Question Pool – Business Communicaiton

1. How business communication is relevant in a VUCA world?

The term VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) has taken on new significance since
the beginning of the global pandemic and the role of communications in enabling organisations to
survive, and even thrive, in this ever-shifting environment cannot be under-estimated.

Prior to lockdown, one internal communications director for a global brand had advocated for
employee-friendly initiatives, such as company-wide access to remote working and employee
wellbeing programmes, but was told these would take several years to implement. Yet, once
lockdown was announced, these initiatives were rolled out in a matter of days. This is, of course, an
all too familiar story.

Moreover, his aspiration to represent internal communications at the top table was suddenly
realised as he found himself in daily executive meetings, playing a key role in the organisation’s
decision-making. Indeed, with employee safety and wellbeing rising to the top of the business
agenda, the case for internal communications as a key strategic function has been firmly established:
it can no longer be seen as a ‘nice-to-have’ but is now recognised as critical for business success.

Volatility

In such a volatile environment, we can no longer hold onto the idea of one perfect and permanent
solution, which is why communicating a clear and coherent vision is more essential than ever.
Focussing on the purpose and overall destination creates clear alignment across an organisation,
however dispersed the workforce may be. This can provide a compass which enables employees to
make decisions that help them navigate through turbulent times whilst continuing to head in the
right direction.
Uncertainty

Key to managing uncertainty is an organisation’s willingness to listen. As many have learnt the hard
way, broadcasting information in these uncertain times is not enough. Employees need to feel
heard and understood. Optimising feedback loops is essential, as well as leveraging channels and
opportunities for two-way communications. This is not simply about communicating up and down
the management chain but also about cross-organisational communication and actively encouraging
peer-to-peer communications. With the boundaries between work and home becoming increasingly
blurred, professional and personal lives are now more intertwined and communications has had to
expand its remit to accommodate this..

Complexity

In such a complex, shifting environment, timely, relevant communications are even more critical.
This means adapting to the needs of a dispersed workforce and engaging them through multiple
channels. Mobile communications have come into their own in the last 18 months, providing the
means to reach employees whether at home or in the office, for desk-workers and non-desk workers
alike. Research conducted by Staffbase for the Harvard Business Review showed that companies
which utilised an employee app drove engagement levels to above 75%.

The willingness to inform and communicate can, of course, have the opposite effect if overdone,
leading employees to become frustrated and disengaged. So targeted, relevant communication
based on the information needs of specific target groups within the organisation is essential.

Ambiguity
 In an ambiguous environment, the temptation is to wait until more information is available before
communicating with stakeholders. However, transparency around what is known, what is unknown,
what actions are being taken, and what outcomes are anticipated can provide greater reassurance
and prevent unfounded fear or anxiety. Moreover, it has become clear that the old command and
control model is no longer fit for purpose. A small group of executives at the top of the organisation
has neither the agility nor the capability to access all the information required for decision-making in
a constantly changing environment, while the move towards more devolved styles of leadership also
requires support from relevant communications channel

From surviving to thriving

But operating in a VUCA world is not simply about managing threats. Such uncertainty can also
create opportunities for innovation and even growth for organisations with the capability to listen
and respond. Indeed, this is perhaps the most important role that communications can play: to
facilitate listening, conversation and collaboration so that innovation can flourish. After all, it is clear
that organisations have the ability not only to survive, but thrive, in this ever-changing, rapidly-
evolving, post-pandemic world.

2. State four reasons why Public Speaking is important.

Public speaking is a great way of building personal development on many levels, since improving
communication skills is helpful in almost every area of life. Whether your goal is to engage in
political debate, make a career as a motivational speaker or gain confidence in front of an
audience, public speaking can help you meet your goal. We’ve listed the top benefits of public
speaking, which will encourage you to get out of your comfort zone and sign up to speak at a
few events in the future.

Career advancement

Effective public speaking skills can help with career advancement, as they indicate creativity,
critical thinking skills, leadership abilities, poise, and professionalism, qualities which are very
valuable for the job market. Speaking at events and conferences is a good way of building
credibility. The more well known the event the better, as you can add these speaking
achievements to your resume. Public speaking can also help you stand out at work. You'll learn
to speak up in meetings, to promote your ideas, and to present yourself as a professional.
Speaking skills can also help you excel in job interviews. After speaking at a few events, people
will remember you and begin to see you as an authoritative figure on your area of expertise.
You’ll find yourself getting new client and business from people who watched you speak. All
sorts of new business and speaking opportunities will open up for you

Boost confidence
 Public speaking can significantly boost your confidence. Overcoming the fears and insecurities
that accompany public speaking is empowering. Furthermore, connecting with audiences can be
a strong reminder that you have valuable insights and opinions to share with the world.

Your confidence levels will grow as you go from speaking to small groups of people up to large
audiences. This will benefit you not just on stage, but in everyday life as well, whether it be in a
meeting or on a date.

Critical thinking

Public speaking is an excellent way to build critical thinking skills. Writing a speech requires a
great deal of careful thought, from the audience analysis to the closing sentence. It’s not enough
to have a message, you also need to figure out how to tailor the message to fit the needs of your
audience.

Improve communication skills

When you write a speech, you have to think carefully about the best framework, persuasive
strategy, and diction to communicate your message to the audience. This type of thinking can
help you improve your communication skills in other areas of your life.

Personal relationships, social interactions and work situations require you to communicate ideas
to other people. Public speaking focuses on communicating ideas. You can learn to calmly take
up an opposing view, to present your ideas in an organized and coherent manner, and to defend
your views to others.

Define business communication

The term ‘Business Communication’ is derived from general

communication which is associated with business activities. In other
terms, communication between business parties or people for business-
related tasks is considered as ‘Business Communication.’

3. Give an example of omnichannel communication.

Starbucks’ omnichannel strategy is exemplary. One of the American franchise’s pillars is the
‘Starbucks Card’, a customer loyalty card which can be used to pay any purchase made at their
establishments, whether it involves coffee or accessories. There is nothing really novel in this regard.
However, its added value lies in the fact that the card can be used as a wallet, and can be charged
online, via mobile phone, via the customer support line, or at the store itself. Any modification to the
user’s profile or to the card is reflected immediately on all other channels.
4. What are the different ways to overcome the fear of public speaking?

These steps may help:

Know your topic. The better you understand what you’re talking about — and the more you
care about the topic — the less likely you’ll make a mistake or get off track. And if you do get
lost, you’ll be able to recover quickly. Take some time to consider what questions the
audience may ask and have your responses ready.

Get organized. Ahead of time, carefully plan out the information you want to present,
including any props, audio or visual aids. The more organized you are, the less nervous you’ll
be. Use an outline on a small card to stay on track. If possible, visit the place where you’ll be
speaking and review available equipment before your presentation.
Practice, and then practice some more. Practice your complete presentation several times.
Do it for some people you’re comfortable with and ask for feedback. It may also be helpful
to practice with a few people with whom you’re less familiar. Consider making a video of
your presentation so you can watch it and see opportunities for improvement.

Challenge specific worries. When you’re afraid of something, you may overestimate the
likelihood of bad things happening. List your specific worries. Then directly challenge them
by identifying probable and alternative outcomes and any objective evidence that supports
each worry or the likelihood that your feared outcomes will happen.
Visualize your success. Imagine that your presentation will go well. Positive thoughts can
help decrease some of your negativity about your social performance and relieve some
anxiety.

Do some deep breathing. This can be very calming. Take two or more deep, slow breaths
before you get up to the podium and during your speech.
Focus on your material, not on your audience. People mainly pay attention to new
information — not how it’s presented. They may not notice your nervousness. If audience
members do notice that you’re nervous, they may root for you and want your presentation
to be a success.
 Don’t fear a moment of silence. If you lose track of what you’re saying or start to feel
nervous and your mind goes blank, it may seem like you’ve been silent for an eternity. In
reality, it’s probably only a few seconds. Even if it’s longer, it’s likely your audience won’t
mind a pause to consider what you’ve been saying. Just take a few slow, deep breaths.

Recognize your success. After your speech or presentation, give yourself a pat on the back. It
may not have been perfect, but chances are you’re far more critical of yourself than your
audience is. See if any of your specific worries actually occurred. Everyone makes mistakes.
Look at any mistakes you made as an opportunity to improve your skills.

Get support. Join a group that offers support for people who have difficulty with public
speaking. One effective resource is Toastmasters, a nonprofit organization with local
chapters that focuses on training people in speaking and leadership skills.

These steps may help:

5. Know your topic. The better you understand what you're talking about — and the
more you care about the topic — the less likely you'll make a mistake or get off track.
And if you do get lost, you'll be able to recover quickly. Take some time to consider
what questions the audience may ask and have your responses ready.
6. Get organized. Ahead of time, carefully plan out the information you want to present,
including any props, audio or visual aids. The more organized you are, the less
nervous you'll be. Use an outline on a small card to stay on track. If possible, visit the
 place where you'll be speaking and review available equipment before your
presentation.
7. Practice, and then practice some more. Practice your complete presentation
several times. Do it for some people you're comfortable with and ask for feedback. It
may also be helpful to practice with a few people with whom you're less familiar.
Consider making a video of your presentation so you can watch it and see
opportunities for improvement.
8. Challenge specific worries. When you're afraid of something, you may
overestimate the likelihood of bad things happening. List your specific worries. Then
directly challenge them by identifying probable and alternative outcomes and any
objective evidence that supports each worry or the likelihood that your feared
outcomes will happen.
9. Visualize your success. Imagine that your presentation will go well. Positive
thoughts can help decrease some of your negativity about your social performance
and relieve some anxiety.
10. Do some deep breathing. This can be very calming. Take two or more deep, slow
breaths before you get up to the podium and during your speech.
11. Focus on your material, not on your audience. People mainly pay attention to new
information — not how it's presented. They may not notice your nervousness. If
audience members do notice that you're nervous, they may root for you and want
your presentation to be a success.
12. Don't fear a moment of silence. If you lose track of what you're saying or start to
feel nervous and your mind goes blank, it may seem like you've been silent for an
eternity. In reality, it's probably only a few seconds. Even if it's longer, it's likely your
audience won't mind a pause to consider what you've been saying. Just take a few
slow, deep breaths.
13. Recognize your success. After your speech or presentation, give yourself a pat on
the back. It may not have been perfect, but chances are you're far more critical of
yourself than your audience is. See if any of your specific worries actually occurred.
Everyone makes mistakes. Look at any mistakes you made as an opportunity to
improve your skills.
14. Get support. Join a group that offers support for people who have difficulty with
public speaking. One effective resource is Toastmasters, a nonprofit organization
with local chapters that focuses on training people in speaking and leadership skills.
These steps may help:

• Know your topic. The better you understand what you're talking about — and
the more you care about the topic — the less likely you'll make a mistake or get
off track. And if you do get lost, you'll be able to recover quickly. Take some time
 to consider what questions the audience may ask and have your responses
ready.
• Get organized. Ahead of time, carefully plan out the information you want to
present, including any props, audio or visual aids. The more organized you are,
the less nervous you'll be. Use an outline on a small card to stay on track. If
possible, visit the place where you'll be speaking and review available equipment
before your presentation.
• Practice, and then practice some more. Practice your complete presentation
several times. Do it for some people you're comfortable with and ask for
feedback. It may also be helpful to practice with a few people with whom you're
less familiar. Consider making a video of your presentation so you can watch it
and see opportunities for improvement.
• Challenge specific worries. When you're afraid of something, you may
overestimate the likelihood of bad things happening. List your specific worries.
Then directly challenge them by identifying probable and alternative outcomes
and any objective evidence that supports each worry or the likelihood that your
feared outcomes will happen.
• Visualize your success. Imagine that your presentation will go well. Positive
thoughts can help decrease some of your negativity about your social
performance and relieve some anxiety.
• Do some deep breathing. This can be very calming. Take two or more deep,
slow breaths before you get up to the podium and during your speech.
• Focus on your material, not on your audience. People mainly pay attention to
new information — not how it's presented. They may not notice your
nervousness. If audience members do notice that you're nervous, they may root
for you and want your presentation to be a success.
• Don't fear a moment of silence. If you lose track of what you're saying or start
to feel nervous and your mind goes blank, it may seem like you've been silent for
an eternity. In reality, it's probably only a few seconds. Even if it's longer, it's likely
your audience won't mind a pause to consider what you've been saying. Just take
a few slow, deep breaths.
• Recognize your success. After your speech or presentation, give yourself a pat
on the back. It may not have been perfect, but chances are you're far more
critical of yourself than your audience is. See if any of your specific worries
actually occurred. Everyone makes mistakes. Look at any mistakes you made as
an opportunity to improve your skills.
• Get support. Join a group that offers support for people who have difficulty with
public speaking. One effective resource is Toastmasters, a nonprofit organization
 with local chapters that focuses on training people in speaking and leadership
skills.

