Chapter six

MEDIA OF COMMUNICATION
A. Oral communication
Oral communication is the face to face communication between individuals .It may be in the form
of direct talks and conversation or the public address .It also includes telephone calls or talking on
the intercom system .It is the most effective when settling a dispute among employees.

Advantages of oral communication

It is direct, simple and time saving device of communication
It is least expensive form of communication
It conveys personal relationship, friendliness and develops a feeling of belongingness
It removes if there is any misunderstanding between persons
It lays mutual understanding and confidence
It allows both parties to participate in a situation where motivation is important

Disadvantages oral communication

There is formal record of the communication held
There is a possibility of distortions of message especially if the oral message has to pass
through a long chain of command
Lengthy and distant communications cannot be much effective
It may carry less weight being informal
The formal authority cannot be transmitted effectively in oral transactions
It can be misunderstood and more or less different meanings might be conveyed by a
manner of speaking
It can be misunderstood and more or less different meanings might be conveyed by a manner of
speaking

1. BUSINESS SPEECH
Making a speech is an essential tool that promotes organizational/or institutional images as
well as individual prestige. Speech is often made in business or social situations with a view to
informing, advertising, persuading or entertaining a limited audience.

To make a speech more effective, it should be organized in essential parts, i.e. introduction,
body and conclusion to appeal to the interests of the listeners.

A speech may be:

Narrative Speech: it is concerned with time and action. More specifically narrative speech is
a form of disclose which recounts a series of related events in such away as to develop a central
meaning. Examples fables and parables

Explanatory Speech: this type of speech explains about something by giving important and
relevant reasons that really explains it.

Descriptive Speech: this type of speech concerned based on describing, expressing and
persuading idea, opinion about something.
 Persuasive Speech: this type of speech specifically focuses on convincing some one through
the force of reason and appeal to prejudice, deep seated convictions, hopes and fear seat. It is able
to make some body do or believe something.

Business speech can also fall into several categories depending up on the presentation
techniques used to address to a limited audience. It is thus, important that practicing speakers
have awareness about the following business speech types:

Impromptu Business Speech: this type of speech delivered to a limited audience without any
preparation of the speaker.

Extemporaneous Business Speech: this is a well prepared, rehearsed and outlined speech. In
delivering such a type of business speech, the speaker can refer to important ideas, fact and
figures printed on pieces of paper or cards.

Memorized Business Speech: the speaker requires a lot of time for preparation and rehearsal
prior to presentation. A speaker is likely to forget what he/she wants to say due to stage fright.

Textual Business Speech: is a well prepared/researched business speech presented by reading

from printed pages. This type of business speech is used when the issue to be presented is
complex in content.

Guidelines for Effective Speech:-

Determine the purpose of speech: the purpose of speech may be either to inform
(aims at increasing the audience’s awareness and understanding of a subject) or
preside (aims to get the audience to adapt the speaker’s point of view on an issue.)
your audience.
Know your audience: the speaker have to have an aware about his audience’s age,
size, group, knowledge and also religion and ethics.
Be well organized: the speaker should know all the procedures regarding to his
speech and he should know carefully how audience understand the message.
Research your topic (by using published and unpublished source): primary sources-
observation and consulting, and secondary sources- reports and published research
Anticipate and prepare for questions from audience
Practice critically
Minimize nervousness
Establish eye contact with your audience
Be honest in what you say

Characteristics of Good Speaker:-

Look at your audience
Vary your volume and speed
Speak clearly
Use appropriate gesture
Check your postures
Watch and listen for feedback

2. ACTIVE LISTENING
Listening is a combination of what you hear, what you understand, and what you remember. It
includes hearing or receiving oral stimuli from the environment, connecting or processing the
stimuli into meaningful message, and storing message from immediate or delayed retrieval.
Listening involves five related activities, which most often occur in sequence:

Sensing: is physically hearing the message and taking note of it.

Interpreting: is deciding, and absorbing what your. As you listen, you assign meaning to the
words according to your own value, beliefs, ideas, expectations, roles, needs, and personal
history.

Evaluating: is forming an opinion about a message.

Remembering: is storing a message for future reference. As you listen, retain what you hear by
taking notes or by making a mental outline of the speaker’s key points.

Responding: is acknowledging the message by reacting the speaker in same fashion.

Types of Listening
Content listening: it enables as to understand and retain the message. The goal of content
listening is to understand and retain information imported by a speaker.

Critical Listening: is an even more active process. Not only does it involve listening for
information it involves analyzing and evaluating information. Listening critically means listening
with the intent of evaluating or judging what you hear. It requires a high level of involvement and
concentration.

