COM 142

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 2

Interviews, Meetings, Emails,

Savingram
 Preparation for interviews

• Being called for an interview shows that you have made an impression
on your prospective employers.
• During the interview you must verify / match with what is contained in
your resume.
Purpose of interview
• It provides a chance to know more about you, & you to learn more
about the job and the company.
• You could determine if you still want the job.
Why do you have to practice /prepare for an interview?
• To reduce stress
• Try to exceed expectations of the interviews
• Try to understand how you can be an asset to the company
• Know what the job involves
• To become ready to explain why you are the best choice
• Role- play some practice interviews
 Commonly asked questions during interviews:

1. What can you tell us about yourself?

2. Why did you leave your last job?
3. What are your strengths?
4. What are your weaknesses?
5. Have you ever been fired?
6. What do you want to be doing five years from now?
7. If you could do things differently, what would you change?
8. Which job did you like the most/ the least?
9. Why are there gaps in your work history?
10. What were your major accomplishments in each of your jobs?
11. How was your relationship with your last boss?
12. Why should we hire you?
13. How do you usually get along with your co-workers?
14. Describe your personality.
 On answering
Stay positive/focus on the positive. Eg, build
your arguments around:
- cpd/continuous professional growth
- value addition to organization.)
 Interview skills

Preparation / before interview:

• Your appearance is important: choose what you are going to wear carefully (project a positive image of
yourself).
• Take stock of (assess) your body language:
a) Posture
b) Voice
c) Eye contact
d) Distracting habits
• Research thoroughly to inform yourself about the organization ( eg: its state, vision, history, and the job
itself etc)
• Be punctual
• Locate the exact venue in advance
Interview skills during the interview
• Some of the point above apply here
• Wait until the interviewer invites questions.
• You can ask the interviewer for an opportunity to ask questions.
• Ask questions about the company, but avoid naïve ones.
• You could ask the following questions:
a. Could you tell me more about the responsibilities of the job?
b. Where do you think this position could lead for the right person?
c. What other prospects exist for the right person?
 Interview skills

Effective Communication:
• Listen carefully and speak clearly.
• Answer questions briefly yet clearly & adequately; avoid one word
answers.
• Answer when the interviewer has completely finished.
• Ensure that you understand the question before you answer.
• Prior research & practice & location/venue
Concluding the interview:
Interviewer could indicate the end of interview by standing up and saying “
Thank you Mr. Smith, I have enough information about you.”
You could conclude by:
• Ask if there are more questions that you can answer.
• Ask for the job, if you want it; “ I know I can do the job and would like to
have it.”
 Interview cont’d
End the interview to your advantage:
• Thank the interviewer by name.
• Express your interest for the job.
• Say good bye
After the interview
• Evaluate and reflect on your performance; determine what you would do
better next time so you learn from the experience.
(MAY) Write a follow-up letter within two days of the interview. If you do:
a. Thank the employer for the interview.
b. Mention that you are still interested in the job.
c. Refer to your experience and skills.
d. The follow-up letter shows your continued interest in the job.
e. Thank the interviewer, to build a courteous relationship.
f. You can write something important which you forgot during the
interview.
 Emails

• Nowadays a commonly used medium of communication.

• Email has greatly changed the way we communicate.
• It is convenient and cost effective.
Guidelines have to be observed when composing an e-mail message. The
guidelines are referred to as Nettiquette. It is derived from: network( e-mail
technology) + etiquette ( proper use) = netiquette. It means using technology
effectively to communicate with other people by e-mail.
Principles of sending effective e-mail messages in the work-place
• Avoid hurting other people’s feelings, adhere to ethical standards that you
follow in your life.
• Always have the subject heading that describes your content precisely. It helps
those you communicate with.
• Always use correct grammar and punctuation. Use the spell-check software if
necessary.
• Avoid using coloured text; these could make your e-mails difficult to read.
 Emails cont’d
• Always proofread your message before you send it.
• Avoid sending messages when you are emotionally challenged.
• Keep your caps off. Typing in capitals is considered shouting some
people will take offence at this.
• Avoid sending non-work related messages at work. Some one
could have access to them.
• Do not access people’s messages; respect their privacy.
• Respond to e-mails immediately, check them frequently.
• Do not send large files to others without asking for their
permission.
• Manage the inbox by discarding or saving messages in the archive
folders.
• When you are replying to vital messages that require feed-back
ensure that the original message is also included in your response.
 Emails cont’d
Composing an e-mail message
• Click the create (or new) mail button; write your message and address your e-mail.
Addressing your message
• Type the full e-mail address. When sending to many recipients separate the recipients by a semi
colon.
• Subject line: always write this to help receiver.
Composing your message text
• Type your message in the large text box.
Saving the message
• Click the save button on the toolbar to save message to the draft folder.
Attaching a file
• Click on Insert and then click on File attachment. The attachment area will be opened in a new
window. To compress a large file use compression software before attaching it. It makes the file
smaller and save the disc space.
Adding your signature
Click Insert then Signature to add it to your message. Signature is a fixed block of text that may be
included at the end of your outgoing messages.
Spell check
• Use the spell checker (if necessary) for spelling errors.
Sending your message
• Click the Send button to send your message.
 Meetings
What is a meeting?
• When two or more people gather (in organisations or public institutions) to discuss
matters of mutual interest and decide on them (Van Schalkwyk 2000).
What constitutes a legal meeting?
• There should be a quorum. A quorum is the smallest number of people who
must be present at a meeting to enable the meeting to be officially recognized,
and so that official decisions can be made.
• The meeting must be held in accordance to the constitution of the organisation or
institution.
• If the members have been given due notice about the meeting.
• If there is a chairperson to preside over the meeting.
Types of meetings:
Formal meeting
• The meeting is called by the chairperson, and there is a set of rules and
procedures,
• Formality differs; statutory bodies vs. meetings of clubs and associations
 Meetings
Informal meetings
• They are called authority or command meetings
• The chairperson must still be present.
• Small meetings in organisations; they are more discussion groups than ordinary
meetings.
• There is no formal agenda if there is a clear idea of the aim of the meeting.
• Minutes are taken to keep a record.
Notice of a meeting
• Due notice to attend meetings should be communicated to the members within
reasonable time.
• Notice may be orally, or written or telephonic.
• Generally it is twenty-one days (21) or fourteen days (14).
• The constitution must be followed.
Elements of a notice
The notice or memo must contain:
• Name of organisation
• The secretary’s contact details
 Meetings cont’d
Notice continued:
• The type of meeting; departmental board, annual general meeting etc.
• Date, time and place of meeting.
• The signature of the secretary.