What is glossophobia

Glossophobia or speech anxiety is the fear of public speaking.[1] The word glossophobia
derives from the Greek γλῶσσα glossa, meaning tongue, and φόβος phobos, fear or dread.
Speech is the action of speaking out loud and anxiety is the feeling of worry, tension or
concern[2] that manifests when thinking that negative things will occur,[citation needed] and
physically by increased blood pressure,[2] sweating and shaking. Thus, speech anxiety is
the feeling of worry and physical reactions caused when speaking to others, especially to
larger groups.

15. State the three types of public speaking.

Ceremonial Speaking
Most people will give some sort of ceremonial speech during their lifetime. These speeches
mark special occasions. They are common at weddings, graduations and funerals – as well as
large birthday celebrations and office holiday parties. Ceremonial speaking typically involves
a toast and is personal with an intimate emotional connection to people hearing it.

Demonstrative Speaking
Science demonstrations and role playing are types of demonstrative speaking. This type of
public speaking requires being able to speak clearly and concisely to describe actions and to
perform those actions while speaking. A demonstrative speaker may explain the process
behind generating power while cycling to power a toaster, for example. The idea behind
demonstrative speaking is that the audience members leave with the knowledge about how
to do something.

Informative Speaking
With informative speaking, the speaker is trying simply to explain a concept to the audience
members. College lecture courses involve informative speaking as do industry conferences
and public officials sharing vital information. In this type of speaking, the information is what
 is important. The speaker is not trying to get others to agree with him or to show them how
to do something for themselves. Rather he is disseminating vital information.

.
16. What are the 7 Cs of communication? Explain the same with the help of relevant examples.

7 Cs of Effective Communication
1. Clear
Any message needs to come out clearly from your communication rather than the recipient
having to assume things and coming back to you for more information. This will only lead to
more time being wasted on emails.

Do not try to communicate too many things in one message. This will dilute the attention of
the reader. For an example of poor communicating skills, look at this email below.

Bad example:

Dear James,

I would like to talk to you about the new client’s project which the engineering team had
discussed yesterday. I might need the help of John from your team.

Regards,
Kevin

There are innumerable things that are wrong in this email. James might not even know who
the new client is or what the project is about. He probably was not part of the meeting with
the engineering team. Furthermore, there might be more than one John in James’ big team.
Kevin also mentions that he wants to talk. However, he hasn’t mentioned what time he
would like to talk, neither has he asked James if he would be free at any of the time slots
available.

Here’s how this email could be made clearer.

Good example:

Dear James,
 As you may know we have signed up XYZ as our new client. I had a meeting with the
engineering team yesterday and had discussed the campaign requirements for this project.
John Redden from your team had done a pretty good job last time doing the social media
campaign for ABC and so I would like him to work on the XYZ campaign too. Would you be
available sometime tomorrow to discuss this further?

Regards
Kevin

This email has all the information James needs to know. He can be well prepared for the
meeting and also check on John’s availability and have an answer for Kevin when they meet
the next day – in whichever time slot both the men are free.

2. Correct

When too many emails are being written in a day, people tend to type fast and therefore might
make spelling mistakes. Spell check will not be able to catch it if the wrongly spelt word is in fact
another word in the English language. You also need to ensure that you address people the right way
and spell their names correctly. Additionally, you need to ensure that the reader has sufficient
knowledge and education to understand the technical terms that you use in your communication.

Bad example:

Dear David,

Further to our conservation today, I am attaching the plan for the first stage of the project. Hope the
one weak deadline is okay with you and your team.

Regards

Sally

There were two glaring spelling errors in this e-mail. ‘Conversation’ was spelled ‘conservation’ and
‘week’ was spelled ‘weak’. Though these are minor errors, they could gravely impact the credibility
of your professionalism and the brand image of the organization you represent. Therefore, it is
absolutely necessary to check all your spellings and prefixes before you send an email, especially if
you are sending it to a client or a vendor outside of your company.

. Complete
A complete message will have all the information the reader needs to know to be able to
respond or take action. If you require the reader to take some kind of action, ensure that
you have a ‘call-to-action’ in your email and also communicate the urgency of the task in
question. Incomplete messages lead to iterations, a lot of back-and-forth, and waste of time
and effort on both ends. Here is an example of an incomplete message.

Bad example:

Hi all,

Let us meet tomorrow to discuss the product launch event. Please be there on time.

Thanks
Chris

There is no mention of the time of the meeting scheduled for, or the location, neither is
there any set agenda. The recipients of the email would have to write back or call back to
Chris to clarify.

Good example:

The best way to have written this email is:

Hi all,

Let us meet tomorrow at 11 am at Conference room 3 to discuss the product launch event.
We will have to decide the keynote speakers and complete the event invite draft tomorrow.
Please be there on time.

Thanks
Chris

3. Concise
People more often than not tend to write 4 sentences in a place where they could have
finished the message in 2 sentences. This wastes the time of the sender and the receiver and
in turn limits their productivity too. Furthermore, try not to add fillers such as ‘I mean’, ‘sort
of’, ‘for instance’, ‘basically’, etc. Your message needs to be accurate, to the point and crisp.
Here is an example of a bad email.

Bad example:

Hi Suzanne,

I think we need to talk about the CSR campaign, I mean the one which we need to do as a
quarterly exercise. I think it is a great way of enhancing our brand image. Basically, it would
just be a visit to an orphanage but we can sort of do other things too. For instance, we could
take the kids out for a short trip to a nearby park or zoo. Let us sit and talk tomorrow.

Regards
Jennifer
The mail is full of fillers and extended phrases wherein she could have finished the email in
just two sentences, such as the one below.

Good example:

Hi Suzanne,

I need to discuss the quarterly CSR campaign with you. Let us take the kids out this time to a
nearby park or zoo instead of just visiting them. This will help enhance our brand image.
We’ll talk in detail tomorrow.

Regards
Jennifer

4. Concrete
You need to believe in you what you want to convey to the audience. Concreteness is a
quality which needs to come to the fore especially during marketing or advertising
campaigns. There need to be details that capture the attention of the audience, not bore
them.

Bad example:

“Hilltop Resort is the best resort. Do come to us on your next holiday”

This is a vague ad message. It is made to sound like just another resort advertisement among
a hundred others. The audience will never remember this ad message. There are no
concrete details to take away from this message.

Good example:

“Hilltop Resort is the jewel of the western hills. Take a break from your work. Escape from
life’s chaos and stress. Relax and rejuvenate yourself at Hilltop. Go back fresh and
energized!”

This message gives you visualizing details. The reader can actually imagine being in a
beautiful resort breathing fresh air and swimming in a pool instead of slogging away at his or
her office. That is a concrete message conveyed to the audience.

5. Coherent
Your message needs to have a logical flow. All sentences in your email or report
should be connected to the previous one and stick to the main topic. Without
coherence, the reader will easily lose track of what you have conveyed.

Bad example:

Dear Nam,
 Thanks for submitting the industry report. Finn will give you some feedback on it.
Finn also wanted to find out if you will be available for the client meeting tomorrow.
We will be discussing the budget for the next phase of the project.

Regards
Shirley

The email was supposed to be about the industry report which was submitted and
the feedback for it. The question about the meeting had come out of nowhere and
will now distract Nam and her priorities.

Good example:

Dear Nam,

Thanks for submitting the industry report. Finn will give you some feedback on it.
You will be receiving an email from him with detailed comments.

Regards
Shirley

This email talks only about the report. Therefore, Nam knows that her report has
been viewed and she needs to wait for feedback. There are no other distractions.
The query about the meeting must have been an entirely different email.

6. Courteous
Being courteous is of profound importance in a corporate setting. Individuals who work
together are not necessarily friends and therefore, to maintain a healthy working
relationship, being courteous is a necessity. Hidden insults and aggressive tones will only
cause trouble among individuals and result in reduced morale and productivity.

Bad example:

Hi Drew,

I really do not appreciate how your IT team ignores the requests of my team alone. My team
is an important function in this organization too and we have our own IT requirement. Can
you ensure that your team responds promptly to my team’s requests hereon?

Regards
Stanley

This email is condescending, judgmental, and disrespectful. Drew might now order his team
to not respond to your team’s requirements entirely. Try this instead:

Good example:
Hi Drew,

I understand that the IT team is swamped with work and gets requests from every
department in the organization. My team, however, is working on a high-priority project and
I would greatly appreciate if you could ask your team members to respond to my team’s
queries promptly and help us complete this project on time. Please do let me know if you
need anything from me.

Regards
Stanley

As a result of the polite request, it is likely that Drew will feel appreciated and important and
he will definitely ask his team to help your team out. Work gets done and everybody is
happy too

Discuss basic structure of a speech

...
17. State the 8 effective ways to open a speech.

Begin with the way things used to be. This strategy is useful to set up a talk about change or a
new proposal for your team, your organization, or your profession. “It used to be that we could
count on our customers to. . . .” “Until only recently, everyone thought that renters would
always. . . . “Remember how things used to quiet down in the summer?” The idea is to get your
audience nodding in recognition, or smiling at the quaintness of yesterday, or waxing nostalgic
about last Tuesday. Then, they’ll listen in the right frame for the new insight or proposal you’re
going to hit them with.

2. Start with a strong emotion. Whether positive or negative, strong emotions catch the
attention and set up the discussion in an interesting way. “The worst thing about our profession
is. . . .” “What I love about penguins is the way that they. . . .” “I hate, positively hate, serif
typefaces. . . .” The point here is that you’ll get a reaction, either positive or negative, and focus
the audience on the point you want them to think about. We react to strong emotions, like train
wrecks, and we can’t take our (metaphorical) eyes off them.

3. Thank the audience for something they’ve done. You can never go wrong praising the
audience, whether they fully deserve it or not. It’s flattery, sure, but it works, and disarms the
audience, setting them up to listen more favorably to your next point. “Let’s start by giving
yourselves a round of applause. No team could have managed these last difficult months better
than this one. You’ve been heroes. . . .” The applause then allows you to make the further ask:
“That’s why I’m confident that you’ll be able to. . . .”

4. Cut away the extraneous and get to the essence. This move takes confidence, but with the
right understanding of your audience, it can be highly effective. “The one thing that matters this
election year is the economy. . . .” “Today I want to talk about fairness. . . .” “When it comes to
the environment, there’s only one number you need to know. . . .” This device is most useful
when you’re dealing with a highly complex subject, or a debate with many sides and a lot of
history. It’s a way of clearing away the undergrowth and revealing the essential issue
underneath all the excess.

5. Make a big demand. Asking the audience something big, or excessive, or unreasonable is
counterintuitive. To make this kind of ask requires a deep understanding of your audience, and a
strong sense of your own position. But people love to commit to audacious goals, so don’t be
afraid of invoking something that you truly believe to be important. “We choose to go to the
moon. . . .” “Let’s make history tonight. . . .” “Why not make the news for once instead of
reacting to it? Let’s. . . . “

6. Break down what you’re talking about into simple steps. One of the most appealing tropes in
public speaking is to make the complicated simple. “There are only three ways that you can
design a book cover. . . .” “Financial security is really very simple. You can accomplish it in three
steps. First. . . .” Just make sure you know what you’re talking about. You don’t want the
audience immediately thinking of everything you’ve left out. This kind of simplicity demands real
expertise to be effective.