Active or Emphatic Listening: is the highest level of listening. It requires concentration,

retention, and judgment. More important, it requires empathy (the ability to put yourself in some
one else’s place and understand his or her feelings). The goal is to understand the speaker’s
feelings, needs and wants so that you can appreciate his or her point of view regardless of whether
you share that perspective.

Guidelines for Effective Listening

Listening is a process that can be improved if the receiver takes an active role. The following
guidelines can help you to improve your listening skills:

Concentrate on the message: people normally speak at 100 to 200 words a minute. Listeners,
however, are capable of hearing up to 500 words a minute. This mismatch between speaking and
listening speeds makes it necessary for people to concentrate diligently in order to listen
effectively.

Determine the purpose of the message: oral message have purposes, as do written message. As a
listener, you need to determine the purpose of the oral message so that you can decide on the
mode that you will use when listen to message are cautious, skimming, and scanning listening.

Keep an open mind: the speaker presents the message from his/her view point respect this
viewpoint by not aching your own biases to block what being said.

Use feedback: is important. The speaker may volunteer where information he or she receives
positive feedback.

Minimize note taking: you will not be able to concentrate on listening if you attempt to record
everything that is said, instead record key words and ideas in outline.
Analyze the total message: watch the speaker’s action and facial expressions; listen to his or her
tone of voice.

Don’t talk or interrupt: an individual cannot talk and listen effectively at the same time.

Cause for Poor Listening

Baisedness against the speaker (internal distraction): because of the difference in
background, culture, behavior, etc
External distractions: environmental disturbances like: highly decorated conference
rooms, distracting perfume, sitting arrangement (closer to each other) and etc...
Thinking speed: if the receiver has potential to listen more than the words per minute the
speaker is speaking, this will create some gap and can divert the attention of the listener.
Premature evaluation: if the receiver is in a position to conclude the speaker’s message
after getting a hint (little part), his listening focus will decline and become poor.
Semantic problems: if the speaker uses jargon (technical) words, the receivers cannot
listen actively.
Delivery style: the volume variation, facial expression… can influence the listener.

3. TELEPHONING AND FACE TO FACE COMUNNICATION

Telephoning: is one of the most frequently performed activities in offices, and is, in fact, one of
the fastest means of communication in a business environment. When we communicate with
people by means of office telephone, we represent the business organization we are working for,
however insignificant our position may be. Thus, when we use the telephone either as a caller or a
receiver for business purposes, our sincerity and helpfulness are very much required. On the other
hand, any reflection of insincerity, discourtesy or artificiality is likely to bring about negative
reaction not only against us as telephone users but also against the organizations we are working
for.

Suggestion for Effective Telephoning (one to one)

Preplanning by a caller:

Know the specific purpose of your call

Know the name and occupation (if pertinent) of the person you are calling
Consider the best time to phone, from the standpoint of that person and of your
company
Plan your opening statement
Jot down the questions you want to ask. Try to limit your call to one main point.
Have paper and pen handy for note-taking also place near the phone any information
for reference during the conversation.
Behavior during the telephone conversation
 When you are the caller
Introduce yourself
If the person you are calling is not in, ask the best time to reach that person or you
can leave a message.
 When you answer a phone call:
With a clear pleasant voice answer promptly, usually with your name and department. On
receiving incoming calls, we should always be ready to answer the phone call as promptly as
possible with a friendly and warm tone. Under no circumstances should we make callers on the
hold for more than a few seconds.
Face-to-face Communication is simply interaction that occurs in the presence of two or more
people. Face-to-face oral communication may mostly occur in the form of one-to-one or one-to-
many business conversational situations.

Apparently, business etiquette requires that certain formalities should be consistently observed
when people are involved in the process of inter-personal communication that is in face-to-face
conversation. This category of oral communication may take the form of introductions, greetings,
invitation, requests for information, offering to help, making apologies, etc…

A successful group conducted by mail or by phone would be much less likely because of the
lack of instant feedback and the absence of nonverbal cues to meaning. But the above reasons put
face-to-face communication the most advantageous.

In opening face-to-face conversation the following communication structures could be used

by individuals: “Good morning” or “Good afternoon” or “How do you do?”

For make polite communication responses, we can use the following structure “Good morning,
may I help you?” or “Good morning, what can I do for you?”

2. INTERVIEW
The word ‘interview’ is derived from the word ‘intrigue’ meaning right between. Interview means
any planned oral conversation with a specific purpose involving two or more people. It is a
planned conversation with predetermined purpose that involves the asking and answering of
question.

