BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

- II

Prof. Mona Thakkar - Pandya

Sr. Modules No. of
No. Lectures

1 Presentation Skills 15

2 Group Communication 15

3 Business Correspondence 15

4 Language and Writing Skills 15

Total 60

2
Sr.
Modules / Units
No.
1 Presentation Skills

Presentations: (to be tested in tutorials only) 4 Principles of Effective Presentation

Effective use of OHP, Effective use of Transparencies, How to make a Power-Point Presentation

2 Group Communication
Interviews: Group Discussion Preparing for an Interview, Types of Interviews – Selection, Appraisal, Grievance, Exit

Meetings: Need and Importance of Meetings, Conduct of Meeting and Group Dynamics Role of the Chairperson, Role of the
Participants, Drafting of Notice, Agenda and Resolutions

Conference: Meaning and Importance of Conference Organizing a Conference Modern Methods: Video and Tele – Conferencing

Public Relations: Meaning, Functions of PR Department, External and Internal Measures of PR

3 Business Correspondence
Trade Letters: Order, Credit and Status Enquiry, Collection (just a brief introduction to be given)

Only following to be taught in detail:-

Letters of Inquiry, Letters of Complaints, Claims, Adjustments Sales Letters, promotional leaflets and fliers Consumer Grievance Letters,
Letters under Right to Information (RTI) Act

[Teachers must provide the students with theoretical constructs wherever necessary in order to create awareness. However students
should not be tested on the theory.]
4 Language and Writing Skills
 UNIT – I
PRESENTATION
SKILLS

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC

4
 TOPICS TO BE COVERED
1) Introduction to making a presentation
2) PRINCIPLES OF MAKING AN EFFECTIVE PRESENTATION
3) SOME DOs AND DON'Ts OF PRESENTATION
4) METHOD OF DOING A PRESENTATION
5) AIDS (TOOLS) FOR PRESENTATIONS
6) PRESENTATIONS USING POWERPOINT (HOW TO MAKE A
POWERPOINT PRESENTATION)
7) SOME EXAMPLES OF VARIOUS PRESENTATIONS

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 1. INTRODUCTION TO MAKING A PRESENTATION

A presentation is the process of communicating a topic to an

audience. It is typically a demonstration, introduction, lecture, or
speech meant to inform, persuade, inspire, motivate, or to build good
will or to present a new idea or product.

Presentation involves talking in front of a group of people to explain

an idea, system, process, recent performance, forecast, or other
topic. The person who does the explaining is the presenter and may
use visual aids to help convey his or her message more effectively.

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A presentation in the context of public speaking can be described as an activity where a
presenter presents his/her ideas, explains a process, provides information, or raises questions
regarding a subject for public debate. There can be many definitions of a presentation, however,
it can be basically narrowed down to the aforementioned.

Presentation Definitions:
While there are many definitions of what a presentation is and what it entails, here are a few
dictionary definitions about what a presentation is generally considered to be:

“An activity in which someone shows, describes, or explains something to a group of people.”
Source: Presentation Definition by Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary
https://virtualspeech.com/blog/how-to-structure-your-presentation

7
 STRCTURE OF A PRESENTATION
A Structure of presentation is the usual flow of a presentation, which covers all the vital sections and is a good
starting point for yours. It allows your audience to easily follow along and sets out a solid structure you can add your
content to.

1. Greet the audience and introduce yourself.

2. Introduction

2a.Introduce your general topic

1.2b.Explain your topic area

2.2c. State the issues/challenges in this area you will be exploring

3.2d. State your presentation's purpose - this is the basis of your presentation so ensure that you provide a
statement explaining how the topic will be treated, for example, "I will argue that…" or maybe you will "compare",
"analyse", "evaluate", "describe" etc.

4.2e. Provide a statement of what you're hoping the outcome of the presentation will be, for example, "I'm hoping this
will be provide you with..."
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3. The main body of your talk
The main body of your talk needs to meet the promises you made in the
introduction. Depending on the nature of your presentation, clearly
segment the different topics you will be discussing, and then work your
way through them one at a time - it's important for everything to be
organised logically for the audience to fully understand. There are many
different ways to organise your main points, such as, by priority, theme,
chronologically etc.
• Main points should be addressed one by one with supporting evidence
and examples.
• Before moving on to the next point you should provide a mini-summary.
• Links should be clearly stated between ideas and you must make it clear
when you're moving onto the next point.
• Allow time for people to take relevant notes and stick to the topics you
have prepared beforehand rather than straying too far off topic.
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4. Conclusion
In presentations the conclusion is frequently underdeveloped and lacks
purpose which is a shame as it's the best place to reinforce your messages.
Typically, your presentation has a specific goal - that could be to convert a
number of the audience members into customers, lead to a certain number of
enquiries to make people knowledgeable on specific key points, or to
motivate them towards a shared goal.
Regardless of what that goal is, be sure to summarise your main points and
their implications. This clarifies the overall purpose of your talk and
reinforces your reason for being there.
Follow these steps:
• Signal that it's nearly the end of your presentation, for example, "As we
wrap up/as we wind down the talk…"
• Restate the topic and purpose of your presentation - "In this speech I
wanted to compare…"
• Summarise the main points, including their implications and conclusions
• Indicate what is next/a call to action/a thought-provoking takeaway
• Move on to the last section.

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• 5. Thank the audience and invite questions
Conclude your talk by thanking the audience for their time and
invite them to ask any questions they may have.

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What will affect your presentation structure?
Generally speaking, there is a natural flow that any decent presentation will
follow which we will go into shortly. However, you should be aware that all
presentation structures will be different in their own unique way and this
will be due to a number of factors, including:
• Whether you need to deliver any demonstrations
• How knowledgeable the audience already is on the given subject
• How much interaction you want from the audience
• Is there any time constraints for your talk
• What setting you are in
• Your ability to use any kinds of visual assistance
Before choosing the presentation's structure answer these questions first:
1.What is your presentation's aim?
2.Who are the audience?
3.What are the main points your audience should remember afterwards?
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TYPES / PURPOSE OF
PRESENTATION
INFORMATIVE

PERSUASIVE

INSTRUCTIONAL

DECISION MAKING
13
 Different Types of Presentations

Presentations can be presented for different purposes. Before

presenting a presentation, it is necessary that you have a clear idea
regarding the purpose of the presentation. Below is an overview of
some of the 5 most common types of presentations:
1. Informative
You might need to create an informative presentation to explain
important details tied to a topic before an audience. This type of
presentation might be brief, with essential information. Such a
presentation is usually based on facts and avoids too many
complicated details and assumptions.
• Examples: Class lectures, research findings, technical information,
results from experiments, etc.
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2. Persuasive
A persuasive presentation is geared towards convincing the
audience to believe a specific point of view. Such a presentation
might conclude with a call to action.
Examples: Product demos, sales pitch, investor pitch,
presentations on social issues, etc.
3. Instructional
Such a presentation might be to provide an audience with
instructions, such as regarding a process, or the use of a
product. Such presentations are usually longer, as they require
demonstrations and detailed explanation of each aspect of the
topic.

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4. Decision Making
Some presentations are conducted with the sole aim of providing
facts and figures to help the audience reach a decision. This
might include a business presentation about say, market share,
profits, project revenue and market competition; so that the board
members might be able to decide a future course of action for the
company.

16
• https://hbr.org/2013/06/how-to-give-a-killer-presentation

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5c1susCPAE
(Presentation Good/Bad Examples)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVSAfaFLxfE
(How to Give Presentation in Class I Presentation Skills for
STUDENTS I Best Presentation Tips I)

17
 PRINCIPLES OF MAKING AN EFFECTIVE PRESENTATION

•Every time you stand in front of a group, you must achieve two basic goals. First, you need to
communicate a message. And second, you need to communicate your personality — who you are as a
professional and an individual. If “the medium is the message,” your personality is the window through
which the message must travel to be received, understood and acted upon by the audience.

•You convey your message and your personality every day of your life in relaxed conversation. And
relaxed conversation is, therefore, your best possible communication style.

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By understanding the following principles, you can sharpen the skills youʼve acquired one-on-one and
transfer those skills to group presentations, thereby increasing your effectiveness in both.

1) YOUR BEST STYLE IS RELAXED CONVERSATION

2) BE YOURSELF

3) RELAXED CONVERSATION IS TWO-WAY

4) RELAXED CONVERSATION IS RECEIVER-DRIVEN

5) LESS IS MORE

6) PEOPLE CAN LISTEN OR THINK

7) PEOPLE WON'T REMEMBER WHAT YOU SAY

8) BE CONVERSATIONAL IN YOUR DELIVERY

9) THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK

10) SILENCE IS ESSENTIAL

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 PRINCIPLE #1
YOUR BEST STYLE IS RELAXED CONVERSATION

•Every day of your life, you convey your messages and your personality while engaged in
conversation. You should therefore emulate conversation in your presentations. Youʼre not
there to "download" information. You are there to create understanding that is based on a
two-way exchange, and to facilitate an environment in which people can apply what you tell
them to their personal or professional life.

•If you see a puzzled expression, donʼt wait for them to ask a question. Handle it the same
way you would in a conversation. Ask them if there is something you can explain more
effectively.

•Allow questions throughout your presentations. But be brief with your answers. Questions
are an opportunity to create milestones of mutual understanding. But remember, you pass
milestones. You donʼt camp at them.

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 PRINCIPLE #2
BE YOURSELF

You are unique. You have your own way of speaking and your own mannerisms -- how you talk, how
you stand, how you hold your hands. To convey your personality to a group, you must express
yourself in a manner similar to the ways in which you express yourself one-on-one. If you are
expressive with your hands one-on-one, it's OK to be expressive with your hands when talking to a
group. In fact, it's essential.

You know it's important to be on your best behavior. You know there are certain standards that you
must meet. You must dress appropriately. You must be attentive when someone asks a question.
You must answer the question.
But worry less about how you "present" yourself, than how you communicate with the members of the
group. Your body language must be natural. And what is natural for you is probably not natural for
someone else, or vice-versa, which is why we hesitate in setting rules for gestures you should use or
the body language you should attempt to convey.
To understand this, think of the gestures you make when you are enthusiastically explaining a concept
to a friend over the telephone. Who are these gestures for? The person on the other end?
Understand that these gestures are part of who you are as an individual. Bring them to your
presentations and let them happen naturally.
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 PRINCIPLE #3
RELAXED CONVERSATION IS TWOWAY

•To be effective, relaxed conversation must be two-way. Indeed, by definition, all communication
must be two-way.

