.

    • A comparison should then be made of the actual and transmitted message.

    • Students should discuss the question given below and write the answers.

    • After completing the activity, each group should present and share its main discussion points with the rest of the class.

WORK SHEET:

1. How correctly the message came through ?______________________________________________________________________________________

2. If there are any distortions, explain how these are caused ?______________________________________________________________________________________

3. In your own enterprise, how will you make sure that your workmen understand your messages correctly ?

______________________________________________________________________________________

ACTIVITY 3C: MIME IT OUT

Instruction To Students:

• • Four volunteer students to come to the front.

  • The trainer will give each student a confidential subject to act out in mime. Mime means, without talking the student has to convey the message.

  • The rest of the class has to guess what the message is.

  • Students should discuss the question given below and write the answers.

  • After completing the activity, each group should present and share its main discussion points with the rest of the class.

WORK SHEET:

1. What is the importance of body language in your business or enterprise ?

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

LESSON INDEX