7. Map out the future. The enduring appeal of fortune tellers has something to do with the
certainty, I suppose, they seem to give one over the uncertain future. You can partake of the
allure of the crystal ball set by giving your audience a schema for handling the future. “I see this
playing out in one of three ways. . . .” “Watch for one of two things to happen. When you see
either one, you’ll know that. . . .” It doesn’t really matter if you predict the future accurately or
not; what you’re doing is giving your audience a way of thinking about the future that feels
manageable.

8. Ask the audience to imagine something completely different. This approach is effective with
professional organizations, or teams that have been doing things a certain way for a long time,
or indeed anyone who has struggled with a status quo that seems set forever. “What if higher
education were free to all?” “I’d like to begin by asking you to imagine a world with no hunger. .
. .” “We’ve always assumed that Moore’s Law had a finite end. What if we could suddenly
increase computing power by a factor of a thousand?”
18. What are the six common barriers to effective communication? What are the different ways
of overcome each of these barriers?

Linguistic Barriers

The language barrier is one of the main barriers that limit effective communication. Language is
the most commonly employed tool of communication. The fact that each major region has its
own language is one of the Barriers to effective communication. Sometimes even a thick dialect
may render the communication ineffective.

As per some estimates, the dialects of every two regions changes within a few kilometers. Even
in the same workplace, different employees will have different linguistic skills. As a result, the
communication channels that span across the organization would be affected by this.

Thus keeping this barrier in mind, different considerations have to be made for different
employees. Some of them are very proficient in a certain language and others will be ok with
these languages.

Psychological Barriers

There are various mental and psychological issues that may be barriers to effective
communication. Some people have stage fear, speech disorders, phobia, depression etc. All of
these conditions are very difficult to manage sometimes and will most certainly limit the ease of
communication.

Emotional Barriers

The emotional IQ of a person determines the ease and comfort with which they can
communicate. A person who is emotionally mature will be able to communicate effectively. On
the other hand, people who let their emotions take over will face certain difficulties.

Cultural Barriers of Communication

As the world is getting more and more globalized, any large office may have people from several
parts of the world. Different cultures have a different meaning for several basic values of society.
Dressing, Religions or lack of them, food, drinks, pets, and the general behaviour will change
drastically from one culture to another.

Hence it is a must that we must take these different cultures into account while communication.
This is what we call being culturally appropriate. In many multinational companies, special
courses are offered at the orientation stages that let people know about other cultures and how
to be courteous and tolerant of others.

Organisational Structure Barriers

As we saw there are many methods of communication at an organizational level. Each of these
methods has its own problems and constraints that may become barriers to effective
communication. Most of these barriers arise because of misinformation or lack of appropriate
transparency available to the employees.

Attitude Barriers

Certain people like to be left alone. They are the introverts or just people who are not very
social. Others like to be social or sometimes extra clingy! Both these cases could become a
barrier to communication. Some people have attitude issues, like huge ego and inconsiderate
behaviours.

Barriers to communication can be overcome by:

Checking whether it is a good time and place to communicate with the person

Being clear and using language that the person understands

Communicating one thing at a time

Respecting a person’s desire to not communicate

Checking that the person has understood you correctly

Communicating in a location that is free of distractions

Acknowledging any emotional responses the person has to what you have said.

19. Explain the common organizing patterns in the body of a speech.

Categorical/Topical
By far the most common pattern for organizing a speech is by categories or topics. The
categories function as a way to help the speaker organize the message in a consistent
fashion. The goal of a categorical/topical speech pattern is to create categories (or chunks)
of information that go together to help support your original specific purpose.

Comparison/Contrast
Another method for organizing main points is the comparison/contrast speech pattern.
While this pattern clearly lends itself easily to two main points, you can also create a third
point by giving basic information about what is being compared and what is being
contrasted.
 The spatial speech pattern organizes information according to how things fit together in
physical space. This pattern is best used when your main points are oriented to different
locations that can exist independently. The basic reason to choose this format is to show
that the main points have clear locations

Causal
The causal speech pattern is used to explain cause-and-effect relationships. When you use a
causal speech pattern, your speech will have two basic main points: cause and effect. In the
first main point, typically you will talk about the causes of a phenomenon, and in the second
main point you will then show how the causes lead to either a specific effect or a small set of
effects

Problem-Cause-Solution
Another format for organizing distinct main points in a clear manner is the problem-cause-
solution speech pattern. In this format you describe a problem, identify what you believe is
causing the problem, and then recommend a solution to correct the problem.

Psychological
A further way to organize your main ideas within a speech is through a psychological speech
pattern in which “a” leads to “b” and “b” leads to “c.” This speech format is designed to
follow a logical argument, so this format lends itself to persuasive speeches very easily

Selecting an Organizational Pattern

Each of the preceding organizational patterns is potentially useful for organizing the main
points of your speech. However, not all organizational patterns work for all speeches. For
example, as we mentioned earlier, the biographical pattern is useful when you are telling
the story of someone’s life. Some other patterns, particularly comparison/contrast,
problem-cause-solution, and psychological, are well suited for persuasive speaking. Your
challenge is to choose the best pattern for the particular speech you are giving.

You will want to be aware that it is also possible to combine two or more organizational
patterns to meet the goals of a specific speech. For example, you might wish to discuss a
problem and then compare/contrast several different possible solutions for the audience.
Such a speech would thus be combining elements of the comparison/contrast and problem-
cause-solution patterns. When considering which organizational pattern to use, you need to
keep in mind your specific purpose as well as your audience and the actual speech material
itself to decide which pattern you think will work best.

20. What are the four types of business writing? Give examples for each.

Instructional Business Writing

Instructional business writing provides the reader with information needed to complete a
specific task, either immediately or in the future. This type of document breaks the task
down into chronological steps that are understandable to the reader.
 Examples of instructional business writing include user manuals, specifications and memos.
Many instructional documents also fall under the domain of technical writing, which is
closely related to business writing.

With this type of writing, it’s important to remember how much – or how little – the reader
knows about the topic at hand, so the document can provide any missing information.

Informational Business Writing

Informational business writing pertains to recording business information accurately and
consistently. This type of business writing doesn’t necessarily require action from the reader,
but it’s essential for keeping them up to date on core functions of the business.

The bulk of informational writing is report writing, which is used to capture work completed,
to record incidents, to finalize projects and to act as an archive. Other examples of this type
of writing include quarterly financial reports and meeting minutes.

Persuasive Business Writing

Persuasive business writing aims to both convey information to a reader and convince them
that the presented information offers the best value. The text is written to impress the
reader, which is important for making sales and furthering client relationships.

Examples of persuasive business writing include promotional content like ads, brochures and
press releases. Sales decks and proposals to prospects also fall under this category, along
with cover letters and resumes.

When writing persuasive material, focus less on the business and more on what the reader
wants and the kinds of problems they are trying to solve.

Transactional Business Writing

Transactional business writing consists of day-to-day communication at the workplace. It’s
used to progress general operations and also to convey good and bad news, often related to
human resource processes.

The majority of transactional business writing is done by email, but also includes official
letters, forms and invoices. A dismissal notice, which provides necessary context and details
for termination, is another example of this type of writing.

21. Discuss the four basic principles of business writing.

Principles of Good Business Writing

1. Clarity of purpose
Before beginning a business document, memo, or email, one should ponder two primary
questions:

Who is the reader?

What do I want to convey to the reader through my writing?
Clarity of purpose gives a direction to the writing and develops its tone, structure, and flow.

2. Clarity of thought
Thinking while, rather than before writing, makes the writing less structured, meandering,
and repetitive. Business writing requires the skill to reduce long, rambling sentences into
concise, clear ones. One needs to extract what is significant to write clearly.

3. Convey accurate and relevant information

The primary goal of business writing is to convey valuable information. Inaccurate or
irrelevant content affects the purpose of the document. For effective business writing,
information must be value-additive and complete.

4. Avoid jargon
A simple and uncluttered writing style goes a long way in communicating the message to the
reader. Grandiose writing full of industry-specific buzzwords and acronyms should be
avoided to the maximum possible extent. Otherwise, the reader may be unable to
comprehend the document or lose interest in it.

5. Read and revise

Reading the passages out loud after completion can reveal flaws and gaps in the arguments.
It is recommended to welcome constructive feedback from colleagues and revise the
document for improvement.

6. Practice is the key

Proficiency in business writing can be attained through regular practice. Paying attention to
the vocabulary, sentence structure, and style of writing while reading can help to develop
the same instinct while penning one’s thoughts down.

7. Be direct
Presenting the crux of the passage in the first 150 words is a good idea when it comes to
business writing. It saves the reader time and sharpens the argument.
 8. Avoid verbosity
If the meaning can be conveyed in three words, it should not be stretched to five. Verbosity
works against making the writing engaging to the reader. For example, instead of writing
“the article uses more words than are needed,” write “the article is verbose.”

9. Correct grammar and sentence structure

While a grammatical error may come across as unprofessional, good grammar portrays both
attention to detail and skill – traits that are highly valued in business.

22. State the 4 effective ways to close a speech.

) Plan Your Closing Remarks Word for Word

To ensure that your conclusion is as powerful as it can be, you must plan it word for word.

Ask yourself, “What is the purpose of this talk?”

Your answer should involve the actions that you want your listeners to take after hearing you
speak on this subject.

When you are clear about the end result you desire, it becomes much easier to design a
conclusion that asks your listeners to take that action.

The best strategy for ending with a BANG is to plan your close before you plan the rest of your
speech.
You then go back and design your opening so that it sets the stage for your conclusion.

The body of your talk is where you present your ideas and make your case for what you want the
audience to think, remember, and do after hearing you speak.

2) Always End a Speech With a Call to Action

It is especially important to tell the audience what you want it to do as a result of hearing you
speak.

A call to action is the best way to wrap up your talk with strength and power.

Here is a Speech Conclusion Call to Action Example

“We have great challenges and great opportunities, and with your help, we will meet them and
make this next year the best year in our history!”

Whatever you say, imagine an exclamation point at the end. As you approach the conclusion,
pick up your energy and tempo. This is even more important if the presentation you are giving is
virtual.

Speak with strength and emphasis.

Drive the final point home.

Regardless of whether the audience participants agree with you or are willing to do what you
ask, it should be perfectly clear to them what you are requesting.

3) End a Speech With a Summary

There is a simple formula for any talk:

Tell them what you are going to tell them.

Tell them.

Then, tell them what you told them.

As you approach the end of your talk, say something like,

“Let me briefly restate these main points…”

You then list your key points, one by one, and repeat them to the audience, showing how each
of them links to the other points.

Audiences appreciate a linear repetition of what they have just heard.

This makes it clear that you are coming to the end of your talk.

4) Close with a story

As you reach the end of your talk, you can say,

“Let me tell you a story that illustrates what I have been talking about…”

You then tell a brief story with a moral and then tell the audience what the moral is.

Don’t leave it to them to figure out for themselves.

Often you can close with a story that illustrates your key points and then clearly links to the key
message that you are making with your speech.

To learn more about storytelling in speaking, you can read my previous blog post “8 Public
Speaking Tips to Wow Your Audience.”

Here’s a recap of these 4 tips in a video…

Keep reading for the other 5 speech conclusion techniques.

5) Make Them Laugh

You can close with humor.

You can tell a joke that loops back into your subject and repeats the lesson or main point you are
making with a story that makes everyone laugh.

During my talks on planning and persistence, I discuss the biggest enemy that we have, which is
the tendency to follow the path of least resistance. I then tell this story.

Ole and Sven are out hunting in Minnesota and they shoot a deer. They begin dragging the deer
back to the truck by the tail, but they keep slipping and losing both their grip and their balance.

A farmer comes along and asks them, “What are you boys doing?”

They reply, “We’re dragging the deer back to the truck.”

The farmer tells them, “You are not supposed to drag a deer by the tail. You’re supposed to drag
the deer by the handles. They’re called antlers. You’re supposed to drag a deer by the antlers.”

Ole and Sven say, “Thank you very much for the idea.”

They begin pulling the deer by the antlers. After about five minutes, they are making rapid
progress. Ole says to Sven, “Sven, the farmer was right. It goes a lot easier by the antlers.”