•Even if one person does most of the talking in a conversation, he or she is looking for the nods,
listening for the "uh-huhs," and stopping to answer questions. The sender quickly recognizes that a
blank look means the receiver is not listening. He or she will respond by changing tactics -- pausing
to let the listener catch up or asking if there is a question.

• Your presentations, like your conversations, must be two-way. If you treat people with respect, and
create a two-way process in which their questions are answered clearly and concisely, you stand a
better chance of having them use or act on the information you present.

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 PRINCIPLE #4
RELAXED CONVERSATION IS RECEIVER-DRIVEN

•In a relaxed conversation, the speed at which information goes from sender to receiver is driven by
the receiver's needs, not the sender's. During a conversation, if the person listening doesn't signal
that he or she understands — with a "nod" or by saying "uhhuh" — the sender stops to create a
milestone of mutual understanding before moving on. If the sender doesnʼt do this, the receiver will
stop listening.

•The same applies to your presentations. If you talk nonstop, you will quickly lose your audience.
Instead, make sure the information youʼre sending is driven by the audienceʼs needs, not yours. If
you throw out an idea that creates puzzled expressions, itʼs probably a good time to stop and ask:
“Are there any questions?”.

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 PRINCIPLE #5 LESS IS MORE

•The less you say, the more your audience remembers. If you try to cram too much information into
your presentations, you will not create a two-way exchange. And you certainly wonʼt be receiver-
driven. How can you be? The speed at which information travels from you to the audience is not
driven by their need for understanding, but your need to get through it all in time.

• If you have one hour for your presentation, bring 30 minutes of information. This leaves plenty of
time for questions, enables you to finish on time or a bit early, and allows you time for networking at
the end.

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 PRINCIPLE #6

PEOPLE CAN LISTEN OR THEY CAN THINK, BUT THEY CANʼT DO BOTH

•As human beings, we can listen or we can think. But virtually none of us can listen and think at the
same time. By definition, this means that you must “pause” when delivering your presentations. And
those pauses must be as full and as frequent in your presentations as they are in your conversations.

•You want your seminars to be thoughtprovoking. You want people to think about what youʼre saying
and apply it to their personal situation. But while theyʼre thinking, if youʼre talking, they wonʼt hear a
word you say.

•If you talk nonstop, members of the audience will miss large portions of what you say. Theyʼll rush to
catch up once or twice. After that, theyʼll give up. And, if they give up, your chances of doing further
business with them decreases proportionately.

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 PRINCIPLE #7
PEOPLE WONʼT REMEMBER WHAT
YOU SAY
•

•Participants at your presentations will not remember your exact words. Instead, they will remember
what they thought about what you said — how they took your information and applied it to their frame
of reference.

• But this process can only occur in silence, whether you give them that silence, or they take it for
themselves. And remember, if they take that silence while youʼre talking, they wonʼt hear a word
you say.

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 PRINCIPLE #8
BE CONVERSATIONAL IN YOUR
DELIVERY

•If youʼve ever read the transcript of an interview or conversation, youʼve probably noticed that people
rarely talk in complete sentences. And if you participated in the conversation from which the
transcript was drawn, you were probably shocked at what you saw written down.

•There is a basic pattern in relaxed conversation. In the first step, which we refer to as the first
pause, the sender thinks about what he or she is going to say. Once the idea is formed, the sender
expresses it. If the sender is enthusiastic, the words come tumbling out at a rapid rate of word
delivery.

•Once the idea is delivered, the sender stops talking and allows the listener to absorb the idea and
relate it to a meaningful frame of reference. During this second pause, the sender watches and
listens for the receiverʼs reaction. Once there is a nod or “uh-huh”, the sender forms the next idea.
And so on.

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 PRINCIPLE #9
THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK
•In a conversation, you take time to form each thought before you say it. You should attempt to do the
same thing at your seminars, although that can be much more difficult because of the impact of
adrenaline. But stop talking. Think through the thought. Start talking again.

• Use good notes. Focus on delivering one idea at a time. This will get you off to a strong start. And,
as for nervousness, by encouraging questions, you take the emphasis off a presentation and switch
it to an extended conversation. Never forget that the greatest reducer of nervousness in public
speaking is a question or two that you can answer clearly and concisely.

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 PRINCIPLE #10
SILENCE IS ESSENTIAL
•

•There are two types of silence. The first is for you to think. This is the first pause. In a
conversation, after you express each idea, you look to see if the other person has “gotten it”. Again,
you do so while pausing. We call this the second pause. The first pause is for you to think. The
second is for them to think.

•During your presentations, remember that youʼre not there to prove that you can talk nonstop.
Youʼre there to provide information that people can think about and apply to their own personal
circumstances. But remember, they can only think in silence — whether you provide that silence or
they take it for themselves.

• If you lose your place or your audience, pause. If youʼre lost, the pause allows you to think about
where you are, where youʼre going, and what you need to say. If theyʼre lost, the pause will help
them find their way back so they can listen to your ideas again, and relate those ideas to their
personal frame of reference.

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 SOME DOs AND DON'Ts OF PRESENTATION

1. Do not 'play to the gallery' by indulging in cheap jokes or jibes.

2. Never point out the grammatical, personal or other defects and mistakes of
previous speakers. Also do not point out glaring contradictions as the
audience
will have noted them.
3. Do not start speaking while you are still getting up from your chair. Walk
calmly
to the mike (where there is one), face the audience for a moment without
speaking
and then address the audience.
4. If you have not had the chance to test the mike earlier then it is safe to tap it
to see
if it is working before you start.
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 METHODS OF DELIVERING A LECTURE
There are four common ways for delivery:
1. IMPROMPTU SPEECH This occurs when the speaker is called on to speak without
forewarning. For beginners, this can be a frightening experience.
2. EXTEMPORANEOUS This is done with the use of a few notes. Usually
good speakers use this style. They know in advance that they would speak and they
are able to prepare and practice. By being familiar with the material and using
notes, they are able to adapt to audience reaction.
3. MEMORIZING THE PRESENTATION This method suits persons who have a good
memory. They can prepare the presentation in advance, phrase by phrase and even
gesture by gesture. Many people not only find it difficult to do this but even dangerous
as they run the risk of their minds turning 'blank' after a few sentences. The speaker is
also unable to adjust to audience feedback.
4. READING THE PRESENTATION This is the accepted form of public speaking at
seminars or academic and scientific conferences at which papers are read. It should be
avoided on other occasions as people come to hear you speak, not to hear you read.
Reading does not mean putting your nose into the paper and mumbling into the mike.
The speaker should familiarize himself with the type-script so that he can look up from
time to time (or at the end of each sentence) and establish eye-contact with his
audience.
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32
OVERHEAD PROJECTORS TRANSPERENCY SHEET

33
Many a times, ambient light might cause some interference and
you might have to draw curtains or blinds or turn out lights.
Your transparencies should be arranged in order of presentation
near the projector. In the middle of a lesson if you fumble around
for transparencies, it would not only distract the audience but
also upset the ‘flow’ of your presentation.
The writing on the slides should be large and legible.

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How to make a presentation using POWERPOINT

The most widely used software for making a presentation is Microsoft's

PowerPoint. With it you can generate slides at the click of a mouse. You can edit
them on a monitor and print them out for use on an ordinary OHP. Or you can
connect the computer to an LCD projector and run a slide show.
HOW TO MAKE A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION
1. Design slides which are easy to read and understand.
Fonts, images, and graphics should be large enough.
Choose text and background colors which offer good contrast. Eliminate
unnecessary text. Use key words and phrases.
Try to be consistent with format, style, fonts, colors, capitalization,
punctuation, etc. For graphics, clearly label columns, rows, axes, units, etc.
Each slide should have one thought or concept only.
Do away with most punctuation marks.
Include only relevant data to eliminate clutter. Be selective about what you put on.

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Entire presentation should not be on slides.
Avoid dense slides. Make proper use of white space.
Don’t just take charts, tables, maps, and graphs wholesale from other sources. Put up
only what you need.
Convert all tabular information into graphs or diagrams.
2. If borrowed material appears on a slide, cite the source.
Don’t make the citation so big that it dominates the slide.
Don’t use complete Internet addresses. They clutter up the slide. Identify websites by
their basic names (e.g., www.sony.com, www.yale.edu). If listeners want the exact URL,
they can get it from you later.
3. Practice physically “relating to” the PowerPoint slides.
In order to direct the audience’s attention to what you want them to see, use gesture,
pointer, or colour.
Do not turn away completely from the audience. Keep your body “open” to them.
Avoid standing in the light from the projector.
4. Integrate PowerPoint with your oral presentation.
Show a slide only when it’s relevant.
Your speech and slide projection must be correctly related to each other.
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Always give context so that your audience understands the visual.
Explain to the audience what they see. You know the matter; they don’t.
Recap the gist of complex slides before moving on.
Provide oral transitions between slides in order to show the logical connections.
This would make the flow smooth.
Use visual and audio effects only to serve your purpose.
5. Never bring private or “backstage” elements.
Never display your e-mail on the screen while setting up your
PowerPoint presentation.
Avoid using PowerPoint within the browser frame.
If you’re not ready to show the slides to the audience, use a black screen or a blank
slide to hide.
There is no single winning formula for achieving success in life. However,
good presentation skills can go a long way in shaping both your professional and
personal life.
*************
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Some You tubes to help you improve your Power point presentation
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OekrBhNybP0
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=almDHtqy7mg&list=PLtcVLF
1AuAwDmTfVZPhBufHmlo6wLDymj&index=7
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zX8qkf4xB8s&list=PLH-
XncjhC4U_PvRenm2aiPOENI_J2JNK_&index=2
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnlxAIjqbIs

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 UNIT – II
GROUP
COMMUNICATI
ON

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 GROUP DISCUSSION
Meaning
Reasons for holding Group Discussion
Skills to be assessed during Group Discussion
Developing Group Discussion skills
Organizing GD
Essentials of a GD
Do’s & Don’ts of a GD

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Meaning of Group Discussion

"Group" is a collection of individuals who have regular contact and

frequent interaction and who work together to achieve a common
set of goals. "Discussion" is the process whereby two or more
people exchange information or ideas in a face-to-face situation to
achieve a goal. The goal, or end product, maybe increased
knowledge, agreement leading to action, disagreement leading to
competition or resolution.

