GOOD BUSINESS REPORT

GOOD BUSINESS REPORT

(1) Accuracy of facts
Since reports are used for decision-making, inaccurate and unverified facts can lead to disastrous results. It is said, „What is worse than no information is wrong information‟.

(2) Brevity
Difficult to define, it is also not possible to state it as a rule to be followed for writing reports. Good reports are brief but brevity should not be achieved at the cost of clarity nor should it be at the expense of completeness. Thus the reports should include everything that is relevant yet be brief!

(3) Clarity
Clarity comes from orderly, systematic and clear thinking. Reports should be skillfully divided in to short paragraphs, giving headings and inserting signposts to attract attention and securing sustained interest of the readers who are indeed customers.

(4) Free from grammatical errors
Good reports are a good piece of composition presented attractively and free of any grammatical error. If choice of words is faulty, construction of sentences is confusing and design of paragraphs is dull, reports would find few readers. If reports require too much of sorting out of data and sifting out the meanings before taking decisions, it would always leave a lurking doubt in the decision makers‟ mind. And if decisions do not reflect the conviction of management, they are unlikely to be implemented properly.

(5) Objectivity of recommendations
Recommendations should be objective and impartial. These must be based on logical conclusions of the investigation, analysis and findings. Self-interest of the individuals should not creep in directly or indirectly.

(6) Unity and Cohesion
If the writers are clear about the main purpose of the report, it gives unity and cohesion to the report

(7) Precision
Reports avoid extraneous issues and are precise and incisive. Precision adds value to the report.

(8) Reader-orientation
Reader orientation is customer orientation. Writers must always keep the person(s) going to read the report in mind. Contents of reports to laypersons will be different from the reports prepared and submitted to experts and specialists.

(9) Relevance
The facts and data should have a direct bearing on the main purpose of the message intended. Nothing relevant should be skipped nor any irrelevant data be added to
make the report confusing. Exclusion of facts may make the report incomplete and is likely to mislead.

(10) Simple language
Reports using simple, familiar words and direct construction of sentences call for a greater understanding of the subject. Only a deep knowledge enables persons to throw up and use simple words and phrases for expressions. Reports should be free of trite expressions, clichés and figures of speech.

Communication as a two-way process

Communication as a two-way process

Communication is a complete process - it starts with communicators sending messages to receivers, the „communicatees‟. An experienced sender of message, whether oral or written, would think of the audience as his customer. He would try to gauge or guess the kind of level of communication the receiver is comfortable with. Thereafter, he would craft his message in a manner and in the language, words, phrases and idioms that the receiver is familiar with. Each receiver of message is really a customer whose needs and wants should be as well known to the sender as it happens in a market place. Obviously, like the sender who chooses words, phrases and idioms from his vocabulary depending on own learning, experience and exposure, receiver also has his own mental filter that is the product of his learning, experience and exposure. To absorb the message in his mind, he does the abstraction of the message in to words, phrases and idioms that he is familiar with or has command over. This leads to his formulating his response to the message received. Once again, it goes through the mind filter and ultimately comes out of the communicatee and starts its return journey to the sender of the message. It conveys back what is understood by the receiver.

A sensitive speaker is able to judge the reaction of his audience from the gestures, sounds and expressions of the audience – the way they sit, the way they yawn or the way they twitter their fingers etc. It is thus a complete cycle because it is a two way process. Until the full process has been gone through the process of communication is considered to be incomplete.

NON – VERBAL COMMUNICATION-Body Language

NON – VERBAL COMMUNICATION-Body Language

As the name suggests the study of movements of our body parts like eyes, head, hands, legs, sitting style, walking style etc. is called body language. It is also called Gestural communication or Kinesics. It truly depicts the inner feeling going in our mind. We can fake our words to conceal our true inner feeling but our body movements convey it. For example, if your mother is angry with you on something then without uttering a single word she can convey this feeling to you.

As a rule, it does not lie or mislead unless someone has mastered the art of deceit or camouflaging. And also it is not man made language. We can just study it, interpret it and that too one can do after studying this language for many years.