Sven replies, “Yeah, but we’re getting farther and farther from the truck.”

After the laughter dies down, I say…

“The majority of people in life are pulling the easy way, but they are getting further and further
from the ‘truck’ or their real goals and objectives.”

That’s just one example of closing using humor.

Need a bit of motivation?

Identify what motivates you and how to harness your full potential with my free workbook.
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6) Make It Rhyme

You can close with a poem.

There are many fine poems that contain messages that summarize the key points you want to
make.

You can select a poem that is moving, dramatic, or emotional.

For years I ended seminars with the poem, “Don’t Quit,” or “Carry On!” by Robert W. Service. It
was always well received by the audience.

7) Close With Inspiration

You can end a speech with something inspirational as well.

If you have given an uplifting talk, remember that hope is and has always been, the main religion
of mankind.

People love to be motivated and inspired to be or do something different and better in the
future.

Here are a few of my favorite inspirational quotes that can be tied into most speeches.

Remember, everyone in your audience is dealing with problems, difficulties, challenges,

disappointments, setbacks, and temporary failures.

For this reason, everyone appreciates a poem, quote or story of encouragement that gives them
strength and courage.

Here are 7 Tips to Tell an Inspiring Poem or Story to End Your Speech

You have to slow down and add emotion and drama to your words.
Raise your voice on a key line of the poem, and then drop it when you’re saying something that
is intimate and emotional.

Pick up the tempo occasionally as you go through the story or poem, but them slow down on the
most memorable parts.

Especially, double the number of pauses you normally use in a conversation.

Use dramatic pauses at the end of a line to allow the audience to digest the words and catch up
with you.

Smile if the line is funny, and be serious if the line is more thought-provoking or emotional.

When you come to the end of your talk, be sure to bring your voice up on the last line, rather
than letting it drop. Remember the “exclamation point” at the end.

Try practicing on this poem that I referenced above…

Read through “Carry On!” by Robert Service.

Identify the key lines, intimate parts, and memorable parts, and recite it.

8) Make it Clear That You’re Done

When you say your final words, it should be clear to everyone that you have ended. There
should be no ambiguity or confusion in the mind of your audience. The audience members
should know that this is the end.

Many speakers just allow their talks to wind down.

They say something like, “Well, that just about covers it. Thank you.”

This isn’t a good idea…

It’s not powerful…

It’s not an authoritative ending and thus detracts from your credibility and influence.

When you have concluded, discipline yourself to stand perfectly still. Select a friendly face in the
audience and look straight at that person.
If it is appropriate, smile warmly at that person to signal that your speech has come to an end.

Resist the temptation to:

Shuffle papers.

Fidget with your clothes or microphone.

Move forward, backward, or sideways.

Do anything else except stand solidly, like a tree.

9) Let Them Applaud

When you have finished your talk, the audience members will want to applaud…

What they need from you is a clear signal that now is the time to begin clapping.

How do you signal this?

Some people will recognize sooner than others that you have concluded your remarks.

In many cases, when you make your concluding comments and stop talking, the audience
members will be completely silent.

They may be unsure whether you are finished.

They may be processing your final remarks and thinking them over. They may not know what to
do until someone else does something.

In a few seconds, which will often feel like several minutes, people will applaud.

First one…

Then another…
Then the entire audience will begin clapping.

When someone begins to applaud, look directly at that person, smile, and mouth the words
thank you.

As more and more people applaud, sweep slowly from person to person, nodding, smiling and
saying, “Thank You.”

Eventually, the whole room will be clapping.

There’s no better reward for overcoming your fear of public speaking than enjoying a round of
applause.

BONUS TIP: How to Handle a Standing Ovation

If you have given a moving talk and really connected with your audience, someone will stand up
and applaud. When this happens, encourage others by looking directly at the clapper and saying,
“Thank you.”

This will often prompt other members of the audience to stand.

As people see others standing, they will stand as well, applauding the whole time.

It is not uncommon for a speaker to conclude his or her remarks, stand silently, and have the
entire audience sit silently in response.

Stand Comfortably and Shake Hands

But as the speaker stands there comfortably, waiting for the audience to realize the talk is over,
one by one people will begin to applaud and often stand up one by one.

If the first row of audience members is close in front of you, step or lean forward and shake that
person’s hand when one of them stands up to applaud.

When you shake hands with one person in the audience, many other people in the audience feel
that you are shaking their hands and congratulating them as well.
.
23. Write short notes about three types of business letters.

Letters of recommendation
You might write a letter of recommendation on behalf of another professional to verify their
qualifications and work ethic. A letter of recommendation can strengthen an application for
employment, higher education or another professional opportunity. Some jobs require
recommendation letters from two to three people who can discuss your qualifications for
potential roles. Letters of recommendation include:

Relationship of the recommendation

Evaluation of the candidate’s qualifications
Examples
Closing statement
3. Interview follow-up letters
An interview follow-up letter is a message you send to interviewers to thank them for their
time. This shows hiring managers you are respectful and grateful for their consideration for a
position. Be sure to send this follow-up letter within a day of the interview to express your
thanks and to reiterate your interest in the position. Include key details from the interview
that show how you were actively listening. Components of an interview follow-up letter
include:

Interview overview
Expression of thanks
Your skills and qualifications
4. Offer letters
An offer letter is one that employers send to inform a jobseeker that they want to hire them.
These letters often accompany a verbal offer. Within the letter, you find key details about
the position, including salary, start date, benefits and other employment terms. Candidates
respond and choose to accept the offer, negotiate terms or decline. Parts of an offer letter
include:

Job description
Job title
Projected start date
Salary
Benefits
Requested acceptance timeline
. Sales letters
The purpose of a sales letter is to introduce a service or product to a client or customer.
Sales professionals often use these letters when contacting prospective buyers or
strengthening relationships with longtime clients. Sales letters help you personally connect
to clients. Components of a sales letter include:
 Product description
Cost
Invitation to purchase or try a product
6. Letters of commendation
Employers write letters of commendation to express pride and gratitude for exceptional
performance. These show employee appreciation, and managers might send them out to
the entire staff to congratulate an employee for successfully completing a project. This can
boost an employee’s morale and encourage other employees to excel. Parts of a
commendation letter Include:

Purpose of letter
Details of success
Invitation to congratulate

24. What are the main components of a business report?

Title Page
Begin most business reports with a title page that contains the full title of the report, the
name of the author or compiler, the name of the intended audience and the date of
submission. A title page may also include the name of the organization for which the report
has been prepared.

Abstract or Executive Summary

Highlight the main purpose and the primary points of a business report with a 200- to 250-
word “abstract” or a one-page or shorter “executive summary.” Abstracts and executive
summaries usually follow the title page on a separate page and highlight the purpose,
methods, scope, findings, conclusions and recommendations of the report.

Table of Contents
List the contents of a business report on a separate “Table of Contents” page. The table of
contents page may precede or follow the abstract and should identify each primary section
of the report by page number and in order of appearance.

List of Figures, Tables, Abbreviations or Symbols

If you include more than five figures or tables, list these items by page number on a “List of
Figures” or “List of Tables” page following the table of contents. If the report uses several
abbreviations or symbols, identify these as well on a separate “List of Abbreviations” or “List
of Symbols” page.

Introduction
Begin the body of your report with an introduction that presents the purpose and scope of
the report. Any background information or research necessary for understanding the rest of
the report should be presented here.

Body
Identify primary sections of the body of the report with appropriate headings. These
sections will cover the central content of the report, whether you are reporting on a current
problem, a potential solution or some other subject of interest to your audience.
Compliment this material, where appropriate, with illustrations and tables as well as with
research and sources.

Conclusions and Recommendations

At the end of the body of the report, present your concluding ideas and arguments in the
“Conclusions” section. If appropriate, state your “Recommendations” as well, indicating the
course of action you suggest in light of your arguments in the body of the report.

Endnotes or Explanatory Notes

If you do not include footnotes in the body of the report, you may find it helpful to include
“Endnotes” or “Explanatory Notes” after your conclusions section. These notes provide
additional helpful information for your readers that may be distracting if it were included in
the body of the report.

Bibliography, References or Works Cited

List the references that you use either to prepare your report or to support the argument
and ideas in your report on a separate “Bibliography,” References” or “Works Cited” page
after the endnotes section. Include any research sources, such as websites, books or
interviews, that you used during your research or referenced directly in the text of your
report.

Appendix and Glossary

If helpful for your readers, you may also want to include an “Appendix” or a “Glossary” at
the end of your report. An “Appendix” provides information that is too detailed or involved
to be included in the body of the report, but that may be helpful as additional reading. A
“Glossary” alphabetically lists specialized terminology with definitions.
25. Discuss the three major types of business reports.
Informational Reports
You ask for this report when you want objective information on something. It presents non-
biased facts without explaining the reasons and the possible outcomes of a situation. It is
 the ideal business report for learning things such as the number of employees, the role each
of them plays in the company, or the departments the employees work in.

Analytical Report
This type of business report is usually required when a company is trying to make an
important decision. An analytical report analyzes the company’s situation, presenting
relevant information, explanations, and conclusions. It helps the company to make good
decisions going forward.

Research Report
This is the most comprehensive type of business reports required when a company
considers trying something new, such as going into a new geographical area or offering a
new product. A team of specialists or researchers are given a topic and asked to find all the
relevant statistics and details obtained from an informational report, followed by a detailed
analysis of the data found in the analytical report. The conclusion of the research report will
be based on the available data obtained from the analytical and informational reports.

Explanatory Report
This report is required when you want to explain a topic or situation so that everyone can
understand it. For example, you can write it to explain the research you’ve conducted. Along
with the table showing the results, you should include the reason for the research, sample
sizes, methodology, etc. After explaining the results, you should briefly summarize the
findings

26. What is the difference between Metaphor and Simile?

While both similes and metaphors are used to make comparisons, the difference between
similes and metaphors comes down to a word. Similes use the words like or as to compare
things—“Life is like a box of chocolates.” In contrast, metaphors directly state a
comparison—“Love is a battlefield.”

Here are some examples of similes and metaphors:

Life is like a box of chocolates. (Simile) My life is an open book. (Metaphor) That baby is as
cute as a button!(Simile) Baby, you’re a firework.(Metaphor)

27. Define email etiquettes.

Email etiquette is the use of appropriate language, conventions and formality in an email.
Business emails usually demand formal language and strict adherence to proper grammar
and spelling. Using appropriate email etiquette shows the email’s recipient that you care
about your relationship with them, you value your professionalism and you represent the
company for which you work well.
28. What are the different elements of an email?

. Subject Line

What is the email about? A good subject line summarizes the email and makes it sound
important enough for the reader to open. Subject lines like “Hello” or “Meeting” are vague and
make it difficult to know what the email will be about.

2. Sender

The email address of the person who sent the message appears here. Most email services
display the person’s name before their email address to make it easier to identify them. When
you press “reply,” your email will only go to this person.

3. Recipient

If you are receiving the message, your email address probably won’t appear here. Instead, you
might see wording like “to me.” Message recipients might also include email addresses in these
sections:

Carbon Copy (CC) – people who receive the email for their own information, but who are not
expected to reply. When you press “reply all,” all of these addresses receive your response.

Blind Carbon Copy (BCC) – people who receive the email but are not listed as recipients. Senders
use the BCC section if they don’t want recipients to know who else has received the email. They
do not receive “reply all” responses.

4. Salutation

After the subject line, your email salutation, or greeting, is the next part that the recipient will
see. It should match the tone you’re trying to set in the rest of your email. Don’t skip this part
unless you are emailing back and forth quickly with someone in a virtual conversation.

5. Email Body

The email body contains the message of the email. Effective emails keep their email bodies short
and add more extensive information to the attachments. For formal emails, such as messages to
an employer or emails to your teacher, it’s best to avoid common email abbreviations.

6. Closing
If an email message is an electronic letter, it’s polite to end it with a closing. The closing you
choose should match the tone of the rest of the email. Formal closings include “Sincerely” and
“Thank you,” while more friendly messages can use “Talk to you soon!” or “See you later!”