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Generally, group discussion is a method used by the companies or organizations to
check whether the candidates have certain personality or skills which are must for their
members or employees. Nowadays, group discussions have become a main stage in the
recruitment process. In this discussion, the group of applicants or candidates is given a
topic or a scenario and few minutes are provided them to think about the same, and then
asked to discuss the situation among them for a limited time. Organizations conduct
group discussion after the written test so as to test the interactive skills of the candidates
and how good they are at interacting with other people. Group discussion also tells
about how candidates behave, participate and contribute in a group. Also, recruiters
come to know about how much importance applicants give to the team objectives as well
as their own, how well they listen to viewpoints of others and how open-minded are they
in accepting the views contrary to their own. Group Discussion is conducted to evaluate
your following skills:
• Confidence.
• Effective Communication.
• Quality of Language.
• Listening Skills.
• Assertive Attitude.
• Paraphrasing Skills.
• Leadership.

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How is a GD Conducted

In this methodology, there are usually 7-12 participants in a group. The group of
candidates is given a topic or a situation which could be either factual, abstract or case
based, and typically given some time to think and make notes about the same. After
this, the group of candidates is, and then asked to discuss it the topic among
themselves for a specific duration ranging between 10-40 minutes (which may vary from
one organization to another). While the group discusses the pertaining issue at hand,
the Moderators/ Panelists silently observe each candidate on various pre-determined
parameters. The Panelists assign scores to every candidate based on his/her individual
performance as well as how he performed within the group.

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REASON FOR CONDUCTING GD

Over the recent years, Group Discussion became a popular method of

assessing a candidate’s soft skills. The contenders who are shortlisted on basis
of written exams have qualified with their intelligence quotient, i.e., aptitude and
knowledge. However, since the significance of emotional quotient arose, new
tools such as GD were devised to gauge candidates’ social and interpersonal
skills. Organizations conduct GDs to find out whether you possess the critical
qualities/skills to contribute effectively to the goal accomplishment process.

44
• It helps evaluate whether a candidate is the right fit for the organization.
• It helps assess how a participant performs under different situations in a group.
• It helps to judge how one conceptualizes and manoeuvres his ideas through the discussion.
• It helps in analyzing the candidate’s attitude towards fellow members through one’s
communication and interpersonal skills, listening ability, humility and tolerance to others ideas.
• It helps in shedding light on candidate’s leadership and managerial skills, problem-solving
aptitude, creative thinking and knowledge on diverse topics.

• Since, team work is an essential element of business management and corporate work-sphere,
a person’s ability to perform well in a GD is very critical for a successful career. A GD helps to
achieve group goals as well as individual goals. The examiner can evaluate both the personality
traits and group skills of candidates participating in a G.D. It is basically a situation test wherein
a sample of a candidate’s group worthiness and potential as a worker comes out quite explicitly.

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PURPOSE OF G.D
There are several purposes for group discussions. Some of them
are listed below:
• To reach a solution on an issue of concern.
• To generate new ideas for solving a problem.
• For choosing the applicants after the written test for a job or for
admission to educational institutes.
• To train people in various interpersonal skills.

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 Skills to be assessed during Group Discussion

GD or the group discussion is a significant part of the selection process.

There are a lot of misconceptions in the students when it comes to the
group discussion. The students think that raising the voice, lot of
speaking and getting aggressive impresses the judges and you stand
more chance to get selected. Let’s look at the parameters on which you
are judged in a GD.

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Knowledge of the Subject:

Speaking isn’t enough, you must talk relevant because the judges checks the
knowledge of the student on the given topic. The student must speak what makes
sense. In his mind, the student can prepare a small script which should be pertinent
enough to be highlighted and discussed.
Listening:

In a GD, no doubt it is very important to speak up and share your views, but equally
important is to be a good listener. This is one parameter which students ignore
because they feel that speaking is the only thing which is important. By listening to
others, you also get an advantage to frame your next elocution on the basis of what
you agree with and what you disagree with.

Communication skills:
You must have an impressive way of communication backed by correct diction,
pronunciation, accent and confidant throw of language. Also, the student must be able
to put his views loud and clear and not meekly and sheepishly. However, loud does not
mean shouting. Loud means one should be heard by all.
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Body language and Appearance

The body says it all at times. The judges also test how the candidate is
sitting, behaving, moving his eyes, movement of his hands and legs etc.
The candidate does not look confident if he has shaky hands and has
weird body movements. Along with this, dressing sense is also observed.
The candidate must be dressed formally in neat and clean clothes.

Leadership Skills

Being the first one, or opening the discussion is often in the favor of
candidate. Acting as a leader by speaking, asking the other one to speak,
and giving direction to the group impresses the panel.

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Developing G.D. skills / Strategies for improving G.D
skills

If you find it difficult to speak or ask questions in tutorials and seminars, try the following strategies.
1. Observe
• Attend as many seminars and tutorials as possible and notice what other students do. Ask yourself:
• How do other students enter into the discussion?
• How do they ask questions?
• How do they disagree with or support the topic?
• How do other students make critical comments?
• What special phrases do they use to show politeness even when they are voicing disagreement?
• How do they signal to ask a question or make a point?
2. Learn to listen
• Listening is an essential skill and an important element of any discussion. Effective listeners don't just hear what is being said,
they think about it and actively process it.
• Be an active listener and don't let your attention drift. Stay attentive and focus on what is being said.
• Identify the main ideas being discussed.
• Evaluate what is being said. Think about how it relates to the main idea/ theme of the tutorial discussion.
• Listen with an open mind and be receptive to new ideas and points of view. Think about how they fit in with what you have
already learnt.
• Test your understanding. Mentally paraphrase what other speakers say.
• Ask yourself questions as you listen. Take notes during class about things to which you could respond.

50
3. Prepare
You can't contribute to a discussion unless you are well-prepared. Attend lectures and make sure you
complete any assigned readings or tutorial assignments. If you don't understand the material or don't feel
confident about your ideas, speak to your tutor or lecturer outside of class.
4. Practice
Practice discussing course topics and materials outside class. Start in an informal setting with another
student or with a small group. Begin by asking questions of fellow students. Practice listening and
responding to what they say. Try out any discipline-specific vocabulary or concepts.
5. Participate
If you find it difficult to participate in tutorial discussion, set yourself goals and aim to increase your
contribution each week.
An easy way to participate is to add to the existing discussion. Start by making small contributions:
• agree with what someone has said or;
• ask them to expand on their point (ask for an example or for more information)
• prepare a question to ask beforehand.
You can then work up to:
• answering a question put to the group
• providing an example for a point under discussion
• disagreeing with a point.

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 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GD AND DEBATE
• Group discussions makes us • In a debate there are two
to participate in group and put sides one in favor of the topic
forth our views. and other in opposition. They
• In a group discussion there are have to stick to their view.
no such groups. there is a
healthy discussion to get a
positive and a constructive
conclusion. One can agree or
disagree on the views of other
fellow participants.

52
Essentials of participating in a group
discussion

53
Professional arena today demands people with good
communication skills. In addition to these skills one must be well
acquainted with the facts and figures. interviews and group
discussions plays a vital role in the recruitment of any individual to
company in the present scenario. Most of the people keep aloof
from these group discussions, debates, elocution since childhood
due to crowd fear or stage fear. This ultimately makes them weak in
communication skills and hampers further. One must fully participate
in such activities because they enhance one's communication,
vocabulary, fluency in English and keeps one abreast with the
current scenario. It also instills confidence in an individual to speak
on any topic.
Group discussions makes us to participate in group and put forth
our views.

54
 Following are the few essentials which have to be kept in
mind while participating in a group discussion:
1. Clarity of Topic:
When the topic of the group discussion is announced. One must move the vehicles of his/her own
memory to gather all the points one can recollect. If one is totally unaware about the topic, one must not
step ahead and initiate. He must first listen to the views of other, then understand the topic and then put
forth his/her views.
2. Start where Left:
Start the discussion from where the other person has left the topic. Do not just start giving your views. Try
to synchronize your views with the views of other. Try to show agreement with others if you are satisfied
with the points else you can put forth your views on disagreement.
3. Active Participation:
One must actively participate in the group discussion to have a good impression on the jury as well as the
fellow members. but this active participation should be emulsified with relevant views. Unnecessary and
irrelevant points can put you in trouble and deduct the points. So be careful with your views.
4. Healthy Tone:
Try to put forward your views in healthy and impressive tone. Do not get aggressive when anybody
opposes you or is against your point. It also reduces the points. Remain calm and cool.

55
 Do’s of Group Discussion

There are several things about which you have to be careful while group discussion.

Speak pleasantly and politely in the group.

Respect and recognize the contribution of every member and represent it with a nod or a smile.

Agree and acknowledge whatever you find interesting.

Disagree politely because it is a discussion and not an argument.

Do a mental revision of what you are going to say. Think of how you can best answer the question or contribute to the topic.

Stick to the theme of discussion and not get engaged in other irrelevant discussions.

Follow etiquettes while speaking.

Be confident.

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 Don’ts of Group Discussion

Some of the don’ts are listed below about which you have to careful while presenting yourself in front of others.

Don’t lose your temper. It is a group discussion, not an argument.

Don’t speak loudly or aggressively. Always use a moderate tone and a medium pitch.

Don’t do gestures like finger pointing and table thumping. This can appear aggressive, so limit your body
gestures.

Don’t dominate the discussion. As confident speakers should allow the quieter, a chance to speak up and
contribute to the discussion.

Don’t draw too much on personal experience.

Don’t interrupt when someone else is speaking. Wait for a speaker to finish before you speak.