Types of Interview

The various types of interviews call for different communication skills

 Job interviews: the job candidate wants to learn about the position and the organization the
employer wants to learn about the applicant’s abilities and experience both hope to make a good
impression and to establish rapport.
 Information interviews: the interviewer seeks facts that bear on a decision or contribute to
basic understanding. Information flows manly in one direction. One person asks a list of
questions that must be covered and listens to the answers supplied by the other person.
 Pervasive interviews: one person tells another about a new idea, product, or service and
explains why the other should act on the recommendations pervasive interviews are often
associated with, but are certainly not limited to selling.
 Exit interviews: the interviewer tries to understand why the interviewee is leaving the
organization or transferring to another department or division.
 Evaluation interviews: a supervisor periodically gives an employee feed back on his or her
performance. The supervisor and the employee discuss progress toward predetermined
standards or goals and evaluate areas that require improvement
 Counseling interviews: a supervisor talks with an employee about personal problems that are
interfering with work performance. The interviewee is concerned with the welfare of both the
employee and the organization.
 Conflict-resolution interviews: two competing people or groups of people explore their
problems and attitudes. The goal is to bring the two parties closer together, case adjustments in
perceptions and attitudes, and create a more productive climate.
 Disciplinary Interviews: a supervisor tries to correct the behavior of an employee who has
ignored the organization’s rules and regulations. The interviewer tries to get the employee to see
the reason for the rules and to agree to comply
 Termination interviews: a supervisor informs an employee of the reasons for the termination.
The interviewer tries to avoid involving the company in legal action and tries to maintain as
positive a relationship as possible with the interviewee.
General guidelines to be followed in all types of interviews

Most interviews consist of the following 3 things. These are

Planning the interview

As an interviewer you are in charge of setting the goals and establishing question before the
interview begins

Determine goals for the interview: make sure that why the interview is take place (determine
the primary and secondary goals)
Consider the approach or strategy that will be best to achieve your goals: the considerations
involve interview’s needs, goals and interests as well as your own.
Choose appropriate questions: Before the interview, review and write down key questions and
content areas that you want to cover. The types of questions that can be used are:
 Open ended questions: Invite the interviewee to offer an opinion, not just a yes no, or
one-word answer. “What do you think your company wants most from its suppliers?”
 Direct open ended questions: You have some what more control over the interview,
but you still give the other person some freedom in framing a response. This form is
good to use when you want to get a specific conclusion or recommendation from some
one, for example, “What would you do to improve customer satisfaction in the
southern region?”
 Closed-ended questions require yes or no answers or call for short response. “What is
your grade part average?”
 Restatement questions: questions that mirror a respondent’s previous answer. They
invite the respondent to expand on an answer “You said that you dislike eating injera.
Is that correct?”
Establish an atmosphere in keeping with your goals: decide on that the last suitable and
effective of your goals
Choose the most appropriate seating arrangement: the place chosen for interview must be
appropriately quiet comfortable and free of distracting and interruptions.

Conducting the interview

Establish a pleasant atmosphere begin with sincere. Begin with sincere, pleasant comments
that establish harming and good will.
Review that agenda: state that purpose of the interview
Listen attentively. Active listing is essential.
Percent questions in language that fellows that seven c’s principles
Clarity actions to be taken after the interview: let interviewee know that will happen next.
Work to achieve agreement on action to be taken what, when, why, where , by whom and
how.
End the interview sincerely
Evaluating the interview (follow-up after the interview)

3. MEETING
A business meeting is a gathering where purposive discourage occurs among three or more people
who exchange information on a common topic or problem, for better understanding or for solving
a problem
Types of meeting

Information exchange meetings

There may be a meeting where department managers present their progressive reports including
their problems and challenges (bilateral comm.)

Information giving meeting

The top management may prepare a meeting in order to communicate some new amendments and
policies to officials of the org. (unidirectional comm.)

Fact finding and problem solving meetings

First a problem is perceived in an organization, and there may be meeting arrangement to identify
the source (cause) of the problem and to solve the problem.

Preparation meeting

Planning steps before the meeting

Determine the purpose

Decide who should participate
Arrange for meeting date, time , place
Announce agenda: Agenda means a list of things to be done at meeting
Take care of physical arrangements
The Role of Chair person

Before the meeting

 Plan the meeting agenda

 Preparing the location: decide where you wilt hold the meeting and reserve the location
During the meeting

 Be on time and started the meeting

 He plays facilitating role
After the meeting

 The chairperson has to be evaluating the meeting. The final common negotiation decision
must conclude.
Minutes

Consists of written book or sheet, are record of the proceedings and resolutions passed at a
meeting. It contains the date, place, members, present proposals and decisions taken by way of
resolution.

