SESSION TWO

Communication Skills
WHAT IS COMMUNICATION?
Is the transmitting or exchanging of
information or knowledge and the creation of
understanding between two parts.

It is not possible to have human relations

without communication.

It is also required for successful service

delivery.
IMPORTANT ELEMENTS IN COMMUNICATION:
Communication is:
 Understanding.
 Meaningful interaction.
 Information sharing.
 Fundamental requisite of life
 Communication process happens between
or among two or more parties. (Sender
and Receiver)
 Communication involves exchange of
ideas, feelings, information, thoughts, and
knowledge
 Developing relationships
 FUNCTIONS OF COMMUNICATION
 Communication has four major functions that
seem to dominate in the organizational context.
These are:
 Controlling
 Motivating
 Emotional expression and
 Information
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EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION: WHAT IS IT?

Effective communication may be defined as:

 Using language that is appropriate to others' levels of understanding.

 Making sure others receive the information or knowledge intended.

 Developing relationships with others.

 Talking with others in a way that facilitates openness, honesty and

cooperation.
 Providing feedback.

Effective communication occurs when

there is a shared meaning.
TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
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TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

1.Verbal Communication
Entails the use of words in delivering the intended message. The
two major forms of verbal communication include written and
oral communication.

Written communication includes traditional pen and paper

letters and documents, typed electronic documents, e-mails, text
chats, SMS and anything else conveyed through written symbols
such as language. This type of communication is indispensable
for formal business communications and issuing legal
instructions.

The effectiveness of written communication depends on the writing style,

grammar, vocabulary, and clarity.
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CONT’D…

Oral communication is the spoken word either face-to-

face, phone, voice chat, video conferencing or any other
medium.

Various forms of informal communications such as the

grapevine or informal rumor mill, and formal
communications such as lectures, conferences are
forms of oral communication.
1.VERBAL METHODS OF COMMUNICATION
80% of working day involves communication

Used Taught/Addressed

Listening 45%
Least
Speaking 30%

Reading 16%
Most
Writing 9%

Listening: _________
45% of Communication
25% Efficiency
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LISTENING VS. HEARING
 Hearing is a physiological phenomena
 Listening is in the domain of attention

 Listening is a purposeful hearing…

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LISTENING TO YOUR LISTENING
 Are you present or “checked out?”
 What kind of listening are you being?

What kind of attention are you giving?

 Are you choosing the way you are paying

attention? Is that the way you want to be

right now?

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 REACTIVE LISTENING
……THE DEFAULT SETTING OF ATTENTION
 Right/Wrong
 Good/Bad

 Agree/Disagree

 I already know

 Find the flaw

 Blame/avoid responsibility

 How can I use this?

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 Proactive listening :
• listening for the gold,
• clarity,
• shared value,
• possibility, and
• commitment

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 2.NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

• It takes place through body postures, gestures,

attire, appearance, space, facial expression. etc

• Since this type of communication takes place

through observation, it may be both intended and
unintended .

• It can supplement or contradict the verbal

communication.
 Words
Non Verbal 7%
55%

38%
Vocal
 CONT’D…

 Generally,action speaks louder than our word,

& body language conveys messages that are
more believable than what we say.

 Itis often not what you articulate but how it is

presented. What you wear and how you express
yourself has also a lot to do.
MAIN ASPECTS OF BODY
LANGUAGE :-
1. Eye contact
2. Clothing
3. Facial expression
4. Body posture & movement
5. Hand gestures
6. Touching
7. Physical distance.
1.EYE CONTACT
This can be the most powerful form of
body language.
By the means of eye contact it is possible
to let somebody know that they have your
absolute and undivided attention.
Effective eye contact, putting a soft focus
on the customers' face, allows us to listen
to customers' feeling and as well to their
words.
Eye contact shouldn't be overdone or
underdone.
 2. CLOTHING

Look professional and well groomed.

The way in which staffs dress conveys an

image of the individual and of the organization.
An employee to the customer represents not
himself but the organization he is working in.
So she/he should give due attention in the way
they dress also.
Remark! Neatness is another part of body
language. Being neat and organized
3.FACIAL EXPRESSION
It is important when dealing with
customers to look friendly and interested
by smiling and looking welcoming rather
than looking boarded or distracted.
A relaxed and pleasant facial expression is
crucial.
When customers are concerned or upset,
you need to adjust your facial expression
to suit their state of mind.
Both overdoing and under doing are
extremities and thus negative in effect.
4.BODY POSTURE AND
MOVEMENT
Negative body posture (listening
impatiently)
Leaning back or stepping away
Turning your bodies away from people
Pushing away from your desks
Gathering up papers
Closing your briefcases
Looking at your watches repeatedly.

Positive body movement (intently listening)

Nodding
Lean forward
5.HAND GESTURE
There are two varieties of hand gestures:
Hands and objects:
e.g. placing the cap on a pen and putting it in a
pocket indicate readiness to conclude the
meeting or conversation. Tapping fingers, on the
other side, signifies impatience or frustration.

Hand alone: Examples include:

Open-hand gestures: flat hand, palm up or palm
out. These are used to give directions, convey
an invitation, etc.
Closed hand gestures: pointing with index finger
signifies command.
6.TOUCHING

Touch differs from individual to individual

in the same culture and from culture to
culture.

A hand shake is a form of communication

that is likely to be accepted to all
individual everywhere.
7.PHYSICAL DISTANCE

Three distinct spatial zones exist

 Intimate: zone one: 0-2 feet; e.g. family, threatening

attempt
 Personal: zone two: 2-4 feet; e.g. customer
conversation
 Social: zone three: 4 or more feet; e.g. teacher in

classroom.
TONE OF VOICE
Tone of voice implies how you say
something but not what you say.
In face-to face communication
body language accounts 55%;
tone of voice 38% and
words 7%.
Over the phone,
tone of voice accounts 86%
words only 14 %
Your voice reveals what you think and feel.
BE TACTFUL

T = Think before you speak

A = Apologize quickly when you blunder
C = Converse, don’t compete
T = Time your comments
F = Focus on behavior – not Personality
U = Uncover hidden feelings
L = Listen to feedback
 Discuss barriers of
communication
that you have in
your organization
with your internal
customers
BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

 Language
 Stress
 Noise
 Perception /Ourselves
 Environmental / Physical Barrier
 Stereotyping "everybody already knows."
 Lack of feedback
 Poor listening skills
 Emotions
BEHAVIORS THAT HINDER EFFECTIVE LISTENING

 Acting distractively
 Telling your own story without acknowledging
theirs first
 No response/Invalidating response,
 Interrupting
 Criticizing
 Diagnosing
 Giving advice/solutions
 Changing the subject
 TECHNIQUES
Encourage open environment for interaction.
FOR OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION INCLUDE

 Question your preconceptions.

 Empathy- a technique to understand the receivers
frame of reference.
 Repetition - send the same message over, using
multiple channels.
 Feedback - is a must to ensure that messages have
been understood and received and helps the sender
and receiver obtain mutual understanding.
THEN ……..
 Communication skills are essential for you to identify
and understand your customers requirement and
needs.

 The ability to build rapport through listening and

empathy will help you to convince your customers that
you are willing and able to help them.

 Attitude is important element in relationship building.

Customer service can be a challenging role. If you are
to provide service that keeps people coming back, you
must develop positive attitude to your role and the
people who are seeking your help.

 A poor attitude is unlikely to inspire trust in your

customers
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