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INTERVIEWS

58
 POINTS TO BE COVERED

• WHAT IS AN INTERVIEW?
• INTERVIEW TIPS FOR THE INTERVIEWER. / How can you become a better
interviewer?
• HOW TO PREPARE FOR A JOB INTERVIEW (TIPS FOR CANDIDATES)
• TYPES OF INTERVIEW / interview QUESTIONS
• HOW A CANDIDATE SHOULD PREPARE
• BEFORE INTERVIEW PREPARATION
• PERFORMANCE DURING THE INTERVIEW
• CLOSING THE INTERVIEW

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 INTERVIEW – WHAT IT IS.

Recruitment VS. Selection

Why topic INTERVIEW is part of Business Communication? (It is a topic related to Human Resource
Management)

An interview is a procedure designed to obtain information from a person through oral

responses to oral inquiries. An interview is the way of face to face conversation between the
interviewer(E.g. Employer) and the interviewee (E.g. a candidate), where the interviewer seeks
replies from the interviewee for choosing a potential human resource.
Definition of Interview
According to Gary Dessler, “Interview is a selection procedure designed to predict future job
performance on the basis of applicants’ oral responses to oral inquiries.”

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 INTERVIEW – WHAT IT IS.

• The interview is the most critical component of the entire selection

process.
• It serves as the primary means to collect additional information on
an applicant. It serves as the basis for assessing an applicant’s
job-related knowledge, skills, and abilities. It is designed to decide
if an individual should be interviewed further, hired, or eliminated
from consideration.

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 INTERVIEW TIPS FOR THE INTERVIEWER. / How can you
become a better interviewer?
Being a good interviewer is of utmost importance if you want to recruit
the right people for your company. Conducting job interviews is
the crucial part of your recruitment strategy, which can make or
break your entire recruiting process.
All your time and effort invested in finding the right job
candidates will go to waste if you don’t know how to select the best
among them. Unfortunately, selecting the best candidates isn’t easy.
Selecting the best person for the job isn’t as simple as hiring the
candidate with the best skills and the needed experience. The person
you hire needs to be the best choice not only for your open
job position, but also for your company culture. You need to hire the
best talent by finding the perfect fit.
Most employers don’t know how to do that. According to a
recent CareerBuilder survey, nearly three in four employers (74 percent)
say they've hired the wrong person for a position.

62
Interviewing is an art.
If you want to be a good interviewer, you need to learn how to
select the best candidates not only for the job but also for the
company. You need to ask the right questions in the right way,
maintain the right demeanor and read your candidates’ body
language.
Good interviewers are those who know how to select the best
candidates AND provide a great candidate experience.
Being a good interviewer requires a lot of knowledge and
practice. In this guide, I will share useful tips and tricks to help
you conduct great interviews.

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How do good interviewers prepare for the interview?
The secret of being a good interviewer is in preparation. A good
interviewer spends a lot of time and effort preparing for the
interview. I can't stress this enough: A thorough preparation process
is a key to great interviews!
There are many things you need to prepare before the actual
interview takes place.
If you want to be a good interviewer, here is what you should
do before the interview starts:

64
Step #1: Review the job description
If you use job description templates, make sure they
are reviewed and adjusted to fit your company’s specific needs. You need
to know every detail of your open job position and have a clear
idea about job duties, job responsibilities and job requirements.
Step #2: Have a clear picture of your ideal candidate
Before you start interviewing, you need to have a clear picture of
your ideal candidate. This is why you need to create your candidate
persona. Have a clear idea of this person’s characteristics, skills,
knowledge and experience, as well as motivation and interests.

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Step #3: Select the best interview questions
One of the most important steps in your interviewing process is
selecting the best job interview questions. Besides questions that
will enable you to assess your candidates’ skills and experience,
make sure to include cultural fit job interview questions as well.
Step #4: Develop a rating system
Develop a rating system with precise criteria for each and every
one of your selected job interview questions. This
is extremely important! Many recruiters skip this part, but that is a
big mistake. Without it, you won’t be able to assess your
candidates’ answers in an objective and transparent way.

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Step #5: Create an interview timeline
Outline the course of your interview. Will you start with a warm welcome
and informal chat? Or you plan to conduct a more formal introduction?
You should walk in every interview knowing exactly which questions you
will ask, in what order and how long each should take to answer.
Step #6: Research job candidates
Make sure you have thoroughly researched every candidate that
comes in for an interview. Go through every line of their resume and
cover letter. Carefully study their portfolio, work samples and/or
assignment. Make notes if you want to address some interesting
points during the interview.

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Step #8: Schedule the interview
Good interviewers always schedule the interview on time! The best practice is to send
3 emails to candidates. First, send a customized interview invitation email which
includes a few different day and time options, location, interview type and an
approximate duration of the interview. After you receive your candidates’ response,
send the interview confirmation email. Finally, send an interview reminder email
to candidates a day or two before the set date.
Step #9: Reserve the room/venue
Good interviewers ensure always ensure a venue where they can conduct an
interview undisturbed. Reserve the appropriate office space such as a meeting or
conference room. To avoid intrusions and interruptions during the interviews, make
sure your colleagues know that you won’t be available for consultations, calls or
meetings.

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Step #10: Prepare food and drinks
A small gesture such as preparing a glass of water and offering your candidates with
cookies and tea or coffee can go a long way. Make sure to prepare everything you
need in advance or have your colleague available to make and bring a tea or coffee
for your candidate. Be a kind and considerate interviewer. :)

https://www.talentlyft.com/en/blog/article/217/guide-how-to-be-a-good-interviewer-infographic-included

69
https://www.talentlyft.com/en/blog/article/217/guide-how-to-be-a-good-interviewer-infographic-included

70
71
HOW TO PREPARE FOR A JOB INTERVIEW
(TIPS FOR CANDIDATES) – Points discussed during the lecture in detail.
Students must know them themselves. Notes not included.

72
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/how-to-prepare-for-a-job-
interview-2061361

https://www.job-hunt.org/job_interviews/pre-interview-
preparation.shtml
(10 steps to prepare for a job interview)

73
 TYPES OF INTERVIEW / INTERVIEW
QUESTIONS
Unstructured (Nondirective) Interview.

Structured (Directive) Interview.

Situational Interview.

Behavioral Interview.

Stress Interview.

Panel Interview (Board Interview).

One-On-One Interview.

Mass Interview (Group Interview),

Phone Interview
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TYPE OF INTERVIEW HOW IT IS ADMINISTERED

Unstructured (Nondirective) Unstructured Interview

Interview
In unstructured interviews, there is It is an interview in which each
generally no set format to follow so interviewer forms an
that the interview can take various independent opinion after asking
directions. The lack of structure
allows the interviewer to ask different questions.
follow-up questions and pursue
points of interest as they develop.
An unstructured interview is an
interview where probing, open-
ended questions are asked. It
involves a procedure where
different questions may be asked
to different applicants.
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TYPE OF INTERVIEW HOW IT IS ADMINISTERED

Structured (Directive) Interview Structured Sequential

In structured interviews, the Interview
interviewer lists the questions and
acceptable responses in advance It is an interview in which each
and may even rate and score interviewer rates the candidates
possible answers for on a standard evaluation form.
appropriateness. The top-level manager then
An interview consisting of a series reviews and compares the
of job-related questions that are evaluations before deciding who
asked consistently of each to hire.
applicant for a particular job is
known as a structured interview.

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TYPE OF INTERVIEW HOW IT IS ADMINISTERED

A structured interview typically

contains four types of questions.
• Situational questions: Pose a
hypothetical job situation to determine
what the applicant would do in that
situation.
• Job knowledge questions: Probe the
applicant’s job-related knowledge.
• Job-sample simulation
questions: Involve situations in which
an applicant may be actually required to
perform a sample task from the job.
• Worker requirements
questions: Seek to determine the
applicant’s willingness to conform to the
requirements of the job.

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TYPE OF INTERVIEW HOW IT IS ADMINISTERED

Situational Interview
In a situational interview, you
ask the candidate what his or
her behavior would be in a given
situation. Candidates are
interviewed about what actions
they would take in various job-
related situations. Situational
interviews ask interviewees to
describe how they would react
to a hypothetical situation today
or tomorrow.

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 TYPE OF INTERVIEW HOW IT IS ADMINISTERED
Behavioral Interview
In a behavioral interview, you ask applicants to describe how
they reacted to actual situations in the past.
Candidates are asked what actions they have taken in prior
job situations that are similar to situations they may
encounter on the job. The interviewers are then scored using
a scoring guide(score sheet) constructed by job experts.
This is a structured interview that uses questions designed to
probe the candidate’s past behavior in specific situations.
This technique involves asking all interviewees standardized
questions about how they handled past situations that were
similar to situations they may encounter on the job.
The interviewer may also ask discretionary probing
questions for details of the situations, the interviewee’s
behavior in the situation, and the outcome. The interviewee’s
responses are then scored with behaviorally anchored rating
scales.

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TYPE OF INTERVIEW HOW IT IS ADMINISTERED

Stress Interview
In a stress interview, the
interviewer seeks to make the
applicant uncomfortable with
occasionally rude questions. The
aim is supposedly to spot sensitive
applicants and those with low or
high-stress tolerance.
Stress interviews may help unearth
hypersensitive applicants who
might overreact to mild criticism
with anger and abuse. It
intentionally creates anxiety to
determine how an applicant will
react to stress on the job.
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TYPE OF INTERVIEW HOW IT IS ADMINISTERED

Panel Interview (Board Panel Interview

Interview) One candidate meets with a
A panel interview, also known as panel of two or more
a board interview, is an interview representatives of the firm. One
of the panelists may act as a
conducted by a team of chairperson, but each of the
interviewers, who together firm’s representatives takes part
interview each candidate and in the questioning and
then combine their ratings into a discussion. This format allows
final score. the interviewers to coordinate
their efforts and follow up with
each other’s questions.

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TYPE OF INTERVIEW HOW IT IS ADMINISTERED

Here one candidate is interviewed by

several representatives of the firm. This
technique entails the job candidate giving
oral responses to job-related questions
asked by a panel of interviewers.
Each member of the panel then rates
each interviewee on such dimensions as
work history, motivation, creative thinking,
and presentation.
The scoring procedure for oral interview
boards has typically been subjective;
thus, it would be subject to personal
biases of those individuals sitting on the
board. This technique may not be
feasible for jobs in which there are a large
number of applicants that must be
interviewed.