7. Signature

Friendly letters might sign off with the sender’s name. But many business email accounts have
signature sections that include the sender’s position, company and even company logo. These
extended signatures are helpful when reaching out to clients or employees from other
companies.

8. Attachments

An email might include an attachment that provides more information. The attachment could be
a document for review, a picture to share or any other file type. Most email accounts have limits
on the size of attachments, so the sender might add the file to the email body itself rather than
attaching it.

Basic parts of an email

Parts of an Email Address

Believe it or not, your email address provides a lot of information about you. It can reveal your
name, interests, online savvy, and professionalism. Check your email address against these parts
and see if it’s time to change your online persona to a new one.

1. Username

The username is the first part of an email address. Back in the early days of the Internet, people
chose fun usernames like “musicfan156” or “blueeyes563” that described their hobbies or
personalities. But now that email is so prominent in the professional world, usernames tend to
include the person’s real name or initials. For example, Javier Martinez is more likely to be taken
seriously as “jmartinez” than as “heavymetallover42628.”

2. @ Symbol

The @ symbol, which means “at,” separates the username from the rest of the email address. It
means that the username belongs to the domain on the other side of the @ symbol. A server
receiving the email uses the @ symbol to determine into which mail server it should sort the
incoming message.
3. Mail Server

The name of the person’s mail server is on the right side of the @ symbol. It indicates the
organization that hosts the server where their emails go. Many companies create their own
domain names for their employees to use, while other domains are available for personal use
(for example: Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook).

4. Top-Level Domain

The mail server and top-level domain (TLD) combine to make a user’s domain name. The top-
level domain tells users what type of organization they are emailing. There are six common top-
level domains:

.com – company

.edu – educational institution

.gov – government institution

.org – organization

.net – network
 29. What are the different elements of an email signature?

Elements of a professional signature for new emails

In business communication, it is a common practice to have two versions of a corporate email

signature block. The first version, you use when sending new emails. The second version, much
simpler, you use when replying or sending emails internally. Let’s first focus on the signature you can
add to new emails when starting an online business conversation.

A good email signature for new emails should include the following elements:

First name and last name

Title and department

Email address and telephone number

Company logo and company name

Company physical address

Social media icons linked to official company profiles

Disclaimer

Banner (optional)

First name and last name

This is so obvious component of every email signature that I should perhaps not even mention it. But
as I talk about a good signature this is the first element to put into your signature – your first and last
name. Nowadays, it seems that more and more companies try to be more casual in daily business
conversations so you may find yourself in a situation when your recipients starts calling you by your
name, replacing cold “Hello Mr. Doe” with a friendly “Hi John”.

Title and department

It may seem not always necessary to put that detail in your email signature but I have noticed it
helps recipients orientate who they are talking to, and if necessary, they may ask to speak to
someone else. For example, they may ask to speak to someone from another department (want to
reach Sales person while having conversation with a Support person) or someone with different
position (speak to the Manager rather than Junior specialist if a case is not moving forward).

Email address and telephone number

I know what some of you may think now – “what the heck do I need email address in EMAIL
signature for?” Well there is a good reason. Your email not always stops its journey in the recipient’s
inbox – it can simply be forwarded to other recipients, and then again so the final recipient may have
hard time contacting you directly. Especially, when the display name shows just your first and last
name, and no email address. And if the character of your job involves frequent calls with your
business partners, then providing your telephone number in the signature block can be essential.

Company logo and company name

Company name is almost so obvious element of a solid email signature as your own name. Your
recipient wants to know who they are talking to. And if you want to make it even more straight-to-
the-point, don’t be afraid of using your company logo in email signatures. It not only makes your
emails more attractive, but also it is easier for the recipient to quickly identify you and your
company. It is a very important element especially when exchanging business emails.

Company physical address

With the first email you send, it is a good practice to use the signature where you put details about
your company’s physical address. There are even certain laws that regulate this aspect of email
conversations requiring companies to provide their physical addresses in email signatures. If you run
a business based on the physical location (like e.g. a shop or a restaurant), then this may be even
easier for your potential clients to find you.

Social media icons linked to official company profiles

In today’s world, I don’t know a company which has no official social profile. Well, to be more
specific, any serious company. However, you can still find companies out there that have no social
presence. But this is not in their favor. Personally, if I look for a company I want to have a business
interaction with, I try to verify its credibility by searching for their Facebook or Twitter accounts. If
the company is there and their post are up-to-date then I am more likely to trust such a company.
And if a company works actively in the social communities responding to user questions this is even
better. So try to make your potential clients’ life easier and put social media icons into your email
signature. Of course, each social media icon should link to your official profile on a given platform.

Disclaimer

Disclaimer is a block of a legal text that you should add to every new email you send outside your
organization. If you want to learn more about disclaimers and why it is important to have them as a
part of your signature block, see those tips and examples of good email disclaimers. Information you
put into the disclaimer’s text may save your company in case of legal actions.

Banner (optional)

Banners are a great opportunity to communicate some sadditional information about your company
products, achievements, important announcements, etc. It can attract the recipients’ attention and
make your signature more distinguished from the background. If you make it clickable, the signature
can convert into a cheap tool for marketing campaigns. But a banner can also spoil your email
signature design if it does not match the company visual identity, it is too big, too small or of poor
quality.

What all have to be kept in mind while dealing email attachment

How to write an email with an attachment

Consider these five steps when composing and sending an email

containing an attachment:

1. Determine what files you wish to send

Before writing the email, you should know exactly what file you are
about to send and where it is located on your device's hard drive or
memory drive. Knowing what file or files you are about to send is
important because you need to mention them in the email's text, and
knowing their location can help you quickly locate and attach them
before sending the email.

2. Write the email's subject line

The next step is composing the email's subject line. As many potential
recipients tend to disregard emails with attachments unless they know
what the attached files are, the email's subject should reflect the fact
that it contains one or more attached files and provide information
regarding what they are.
3. Compose the email's body

If the attachments are the only reason you need to send a message,
the email's body can simply be a brief description of the attached files.
If the attached files are only a part of what the email aims to transmit,
they need to be mentioned somewhere in the body, ideally with a
short sentence that specifies what they are. Sending an email with
attachments and no text is not recommended, as the recipient or their
email provider may confuse them with spam.

4. Attach the files

After composing the email, the final step before sending it is attaching
the necessary file or files. However, this step can take place at any time
during the composing and sending process. Many senders prefer to
attach the files before writing the email because it eliminates the risk
of forgetting to attach them altogether.

5. Review and send the email

Once the email's subject and body are written and the files are
attached, you can do a quick proofread and send the email to the
recipient

30. What are the tips to avoid email overload?

There would be plenty of ways to manage the adverse flow of email. I have listed the top 9
approaches to manage the email overload:

1. Plan specific time for email usage

Assign a specific time to check your emails during the day instead of letting it occupy or
interrupt your work timings.

Check your emails once you arrive at work and review them later at assigned time blocks,
and avoid checking them in critical time because, if it’s an urgent matter, people will call you
anyway.

You can also use tools that prioritize the emails based on its importance and send it to you in
the time scheduled by you.

2. Use email alternatives

A simpler alternative besides email is social networking, that will absolutely make you free
from bulk promotional emails and saves lot of your productive time.

There are many tools out there, like slack or fleet that makes the teams to communicate as
much easier without jamming the inbox and eating up more time.

3. Create a brief and clear email

Undoubtedly, writing emails with a clear clarity and ensuring every email through a well-
defined checklist will reduce the chance of a communication mishap.

Prepare a quick checklist that suits your usage and run through your contents in it to
produce a brief email and make sure you do it before firing off emails.

Below are a few sample questions for your checklist:

What information is needed?

Is all the information requested by the sender are answered?
What does the person need to answer?
Does the email meet either of two email criteria such as time zone communication or
answering the well-defined question?
Would this information can be sent through email or conveyed through some other means
(i.e. video or voice call)?
4. Make the most out of the subject line

The very first thing that is noticed by everyone while they open an email is subject line. By
reading the subject line, most of the people will segregate and pick up emails that need their
attention and review.
When the inbox is overloaded, the subject line in emails will greatly help people to
categorize and identify the important email from the overloaded list. If you want to get a
rapid response from a busy person, you should be providing a perfect subject line that is
succinct to the needed information.

5. Avoid using Reply All

The email which contains more general contents replies or with just acknowledgments can
be sent only to the intended person and not everyone in the long email thread. Choosing
“reply all” is intended to use at suitable and appropriate conditions but misusing will drop
unnecessary emails to all other people. Also, it provokes a lot of unnecessary responses with
people who do not need to reply.

6. Apply rules for email inbox

Applying rules to categorize emails, will help to group and manage your flooding emails.
Though setting up rules is a simple and less time-consuming task, the benefit it adds to your
daily usage is a lot.

Based on your emailing application, many options available to set up rules – by subject, by
sender email and much more. Review the options and based on your usage, necessary rules
can be set to make you more productive.

7. Unsubscribe from unnecessary newsletters

Another key idea to reduce your email overload is unsubscribing from the unnecessary or
least priority newsletters. This will be of great help to to reduce the overloading of inbox and
to make the rest of the emails to easy and convenient to digest. This also has another
benefit of minimizing the spam and junk emails in your inbox.

8. Eliminate the email conversations

Sometimes, emails can be eliminated and the direct face-to-face or telephonic conversation
can help instead.

People in the same premises or bay use email in lieu of conversations. To reduce email
overload, this can be better eliminated by bouncing the conversation back and forth through
walk down to their place or by picking up the phone.

9. Emptying the unread message count

Last but not the least, at the end of each day try to review all the unread messages and
make the unread count as zero. This will prevent vicious circle of reminders and alerts that
you receive and also managing all your emails gives you a wonderful sense of control over all
the professional tasks.
 To conclude, email is a powerful and productive tool which makes the life easier. A little
planning makes a way in taming email overloading. I hope these approaches will help to
reduce your email volume and free up some of your valuable time.

31. Explain the concept of Rhetoric Triangle.

A rhetorical triangle is made up of three persuasion strategies namely logos, pathos, and ethos.
These three persuasion appeals always work in tandem during arguments. The great Greek
philosopher, Aristotle, in 4th century BCE wrote great treatises concerning rhetorical triangle
where he outlined the three major rhetoric appeals as mentioned above.

Essentially, these strategies are what make up the rhetorical triangle. Although Aristotle himself
did not use the triangular imagery which was adopted later, he effectively outlined the three
persuasion modes and their uses in communication or during an argument.

32. What is Persuasive communication?

Persuasive communication is one of the most widely practiced types of

communication, but you may not even know you’re doing it. You use persuasion
every day, even when you’re trying to convince yourself to go to the gym. But
how to define persuasion in psychology depends entirely on the size of the
message’s 37. .

33. With relevant examples, explain AIDA Model of persuasive communication.

34. The AIDA model is a framework for persuasive communication from the
world of marketing. Its four stages are: awareness, interest, desire and
action.

35. It’s a hierarchy of effects model that follows the CAB process. It starts by
developing awareness (Cognition) then desire (Affect) before stimulating
action (Behavior).

36. The model is shown as a funnel, representing the reducing number of

people expected to progress to each stage. We look at each stage of the
model below.

A – Awareness

The first stage of this model is focused on awareness. The objective at this
stage is to make as many people aware of the product, good or brand as
possible.

This is usually achieved by advertising the product widely. This is done

across whatever mediums are thought to be best for potential customers,
while also taking into consideration the cost of advertising. Obviously, as
new forms of media arise, such as social media, new methods of creating
awareness are used. For example, this trend has seen the rise of social
media “influencers” over the last few decades.

Lots of billboards showing the awareness stage of the AIDA Marketing

Model
Organizations are constantly vying for a slice of our attention and
awareness.

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I – Interest

Of those who have been made aware of the product, a smaller subset of
individuals will become interested in it. There’s something about it, or the
message associated with it, that appeals to them.

Individuals who are interested in the product, good or service are known
as suspects. Following awareness, they become interested in learning
about the product. They want to develope an understanding of its
specifics and how it could fit into their lives.

This development of interest can be fostered in several different ways.