Following are the different types of Body Language:

i.) Personal Appearance: Personal appearance means the way we dress, groom ourselves and use accessories .It helps us to project an image of us on other. Our first impression creates an image thus it is important to manage our personal appearance crucially. The estimates about ones status, personality, credibility and capability are made according to our personal appearance. Thus it is important to pay attention to our personal appearance and one should be well dressed and well groomed to convey a good impression on other.

ii.) Posture: Posture signifies the way we sit, stand, and carry ourselves. A student has to cultivate and maintain elegance in his or her sitting standing and walking postures as it conveys message about your personality .For example if you are slouching in the chair it suggests you are not interested.

iii.) Gestures with hands and arms: A gesture can communicate all that the speaker feels, consciously or unconsciously. Shaking hands, touching, holding, embracing or patting on the back, all convey messages.

iv.)Eye Contact: Eye never lies. Eye contact is significant for effective communication. The frequency of contact may suggest either interest or boredom. For example, a travel counselors should look straight into the eyes of the person, although pleasantly and affably to show confidence and interest.

v.) Facial Expression: It is truly said that face is index to mind. Facial expressions like a smile, frown, raised eyebrow, yawn, and sneer all convey information. Facial expressions are most natural and unconscious. Facial expressions continually change during interaction and are observed constantly by the recipient. Smiling is considered to be pleasant and helpful. A frown conveys confusion and at times anger.

TYPES OF NON – VERBAL COMMUNICATION : Language of Distance

TYPES OF NON – VERBAL COMMUNICATION : Language of Distance

The study of how people recognize and value the physical spaces around them is known as
language of distance or proxemics. Language of distance takes into account body spacing
between two individual .The physical distance between two people can be correlated to the
relationship they share be it personal or social. These are of four types:

1. Intimate Zone: Distance shared by Spouses, children, parents, very close
relatives and friends.

2. Personal Zone: Distance between individuals during business gatherings,
social functions and get-together.

3. Social Zone: Distance shared by strangers or occasional visitors.

4. Public Zone: Distance shared between speaker and Audience.
Language of distance teaches us to first determine what the relationship between us and other person is and accordingly we should manage the distance. For example when talking to your customer you should know that you are in public zone and should not enter in intimate zone.

PRINCIPLES OF A WRITING A BUSINESS LETTER

PRINCIPLES OF A WRITING A BUSINESS LETTER

You will have to develop the art of writing good business letters to communicate effectively at the written level. Almost every one of us has written a letter at some point of our life. A business letter is slightly different from other letters. In today's age of technology, e-mail, a kind of letter sent via the electronic machine also comes under the purview of letter writing. However, we will not discuss letter writing in general but business letters only in this section. We will discuss some principles that are essential for writing a good business letter. Let us start with a quick look at the layout of a business letter.

Layout

There is no fixed layout for writing a business letter as different organizations may have their own
prescribed layouts to be used in business letters sent from their organization. However, we can discuss a common layout that is generally followed while writing a business letter.


The following things are to be included in a business letter:

􀁺 Letterhead
The company's name and full address should be included in this section.
􀁺 Date
The date is written before the inside address of the recipient.
􀁺 Inside Address
This includes the address of the recipient. The address should include the name and the full
address of the recipient.
􀁺 Salutation or Greeting
The way you write the salutation depends on the relationship you share with the recipient. If you
do not know the gender and name of the recipient it is best to use a neutral, "Dear Sir/ Madame."

􀁺 Letter Body
The body of your letter should be clearly written with not more than three paragraphs. The
purpose of every paragraph should be clear.
􀁺 Closing
The closing comes after the last paragraph of the letter. The closing again depends on the
relationship you share with the recipient and hence the degree of formality.
􀁺 Signature
This comes after the closing. You will have to include your signature, printed name and position
(strictly in that order) here.

Reasons for writing business letters

You may need to write a business letter for many reasons. It may be
􀁺 to persuade
􀁺 to recommend
􀁺 to accept/reject offers
􀁺 to apologize
􀁺 to inform
􀁺 to request
􀁺 to remind

The language cannot be different just because we are writing a business letter. But there are certain
things you should remember while writing a business letter. The language should be very simple and
precise. You cannot waste your time by writing things that do not serve the real purpose but makes your letter long and complicated.

Here are some principles you should remember while writing a business letter:

􀁺 Start from the end. Figure out the purpose. Try to find out the goal you want to achieve
through the letter.

􀁺 Make a list of the things you have to say and allot a paragraph each to the main points. Add
an introductory paragraph and a concluding paragraph.

􀁺 Get to the point early. Do not beat around the bush! The reader is not interested in reading
the plot of a story but the purpose of the letter.

􀁺 Be logical and coherent in your approach. This will reflect in the way you write the letter.
􀁺 Identify the reader and your relationship with him or her. You may address the reader with a
simple Dear Mr./ Ms/ Miss X (the First and last name) if you are familiar with the person.
However, if you are not familiar with him or her, Dear Sir/ Madam will be all right. You are also
supposed to write Dear Sir/Madam if you do not know the gender or name of the reader.

􀁺 Avoid repetitions.
􀁺 Avoid camouflaged verbs. For example, "Announcement of the decision made him relieved"
is using the noun form of the verb and lacks power. Instead, use "He was relieved to announce
his decision."