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TYPE OF INTERVIEW HOW IT IS ADMINISTERED

One-On-One / Personal Most interviews are one-on-one: In

Interview which the candidate meets
privately with a single interviewer.
In a one-on-one interview, one Often a well-qualified candidate will
interviewer meets one pass through a series of such
candidate. In a typical interviews, first with a member of
employment interview, the the human resources department,
applicant meets one-on-one with then with the manager in whose
unit there is a job opening and
an interviewer. finally perhaps with the manager’s
superior. The rest of this section
focuses primarily on the one-on-
one scenario.

83
TYPE OF INTERVIEW HOW IT IS ADMINISTERED

Mass Interview (Group Interview) The group interview

The mass/group interview is a relatively
new technique in the west and almost A number of candidates are
unknown in our country. It is a procedure interviewed at once.
for the discovery of leadership.
Several job applicants are placed in a
Generally, they are allowed to
leaderless discussion, and interviewers discuss job-related matters among
sit in the background to observe and themselves while one or more
evaluate the performance of the observers rate their performance.
candidates.
This type of interview is usually
In a mass/group interview, a panel considered most appropriate in the
interviews several candidates
simultaneously. The panel poses a selection of managers; it can also
problem and then watches to see which be used with gropes of current
candidate takes the lead in formulating an employees to evaluate their
answer.
potential for supervisory roles.
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TYPE OF INTERVIEW HOW IT IS ADMINISTERED

Phone Interview
Employers do some interviews
entirely by These can actually be
more accurate than face-to-face
interviews for judging an applicant’s
conscientiousness, intelligence, and
interpersonal skills.
Here, neither party needs to worry
about things like appearance or
handshakes, so each can focus on
substantive answers. Or perhaps
candidates – somewhat surprised by
an unexpected call from the recruiter
– just give answers that are more
spontaneous.

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APPRAISAL INTERVIEW
An appraisal interview is a formal discussion process between an
employee and his/her manager. It is one of the best ways for an
employee to increase productivity and change work habits. In
appraisal interview, the employer and the employee discuss the
performances of the individual and the key areas of improvement
and how the employee can grow through a feedback mechanism.

An appraisal interview gives the manager an opportunity to spell

out his/her reviews. It helps the employees to determine whether
there is a need for training if they lack in any particular skill and
who will be promoted, demoted, retained or fired.

86
EXIT INTERVIEW
An exit interview is a survey conducted with an individual who is
separating from an organization. Most commonly, this occurs
between an employee and H.R representative of an organization.
An organization can use the information gained from an
exit interview to assess what should be improved, changed, or
remain intact. More so, an organization can use the results from
exit interviews to reduce employee turnover and
increase productivity and engagement, thus reducing the high
costs associated with turnover.

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88
MEETINGS

89
 MEANING OF MEETING
• A meeting is coming together of a number of persons at a certain
time and place for discussion. Defined in a different way, it is "a
gathering together of two or more persons in order to discuss
matters of common concern, in order to arrive at a decision
or promulgate a policy." These are held in order to coordinate
individual efforts, collaborate joint projects, garner support for
ideas, solve problems collectively and to arrive at consensus-
based decisions.
• A meeting is the coming together of three or more people who
share common aims and objectives, and who through the use
of verbal and written communication contribute to the objectives
being achieved.
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 OBJECTIVES OF MEETING
Meetings are an important organizational tool as they can be used to:
• Pool and develop ideas
• Plan
• Solve problems
• Make decisions
• Create and develop understanding
• Encourage enthusiasm and initiative
• Provide a sense of direction
• Create a common purpose

91
TYPES OF MEETINGS
There are many different types of meetings; here we focus
on those used to:
• Inform
• Consult
• Solve problems
• Make decisions

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Informing Meetings

These are the most straightforward meetings where one member, usually the chairperson, has factual information or a decision which
affects all those present, which he/she wishes to communicate. Such meetings tend to be formal as their aims are to give the members a
real understanding and to discuss any implications or how to put such information to best use.

Consulting Meetings

These are meetings used to discuss a specific policy or innovation and can be used to get participants' views of such a policy or idea. An
example could be:

• Review a current policy

• State its deficiencies

• Suggest change

• Stress the advantages of such change

• Admit any weaknesses

• Invite comments

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Problem Solving Meetings
These meetings are dependent upon the chairperson describing the problem as clearly as possible. Members should be
selected according to their experience, expertise or interest and then given as much information as possible to enable them
to generate ideas, offer advice and reach conclusions.
Decision Making Meetings
• These types of meetings tend to follow an established method of procedure:
• Description of the problem
• Analysis of the problem
• Draw out ideas
• Decide which is best
• Reach conclusions
• Many organizations, clubs and societies hold regular meetings to enable members to report and discuss progress and
work in hand, to deliberate current and future planning. Such meetings can contain elements of each of the four above
examples.

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 ADVANTAGES OF MEETING
(i) Save time:

Since one can meet a number of people at a time interactively, a meeting can save time.

(ii) Addressing groups:

One can divide the audiences according to their background and need, and address them group by group.

(iii) Cope with information explosion:

New technology and new regulations are coming thick and fast. Meetings enable us to cope with this
situation.

(iv) Social and emotional support:

Members get personal support from each other when they meet and exchange ideas.

95
(v) Feeling of being consulted:

Members get the feeling that they have been consulted and this is useful in getting their intelligent and willing cooperation.

(vi) Idea development:

Ideas are systematically cross-fertilized, analyzed and improved by a group.

(vii) Bolder decisions:

Collectively we can take more adventurous decisions because of united strength.

(xi) Preventing mistakes:

A meeting helps to avoid mistakes by a collective and many-angled focus on issues.

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 DISADVANTAGES OF MEETING
1. Time-consuming:

Meetings require a number of people to come together at the same time and place. This costs time because
other work has to be set aside for the sake of the meeting.

2. Inability to arrive at a decision:

Just as “two heads are better than one,” it is also true that “too many cooks spoil the soup.” Multiplicity of
views and personal stubbornness of members may prevent a meeting from taking a decision which a chief
executive may take alone.

3. Lack of seriousness:

Many meetings suffer from the drawback that members come unprepared and feel that the others will do the
thinking and talking. They feel they can take a free ride. “Everybody’s job is nobody’s job.”

97
4. Inexpert chairing:

Just as an airplane is steered by a pilot, a meeting is piloted by the chairperson. His lack of skill and
personal failings/biases may fail a meeting.

5. Expensive:

Meetings are expensive to arrange – they require a place, paperwork, prior communication, and travelling
by the attendees.

6. Open to disruption:

A meeting is prone to being disrupted by an element that is opposed to its objective. There are times when
one passenger’s refusal to adjust himself delays the entire flight. The same for meetings. The spirit of
give-and-take may be missing in some participants.

98
PLANNING THE MEETING

Step-By-Step How-To Plan to Set up Effective Meetings

99
If you are like most people I know, the thought of spending a day
in back-to-back meetings can be a dreadful feeling. Meetings can
be boring, are often unnecessary and definitely take time away
from other (more crucial) work. But meetings can be very efficient
and productive when they are planned right. Here are some
simple steps for planning effective meetings.

100
STEPS IN PLANNING A MEETING

• If you are like most people I know, the thought of spending a day in back-to-back meetings can be a
dreadful feeling. Meetings can be boring, are often unnecessary and definitely take time away from
other (more crucial) work. But meetings can be very efficient and productive when they are planned
right.

• Here are some simple steps for planning effective meetings.

101
Decide If You Really Need a Meeting
• First, decide if planning a meeting is really necessary. We often think a formal meeting is the best
way to share information or have a discussion. But if your news can be delivered via email or
conference call, or just by rallying a few people in your office for 15 minutes, then it's probably a
good idea to skip the formal meeting altogether.

Only Invite Those Who Really Need to Be There

• Don’t waste people’s time by inviting them to a meeting they don't need to attend. That will not be
an effective meeting. Does someone from accounting need to be present at the meeting to answer
budget questions? Then invite one person from accounting who is suited for that task.
• If a colleague or supervisor needs to be informed of what was discussed at a meeting, you don’t
need to invite them to the actual meeting. Simply prepare a meeting summary and send it to them
afterward. They will appreciate the time saver, and you have the assurance that — because you put
the information in writing — they are fully informed of discussions.

102
• Send Out Meeting Reminders
• Life is busy and calendars quickly become booked with scheduled activities. Send out a follow-up
meeting reminder two days before your meeting. Those who said they would attend will then be
able to confirm they can still make it, or if their plans have changed and you need to reschedule.
• Have an Agenda
• To plan effective meetings, you should first decide what will be discussed. What is the objective of
the meeting? What are you seeking to accomplish? Develop a meeting agenda ahead of time and
distribute it to attendees. Indicate the start time and include a short list of topics to be addressed.
Don’t bog down your own meeting with a lengthy, overly detailed agenda. Indicate by name any
individuals who will be responsible for reporting on a specific area.

103
104
• Start on Time
• Starting on time is really important, both from a logistic and productivity standpoint. If you are the
person who typically shows up for meetings on time, then you understand how frustrating it can be
when things don't get going as folks trickle into the room. What inevitably happens is, going forward,
everyone knows that these meetings never start on time so everyone starts showing up late. Take
charge of your meeting. Start promptly at the given start time. Shut the door and begin. Stragglers
will quickly get the message they are arriving late and they should only make that mistake
once. And besides, everyone has to get back to work, so you don't want to disrupt the entire
workday.
• Keep It Short and Simple
• Most meetings are slated for an hour when, in many cases, a shorter time period will suffice. When
too much time is allotted, time is wasted. People linger after the meeting is over or spend too long
on a given agenda item. Keep meetings short and to the point.

