Methods of
communication
Verbal communication
Written communication
Non-Verbal communication
What is Communication?
Communication is a way to express your ideas,
thoughts, expressions, feelings or emotions
through verbal and non-verbal signs and
symbols.
1. Verbal communication
In verbal communication, Spoken words are
used. It includes face-to-face conversations,
speech, telephonic conversation, radio, voice
over internet.
In oral communication, communication is
influence by pitch, volume, speed and clarity of
speaking.
Intrapersonal Communication:
This form of communication is extremely private
and restricted to ourselves. It includes the silent
conversations we have with ourselves.
Interpersonal Communication:
This form of communication takes place between
two individuals. Here, the two individuals
involved will swap their roles of sender and
receiver in order to communicate in a clearer
manner.
Small Group Communication:
This type of communication can take place
only when there are more than two people
involved.
Here the number of people will be small
enough to allow each participant to interact
and converse with the rest.
Press conferences, board meetings, and team
meetings are examples of group
communication.
Public Communication:
This type of communication takes place when
one individual addresses a large gathering of
people.
Election campaigns and public speeches are
example of this type of communication.
In such cases, there is usually a single sender
of information and several receivers who are
being addressed.
In public speaking, the speech must be
prepared according to the type of
audience you are going to face.
you must have enough information on
the topic you have chosen for public
speaking.
All the main points in your speech must
be highlighted and these points should be
delivered in the correct order.
Advantages of verbal communication:
It brings quick feedback.
In a face-to-face conversation, by reading
facial expression and body language one can
guess whether he/she should trust what’s
being said or not.
Time saving
Disadvantages of verbal communication:
user is unable to deeply think about what he is
delivering.
A speaker may get confused.
2. Written communication
In written communication, written words or
symbols are used to communicate. A written
message may be printed or hand written.
In written communication message can be
transmitted via email, letter, report, memo
etc.
Message, in written communication, is
influenced by the vocabulary & grammar used,
writing style, precision and clarity of the
language used.
Internal communication: Memos, reports,
bulletins, job descriptions and employee
manuals.
External communication: electronic mail,
Internet Web sites, letters, telegrams, faxes,
contracts, advertisements, brochures,
According to the National Commission on Writing,
67% of salaried employees in large American
companies have some writing responsibility.
Half of responding companies reported that they
take writing into consideration when hiring
professional employees
91% always take writing into account when hiring
(for any position, not just professional-level ones).
[4]
Types of written communication
Letter
Memo
Notice
Circular
Report
Minutes
Advantages of written communication
Messages can be edited and revised many time
before it is actually sent.
Written communication provide record for every
message sent and can be saved for later study.
A written message enables receiver to fully
understand it and send appropriate feedback.
Written communication can be constructed
over a longer period of time.
A written communication can also be read by
many people (such as all employees in a
department or all customers).
It’s a “one-to-many” communication, as
opposed to a one-to-one verbal conversation.
Can be duplicated through printing or
photocopying.
Suitable for lengthy messages i.e annual
reports, instruction manual etc.
More reliable.
Disadvantages of written communication
Unlike oral communication, Written
communication doesn’t bring instant feedback.
It takes more time in composing a written
message as compared to word-of-mouth.
number of people struggles for writing ability.
Very often valuable papers get lost.
Poor writing skills can hamper the effectiveness
of the written communication.
Expensive.
Cannot be changed easily at any time so lack of
flexibility is there.
If the receiver needs some clarification of the
message, he will have to write back and wait for
the reply to his query.
Non-Verbal Communication
Nonverbal communication manages to convey the
sender's message without having to use words.
Research shows that 55% of in-person
communication comes from nonverbal cues like
facial expressions, body stance, and tone of voice.
According to one study, only 7% of a Receiver’s
comprehension of a Message is based on the
Sender’s actual words; 38% is based on
paralanguage (the tone, pace, and volume of speech),
and 55% is based on nonverbal cues (body language.
The muscles of our faces convey our emotions. We
can send a silent message without saying a word.
Adopting a smile (even if we’re feeling stressed) can
reduce the body’s stress levels.
Research shows that when individuals are lying, they
are more likely to blink more frequently and shift
their weight.
The speaker’s body language must match his or her
words.
Body Language:
• A firm handshake, given with a warmth.
• A weak, clammy handshake conveys a lack of
trustworthiness.
• A direct smile conveys confidence.
Eye Contact:
• In business, the style and duration of eye contact
considered appropriate vary greatly across cultures.
Eye Contact:
• In the United States, looking someone in the
eye (for about a second) is considered a sign
of trustworthiness.
Facial Expressions:
• The face is the index of the heart. Whatever
we feel, it reflected in the face.
Appearance
Posture
• person’s posture conveys that we are listening and
responding.
Touch
• In Indonesia, to touch anyone on the head or touch anything
with one’s foot is considered highly offensive.
• In the Far East, it is considered impolite for a woman to
shake a man’s hand. Americans,, place great value in a firm
handshake.
Advantages of non-verbal communication
Information can be easily presented through
using sign language, audio-visual aids.
Non-verbal message may substitute for the
verbal message specially if it is blocked by
noise, long distance etc. for example: gestures-
fingers to lips to indicate for quiet.
Help in handicapped people.
Paralanguage (speaker’s voice, tone, pitch) tells
about speaker’s educational background.
Colorful photographs, paintings, posters, makes
communication interesting.
Disadvantages of non-verbal communication
Vague and imprecise.
Long conversations are not possible.
Facial expressions, gestures and posture of the
speaker become ineffective if the listener is
inattentive.
Sign language can communicate only simple ideas
not the complicated ones.
It is not easy to draw effective pictures or posters.
