INTERVIEWING

An interview means a face to face interaction between the interviewer and the candidate/candidates so as to obtain desired information from him/them. It can also be defined as a way of exchanging meanings between individuals by using a common set of symbols. Interviews generally need a preparation. Job interviews seem frightening, even if the individual is well prepared. Interviews have a definite structure. Clear communication should take place during an interview. All interviews have a definite purpose familiar to the interviewer and the candidate/interviewee.

Tips for the Interviewee

1. The interviewee should be dressed formally, and not casually. Have a pleasing appearance as the candidate’s personality is a significant part of the communication.
2. Always carry an extra CV, a notepad to write on, a pen, and all essential things required in an interview.
3. Practice, practice and practice in advance. Prepare and rehearse for the unexpected also.
4. Research a lot about the organization for which you are being interviewed.
5. As soon as the interview gets over, pen down the name of the interviewer, your strengths and weaknesses, answers to questions raised by you during the interview and the feedback of the interviewer.
6. Be punctual. Try reaching before time for the job interview.
7. Do not indulge in a fight or argument with the interviewer.
8. Answer the questions specifically, truly and undoubtedly.
9. Be courteous and sophisticated during an interview.
10. Just “be yourself”. Do not boast about yourself. The interviewer is smart enough to judge the candidate’s intelligence and aptness for the job.
11. Do not make negative statements or comments about your past employer.
12. Your body language should be positive during the interview, i.e., maintain an eye-to-eye contact with the interviewer, sit in well balanced and confident posture, do not lean on the table, do not yawn, smile when appropriate, etc.

Tips for the Interviewer

1. The interviewer should be an active listener. He should not interrupt unnecessarily.
2. The interviewer should be considerate enough. Even if the interviewer does not agree with the interviewee, he must respect the latter’s feelings.
3. The interviewer should be friendly and understanding. He should begin the interview in a friendly manner, some friendly conversation and then show concern in family background, hobbies, etc. This will make the interviewee more relaxed and comfortable.
4. The interviewer should restrain to the time allotted. He shouldn’t indulge in arguments unnecessarily. He should try to be precise.
5. The interviewer must be thoroughly prepared for the questions that are likely to be asked. He should be a good planner.
6. The interviewer must focus attention on the interviewee. He should use positive gestures when conducting the interview.
7. Encourage/invite questions from the interviewee. Ensure that the interviewee clarifies the question he has. When selected a candidate should not feel he was not told about a certain aspect of the job.
8. Avoid distraction in the interview area.Ensure that there is no or minimal distraction where the interview is being conducted. A phone ringing all the time in the background can distract the interviewer and interviewee.

EFFECTIVE LISTENING

Listening is a significant part of communication process. Communication cannot take place until and unless a message is heard and retained thoroughly and positively by the receivers/listeners. Listening is a dynamic process. Listening means attentiveness and interest perceptible in the posture as well as expressions. Listening implies decoding (i.e., translating the symbols into meaning) and interpreting the messages correctly in communication process. Listening differs from hearing in sense that: Hearing implies just perceiving the sounds while listening means listening with understanding whatever you are listening. Both the body as well as mind is involved in listening process. Listening is an active process while hearing is a passive activity. Hearing is an effortless activity while listening is an act requiring conscious efforts, concentration and interest. Listening involves both physical and psychological efforts.

Effective listening requires both deliberate efforts and a keen mind. Effective listeners appreciate flow of new ideas and information. Organizations that follow the principles of effective listening are always informed timely, updated with the changes and implementations, and are always out of crisis situation. Effective listening promotes organizational relationships, encourages product delivery and innovation, as well as helps organization to deal with the diversity in employees and customers it serves.

To improve your communication skills, you must learn to listen effectively. Effective listening gives you an advantage and makes you more impressive when you speak. It also boosts your performance.

Effective Listening Skills

1. Discover your interests’ field.
2. Grasp and understand the matter/content.
3. Remain calm. Do not loose your temper. Anger hampers and inhibits communication. Angry people jam their minds to the words of others.
4. Be open to accept new ideas and information.
5. Jot down and take a note of important points.
6. Work upon listening. Analyze and evaluate the speech in spare time.
7. Rephrase and summarize the speaker’s ideas.
8. Keep on asking questions. This demonstrates that how well you understand the speaker’s ideas and also that you are listening.
9. Avoid distractions.
10. “Step into the shoes of others”, i.e., put yourself in the position of the speaker and observe things from his view point. This will help creating an atmosphere of mutual understanding and improve the exchange of ideas in communication process.