Some levels of detail can be included within advertisement. However,
more usually, interested prospects use their own energy to search out
more information about the product. They could, for example, look at
technical specifications on a manufacturers website to learn more about a
piece of technology.

D – Desire

Of those suspects who have developed an interest in the product will be a

further subset who, following their exploration of the product, develop a
desire for it. These people are known as prospects.

At this stage prospects have a clear desire for the product, good or service
and would like to acquire it. They may still have some barriers to
overcome in their decision making process. These barriers could include
price or friction in transactions, but they are broadly ready to be
converted into customers.

A – Action

Of the prospects who have developed an actual desire for the product,
there will be a further subset who make the actual final step of completing
a purchase. Once they have taken this final step they stop being prospects
and become customers.

Someone buying something online representing the action stage of the

AIDA Marketing Model

Becoming a customer takes action. Even if that action is trying to pay for a
watch with your burrito loyalty card…

This step of converting from a prospect into a customer takes a conscious,

considered action on the part of the individual. This action usually takes
the form of a purchase of a desired good.
 There are techniques that retailers or other organizations use at this stage
to help get these individuals over this last set of barriers. These steps aim
to convert them from prospects who desire the product into actual
consumers. Examples of these techniques are often include the use of
behavioral science knowledge. They include influencing choice
architectures, something we cover elsewhere in this website.

Here is a case study from our Marketing Models Guide showing how an
award-winning hairdressing company, Francesco Group used the model to
launch their new salon.

• 1. Awareness: Ran a PR campaign four months prior to launch,

promoting award, stylists, qualifications etc. and was reinforced
through a DM campaign to targeted customer groups.
• 2. Interest: Executed a direct mail campaign to offer a free
consultation or hair cut and finish. They used research to support
that this would work, as females are loyal if the offer is compelling.
• 3. Desire: Close to the opening of the new salon, they ran exclusive
local launch events which was advertised through local press and
social media. This created a local buzz for 'people wanting an invite'
and excited to see the new salon.
• 4. Action: Clear CTAS were positioned on the Facebook site (call to
reserve), the website (call to book) and local advertising (call in to
receive discount or the offer.

37. PWhat is prankvertising?

Is no secret that the visual world harbors lots of possibilities for advertising. From television
commercials to billboards, businesses promote themselves constantly through many different
avenues. Companies have been using creative promotions for many years, with some now
turning to YouTube for a strategy known as “prankvertising.”
So what is prankvertising? While there is no true definition, it is a marketing strategy that often
utilizes visual media in the form of videos with intent to go viral. The videos often include hidden
cameras, actors, and effects to startle or trick an unsuspecting crowd.

38. What is ambient advertising?

Definition
Definition of ‘Ambient Advertising’
Definition: Ambient Advertising is about placing ads on unusual objects or in unusual places
where you wouldn’t usually expect to have an advertisement.

The term ‘ambient’ means placing the ad at unusual places or unconventional places were
you wouldn’t expect an advertisement. Ambient advertising can be done along with
traditional means of advertisement or as a standalone form of communication

39. What is the difference between listening and hearing?

So many communication barriers are caused because we have a tendency to hear and not
listen, and it is important to understand the difference between the two.
We hear many different sounds, but we really only listen to certain ones. Hearing is much
easier than listening because hearing is an involuntary physical ability involving the ears. No
conscious effort is required. As one of the five senses, hearing happens all the time and is
the involuntary receiving of sound vibrations or waves through our ears.
On the other hand, listening is an active process and uses the senses of hearing, seeing, or
sense of touch. It is a skill that requires letting the sound go through your brain,
understanding what has been heard, and processing its meaning. As a listener, you choose
what you want to hear and understand the information with both your mind and body. For
listening to occur necessitates the listener’s interest, involvement, the use of conscious
effort, and is a skill that must be learned and practiced.
Here is another way to look at it:
Hearing
 Easy: accidental; automatic.
Passive: involuntary; effortless.
Physical Function: involves the ears.
Listening
Hard: requires practice and being alert.
Active: a conscious effort; requires focused involvement.
Internal Behavior: involves mind and body.

There are many reasons why we have a tendency to hear, rather than listen, in a
conversation.
.
Too busy preparing a response. Many of us would rather talk than listen. In some
conversations, we are too busy making our defense or preparing a response that we do not
listen to what the speaker is saying.

Too distracted. Our thought speed is greater than our listening speed. How many times have
we been on a phone call and simultaneously checking our emails, cleaning the house, ironing
clothes, etc.? Though we might hear what is being said, we cannot really listen while
multitasking.

40. What is ostentatious listening?

41. Why listening skills are important?

Listening builds trust

When you make the effort to listen to someone, they recognize your interest. They can tell that
you’re invested in what they’re saying. This makes them more comfortable sharing with you and
being open. If you were only half-listening, not making eye contact, or glancing at your phone,
the other person won’t want to waste their breath. They won’t trust you to respect their
thoughts and feelings.

#2 Listening reduces misunderstandings

Misunderstandings are one of the most common effects of poor communication. When people
aren’t listening to each other, it’s very easy to mishear something or misinterpret someone’s
meaning. Many times, misunderstandings aren’t a big deal, but some can have major
consequences. As an example, if someone Isn’t listening when their friend explains they have a
certain food allergy, serving them a dish with a dangerous ingredient could be life-threatening.

#3 Listening helps eliminate conflict

Poor listening skills are at the root of a lot of conflicts. Besides sometimes causing
misunderstandings, not listening well frustrates people engaged in important conversations.
People want to feel respected, which is irrevocably tied to feeling heard. You don’t necessarily
need to agree, but simply making the effort to hear another perspective keeps the situation
calmer. When everyone feels calm and safe, it’s much easier to work through tense situations
without things escalating to conflict

4 Listening encourages empathy

Humans are naturally empathetic, but we all have biases and assumptions that come from our
upbringing and experiences. When you talk to people who have different backgrounds and
experiences, it can be tempting to lean on preconceived notions. Instead, you can commit to
listening rather than assuming. When you hear right from a source, you’ll have a deeper
understanding of their perspective, which is key to having empathy.

5.Listening improves business relationships

If your career involves interacting with others, you know how vital good communication is.
Misunderstandings and conflict can derail projects and earn companies bad reputations. By
committing to listening better, you can build strong relationships with coworkers and clients.
People will feel respected and eager to work with you.

6 Listening increases your productivity

Whether you’re at work or in school, listening is very important to your success. People who are
good listeners are more likely to retain information, understand what’s being required of them,
and ask the right questions. This is a valuable skill in group projects and meetings. Many people
 think they need to talk a lot to contribute, but listening is arguably more important. If everyone
listens to each other, there are fewer misunderstandings. This saves everyone’s time.

42. Give two examples of social listening.

Social listening is a marketing tactic that has been around for a while and yet isn’t overused. Or, to
be fair, isn’t used that much at all.

Have you ever heard about social listening? If not, I am here to uncover a whole new world for you.
Social listening (also called social media monitoring) means using a tool (e.g., Awario, Mention,
Brandwatch) that finds all mentions of your keyword (usually, a brand) or keywords on social media
and beyond.

The strategy is usually used to:

Improve customer service (reply to brand mentions that you wouldn’t have noticed otherwise).

Identify industry trends for product development and marketing campaigns.

Manage the brand’s reputation (measure the sentiment around the brand and keep an eye on what
people say).

Perform competitor analysis and measure share of voice.

Find relevant social media influencers.

Find “hot” leads on social media.

Having said that, in most cases, brands don’t use social media listening for all of the above. In some
cases, they prioritize one goal over another and put their resources into the goals that are
considered more important. Other times, brands start with social listening, observe the data, and
then decide on where the pain points and exciting possibilities are. As it happens, great discoveries
are often made accidentally.
To provide you with real-life examples of how social listening is implemented, I wrote about four
brands that I personally love. All of them use social listening in the most inspiring way.

. Netflix invents Netflix Socks

The social media marketers behind Netflix are very good at what they do. That’s proven by the fact
that their social media following keeps growing – Netflix US alone has almost 6 million followers on
Twitter. That is the whole population of Colorado! And personally, I think a lot of this success has to
do with their Twitter bio:

Netfix for social listening examples

After all, there’s a whole generation that appreciates everything about Gerard Way.

Even this fact alone has to tell you something important – Netflix knows its target audience.

They know key target audience factors: millennial; used to having friends that exist only online;
crave attention; do research before purchasing; value peers’ opinions more than that of movie stars;
live for humor, self-irony, and sarcasm. And Netflix’s social media marketing team keeps all of that in
mind – they post hilarious tweets, re-tweet opinions of users with only a couple of followers, and
work with relevant influencers.

Netflix acts as every Internet user’s best friend. It spreads humor, understanding, and attention. And
they use social media listening non-stop, because as they said at the Shorty Awards:

“When we aren’t posting, we’re listening, looking for the new trends igniting the entertainment
world”

Through social listening, Netflix found out that many of the people binge-watching the shows were
falling asleep. Not many brands would consider that a serious problem, but Netflix obviously saw an
opportunity to show that they listen, they care, and they are as creative as a brand can be. So they
invented Netflix Socks – smart socks that detect when the user is dozing off, send a signal to the
user’s TV and pause the show. This way, no one wakes up to the screen of spoilers and confusion.
The product was cheered, went viral, got tons of coverage, and even won a Shorty Award for
creative use of technology. Now isn’t that something to learn from?

L’Oreal chooses a correct product strategy

L’Oreal isn’t that much about having fun online and entertaining their audience. They take their
marketing seriously. It also looks like every digital representative from L’Oreal has at some point
spoken about the necessity and fruitfulness of social media listening. Esohe Omoruyi, L’Oreal’s
Senior Vice President of Global Open Digital innovation and Business Development, said at Variety‘s
Cannes Lions that social listening “is fuelling the product development cycle” by helping the
company identify industry trends and showing what consumers are asking for.

While the brand mostly uses social listening for product development, it’s not the only goal that
L’Oreal is after. Adrienne Rostaing, Market Insights & Data Manager, said the following in an
interview with Brandwatch:

“Social allows us to refocus our actions on the present moment, tracking and adapting in real time to
continuously improve the link with our consumers”

Social listening helps the company keep an eye on ratings, reviews, and conversations. L’Oreal
believes that as consumers’ path to purchase is becoming more accelerated, it’s important for the
representatives of the beauty industry to be everywhere. That’s why they also work closely with
bloggers and social media influencers.

43. State four reasons why cross cultural communication is important.

Now you must be wondering that why was there a need to introduce Cross-Cultural
Communication at the workplace.

Different cultural ways give people different ways of thinking, analyzing, hearing, accepting,
interpreting different things. – This means the same words or gestures in the United States
will mean different things to people associated with other cultures.

At the time of globalization, communication across cultures falls within the larger field of
communication studies around the world. From businesses to universities to schools, the
application of cross-cultural communication along with foreign language education is gaining
prevalence amongst people from different societal, cultural, or national setups.

In this section, we will throw some light upon different ways cross-cultural communication
can let you communicate effectively

1. Better Progress
Every industry is dependent on its employees for better progress and more profit-earning
sources. It is quite understood that Cross-Cultural Communication directly influences the
relationship between the managers and the employees.
 Moreover, the employees are more comfortable while communicating with each other
during the project. Hence, a hike in the progress chart of business can be observed in a short
while, as it lets employees communicate effectively across cultures despite their cultural
differences.

2. Cultural Influence
There is no doubt that cultures play a vital role in determining how we talk with one
another. In case there is an absence of harmony and a sense of equality due to cultural
backgrounds, it can lead to a chaotic situation.
The organization will not be able to manage all its employees under the same roof. Cross-
Cultural Communication solves this issue and enhances the productivity of the members.

3. Management
Cross-Cultural Communication can be quite beneficial in situations where the business is
spread across various parts of the globe. Surely, all the employees working there will belong
to different cultures and religions.

The company executives will develop some benchmarks for all of the team. Each member
would have to act the same and treat everyone with equality. Any discrimination based on
culture should be prohibited.

4.Know the global market

There is no border for business now and business is developing globally. To understand the
global customer, a business unit should have knowledge of demographic status attitudes,
values and beliefs of different cultures. This understanding helps win global business.