The agenda (order paper)

• The agenda is a list of business items or activities to be dealt with in a specific
order at a meeting ( Van Schalkwyk 2000,219).
• It is drawn by the secretary in collaboration with the chairperson.
• It is common to include the agenda items in the memo.
Objective of the agenda (why have an agenda)
• to ensure that no issue that requires attention is ignored.
• to enable members to decide what course of action they will adopt at the
meeting.
General requirements for the agenda
• It must be clear and specific
 Sample of an agenda
1. Opening /welcome remarks by chairperson
2. Attendance register and apologies
3. Minutes of previous meeting (& adoption)
4. Matters arising from the minutes
5. Points for discussion (THE NEW AGENDA/DAY’S BUSINESS)
6. Date of next meeting
7. Any other Business
8. Closing.
 Minutes
The Minutes:
• The minutes of a meeting are an impartial, brief version of the
proceedings (discussions) at a meeting (Van Schalkwyk, 2000).
They include a report of the resolutions taken at the meeting.
Requirements for the minutes
• They should be clear, accurate and concise.
• They reflect a correct record of the proceedings and resolutions
passed.
• Instructions should be minuted in detail.
• All decisions and resolutions should be verbatim.
Elements of the minutes
• Attendance register:
All names of those who attended; chairperson’s name should be
the first on the list. It may also include addresses and signatures.
 Minutes cont’d
• Apologies for absence:
The names of those absent must be noted under the heading.
• Opening and welcome remarks:
A sentence is enough to show who declared the meeting open and welcomed
the members.
• Minutes of previous meeting:
They have to be read and accepted as a correct record by those who were
present, and signed (by the secretary and chairperson) . All amendments must
be minuted.
Purpose and uses of minutes:
• They are used as a future reference and are legally binding.
• They are official historical documents of an organisation.
• They could be used as evidence in a court of law.
• They are signed by the chairperson and secretary after they are declared
correct, and adopted (ie accepted as a true record) by members attending the
meeting.
 Minutes cont’d stop
• Matters arising: These are
-matters for discussion from the previous minutes, as well as
-actions from the previous meeting/minutes (which are given
with the person responsible for each action item, and a
deadline.
-they are discussed and minuted (recorded).
• New business:
New matters (as on the agenda) are discussed and carefully
minuted. Brevity is the most important characteristic of
minutes.
• Closure :
Correct time of closure is minuted
• Minutes are drafted in the past tense.
 Savingram
The savingram
• It is unique to the public service of Botswana and dates to the colonial
administration in Botswana.
• It is used in the public service for communication between departments or
ministries.
• When it is sent to more than two receivers it is called a circular savingram.
The purpose of the savingram in the public service:
• To give instructions
• To provide and disseminate decisions and suggestions in administrative issues
• To make requests
• To confirm information
• To remind staff about policies and procedures
Essential components of a savingram
• The name of the document – “savingram”
• Name and position of senior person where the savingram comes from.
 Savingram
For example, FROM: The Director
Department of Wild Life
• Telephone number of the organisation where the savingram came
from.
• It is written below the name of the organisation where the savingram
came from.
• Details of the writer (full name, designation and signature).
• Name of the organisation to which the savingram is sent.
For example; TO: The Ombudsman
The Ombudsman’s Office
• The reference number written below the position of the recipient.
• The date: it should be written in full.
• The subject heading: it gives the reader the idea of the subject.
Capitalise, bold and underline.
 Savingram
The body of the savingram:
It is divided into the introductory paragraph, main
paragraph and a conclusion (but some messages may be
brief and these paragraphs may be merged). The
paragraphs include the following information:
a) Introductory paragraph which states the reasons for
writing or provides background information.
b) The main body should provide the central message.
c) The writer may state his expectations.
• Circulated copies: these are copies to be circulated to
recipients. The number of copies is governed, usually
not more than six.
 Cont’d
SAVINGRAM
FROM: The Director of Income Tax (Signature)
Ministry of Finance and Development M. Maseko
TELEPHONE NO: 3939981 writer’s Signature
TO: The Minister of Home Affairs
REFERENCE NUMBER: MHA/B1/O DATE: 1 March, 2012
WORKSHOP ON VALUE ADDED TAX REGULATIONS
The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning is planning to mount a
workshop on value added tax regulations for all members of staff in the
immigration department. It will be held on the 12th – 20th March, 2012 at the
Kasane Convention Center at the Mowana Hotel.
The aim of this workshop is to enhance the knowledge of all your staff and
empower them in their duties.
Please provide us with a list your staff by the 5th March, 2012. We would
appreciate a good attendance.
Cc: Heads of Departments.
(cc means copy to/copied to.
 End of notes

Please read independently on any topic that is

presented in the lectures, as also reflected on
the course outline!! This gives you extra
marks.
Do not just depend on lecture notes.