B. Written Communication
Written communication occurs through a variety of means such as business letters, reports
memos, instructions, rules and regulations, policy manuals, information bulletins, etc. In many
cases considerable time and effort are expended in preparing written communication. Written
communication ensures that every one concerned has the same information and it provides a
permanent record for future reference
Advantages of written communication

 It serves as a permanent record for future reference

 It reduces the possibility of misunderstanding and misinterpretation
 It is the easy method of providing detailed information
 It is reliable for transmitting lengthy statistical data
 It informs formal authoritative action
 It can be evaluated and checked for accuracy

Disadvantages written communication

 It may be more time consuming for lengthy reports
 It is the part of red tap’s and bureaucratic system of control
 There is no guarantee that it will be received and read by the person concerned. It may be
lost in transit or may reach in the hands of irrelevant person concerned.
 It does not provide opportunity for immediate response
 It fails to convey personal feelings and hence does not create cooperative spirit
 It leads to excessive formality in personal relations

Business Letter
Business letters are purposeful internal or external communications designed to communicate
business messages or information between the letter producer and the reader or the supplier and
the potential customer.

Requirements of a good business letter

A good business letter should meet the following requirements:

 A business letter should be communicative, that is to say the message or information the
letter is to carry should be readily understandable by the reader
 A business letter has standard and supplemental parts that should be appropriately used.
The various standard and supplemental parts are as the following:

1) Letter Heading: this standard letter part identifies the name of the business establishment
together with the postal and telephone, fax, etc. addresses of the sender of the letter.
2) Message Date Line: this is a letter part that indicates the date, the month and the year in
which the letter is written.
3) Inside Address: this part carries the postal, telephone, fax, etc. addresses of the receiver of
the business letter.
 4) Salutation: this part of a business letter is a simple expression of greeting and appears
beneath the inside address. The salutation is often designed based on the first line of the
inside address.
5) Message Heading/subject line: it is meant to convey the reader the central idea or the
theme of the letter in a few logically arranged communicative words.
6) Body of the Letter: is the subject matter of the letter.
7) Complimentary Closures: also known as subscription, are simple expressions of
compliments positioned immediately following the concluding paragraph of a business
letter. Some of the widely used complimentary closures are: ‘yours faithfully’, ‘yours
truly’, ‘sincerely yours’…
8) Signature: this part of a business letter carries the signer’s or writer’s signature followed
by his/her job title in succession.
9) Identification initials: in contemporary business letter writing, these initials are supposed
to correspond to the first letters of the full name of the person/secretary shouldering the
responsibility of typing out the letter, and are represented by small letters.
10) Attention Line: is the first supplemental letter part that appears above the salutation. The
purpose of this letter part is to enable an executive to re-address the letter to the concerned
authority in the same organization.
11) Post Script (Ps.): refers to any forgotten essential that must be included in the body of a
business letter. It is represented by Ps and is printed following the signature are of the
letter.
12) Enclosure Notations: these are standard notations which refer to important materials that
need to be attached with the original letter.
13) Copy Notations: are standard abbreviations which refer to copies of letters that need to be
sent to heads of offices or individuals concerned to make them become aware of the issues
that the letters communicate.
Sample of Business letter
Gateway Training Center
P. O. Box 3355
Hawassa, Ethiopia

20th March, 2006

IBM computer Manufacturing Company
New York, USA
 Attention: the sales manager
Dear Sir
Subject: Letter of enquiry, dated 1st March, 2006
We are planning to launch practical computer training program in the coming
academic year. We then require 100 personal computers and 2000 high density diskettes for
the training program.
Could you, therefore, supply the items on the usual trade terms?

Yours Sincerely

Eshetu S.
General Manager

abc
Encls. Details of prices and information brochure
Cc. Copy to administrative and finance manager
Ps. please supply us two laser jet printers

Types of Business Letters

Letter of enquiry: are designed by the enquirer with the aim to provide with business
information she/he is interested in. Thus, such letters, often request for price list, catalogue,
brochures, reservation, or other business service.

Letter of order: is deigned by a potential customer with a view to placing an order for a certain
commodity from a prospective supplier. When designing a letter of order that has to do with
foreign trade the letter write is required to include essential details such as quantity and type of
specification, mode of transport, type of freight, insurance, type of payment and delivery date.