44. Discuss in detail about Hofstede’s cultural dimensions with relevant examples.

Psychologist Dr Geert Hofstede published his cultural dimensions model at the end of the 1970s,
based on a decade of research. Since then, it's become an internationally recognized standard
for understanding cultural differences.

Hofstede studied people who worked for IBM in more than 50 countries. Initially, he identified
four dimensions that could distinguish one culture from another. Later, he added fifth and sixth
dimensions, in cooperation with Drs Michael H. Bond and Michael Minkov. These are:

Power Distance Index (high versus low).

Individualism Versus Collectivism.

Masculinity Versus Femininity.

Uncertainty Avoidance Index (high versus low).

Long- Versus Short-Term Orientation.

Indulgence Versus Restraint.

Power Distance Index (PDI)

This refers to the degree of inequality that exists – and is accepted – between people with and
without power.

A high PDI score indicates that a society accepts an unequal, hierarchical distribution of power,
and that people understand “their place” in the system. A low PDI score means that power is
shared and is widely dispersed, and that society members do not accept situations where power
is distributed unequally.

Individualism vs collectivism

This refers to the strength of the ties that people have to others within their community.

A high IDV score indicates weak interpersonal connection among those who are not part of a
core “family.” Here, people take less responsibility for others’ actions and outcomes.

In a collectivist society, however, people are supposed to be loyal to the group to which they
belong, and, in exchange, the group will defend their interests. The group itself is normally
larger, and people take responsibility for one another’s well-being.

Application: Central American countries Panama and Guatemala have very low IDV scores (11
and six, respectively). In these countries, as an example, a marketing campaign that emphasizes
benefits to the community would likely be understood and well received, as long as the people
addressed feel part of the same group

Masculinity Versus Femininity (MAS)

This refers to the distribution of roles between men and women. In masculine societies, the
roles of men and women overlap less, and men are expected to behave assertively.
Demonstrating your success, and being strong and fast, are seen as positive characteristics.

In feminine societies, however, there is a great deal of overlap between male and female roles,
and modesty is perceived as a virtue. Greater importance is placed on good relationships with
your direct supervisors, or working with people who cooperate well with one another.
The gap between men's and women’s values is largest in Japan and Austria, with MAS scores of
95 and 79 respectively. In both countries, men score highly for exhibiting “tough,” masculine
values and behaviors, but, in fact, women also score relatively highly for having masculine
values, though on average lower than men.

Application: As we’ve highlighted, Japan has the highest MAS score of 95, whereas Sweden has
the lowest measured value of five. Therefore, if you open an office in Japan, you should
recognize you are operating in a hierarchical, deferential and traditionally patriarchal society.
Long hours are the norm, and this, in turn, can make it harder for female team members to gain
advancement, due to family commitments.

At the same time, Japan is a culture where all children (male and female) learn the value of
competition and winning as part of a team from a young age. Therefore, female team members
are just as likely to display these notionally masculine traits as their male colleagues.

By comparison, Sweden is a very feminine society, according to Hofstede’s model. Here, people
focus on managing through discussion, consensus, compromise, and negotiation.

Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI)

This dimension describes how well people can cope with anxiety.

In societies that score highly for Uncertainty Avoidance, people attempt to make life as
predictable and controllable as possible. If they find that they can’t control their own lives, they
may be tempted to stop trying. These people may refer to “mañana,” or put their fate “in the
hands of God.”

People in low UAI-scoring countries are more relaxed, open or inclusive.

Bear in mind that avoiding uncertainty is not necessarily the same as avoiding risk. Hofstede
argues that you may find people in high-scoring countries who are prepared to engage in risky
behavior, precisely because it reduces ambiguities, or in order to avoid failure.

Application: In Hofstede’s model, Greece tops the UAI scale with 100, while Singapore scores the
lowest with eight.

Therefore, during a meeting in Greece, you might be keen to generate discussion, because you
recognize that there’s a cultural tendency for team members to make the safest, most
conservative decisions, despite any emotional outbursts. Your aim is to encourage them to
 become more open to different ideas and approaches, but it may be helpful to provide a
relatively limited, structured set of options or solutions.

45. State the four different elements of cultural intelligence.

The framework for cultural intelligence consists of the following parts: knowledge, strategic

thinking, motivation, and behaviors. It may be helpful to think about these as the ABCs of

CI: Acquire, Build, Contemplate, and Do.

Figure 3.1 Cultural Intelligence Model

Acquire Knowledge

A fundamental piece of inter- and cross-cultural interactions is the knowledge a

leader has when working with cultures unfamiliar and different from his or her own.
Knowledge is a central tenet in intercultural training and is included in the cultural
intelligence model because it is essential for any person, whether leading or
managing, to be attentive to cultural systems. You must know how cultures are
created, interpreted, and shared, as well as how cultural interpretations, meaning,
and symbols can impact behaviors and attitudes.

You can think about this aspect of the model as acquire, because you need to acquire
information and knowledge that help you to identify cultural elements at play. The
acquisition of knowledge—tapping into what you have stored in your memory—is
cognition.

Build Your Strategic Thinking

Once you gain knowledge about the culture, how will you use it? What parts of the
knowledge obtained will you use? Will they all fit, given the cultural setting? These
questions address the component of cultural intelligence that speaks to your ability,
as a leader, to strategize across cultures. It is your ability to build awareness of your
surrounding through preparation and planning. It is often referred to as
“metacognition.”

Earley et al. Noted, “Figuring out how things operate and what is appropriate in a
new culture is detective work using the facts of the case—assemble them, order and
organize them, interpret them, act on them.”Earley et al. (2006), p. 27. Strategic
thinking is important because it is how you think about, or make sense of, the
knowledge and use it in a way that helps you better perform and interact with
different cultures. If you are able to understand how you learn the information and
how you have processed it, this helps you to make sense of unfamiliar situations.
Early and PetersonEarley & Peterson (2004), p. 105. Wrote that when there is a focus
on metacognition, this component of CI can help people to develop and expand their
behavioral repertoires.

Contemplate Your Motivation and Ability to Work with Others

The third element of the cultural intelligence model speaks to your ability to pay
attention to your surroundings as well as your responses to unfamiliar situations. It
is about reflecting upon your own interests, your drive, and your motivation, as well
as your willingness to work through, and with, cultural interactions.

You can think about this component of the model as contemplate because it requires
you to be present—to take a step back, suspend your judgments and biases, reflect
upon your assumptions, and listen carefully. It requires that you be alert and remain
aware of your cultural surroundings. As a leader, presence allows you to identify the
cultural scripts that are hidden and to recognize when to turn them off.

Adapt and Perform

Richard Carlson said that “everything we do has the potential to influence another
human being…the key element here is not to second-guess yourself but rather to
become conscious of how your life choices influence those around you.”Carlson
(2005), p. 130. Carlson speaks to our level of conscious choice in day-to-day living.
When do we choose to adapt to our environments? Because of a choice we made,
what did we let go? How has our choice affected our beliefs and values?

These questions address the fourth component of cultural intelligence, which is your
adaptability and ability to perform new behaviors based on new cultural
surroundings. Are you aware of how others see you and how you come across to
them? How do you interpret what others say, and how do you respond? Culturally
intelligent leaders are like chameleons in social environments, changing their
behaviors to mimic their surroundings.

46. What are the tips related to body language that should be kept in mind while public
speaking?

15 body language tips to improve your public speaking

The importance of good body language can’t be underestimated. It’s incredibly important
not only to audience engagement, but to how your overall message is received. No matter
how good your speech, if you are motionless, expressionless and dull, your audience will
lose interest within minutes.

Posture

Keep a good posture, stand straight with shoulders back, relaxed and feet shoulder width
apart.
Do not cross your arms, put your hands in your pocket or slouch.
 Face the audience as much as possible and keep your body open.

Breathing

Relaxed and deep breaths ensure that your voice holds power and can project.
Use slow and measured breathing to pace your speech, pause to emphasise key points.
.
Gestures
Use hand gestures to emphasise your words
Keep the audience’s attention by varying your gestures, incorporating your head, arms and
hands.
Use positive gestures to sway your audience.
When using visual aids, point and look at the relevant data. The audience will automatically
follow your hands and eyes.

Eye contact

Moving from face to face, making eye contact while speaking ensures that the audience is
engaged.
When answering an audience member’s question maintain eye contact, this conveys
sincerity and credibility.

Movement

Move around the presentation space, your speech will be more dynamic.
Use movement to illustrate transitions from one subject or key point to another.
Stepping towards the audience creates a positive feeling, use this technique when you want
to encourage or persuade your audience.
Facial expression

A simple smile will make your audience feel more comfortable and at ease.

47. How to use you hands in public speaking?

48. What are the different techniques to maintain eye contact in public speaking?

Tips for Making Eye Contact

• Establish eye contact at the start. Make eye contact before you start talking
to someone.
 • Use the 50/70 rule. Maintain eye contact 50% of the time when speaking and
70% when listening.
• Look for 4–5 seconds. Hold eye contact for about four to five seconds at a
time, or about as much time as it takes you to register the color of their eyes.
When you break eye contact, glance to the side before resuming your gaze.
• Look away slowly. When you look away, do it slowly. Looking away too
quickly (darting your eyes) can make you appear nervous or shy.
• Use the triangle technique. Rather than looking away or looking down (as
this shows a lack of confidence), you can also look at another spot on their
face. Imagine an inverted triangle connecting their eyes and mouth. Every
five seconds, rotate which point of the triangle you are looking at.
• Make a gesture. Break your gaze to make a gesture or to nod, as this appears
more natural than looking away because you've grown uncomfortable with
the amount of eye contact.
• Look near the eyes. If looking someone directly in the eyes is too stressful,
instead look at a spot on their nose, mouth, or chin.

When speaking to a group of people,

49. State Albert Mehrabian’s 7-33-55 rule of non-verbal communication.

We are often told that tone, body language, nuance and facial expressions play a huge role in the
our communications. And that this is particularly the case when we are communicating in situations
where understanding emotions and attitudes is important.

Based on research, Albert Mehrabian has concluded that only 7% of feelings and attitudes takes
place through the words we use in spoken communications, while 38% takes place through tone and
voice and the remaining 55% take place through body language.

50. Discuss the different components of non-verbal communication with the help of relevant
examples
Want to Learn More About Business?
What Is Nonverbal Communication?
Nonverbal communication encompasses a whole host of physicalized nonverbal cues that
convey emotional states and complement verbal messages. Nonverbal human
communication involves many different parts of the body and can be either conscious or
subconscious on the part of the communicator.

Some forms of nonverbal communication, like a handshake or head nod, are conscious
actions meant to communicate something deliberately. Other nonverbal forms of
communication, like a nervous hand twitch or a quiver in the voice, subconsciously reveal
emotional states that the communicator might not want shared. Learning how to decode
nonverbal communication and how to control all aspects of communication for yourself are
great ways to improve your interpersonal skills.
 Kinesics (or body movements): These include deliberate hand gestures and head movements
like a thumbs-up or affirmative head shake. This is one of the most easily controllable of the
nonverbal forms of communication.
Proxemics (or closeness/personal space): This is the measure of physical distance between
people when they communicate. The standard amount of personal space expected by
someone varies depending on setting and is somewhat culture-specific.
Posture: The way that you sit or stand and how open your body is to others around you
communicates a lot about your attitude and emotional state.
Eye contact: This is one of the primary ways that human beings gauge interest or disinterest.
Wavering eyes tend to communicate unease or even dishonesty.
Touch: Many interactions begin with an exchange of physical touch like a hug or a
handshake.
Paralanguage: This category covers vocal qualities like loudness or tone of voice.
Paralinguistic signals are any aspect of the sound of a voice outside a direct verbal
translation of words being spoken.
Facial expressions: Facial expressions are one of the main indicators of someone’s attitude.
An emotional expression like a frown or smile can be hard to consciously control.
Physiology: This category includes changes in body physiology like an increase in sweat or
blinking rapidly. These are nearly impossible to deliberately control.

