Handout 4: Oral communications skills

1. PowerPoint presentation Handout 4: Oral communications skills Communication in a business environment

2. Oral communication methods This is a main method of communication for us all. • Face to face – generally, meetings, discussions, negotiations. • Telephone and answerphones. Any oral communication must be clear with both speaker and listener understanding the message.

3. Face-to-face communication • Eye contact and active listening • Be aware of body language. • Be aware of tone. • Listen actively and respond to what is heard. • Use questions to establish and confirm understanding.

4. Effective communication means • there is understanding between both listener and speaker in the briefest time • misunderstanding is avoided • both parties feel respected.

5. Communication skills • How you look and sound – your body language, the words you choose and the way you say them. • Must be clear and polite • Be concise with your words. • Avoid using long words for the sake of it: using plain English is more likely to result in understanding.

6. Telephone communication • You must be able to operate the equipment efficiently and effectively. • Ensure customers are kept informed. • Speak clearly and slowly. • Prepare for the call you are going to make or take. • Be polite and friendly and smile. • Messages left on an answerphone need to be clear.

7. Language problems • Avoid using regional expressions that may not be understood. • Speak clearly and slowly. • Be diplomatic – make sure you apologise and take the blame for not understanding the first time.

8. Tone • About how we deliver our message. • It conveys the attitude and feelings of the speaker, eg: • Confidence • Fear • Boredom • Sarcasm. • It is affected by the words we stress or emphasise and the inflection in our voice.

9. Choose positive expressions

10. How to listen actively • Make eye contact. • Pay attention to the words, expressions and body language of the speaker. • Use positive body language to express your continued concentration. • Use encouraging phrases such as 'I see' or 'Go on'. • Do not interrupt – allow the speaker to finish. • Give the person your complete attention. • Summarise the discussion to bring the conversation to a close.

11. Confirming understanding • Paraphrasing • Clarifying • Probing • Verifying • Summarising

12. Questions • Open questions begin with who, what, where, when, why and encourage a response giving a lot of information. • Closed questions are likely to get the response of yes or no. • Probing questions are used when you need specific information.

13. Discussions There are many different types of discussion that you might be involved in at work. For example: • Informal chat with colleagues. • Team discussions on problems or progress. • Meetings. • Feedback on performance. • Fact finding.

14. Making a positive contribution to a discussion • Prepare in advance by reading any relevant material and jotting down possible questions you may have. • Be courteous and sympathetic to others’ views, even if you do not agree. • Allow others the chance to talk and to finish speaking. • Be aware your tone and body language so that you do not appear negative. • Question points you do not understand. • Take notes of important points. • Make sure you carry out any task you promise to do afterwards.