105
• Stay on Topic
• An agenda alone will not run your meeting efficiently. Stick to the agenda and keep discussions
from wandering off on tangents. Address any off-topic questions, stating that it is a topic for another
meeting or it will be addressed privately. No one likes a runaway meeting where the purpose whole
point took a backseat to other conversations.
• Use Technology
• Plan to use technology to keep attendees engaged. In today’s digital world, most people are used to
seeing graphics or videos to support the words they hear. Appeal to that mindset and incorporate
audio-visuals when planning your meeting.
• Computers projected onto large screens and Smart Board presentations that encourage interaction
are a welcome change from the standard lengthy PowerPoint presentations.
• One point on technology — be sure to test it out first. The last thing you need is to get flustered
because the laptop isn't working or you can't run through your visual aids when you need them. If
technology isn't your forte, have someone else do a run through before the meeting. It'll definitely
save you time and keep you on schedule if you do a little prep work ahead.

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• Send out a Meeting Summary
• Within a day after the meeting, send out a brief summary of what was discussed. It's a good idea to
follow up with an email to all those in attendance, those that were unable to attend the meeting and
anyone else who may need to be informed. Also include any action items, specifying who is
responsible for each item as well as the due date.

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 CONFERENCE
A conference is generally understood as a meeting of several people to discuss
a particular topic. It is often confused with a convention, colloquia or
symposium. While a conference differs from the others in terms of size and
purpose, the term can be used to cover the general concept. A convention is
larger than a conference; it is a gathering of delegates representing several
groups. At a conference, innovative ideas are thrown about and new information
is exchanged among experts. Its purpose could be one of the following:

• An academic conference is a gathering of scientists or academicians, where

research findings are presented or a workshop is conducted.
• A business conference is held for people working in the same company or
industry. They come together to discuss new trends and opportunities
pertaining to the business
• A trade conference takes place on a larger scale. Besides businessmen,
there are members of the public who come to network with vendors and made
new connections. Such a conference consists of workshops and white paper
presentations.
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ADVANTAGES OF CONFERENCES

The special advantages of having conferences are:

1. They encourage the exchange of ideas and opinions;
2. They bring out the many facets of a problem or situation by discussion;
3. They provide valuable practice in analysing situations and help to determine
what
should be done;
4. Like committee meetings, they provide an opportunity for face to face
communication, personal observation and conversation;
5. They provide an opportunity for consultation with parties like customers,
clients,
trade union representatives and enable management to gather their reactions;
6. They increase employee motivation by employee participation.

109
 DISADVANTAGES OF CONFERENCES

• Lack of Seriousness: Often conferences are not taken seriously. The participants do not take interest in the
proceeding but consider it a pleasure trip.
• Ineffective Leadership: If the convener of the conference is not competent or if the conference is not properly
organized, or if the delegates are non-cooperative, it creates confusion and the whole exercise will turn into an
unsuccessful activity.
• Poor Opinion about Management: In an internal conference held with subordinates, the employees might start
feeling that the management is incapable of arriving at decisions on its own. They might think that the authorities
are weak in decision-making process.
• Domination by a few Participants: Often a few participants dominate the entire proceedings defeating the very
purpose of calling the conference.
• Expenditure: Extravagant planning may often prove to be irrelevant yet expensive and a source of distraction in a
conference. The main focus of the conference is lost in this process.

110
STEPS IN PLANNING A CONFERENCE

111
1. Craft a Vision of Your Conference

Every event begins with a vision, but you’ll need to transform your vision into words and numbers in order
to measure costs and make informed planning decisions. First, you need to start with the event planning
basics like who, what, when, where and why.

2. Creating a Business Plan (Budget)

Unless your conference is being funded by a grant or organization, you are going to need to map out
where your money is coming from and what it is being used for. The first part of this equation, the
revenue, should be calculated early in the planning process.

3. Price your conference:

In order to put a price on a conference, you need to have an idea of what you plan to offer attendees.
Your itinerary and speaker lineup will be the selling factor for potential registrants.

112
4. Comparing Venues and Services

After you have a more specific idea about when your conference will take place and how many people you want to
attend, you can then begin to shop for an appropriate venue. Keep in mind that your venue selection will also
determine your catering and audio/visual costs. This is because most conference centers and event hotels require you
to use their in-house services for any on-site events.

Most conferences will need to provide some sort of overnight accommodations for guests traveling from outside the
region. This necessity creates another set of considerations to factor into your venue decision.

5.Recruiting and Managing Registrants

Even the most popular conferences must effectively market their event to fill every seat in the house. Attendance is
the single most important factor to the success of your event. Good attendance numbers bring revenue and
sponsorship opportunities. And the more people you have registered will create more demand for advertising and
participation openings.

Managing registration becomes more difficult as your event grows in size. This is where an online registration
system can help you track number, process payments, and organize data.

113
6. Planning On-site Details

Finally, after organizing and implementing the business elements of the conference, you can begin to think about
the on-site details. This includes how attendees will navigate the conference, the general layout of each room, and
the distribution of food and beverage. This is the part of planning a conference that most people associate with
event planning.
7. Invite your speakers

Good keynote speakers will attract delegates and set the right tone for your conference. If you’re organising a
conference for academics or researchers, it’s not the norm to pay professional fees to your invited speakers. But
you’d usually cover their local and accommodation costs, and provide a small honorarium as a gesture of thanks.

And if you want to attract a speaker with a relatively high profile, you may need to offer a larger honorarium and
perhaps cover their travel costs from overseas. So bear this in mind when you’re making your speakers list.

114
115
9. Promote your conference

You now have your venue, key speakers, a clear conference programme, and a website (or event page) to
guide people to. From now on, your main focus is promoting the conference via all available channels.

For promoting your conference offline you want to make a high-quality booklet with the conference
agenda and a visible link to your website or the ticketing site.

For promoting the conference online, you have numerous ways to promote your conference on a relatively
small budget:

 Social media sites (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter - all depending on your audience)

 Relevant forums where potential attendees might hang out (e.g. a community for engineers where you
can promote your tech conference)

 Own blogs and press releases

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10. Host the conference

Provided that you’ve followed all the above steps and have a team of volunteers in charge of on-the-day
activities, there shouldn’t be much for you to worry about.

Here are a few situations that might require your attention:

 Calling up backup speakers in case of any last-minute cancellations

 Personally introducing the conference and the main speakers

 Making sure presentations don’t run past the allotted time

 Participating in networking and facilitating conversations

 Gathering in-person attendee feedback as the conference unfolds

 Communicating with journalists and others reporting on the conference

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11. Follow up after the conference

After it’s all over, you still have a bit of work to do.

You should follow up with all the people involved: your team, speakers, volunteers, vendors, and---of course---the
attendees. You want to follow up for two main reasons:

1. Say "Thank you": You should thank everyone for their participation and efforts. Not only is this a common
courtesy but you’ll also get to leave a positive impression. There’s a good chance this isn’t your last conference, so
you want to nurture any connections you’ve made.

2. Collect feedback: This is the perfect opportunity to hear what people thought of the conference and what could
be done better in the future.

The easiest way to gather input is to email everyone a link to an online survey. Keep it relatively short and focus on a
few main themes: What did they like the most about the conference? How would they rate the different elements
(presentations, refreshments, accommodation, etc.)? What would they change or improve?

Try to follow up within a few days at most, while the conference is still fresh in everyone’s mind. People have busy
schedules and a limited attention span, so don’t wait too long to get in touch.

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MODERN METHODS OF CONFERENCING

119
VIDEO CONFERENCING

A video conference (also known as a video teleconference) is a set of

interactive telecommunication technologies which allow two or more locations to
interact via two- way videos and audio transmissions simultaneously. It differs from a
videophone in that it is designed to serve the conference rather than individuals in
different locations to hold interactive meetings. It is like an actual meeting where
participants are face to face.

Besides the audio and visual transmission of meeting activities it can be used to
share documents and computer displayed information. TV channels routinely use this
kind of video conferencing when reporting from distant locations.

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TELECONFERENCING

Teleconferencing is also known as online conferencing when three or more persons, in two or more locations meet at an
appointed date and time through an electronic medium. In general terms, teleconferencing can bring together people
under one roof even though they are separated by hundreds of miles. Video facilities also being available, people cannot
only confer with but even see each other on television screens. In this era of globalisation when multinationals are
simultaneously operating in several countries separated from one another by thousands of kilometers, teleconferencing
can prove to be a very effective means of mutual consultation. Teleconferences are also referred to as tele-seminars.
Alternative terms for teleconferencing include audio conferencing, telephone conferencing and phone conferencing The
telecommunication systems may support the teleconference by providing one or more of the following audio, video,
and/or data services by one or more means such as telephone, telegraph, radio and television. Today, teleconferencing
is used in many ways. There are three basic types :

 Videoconferencing—television-like communication augmented with sound.

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 WEBINAR

Webinar is short form for Web-based seminar. A webinar is a

presentation, lecture, workshop or seminar that is transmitted
over the Web using video conferencing software.
A key feature of a Webinar is its interactive elements: the ability to
give, receive and discuss information in real-time. Using Webinar
software participants can share audio, documents and
applications with webinar attendees. This is useful when the
webinar host is conducting a lecture or information session. While
the presenter is speaking they can share desktop applications and
documents.
There are various free and paid applications available for
conducting webinars such as Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft
Teams, Cisco WEBEX etc.
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 Public Relations

Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing the spread of information between
an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a
nonprofit organization) and the public. Public relations may include an organization
or individual gaining exposure to their audiences using topics of public interest and
news items that do not require direct payment. This differentiates it
from advertising as a form of marketing communications. Public relations is the idea
of creating coverage for clients for free, rather than marketing or advertising.

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124
 Public Relations: A Challenge or An Opportunity

Public Relations is a management function which deals with public issues. An important component of public
relations is publicity. This deals with news coverage of events relating to company’s products and services. Publicity
can provide both challenges as well as opportunities. If there is a negative publicity (for e.g. worms in a product,
pesticides in soft drink or latest example of aashirvad aata having plastic) it becomes challenge. On the other hand,
new product discoveries represent the opportunities.

In another words, it may be stated that when a PR takes the form of crisis management; it is a challenge for any
organization.

An example of good public relations would be generating an article featuring a client, rather than paying for the client
to be advertised next to the article. The aim of public relations is to inform the public, prospective customers,
investors, partners, employees, and other stakeholders and ultimately persuade them to maintain a positive or
favorable view about the organization, its leadership, products, or political decisions. Public relations professionals
typically work for PR and marketing firms, businesses and companies, government, and public officials.

