Overview of chapter 12
You will complete an entire subject on Business Communication so we will cover the topic here in a general sense focussing on some "streetsmarts" for communication effectively with your customers.
We spend a large part of our day involved in communication in various forms; it is fundamental to all human relationships and interactions. Without communication, no one would know what to do or when to do it. Engines would not start unless engineers were instructed to start them, so ships would not sail. If they did get underway, their crews would not know where to go or how to get there. If they did arrive, no one would be expecting them. No one would know whether they were to be loaded or discharged, or where the cargo was coming from or going.
When people communicate effectively, objectives can be accomplished more readily. Probably the most important way we can affect the positive relationship with our customers is by being good (or poor) communicators. Almost everything we do is affected by the manner in which we communicate.
Topics
- 12.1 Communicating effectively
The effect of ineffective communication - 12.2 The communication process
- 12.3 Barriers to effective communication
Individual perception - 12.4 Non-verbal communication
A matter of terminology
It is not what you say but how you say it
A word of warning - 12.5 Customer service on the telephone:
a performing art
A note on speaker phones - 12.6 Email and the Net
Learning outcomes
When you have completed this chapter, you should be able to:
- demonstrate the importance of effective communication;
- identify the barriers to effective communication;
- identify and explain strategies for improvement;
- explain how individual perception influences the communication process;
- distinguish between verbal and non-verbal communication;
- discuss the importance of good telephone technique, outlining the impact on the image of the individual and the company;
- identify and explain guidelines for improving telephone utilisation.