Claim/complaint letters: is written when a customer has a cause for complaint. A complaint may
arise when a customer feels that he/she has received a wrong order, or inferior quality or
merchandise of different quality.

Letter of Adjustment: are positive replies to complaints made by potential suppliers. These
letters are purposefully designed by suppliers with the aim of fully or partially adjusting the
complaints made by potential customer.
Letter of credit: most of the time, trade could be carried out under terms of credit. Thus letters of
credit will be of paramount significance should you want to do business with a supplier on credit.

Letter of acknowledgement: is designed by a prospective supplier to acknowledge the receipt of

a letter of order sent by a potential customer.

Letter of recommendation: convey information about a job candidate or about someone

applying to a college or university.

Sales letters: this letter written to a potential customer in order to activate them to a company’s
products. Its aim is to increase awareness of potential customers.

Employment Letters:
Application Letter as one type of personal letter, can be solicited (invited application) and
unsolicited (applications for job that are not advertised)

In writing application letter remember to include:

Name of the magazine from which you read the vacancy

Emphasize your personal quality and skill
Explain your past experience (if any), or tall your educational background

Resume /Curriculum Vitae (CV)

A resume is a structured, written summary of a person’s education, employment, background and
job qualifications. It is a document containing supportive information and is enclosed to the
application letter. It includes: personal data (name, age, sex, nationality, date of birth, personal
address), educational background (name of elementary school, high school, college/university),
special training (if any), work experience, hobbies and references.

Memorandums (memo)
The memorandum is a kind of short/informal report, and is a means of communication widely
applied by management for internal communication purpose. A memorandum is purposely
designed either to communicate policies to low level authorities or rank, on the other hand, and
the present factual information to top management or to assist in decision making or problem
solving, on the other. As internal mean of communication, memorandum can be thus move:

Downward from top management to low level officials in an organization carrying policy
guidelines and procedural statements.
Upward from low level officials to top management to assists in problem solving and
decision making process.
Business Report:
Business reports are highly specialized means of communication which are of pivotal importance
in presenting factual information to the reader, on the other hand and identifying a problem,
investigating it and providing solutions and recommendations to top level management in
business organizations in order to facilitate problem solving and decision making process, on the
other.

Classification of Reports
Based on Content:

 Informational Reports: carry objective information from one area of business to another.
Omit comments or recommendations, e.g. annual reports, periodic reports …
 Analytical Reports: attempts to solve problems by way of identifying problems gathering
and analyzing facts and providing recommendations, e.g. market surveys, research
reports…

Based on interval of transmission:

 Periodic report: are issued regularly i.e. monthly, quarterly…

 Progressive report: are issued occasionally between the start and finish of a certain project
or an operation. E.g. project reports
 Special reports: are issued regularly in response to non-request and emergency tasks and
special occasions.

Based on directions report travel:

 Internal reports: move vertically up-ward or down-ward within a certain business

establishment.
 External reports: move out of the bounds of a certain organization for general public
consumption

Component of a formal Business report

A formal report always conveys the impression that the subject is important. The longer the report
and the information in it, the greater the number of components it usually contains and complex
information is easier to digest when presented in smaller places. The three basic divisions of a
formal report are:

(1) Preliminaries:
  Title page: it may contain the following information: sub title, name of the author, name of
the authority for whom the report written, contract, project or job number and etc…..
 Letter of Authorization: if you have received a letter authorizing you to conduct a study,
then this letter becomes part of the final report.
 Letter of transmittal: introduces the report (not the subject matter of the report) and offers
it to the reader.
 Acknowledgement:
 Table of contents: present the major divisions of the report and indicates their respective
pages. There are two ways for dividing of outline for contents: numerical-letter
combination and decimal system style.
 Table of illustration: a separate list of illustrations is given immediately after the table of
contents if there are a large number of table and figures. If the number of illustrations is
very large, divide it into two parts, namely, list of tables and list of figures.
 Synopsis or summary: presents the report in a nutshell without any illustrations and
explanations.
(2) The Body

 Introduction: it includes statement of the problem, purpose of the report, definition of

terms, research procedure, the scope and limitation of the report
 Discussion: it includes review of the related literature and finding and analysis.
 Conclusion and recommendations
(3) Supplemental parts

 Appendix: contains materials which is needed to support the main body of the report but
too detailed/voluminous to be included in the text such items as tables, pictures, maps ….
 Bibliography: is a list of sources used when preparing the report or paper.