Great business communications strategies, best practices and useful tips

1. CABCAB0002/010002/01
BusinessBusiness
Communications:Communications: WeekWeek
11

2. • About YOUYOU
• About MEME
• Review The Syllabus:
•Charging Boldly Ahead!Charging Boldly Ahead!
Today’s Agenda

3. About ME
 BA in Comms (MBA Mktg)
 20 Years In Corp. America
 Started Career as Recruiter
 Marketing/Sales Background
Launched The Chazin Group ‘04
Contact me:
Tel: (201) 683-3399
Email: Ethan@TheChazinGroup.com

4. What I DoWhat I Do
 Job Search Strategies
 Interviewing &
Networking
 Career Coaching
 Life / Work Balance
 Business Owner Coaching
 Human Capital
Development
 Professional Development
 Salary Negotiations

6. Our Textbooks

7. How Do YOU Define
BusinessBusiness Writing?

9. "Throughout the globe, the"Throughout the globe, the
written word, in both paper andwritten word, in both paper and
electronic forms, is seen less aselectronic forms, is seen less as
strictly a way of archiving thestrictly a way of archiving the
business already completed andbusiness already completed and
more asmore as a vital, creative means ofa vital, creative means of
problem solving, collaborating,problem solving, collaborating,
and actually doing businessand actually doing business."."
(SOURCE: R. Inkster and J. M. Kilborn, The Writing of Business, Allyn and Bacon, 1999)

10. How U.S. Business People
Communicate

11. The U.S. is the MOSTThe U.S. is the MOST
OverworkedOverworked
Developed Nation inDeveloped Nation in
THE WORLD…THE WORLD…

12. The Chazin GroupThe Chazin GroupThe Research PROVES It

13. • The White-Collar Sweatshop by Jill Andresky
Fraser
• The Overworked American by Juliet Schor
• The Working Life by Joanne B. Ciulla
The Chazin GroupThe Chazin GroupA Field of Study Emerges

14. Overworked=More Stress=Overworked=More Stress=
 FatigueFatigue
 High Blood PressureHigh Blood Pressure
 Heart DiseaseHeart Disease
 OvereatingOvereating
 Substance AbuseSubstance Abuse
 Lost Time With Loved OnesLost Time With Loved Ones
 Spousal/Child AbuseSpousal/Child Abuse
 Anger Management/Road RageAnger Management/Road Rage
 Early DeathEarly Death
 SuicideSuicide

15. K.K.II.S..S.SS

19. A New Era

21. Energy to the World

23. Chemistry That
Matters

25. ““In a global marketplace,In a global marketplace,
it is absolutely critical thatit is absolutely critical that
we communicatewe communicate
effectively, to achieve oureffectively, to achieve our
organizational goals."organizational goals."
(SOURCE: me, 2012)

26. What’s the PURPOSEPURPOSE of
BusinessBusiness Writing?

27. • Explain or justify actions already taken.
• To convey information.
• To influence the reader to take action.
• Deliver good/bad news.
• Direct action.
http://grammar.about.com/od/ab/g/businesswritingterm.htm
It’s PURPOSEPURPOSE

28. ““Writing isWriting is
makingmaking
sense of life."sense of life."
(SOURCE: Nadine Gordimer)

29. Poor Writing…
Poor Results!

30. • Net Future Institute Research study revealed
online communication issue isn’t ENOUGH email
but inability to GET THE POINT ACROSS.
• One in 3 U.S. workers in top companies write
poorly.
• Poorly written business communications wastes
time, drains resources, and causes errors. (HR
magazine June ‘06)
• 85% of survey respondents said poor
communications wastes time, 70% cited lost
productivity (HR magazine April ‘06)
Result of POOR Communication

31. BEFOREBEFORE You
Start Writing…

32. • What’s the situation/problem/issue that is
prompting me to write this?
• Why are you writing this document?
• Who is going to read it?
• What do your readers need to know?
• What action do you want your readers to take?
Ask Yourself…

33. Good business writing
DEMANDS you know
what you are doing.

35. Have a 60-second60-second
conversation with
YOURSELF.

36. Developing an Outline
VersusVersus
Free writing

37. OutliningOutlining

39. Free WritingFree Writing

42. The Communication
STRATEGY

43. • Strategic communication is based on 5
variables:
– Communicator (Writer) Strategy
– Audience Strategy
– Message Strategy
– Channel Choice Strategy
– Culture Strategy
Communication Strategy

44. • GENERALGENERAL: The broad overall goal.
• ACTIONACTION: A series of action outcomes –
specific, measurable, time-sensitive steps
required, to accomplish general objective(s.)
• COMMUNICATIONCOMMUNICATION: The result you hope to
achieve from a specific communication effort (a
report, email, presentation, memo.)
Define Your Objectives

45. Your
Communication
“STYLETYLE””

46. • Join/Consult ApproachJoin/Consult Approach: Learn from the
audience. The “inquiry” style. Consult is
collaborative, and Join is even more
collaborative (like brain-storming.)
• Tell/Sell ApproachTell/Sell Approach: When you want your
audience to learn from you. In tell you inform
or explain. In SELL, you persuade/advocate for.
(SOURCE: Tannenbaum & Schmidt study of Leadership)
Communication STYLE

48. Establish Your Credibility

49. • Remember how I started this first session…?
• What is your audience’s perception of your
initial credibility? What do they think of you?
• Factors that determine credibility:
– Rank
– Goodwill
– Expertise
– Image
– Common ground
Subject Matter Expertise

50. Audience Strategy

51. • Who are they?
• What do they know and expect?
• What do they feel?
• What will persuade them?
Audience Strategy

52. Message Strategy

53. • Key points
• Key questions
• Steps in a process
• Alternatives to compare
Organize

54. Channel Choice Strategy

55. Audience, Purpose, Scope,
Organization and Channel

56. CABCAB 0002/010002/01
BusinessBusiness
Communications:Communications: WeekWeek
22

57. Organization Strategies

58. Letter Versus Memo

59. EXERCISEEXERCISE #1#1

60. RESOURCESRESOURCES

61. Resources

62. Resources