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 TYPES OF P.R TOOLS OF P.R

Media Relations Media tour

Corporate Public affair & Community relations (CSR) Advertorial

Crisis Management Press releases

Employee relations News letters

Customer relations bloggings

Broachers & catalogues

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 Media relations
Media relations is all about dealing with the media – writing press releases, scheduling interviews and giving
press conferences. The goal is to generate positive coverage of your company or your product. Basically, you
want the media to do your advertising for free. For an effective PR exercise, it is extremely important to
understand how the media works. The objective of any PR effort is to be projected positively by the media.
There are primarily two functional streams in any media organizations. The editorial side and the advertising
side. The editorial side is responsible for all the editorial content in the medium and the advertising side is
responsible for all the advertising content. The editorial content shapes the character of the medium and
advertising content brings the revenue for the organization. From a PR campaign perspective it is the editorial
side that is more important. Hence the journalists become the ones with whom good relations need to be
developed.

ADVERTORIAL
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CORPORATE PUBLIC AFFAIRS & COMMUNITY
RELATIONS (CSR of the organization)

Corporate public relations essentially involves developing image for a company in the minds of its target public
through investment in socially responsible causes. This very often gets termed as a part of the corporate social
responsibility of the organization where it tries to project the image of being a good citizen. CSR can take many
forms, it could involve healthcare for the community where the company is located, scholarship for needy people
for education, contribution towards the sanitization programs run by the local municipality etc.

E.G. of Reliance Industries CSR

https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/gujarat-jamnagar-world-s-largest-zoo-ril-set-up-reliance-industries-limited-
686519

128
 Crisis Management
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyiL26BP3eM

No one can predict when a crisis will happen. However, one can take the necessary steps to ensure that one is well
prepared, should such an event ever take place.

Crisis management is the communications management function used to convey accurate facts and data to the general
public and to specific publics during a crisis situation in order to prevent or minimize negative publicity that could
adversely affect the success of the company.

Crisis management involves identifying a crisis, planning a response to the crisis and confronting and resolving the crisis.
Crisis management can be applied in almost any field of endeavor, but it is most commonly used in international relations,
political science, business and management. (e.g. apple’s crisis mgmt during iPhone X / Rasna / cadbury’s dairymilk)

129
Example: Cadbury’s Crisis Management

130
Employee Relations

• Public relations is of considerable use in assessing employee satisfaction and enhancing it through appropriate
PR strategies. The first step in developing a good internal PR effort with employees is to assess the current
level of satisfaction of employees through surveys. This study, commonly known as an employee satisfaction
study is normally carried out by the HR department of the company. Based on the results of this survey
appropriate strategies are developed and a joint efforts are put up by the HR and PR departments of the
company.

• Good PR at the employee level is good for external PR as well. PR is not the prerogative of the PR department
alone. Hence if employees are clear about the company’s goals and vision and are well trained and motivated
they too can be extremely good brand ambassadors for the company. Good word of mouth from employees
can go a long way in enhancing the company’s image.

131
Customer Relations

The process of PR helps to respond to the sensitive or complex customer inquiries.

PRs may also play an important role in building relationships with lead users and
gathering market research. Such practice not only help in better serving the
customers but also ensures customer retention.

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TOOLS FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS

133
 MEDIA TOURS
• A media tour usually just refers to some sort of event where company executives meet with journalists and
exchange information. This is usually a casual occasion, often conducted in cities with a significant amount of
major media. These reporters and analysts meet with company representatives in a setting like a hotel
conference room or the media office to discuss something newsworthy that the company is interested in
announcing and the reporters are interested in reporting on. This may be a new product launch, a merger or
restructuring or the meeting may simply be a discussion of issues within the industry.
• Media tours are an extremely important strategy in public relations because not only do they allow for the
company to build a rapport with some of the members of the target media, but they also allow for the right
information to go to those reporters. When there is a face-to-face meeting, there is plenty of opportunity to
exchange information and build a good rapport with the media people that will be writing those articles.
• Planning a media tour does require a lot of preparation work. You definitely need to know who your target
audience is, and who the media representatives serving that target audience are going to be. You also want to
make sure that all aspects of your itinerary are planned out carefully and that you send out a media packet in
advance that gives reporters enough information to become interested in the story and do their own research.

134
 Advertorials
Advertorials are advertisements in the form of news stories or reviews in newspapers. Advertorials allow you
to associate your advertising with the credibility of the newspaper.

Many businesses employ advertising or marketing professionals to help them develop TV advertorials - which are
commonly used as a form of advertising and product placement.

135
 Press releases
A press release is a written statement sent to news organizations. Here, some announcements
are done about a particular event either before or after the event has taken place. It covers
information in detail about the entire event. The information in press release is communicated
as a part of the regular TV or/and radio programme, newspapers, magazines and other types
of mainstream media achieves a much bigger impact than advertisements. This is due to the
fact that most people consider such information more trustworthy and meaningful than paid
ads. Press release is therefore one of the oldest and most effective PR tools.

https://www.hul.co.in/news/?search=product&monthfrom=1&yearfrom=2009&monthto=
12&yearto=2021

136
Newsletters
The purpose in case of newsletter is more of providing information than of a
commercial purpose. News letters are recurring in nature compared to press release,
where press release is a onetime affair. Sending newsletters – relevant information
about the organization or/and its products/services - directly to the target audience is
also a common method to create and maintain a strong relationship with the public.
Newsletters offering promotional products are also a common marketing strategy but
PR specialists use it to share news and general information that may be of interest to
the target audience rather than merely promoting products/services.

137
• Blogging: To reach the online audience, PR specialists use the digital forms of
press releases and newsletters but they also use a variety of other tools such as
blogging and recently, microblogging. It allows them to create and maintain a
relationship with the target audience as well as establish a two-way
communication.
• Brochures and catalogues: 'Take home' or mail-out brochures or catalogues can
help keep your customers thinking about your business and its products and
services.
• Properly designed brochures and catalogues give customers confidence in you
and your brand, and help drive customers to your website or store. Information
contained in business brochures and catalogues can be effectively reworked for
your website, helping you do business online.

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 UNIT – 3
BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

139
 TRADE LETTERS:

Letter of Inquiry: Letters of inquiry are requests for information. They

are concerned with the purchasing side of trade. The proposed
purchase may be of commodities, services or even accommodation or
land. They are sent out when you need information, advice, names
or directions.
It is important to realize that letters of inquiry are often only sent out for
goods or services that the writer does not usually buy. If Mr. Martin is a
dealer in electric bulbs he is scarcely likely to send out a letter of inquiry
about bulbs, the market price of which he knows perfectly well. On the
other hand if he wants to buy four new computers for his office or get
the existing ones regularly upgraded he is likely to send out letters of
inquiry.
It is for this reason that letters of inquiry are addressed to several firms
and a comparative price obtained.

140
Reasons for writing Letter of Inquiry: (some examples)

• New goods that have entered the market or for goods or

services which the letter writer does not know much about.
• Routine or regular orders or for obtaining sole-selling agency
rights
• Estimate of work or services that the letter-writer wants i.e.
decorating, office
• furnishing, painting, servicing of machines. etc.

141
Points to be noted while writing Letter of Inquiry

1. Clearly indicate the quantity of goods required and the quality or

nature of the services needed. This avoids re-inquiries from the seller.
2. Inform the seller of the purpose for which the goods are
required as this will help him to serve you better. If you want 10 crates
of apples you should indicate whether the apples are intended for
consumption as fresh fruits or are to be tinned.
3. Mention the date, if any, by which the goods must be delivered.
4. In some cases you may quote your own price but this is not always
advisable as unscrupulous sellers might be tempted to supply cheaper
goods at the price mentioned by you.
5. If the same letter is being sent to several sellers this should be
mentioned in it.
Apart from being a matter of business courtesy this might tempt the
sellers to quote lower prices.
142
6. Preferably conclude a letter of inquiry by tempting the seller
either with the prospect of a bulk order or the hope of future
orders. This may induce him to quote a lower price.
7. Ask for samples, designs, catalogues or price-lists.
8. In some countries for e.g. in USA; it is a common practice to
enclose a questionnaire with the letter of inquiry which the seller
can conveniently fill in and return. If this is done care should be
taken to see that the questionnaire is a brief one and that it does
not exasperate the seller by taking up his time and attention.
9. Ask for a prompt reply.

143
REPLIES TO
LETTERS OF
INQUIRY
A reply to a letter of inquiry is sometimes called a quotation or offer of sale. Businessmen

should welcome a letter of inquiry as it enables them to send a quotation in reply and thus

makes it possible to effect a sale. When it becomes necessary to send out several such

replies, businessmen decided to print their offers or quotations in the form of catalogues or

price-lists. These (sometimes called "literature") are sent out with individual covering letters.

The objective of every businessman in sending such letters and literature is to convert an

Inquiry into an Order. If a letter of inquiry is replied to in a cooperative and friendly manner,

the inquiry could be transformed into an order.

144
How To Reply to A Letter of Inquiry
1. Send the reply promptly.
2. Thank the letter-writer for the Inquiry and for the interest shown in
your product or
the service being rendered by you.
3. Enclose a catalogue, price-list and other literature. In the covering
letter try to show that the price is justified by the quality of the goods.
Sales orient this part of the letter.
4. Inform the letter-writer of the availability of stock with you and the
terms of discount, transport and delivery. Also mention the mode of
payment.
5. Mention the period for which the offer is open.
6. Where possible make a firm offer. If the goods asked for are not in
stock with you promise to obtain them or make a substitute offer.
7. Invite further inquiries and offer to help.
8. Ask for an Order.
145
From,

Kriti S,

Flat 21,

Manohar apartments, Narayan Swami road,

Kurla, Mumbai-587738.

Date: 17.2.17.

To,

Mr. K.R. Rao,

Lakshmi Digital Pvt. Ltd., Kurla branch,

Mumbai-587738.