􀁺 Use familiar words.

􀁺 Avoid using vague and abstract words. Always be precise and concrete. Instead of 'immense
benefit in all respects' or 'significant gain', it would help if you use '25% gain' or 'benefit in
terms of cost, production, performance'.

􀁺 Use adverbs and adjectives sparingly. Do not be too judgmental or passionate in your use of
words. Words like 'breathtaking', 'absolutely', and 'fantastic' are best avoided.

􀁺 Avoid jargon's and cliched sentences. That will make your letter natural.

􀁺 Use adjectives appropriately. Do not use them too much neither should you be too stingy in
using them. Strike a balance.

􀁺 Use active voice as much as possible.

􀁺 Use simple and short sentences. You cannot waste your time by writing things that do not
serve the real purpose but makes your letter long and complicated.

􀁺 End it with what should be the action taken by the reader or you.

􀁺 Try to be friendly. You should not appear rude in an attempt to be too straightforward. You can be
straightforward and friendly at the same time.

􀁺 Close with a simple and plain closing phrase. "Yours sincerely" or "Sincerely" and your signature
can be a good closing phrase.

􀁺 Take care of the layout and format of the letter.

􀁺 Never write a business letter in anger. You may regret it later.

􀁺 Always end it with an action step if required. Do not leave it vague or leave the reader wondering
what you expect from him or her.

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

Here it is pertinent to mention the concept of jargon to you. Jargons are special words and phrases
which are used by particular groups of people, especially in their work For example, sue motto, ipso
facto, etc. are legal jargons. Jargons when used in a business report cannot be avoided as they form an
integral part of the report. So in order to understand such a report you are required to know a few
commonly used jargons. However, while writing a business letter the use of jargons and clichés excessively should be avoided, as these will make your letter very technical and dull.
The vocabulary used should be simple, concise and easily comprehensible. Use the word that is most
effective to get the desired result. Instead of saying, "The project may not be completed on due date."
"The project may be delayed." is a more concise expression.

Grammar

At the level of grammar one of the most important things to remember is the voice of the sentences. Do not use passive voice. You will not be projected as a strong human being if you avoid active voice and use passive voice all the time. For example, instead of saying, "The meeting has been cancelled" say, " We have cancelled the meeting." Another aspect of grammar to be remembered is the use of complex sentences. A better idea will be to use simple and short sentences.
The next point is the use of verbs that indicate actions you want to take and the actions you expect the
receiver (of your message) to take instead of rehashing the same with long sentences. For example,
instead of saying, "As your last date for bill payment is approaching, you are requested to pay your bill by 28-3-06" you can say, "We request you to pay your bill by 28-3-06. Your last date for bill payment is 28.3.06."

Style

The style followed in writing a business letter or report may vary from country to country. The style may also vary according to the rapport you have with the recipient of your message. However, adopting a formal style without being impersonal is a good idea in business communication.

BUSINESS ENGLISH AND ITS IMPORTANCE

BUSINESS ENGLISH AND ITS IMPORTANCE

Different situations demand of us to perform differently (in terms of language). So it is quite obvious that when we talk about the world of business we will find a kind of English that is used for business purposes. Though it is to be mentioned that English as a language is not different from Business English. The difference is only at the rate at which some language features of English in terms of sentence structure, grammar and style that suit the purpose in a business situation are used. This kind of English is known as Business English.

For instance, in a business situation some English words, sentence structures and styles of English
language are more common as they help in getting the desired result. It is to be, however, noted that
Business English as such is not as much distinguishable in oral communication as in written
communication. In oral communication it may be used to build interpersonal relations, to give
presentations, for negotiations, in meetings, etc. In this chapter we will be discussing Business English for effective writing. Good business English is required for writing letters, reports, memos, minutes, etc.

With India emerging as a global player in the world of business and trade and multinational companies investing heavily in India, we find corporate houses emerging in great numbers. Thus, we cannot ignore the skills one requires to be successful in the corporate world, as many of you may find yourself with jobs in corporate houses. Apart from the other skills -soft skills, interpersonal skills, academic qualification, technical skills-from the language point of view, you should definitely be aware of the kind of English used in this sector. Awareness of Business English will make you a better communicator in the sense that you can use the kind of English that the (business) situation demands.

A skillful communicator should be will aware of how to use language for different purposes and achieve the desired goal. For instance, you may know how to write a letter but may not be aware of the principles of a good business letter, as you may not know the kind of vocabulary and sentence structures used in such letters. As a result you may not be able to perform at your peak, with misunderstandings and ambiguity hindering your communication process.