Characteristics of Good and Effective Listener

Good and effective listener tries to give maximum amount of thought to the speaker’s ideas being communicated, leaving a minimum amount of time for mental exercises to go off track. A good listener:

1. Is attentive- Good listener must pay attention to the key points. He should be alert. He should avoid any kind of distraction.
2. Do not assume- Good listener does not ignore the information he considers is unnecessary. He should always summarize the speaker’s ideas so that there is no misunderstanding of thoughts of speakers. He avoids premature judgements about the speakers message.
3. Listen for feelings and facts- Good listener deliberately listens for the feelings of the speaker. He concentrates totally on the facts. He evaluates the facts objectively. His listening is sympathetic, active and alert. He keenly observes the gestures, facial expression and body language of the speaker. In short, a good listener should be projective (i.e. one who tries to understand the views of the speaker) and empathic (i.e. one who concentrates not only on the surface meaning of the message but tries to probe the feelings and emotions of the speaker).
4. Concentrate on the other speakers kindly and generously- A good listener makes deliberate efforts to give a chance to other speakers also to express their thoughts and views. He tries to learn from every speaker. He evaluates the speaker’s ideas in spare time. He focuses on the content of the speaker’s message and not on the speaker’s personality and looks.
5. Opportunizes- A good listener tries to take benefit from the opportunities arising. He asks “What’s in it for me?”

To conclude, effective listening enhances the communication quality. It makes all attentive. It encourages optimistic attitude, healthy relations and more participation. It leads to better decision- making in an organization. Effective listening is directly related to our ability to do team work. It must be noted that “We listen at about an efficiency rate of 25 percent maximum, and we remember only about 50 percent of what is delivered during a ten minute speech/lecture/communication.”

resentation can be defined as a formal event characterized by teamwork and use of audio-visual aids. The main purpose of presentation is to give information, to persuade the audience to act and to create goodwill. A good presentation should have a good subject matter, should match with the objective, should best fit the audience, and should be well organized. Characteristics of a Good/Effective Presentation The presentation ideas should be well adapted to your audience. Relate your presentation message/idea to the interests of the audience. A detailed audience analysis must be made before the presentation, i.e., an analysis of the needs, age, educational background, language, and culture of the target audience. Their body language instantly gives the speaker the required feedback. A good presentation should be concise and should be focused on the topic. It should not move off-track. A good presentation should have the potential to convey the required information.

4. The fear should be transformed into positive energy during the presentation. Be calm and relaxed while giving a presentation. Before beginning, wait and develop an eye contact with the audience. Focus on conveying your message well and use a positive body language.
5. To communicate the desired information, the speaker should use more of visual aids such as transparencies, diagrams, pictures, charts, etc. Each transparency/slide should contain limited and essential information only. No slide should be kept on for a longer time. Try facing the audience, rather than the screen. The speaker should not block the view. Turn on the room lights else the audience might fall asleep and loose interest. Organize all the visuals for making a logical and sound presentation.
6. A good presentation must be planned. The speaker must plan how to begin the presentation, what to speak in the middle of presentation and how to end the presentation without losing audience interests at any point of time.
7. Rehearse and practice the presentation. This will help the speaker to be more confident and self-assured. The more the speaker rehearses the better the presentation turns to be.
8. The speaker should encourage more questions from the audience. He should be honest enough to answer those questions. If any biased question is put forth by the audience, rearticulate it before answering.
9. Summarize the presentation at the end. Give final comments. Leave a positive impact upon the audience.
10. The speaker must have a presentable appearance while giving a presentation. The speaker should stand with feet far apart maintaining a good balance. He must use confident gestures. He must use short and simple words.
11. Try to gain and maintain audience interest by using positive quotes, humour, or remarkable fact.
12. The speaker must be affirmative and optimistic before giving presentation. He should ensure all tools and equipments to be used in presentation are working well.
13. The speaker must state the objectives of the presentation at beginning of the presentation.

INTERCULTURE COMMUNICATION

Intercultural Communication
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
A Concept of Culture
Culture refers to the behavioral characteristic typical of a group, this definition implies that communication, oral and nonverbal within a group also is typical of that group and is unique.

Ethnocentrism: judging other group or countries by the cultural standards, of your group.

Cultural generalizations applicable to an entire national are impossible. Knowing core characteristics of a country are basic to better international communication.



An Intercultural Communication Model


United States Other Cultures
Concern with diversity Less tolerance for diversity
Tendency to be obsessed with time time is flexible
Early starting time for work start working later in the day

An Intercultural Communication Model

United States Other Cultures
Much use of slang less use of slang
Rank is less important rank is important.

An Intercultural Communication Model


An Intercultural Communication Model

National Cultural Variable
While communicating, the message sender and the receiver are both affected by external and internal stimuli. Communicating with business people in a foreign country you must realize that overall national and individual cultural differences within the culture further affect these stimuli.

An Intercultural Communication Model

Following are the global or macro constrains and variable that communicators must face when working with foreign receivers of their messages.