Subject: Product Inquiry Letter

Dear Mr. Krishnakant Rao,
I am looking for an Android Smartphone. I got to know from the sources that your company deals with electric appliances and gadgets, and hence I am writing this letter. I need
twenty Android smartphones. I am looking for an Android smartphone with 2GB RAM, 20MP Camera, and Marshmallow Android version with 8GB memory. I want it in the range
of 15,000 INR to 25000 INR. I want the product with a minimum one-year company warranty.
Kindly let me know the availability, specifications, and prices for all the options available to you, which fall under my requirements. Do let me know if there are any better options
for me to buy in the same price range or specified conditions.
I would be awaiting your reply.
Thank you.
Yours Sincerely,
Kirti S.

146
15 March 2021
To,
Mr. Suresh Agrawal
Manager - Sun Lee Wholesalers Ltd,
248 Gajdar Street,
Mumbai – 400 002.
Dear Mr. Suresh,
Thank you for your enquiry about our newly developed range of fire safety and prevention products. I have
enclosed our most recent catalogue, and you will find that we have quite a comprehensive inventory, including
our most recently released range of construction related products.
We offer our existing customers a 10% discount on all orders of products from our new range of construction
related products. We would be happy to extend this offer to you if you register an account with us before April
15, 2021, and additionally as a new customer you will receive a further 5% discount on your total order.
I hope you will find the information I have provided useful. I would be happy to have one of our account
managers contact you with a view to establishing an account with us, or if you have any further questions
about our products or services, you may call me directly on 022-2255 4423 ext 001. Thank you for
considering Newfangled Safety Equipment Co. as your safety product provider, we look forward to doing
business with you.
Sincerely,
Divesh Mehta

Merchandising Manager
(Assumed that the letter has been written on company’s letter head, so FROM address and details are
not given here)
147
LETTERS OF COMPLAINT
In the business world, however careful you might be, things do go wrong and when things go wrong
the aggrieved party will complain. There are occasions when you, as a businessman, too will have to
complain. The purpose of this topic is to show how complaints and claims can be made without
souring relations between buyers and sellers. It becomes necessary to write letters of complaint for
a) poor quality or improper quantity of goods received,
b) goods arriving late,
c) goods arriving in a damaged condition,
d) defective packing,
e) goods differing from the sample,
f) goods differing from those specifically ordered,
g) higher price,
h) mistake in bill or invoice,
i) poor service, discourtesy shown by staff of seller,
j) reminders for payments,
k) goods delivered to the wrong party or place; and
l) poor after-sales service.
It is always better to talk on the telephone before writing the first letter of complaint
148
149
HOW TO WRITE A LETTER OF COMPLAINT

1. Right addressee
While writing a letter of complaint care should be taken to see that it is addressed
to the proper person or department and that it is sent as soon as the error is
detected. This will ensure speedy adjustment of the complaint or claim.
2. Polite Tone
Since the purpose of a letter of complaint is not to start a quarrel but to point
out mistakes and get these rectified, the tone of the letter must be firm but polite.
There is nothing to be gained by using insulting language and insinuating that
the seller of goods is "unreliable", "unprincipled," or that his goods are "third-
grade". Avoid any show of anger or sarcasm. It is in the buyer's own interest to
suggest that the letter of complaint has been sent because of a slip or error on
the part of the seller. This attitude will help the seller to meet you half way and
adjust the complaint without feeling hurt, insulted or humiliated. No purpose will
be served by making the recipient an adversary. It is also advisable to resist the
temptation to give advice. It is better to discuss the problem than try to "lecture"
to the seller.
150
3. Specific Details
The letter should provide full details such as (a) the date and time of the
order and delivery, (b) the nature and quantity of goods ordered or services
employed, (c) details of what exactly went wrong and where, (d) nature of
the loss to the letter writer, (e) how best the letter writer can be
compensated for this loss. The writer must give full details of the goods and
the date of delivery so that the seller can identify the transaction.
Invoice numbers and order numbers must be properly quoted. The best
approach, at least in the first letter, is to be firm, reasonable and friendly.
4. Legalistic Content
The letter must be sound from a legal point of view, which means that the
complaint must be a genuine one. If the matter should go to a court of law
the claim made by the letter writer must prove legally effective.

151
5. Specific and firm Demand of Adjustment
The letter should firmly demand an adjustment of the complaint or
claim and should also, if possible, specify the manner in which
such an adjustment is to be made. If you have ordered a new TV
set, which has proved to be defective, specify in your letter
of complaint whether you want the set to be replaced, repaired or if
you want to be paid back.
6. Tolerant Attitude
A tolerant attitude on the part of the complainant will please the
receiver of the letter. If, in addition to the tolerant attitude, an
appeal is made to the sense of fair play of the reader his claim is
certain to be met and his complaint adjusted. It has rightly been
said that a tactfully written letter of complaint by itself brings about
a proper adjustment.
152
153
154
SALES LETTER
A sales letter is a piece of direct mail which is designed to persuade the reader to purchase a particular product or service in the

absence of a salesman. It has been defined as "A form of direct mail in which an advertiser sends a letter to a potential

customer." It is distinct from other direct mail techniques, such as the distribution of leaflets and catalogues, as the sales letter

typically sells a single product or product line, and further tends to be mainly textual as opposed to graphics-based, although

video sales letters have become increasingly popular, It is typically used for products or services which, due to their price, are a

considered purchase at medium or high value (typically tens to thousands of dollars). A sales letter is often, but not exclusively,

the last stage of the sales process before the customer places an order, and is designed to ensure that the prospect is committed

to becoming a customer.

Since the advent of the internet, the sales letter has become an integral part of internet marketing, and typically takes the form of

an email or webpage. Unsolicited sales emails are known as spam, although spam typically consists of emails which are much

shorter than a normal sales letter. Offline, unsolicited sales letters are known as junk mail.

155
156
 UNIT – 4
LANGUAGE AND WRITING SKILLS

157
REPORT WRITING:

158
REPORTS – MEANING:
• A Report may be defined as a statement or an account, either
big or small, on some happenings, findings, obser-vations or
recommendations prepared either by an individual or by a
group. A report may be oral or written.
• It may be prepared by a single individual (like a secretary or a
departmental head or an investigator) or by a group of persons
or a committee or a sub-com-mittee. A report may be prepared
at regular interval of time (like annual report of an organisation
or a monthly report by a branch to the head office) or only once
(like a report by an enquiry committee).

159
Importance of Reports
Importance of reports in organizational life and for general
administration is very great. Decisions are very often taken on
many controversial and problematic issues based upon some
reports. Members of an organization or a committee or a
depart-ment, etc., can know many relevant and material facts
about the organization or committee or group itself or of other
organizations, committees or groups through reports thereon.
General administra-tion is guided very much by different kinds of
internal and external reports.

160
 PARTS OF REPORT
Figure on
the right
side
organizes
the parts of
an informal
and formal
report into
the three
components
.

161
Informal reports differ from formal reports in their length, purpose,
and content. Nonetheless, the parts of an informal and formal
report can be divided into three components: front matter, the
parts of a report that precede the main body and contain
introductory and background information that provides the
context for the remainder of the report; body, the presentation of
facts, statistics, expert opinion and other forms of research that
provide the basis for any decisions made; and back matter, the
parts of a report that follow the main body and provides the
credentials for the data presented and other supplemental
information.

162
Parts
of a
forma
l
Repo
rt
163
164
165
 TYPES / KIND OF RESEARCH REPORTS
Individual Reports: These reports are written by only ONE person,
for example, Auditor’s Report or Company Secretary’s Report. In
these reports a stenographer might take down the report and type or
take the help of assistants but only one person would be held
responsible for it namely Auditor or the Company Secretary.
A report written by an individual may be sent in the form of a letter. If,
however, the report is likely to be a long one with several sub-titles
and sections then it should be written in the form of an impersonal
statement with a covering letter.
Reports by individuals must be written in the first person singular and
they are of
great use to the report writer.
166
a. Statutory Reports : Statutory reports are those required to be
written by law. In the case of companies they include the Statutory
Report, the Auditor's Report, the Director's Report and reports by
inspectors and committees appointed to investigate the company's
affairs.
b. Performance Appraisal Reports : These reports are used for
assessing the performance of the employees. They provide
feedback to employees on their own performance, data
management and eligibility for promotion.

167
c. Progress Reports : A progress report is a report usually sent by
an employee to his employer showing the advance or development
in any project or work assigned to him. It could also take the form
of a secretary or an outside expert reporting to the Board of
Directors on the state of affairs in the company or the "progress"
made in any particular department or venture. Progress Reports
are usually written by individuals and are sent in letter form. If
progress reports are prepared at regular intervals, as is done in
some organizations, they are known as periodic reports. Progress
Reports are written and sent when it takes well over three or
four months to complete a project or task. They re-assure the
recipients that the writer of the report is on the job and making
progress. Progress reports do not follow a set form – they could be
formal as when an expert reports to the management on staff
reduction proposals. Or they could be informal enough to be sent
by email, as when a worker reports to his supervisor on a job
entrusted to him.
168
d. Project Reports : These reports are written for such proposed
business organizations which have become realities. They project
how the organization would perform in the future, thus providing a
guideline for financial planning.
e) Inspection Reports : Inspection Reports are written after an
inspection is carried out to detect defects or irregularities in the
company’s system of work.
f) First Information Report (FIR) : A F.I.R. (First Information Report) is
one more factual or information based report. It is the first report that
is filed in a police station in the event of a murder, robbery or crime
and it is the first report submitted to the management of an
organization in the event of a disaster or crisis.

169
g) Feasibility Report : These reports examine the practicality and
advisability of following a course of action. They answer the
question: Would this plan or proposal work? Such reports are
mostly internal and are written to advice on matters like launching
a new product or opening a new business organization. They are
also prepared on the suitability of a location of a proposed
factory. The focus in these reports is on the decision of stopping
or proceeding with the proposal.

170
Summarization

171
Summarizing is how we take larger selections of text and reduce
them to their bare essentials: the gist, the key ideas, the main
points that are worth noting and remembering.
Webster's calls a summary the "general idea in brief form"; it's the
distillation, condensation, or reduction of a larger work into its
primary notions. When we summarize, we strip away the extra
verbiage and extraneous examples.
We focus on the heart of the matter. We try to find the key words
and phrases that, when
uttered later, still manage to capture the gist of what we've read. We
are trying to capture
the main ideas and the crucial details necessary for supporting
them.

172