51. Discuss the different hands gestures and head gestures which has varied meaning in
different cultures.
1. The “OK” gesture

America: Okay.
Japan: Money. Sometimes the gesture is made with the 3 fingers at the bottom.
 Brazil: A rude gesture. Don’t make the same mistake as Richard Nixon, who visited Brazil and
flashed the “Ok sign” to a waiting crowd, but was responded to with boos.

2. The “I’ve got your nose” gesture

America: The thumb between the index and middle fingers represents the nose stolen from
a kid’s face in the “I’ve Got Your Nose” game.
Turkey: An obscene gesture similar to the middle finger, and is also used to show
disagreement or to deny a request.
Brazil: A good luck charm to ward off the evil eye and jealousy.
Indonesia: An offensive gesture.
American Sign Language (ASL): The sign for the letter T.

3.v gesture

America: Peace. It also used to mean “V for Victory.”

China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand: Cute pose when
being photographed.
United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland: When the same
gesture is done but with the back of the hand facing outward, it’s an insult.
ASL: The sign for the number 2.

The thumbs up

America: Good. It is also used when hitchhiking.

Iraq, Iran: An insult equivalent to, “Up yours, pal!”
ASL: Thumbs up wiggled left and right is the sign for the number 10. When held stationary
and thrust toward another person the meaning is “yourself.”

52. What is Haptics?

Haptics is the study of touch. Touch is the first type of nonverbal communication we experience
as humans and is vital to our development and health (Dolin & Booth-Butterfield; Wilson, et al.).
Those who don’t have positive touch in their lives are less healthy both mentally and physically
than those who experience positive touch. We use touch to share feelings and relational
meanings. Hugs, kisses, handshakes, or even playful roughhousing demonstrate relational
meanings and indicate relational closeness. In western society, touch is largely reserved for
family and romantic relationships. Generally girls and women in same-sex friendships have more
liberty to express touch as part of the relationship than men in same-sex friendships. However
53. Discuss about the different types of handshakes.

Power Shake
To avoid the power shake step in with left foot when you see the power shake coming. This
will invade the other person’s space and put them off kilter.

Board Room Shake

This person shakes hands strongly and grips the forearm with the other hand. Usually it is a
managing director who wants to show control.

Bone Crusher Shake

While this grip may be okay between two alpha males, in most circumstances it is too hard
and holds for too long.

Wet Fish Shake

This is known as the limp lettuce handshake. If you’re on the receiving end, take control by
adjusting this handshake and giving two firm shakes.

Confident Shake
This is described as a firm hold with two shakes and eye contact.

Empathetic Shake
This type of handshake involves a brush of the forearm with the left hand for no longer than
three to four seconds. Those who use this type of handshake will have an 80 per cent chance
of getting on well with the other person. Be warned though – touching for longer than five
seconds invades the other person’s personal space.

Patronising Shake
Do not grab hold of the other person’s wrist when shaking hands.

54. What is the difference between a hand hug and a shug?

The combination of a shake and hug has been around for years. One hand grasps the other
man’s hand, and one arm goes around his shoulder. The handshake is facile. The hug is
tender. But the shug is right there in the middle — masculine and affectionate at the same
time, reserved but expressive. It allows you to put yourself out there by bringing the other
guy in. Close but not so close. It’s more than a shake, less than a hug. It's a shug

.
 The Hand Hug is a unique expression of love. It’s different from a regular hug because it just
involves using your hand. You can give a Hand Hug to your friends, co-workers, peers, or
anyone who has a hand even homeless people. Hand Hugs cheer up people’s days and allow
you to connect with them! So spread The Hand Hug like butter on a pancake….

55. What is proxemics?

Proxemics is a type of nonverbal communication involving how we deal with the
environment around us. Proxemics is defined as the study of the nature, degree, and effect
of the spatial separation individuals naturally maintain (as in various social and interpersonal
situations) and how this separation relates to environmental and cultural factors. (Merriam-
Webster)

This explains how we use the space around us to communicate our personal comfort or
perceived relationship to the world around us. For example, if someone were sharing
personal secrets with a very close friend, their proxemics would be different than if they
were attending a lecture at a school. A person would not be standing within a few inches of
a professor while he is giving the lecture. These proxemics communicate that one person is
intimately close to their friend and values a professor’s space as a public speaker (and
possibly a stranger

56. What is the difference between monochronic and polychronic cultures?

57. The monochronic individual believes in finishing one task at a

time. In their time culture, time is a valuable commodity that shouldn’t
be wasted and sticking to one task at a time ensures that it’s well-
managed. The monochronic culture schedules one event at a time in an
orderly fashion.
58. In the polychronic culture, employees can work on several tasks
simultaneously. Polychronic individuals thrive on carrying out more
than one task at the same time as long as they can be executed together
with a natural rhythm. For example, it’s perfectly natural for the official
to stamp the passport and take a phone call at the same time because
these tasks require different parts of the body and different levels of
concentration.

59. How different body postures have different meanings in different cultures?

Cultural Differences in Body Language to be Aware of

AUGUST 25, 2017 – SOPHIE THOMPSON – 7 MIN READ
Body language makes up the largest part of our non-verbal communication – eye contact,
gestures, and facial expressions can convey powerful messages. As William Shakespeare said
in Troilus and Cressida – ‘There’s language in her eye, her cheek, her lip’.

However, there are substantial cultural differences in how people use body language to
communicate. Sometimes it is very obvious, many times very subtle.

Whether in a culturally diverse company or visiting emerging markets, understanding what

people mean through their body language can be a challenge.

Greetings with a handshake

Even the simple handshake can vary from culture to culture. A handshake is widely accepted
as the norm, however you’ll need to vary the firmness depending on the location. Western
culture typically perceives a strong handshake as authoritative and confidence, where as
many parts of the Far East perceive a strong handshake as aggressive, and usually bow
instead.

In parts of Northern Europe, a quick firm handshake is the norm. In parts of Southern
Europe, Central and South America, a handshake is longer and warmer, with the left hand
usually touching the clasped hands or elbow. Beware that in Turkey, a firm handshake is
considered rude and aggressive. In certain African countries, a limp handshake is the
standard (Guide to African handshakes). Men in Islamic countries never shake the hands of
women outside the family.

Handshake for different cultures

Facial expressions
Many facial expressions appear to be universal and recognised all over the globe.

Research carried out by the Paul Ekman Group, an American Psychologist, showed that over
90% of common facial expressions were identified by people in very different cultures. Over
10,000 facial expressions were created for the study and shown to different western
cultures and isolated, pre-literate African groups.

In general, there are seven different facial expressions which correspond to distinct universal
facial emotions:

Happiness – Raising and lowering of mouth corners, cheeks raised, and muscles around the
eyes are tightened.
Sadness – lowering of mouth corners and raising inner portion of brows.
Surprise – Arching of eyebrows, eyelids pulled up and sclera exposed, mouth open.
Fear – Brows arched and pulled together, eyes wide open, mouth slightly open.
Disgust – Eyebrows lowered, upper lip raised, nose wrinkled, cheeks raised.
Anger – Brows lowered, eyes bulging, lips pressed firmly.
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Hand gestures
We use gestures as a way to emphasis points and illustrate what we are saying.
Hand gestures can mean very different things in different cultures; the ‘OK’ sign in Greece,
Spain or Brazil means you are calling someone an a**hole. In Turkey, it’s meant to be an
insult towards gay people.

A thumbs up in America and European cultures is an indicator of a job well done, however in
Greece or the Middle East, it can mean ‘up yours’

Hand gesture for come here.

Curling the index finger with the palm facing up is a common gesture that people in United
States and parts of Europe use to beckon someone to come closer. However, it is considered
rude in China, East Asia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and many other parts of the
world. It’s also considered extremely impolite to use this gesture with people. It is used only
to beckon dogs in many Asian countries – and using it in the Philippines can get you
arrested.

On Inauguration Day 2005, President George W. Bush raised his fist, with the index and little
finger extended, in the shape of the Texas Longhorn football team logo. Newspapers around
the world expressed their astonishment at the use of such a gesture. In many Mediterranean
and Latin countries, such as Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Spain, Italy and Portugal, to
make this sign at someone is to tell them that their spouse is cheating on them.

Eye contact
In most western countries, eye contact is a sign of confidence and attentiveness. We tend to
assume that if someone looks away while we are talking to them, they’re disinterested and
looking for someone else to talk to.

In many Middle Eastern countries, same-gender eye contact tends to be more sustained and
intense than the western standard. In some of these countries, eye contact beyond a brief
glance between the sexes is deemed inappropriate.

In many Asian, African, and Latin American countries, however, this unbroken eye contact
would be considered aggressive and confrontational. These cultures tend to be quite
conscious of hierarchy, and avoiding eye contact is a sign of respect for bosses and elders.

In these parts of the world, children won’t look at an adult who is speaking to them, and nor
will employees to their bosses.

Eye contact variation by culture:

Used a lot in regions such as the Middle East, Mediterranean cultures, Europeans and Latin
Americans.
Used often in much of Northern Europe and North America
Used somewhat carefully in cultures in Africa, Middle East, Korea and Thailand
Used carefully in most of the Far East
Moving your head
In some parts of India, people tilt their head from side to side to confirm something and
demonstrate that they are actively listening. The side to side head movement originates
from British occupation, as the occupied Indian people were afraid to ever gesture ‘no’ to
soldiers but wanted to show signs of understanding.

Indian head shake can have different meanings

A video decoding Indian headshakes went viral, attracting over a million hits in a week.

Touch
Northern Europe and the Far East as classed as non-contact cultures. There is very little
physical contact beyond a handshake with people we don’t know well. Even accidentally
brushing someone’s arm on the street warrants an apology.

An innocent hug made headlines around the world in 2009 when America’s first lady,
Michelle Obama, broke royal protocol on a visit to Britain by hugging the Queen.

By comparison, in the high-contact cultures of the Middle East, Latin America, and southern
Europe, physical touch is a big part of socialising.

In much of the Arab world, men hold hands and kiss each other in greeting, but would never
do the same with a woman.

In Thailand and Laos, it is taboo to touch anyone’s head, even children. In South Korea,
elders can touch younger people with force when trying to get through a crowd, but younger
people can’t do the same.

Physical contact variation by culture:

High Contact cultures tend to stand close when speaking and make physical contact more
often. Latin America, Southern Europe and most Middle Eastern nations are examples.
Medium Contact cultures stand quite close when speaking and will touch on occasion. Such
cultures include Northern Europe and North America.
Low Contact cultures stand at a greater distance and generally avoid physical contact. The
Far East is an example.
These rules are usually quite complex. They may differ depending on the age, gender,
ethnicity, profession and status of the people involved.

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Sitting positions
Be aware of your posture when you attend meetings or are dining. Sitting cross-legged is
seen as disrespectful in Japan, especially in the presence of someone older or more
respected than you.

Showing the soles of your shoes or feet can offend people in parts of the Middle East and
India. That is why throwing shoes at someone is a form of protest and an insult in many
parts of the world – as former U.S. President George W. Bush famously discovered on a visit
to Iraq in 2008.
 60. What is oculesics?
61. Eye behavior is a crucial part of nonverbal communication and an essential requirement of
face-to-face interaction. The study of eye behavior is called oculesics, and sometimes it is
considered a subset of kinesic communication. The most important aspect of oculesics is eye
contact that opens communication channels, signals availability for interaction, listening,
immediacy, and intimacy. The absence of eye contact engenders negative attributions
including rudeness, deceptiveness, insincerity, unfriendliness, and timidity. Eye contact
increases interpersonal influence and is a powerful behavior when speaking. This entry also
discusses pupil dilation, which is a sign of interest or arousal, eye movements which are
associated with brain activity, and additional oculesics behaviors such as winking, blinking,
and eyebrows movements

What is micro expression

Microexpression is a facial expression that only lasts for a short moment. It is the innate result of a
voluntary and an involuntary emotional response occurring simultaneously and conflicting with one
another, and occurs when the amygdala responds appropriately to the stimuli that the individual
experiences and the individual wishes to conceal this specific emotion. This results in the individual
very briefly displaying their true emotions followed by a false emotional reaction.