Some National Variables Individual Cultural Variables

Education Time
Regulation Space
Economics Food
Politics Accepted Dress
Social Norms Manners
Language Decision Making


Education
Many managers in foreign countries are not very well educated. Most Asian and Chinese managers have had a less formal education than American and European managers.

Education levels of Chinese, Asian, and US Mangers

`
Less than high school 5.4 2.5 0.1
High school graduate 31.8 12.4 3.2
Some college 34.5 19.4 16.9
Undergraduate degree 27.6 65.4 79.8
Postgraduate degree 0.7 25.0 30.0

Education

Before drawing conclusions from date, it is necessary to consider many factors. Percent of managers recommending specific courses as very impotent preparation for general management.

Course US Asian China
Oral Communication 79.5% 71.8% 8.6%
Written Communication 78.0 69.7 8.0

1. Attitudes towards education
a. What is the level of education of middle managers?
b. To what degree is education of women supported in the country?
c. Does education constitutes a significant portion of the national budget?

Law and Regulations

In both the developed and developing nations, various government regulations affect business communications and the sale of products. For example advertising directed at children is restricted in the United States, Canada, and Scandinavia; also,. Other countries, such as France, Mexico, and the Province of Quebec, have a restriction on the use of foreign languages in advertisements.

In some Muslim countries fashion magazines are not allowed in many countries, and cosmetic makeup is also prohibited.

1. Laws and regulations: degree of formality
a. To what extent are the laws of the country codified?
b. Is there uniform enforcement for the laws and regulations of the country?
c. Are the laws and regulations of your country accepted and enforced?

Economics
Availability of capital and transportation and the standard of living per capita vary from nation to nation. The opportunity to borrow money, the rate of inflation, and the exchange rates influence business and a country’s ability to communicate concerning that business.

In the US free enterprise system, competitors usually set their own prices. In contrast, OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries), as a Cartel, sets oil prices.

Some Japanese businesses check with the government before initiating major production and trading changes.

Economics: Past history and projections
a. Which economic changes have occurred within the past 5 years that will affect the future?
b. Is the government supportive of the economic changes occurring?
c. How welcome are outside investors in your host country?

Politics
Even concepts of democracy will vary as interpreted in Korea, the Philippines, or Great Britain. The sweeping political changes in government will affect future business relations.

The event – such as antigovernment demonstrations, arrests, assassinations, elections, exile, general strikes, guerrilla warfare, government crises, revolutions and riots – are important in determining the stability of a country.

Politics:
a. which political changes have occurred within the past 5 years?
b. how supportive is the government of outside investors? of joint ventures?
c. what are the protocols, the conventions individuals must respect in the host country?

Religion
Be careful of religious beliefs within foreign countries. Although some basic beliefs overlap, there some major differences In connection with religion there is great need for tolerance. Buddhism, Hinduism, and Moslem religions are found in many parts of the world, affecting the values (and attire) of people professing these faiths. For instances, these three religions forbid consumption of alcohol;

Religious holidays affect international communication, interrupting work schedules or delaying responses to requests

Be aware too that religion can affect the status of women; their positions within an economy and even their buying patterns and habits of dress.

Religion: Homogeneity and diversity of belief structure
a. Are you aware of the major religious beliefs that could affect your business relationships?
b. will the religious holidays affect your rhythm of conducting business?
c. what personal behavior is acceptable and nonacceptable?

Social Norms
In various ways any national environmental constraints – education, law and regulations, economics, politics, religion – affect a nation’s social norms. In many countries a male line of the family profoundly influences some business decisions. Decisions, buying patterns, pooling of resources, special interests affect behavior and business communication.

Beyond the immediate family a bond may exist between persons, based on caste, class, age, or even special interests. Be aware of a nation’s social norms.


Social Norms: importance of family, influence of past colonial influences:
a. are you aware of the social hierarchies of the country?
b. Is there a rank order of importance for participants at meetings?
c. Who will really make the business decision?
d. Which country’s influence is still evident after previous colonial control?

Language
An important constraint that supersedes all the preceding variables is language. Obviously, unless both sender and receiver understand a common language, the opportunities for successful business communication are significantly limited.

Language
English is a world language – and to a major extent the language of business.

Language problems are often core to communication misunderstanding.

Language: Use of English and other languages used in business relationships:
a. Is it necessary to have an interpreter at business sessions?
b. is English understood at the oral or written level?
c. Is there a protocol to follow for formal and informal communication.


Individual Cultural Variables
He or she exhibits a unique lifestyle of personal habits and ethnic diversity. Thus, within each culture, on the micro and more personal level, are differences in verbal and nonverbal cues expressed through varying concepts of time, individual speech, food, acceptable dress, managers at home and at work, decision-making patterns, and other nonverbal variations.
Time (Chronemics)
Persons in Latin America and the Middle East treat time more casually then do Americans, prefer promptness. Germans are time-precise. In Latin America – and in Buddhist cultures – you may wait an hour; just reflecting a different concept of time; arriving late is a social accepted custom.


Individual Cultural Variables

Even when referring to seasons of a year, countries differ.

It should not take you long to recognize which is the time conscious culture and which is the one less concerned with precision in time. Knowing cultural perceptions of time helps you understand why some responses are slow – by your standards.

Perceptions of time
a. Is the concept of time considered linear or circular?
b. What impact will time have upon business decisions?
c. Is time considered valuable or an intangible asset?



Individual Cultural Variables

Space (Proxemics)
How close may strangers stand to you?

How do you react in Saudi Arabia when someone’s breath intentionally brushes you in conversation?

How do you like being literally pushed into a train in Tokyo?

How would you react hanging onto the outside of a bus in Pakistan?

How do you react to the cold stare of a German as your eyes invade the privacy of his or her yard?

Some cultures consider those who stand close to you as intrusive, rude, pushy, overbearing.

Concepts of office space differ

Perception of space – What is the average acceptable personal space between natives of the host country?


INDIVIDUAL CULTURAL VARIABLES

Food
It may be a good idea prior to visiting your host country to visit various ethnic restaurants in your home country. Then you’ll have an initial idea as to the kinds of foods available: how they are served, fixed or eaten.

Perceptions of Food
a. Are you aware of the eating habits of your hosts?
b. Are there table conventions you should be aware of?
c. Are there foods you might find disagreeable?

Individual Cultural Variables

Acceptable Dress
It is better to ask about the mode of dress for an occasion in your host country than to risk making an embarrassing mistake.

It most American businesses men wear the business suit whereas women wear dressed or tailored suits.

Some British people might still wear the bowler along with a dark suit and carry an umbrella.

In Middle East long cotton coat are acceptable.

Perception of Dress
a. How much skin may be exposed in both an informal and in a formal situation?
b. Are certain colors disturbing?
c. Will western attire be accepted?

Individual Cultural Variables

Manners
Knowing manner is also very important. Children shake your hand in Germany, hug you in Italy, and often stay in the background in Pakistan/India. In fact, the ritual of the greeting and the farewell is more formal many countries with children and adults. You avoid gifts of red roses in Germany or white chrysanthemums in France, Belgium and Japan.

Be prepared to sit close together in Asia. In Saudi Arabia sons

Defer to their fathers. At the heart of their system is the family.

Perceptions of Manners
a. What is the protocol regarding the introduction of persons in a business situation?
b. What are the “rules” of gift giving?

Decision Making
Patience – above all – is needed in intercultural communication, in doing business with other countries. Americans are typecast as moving too quickly in asking for a decision. Give more thought to inductive communication.

American are accused of being brusk, curt, impolite; we wish to get to the point – fast, “Getting down to business” is a trait of the western culture. The Germans, Singaporeans, Swiss, Dutch, and Scandinavians are similar, quickly getting to the issue. Chinese, Pakistani, French, and British prefer more pleasuring social amenities.

In Japan, decision time is held back as group consensus moves toward a decision.


Ringi process (stamps of approval by many people on a proposal)

Your understanding of the decision process – add to your success in dealing with a foreign environment.

Perceptions of decision making
a. Is the pattern for making decisions consistent from one company to another?
b. Is placement of the major decision maker consistent in meeting situations?
c. Is an inductive or a deductive pattern of decision making preferred?

Verbal and Nonverbal Communication

Verbal
A kind of verbal sparring occurs when strangers meet each seeking to determine which topics are acceptable and uncontroversial the tone of voice of one’s initial words can influence you initial perception of whether the meeting is positive or negative ‘see you later’ can mean the same day to Asian workers or some indefinite time in the future to Americans

Arabs are loud and some Japanese use little volume

Cantonese demand more volume to suggest changes in word meaning

Verbal and Nonverbal Communication

A. Accept cultural differences
1. Studying your own culture
2. Learn about other cultures through books, articles, videos, and other resources.
3. Encourages employees to discuss their culture’s customs
4. Avoid being judgmental
5. Create a formal forum to teach employees about the customers of all cultures represented in the firm reader’s forum.
6. Train employees to see and overcome ethnocentric stereotyping.

Verbal and Nonverbal Communication

B. improve oral and written communications
1. Define the terms people need to know on the job
2. Emphasize major points with repetition and reap.
3. Use familiar words whenever possible.
4. Be concise.
5. Don’t cover too much information at one time.
6. Adjust your message to employees’ education level.
7. Be specific and explicit – using descriptive words, exact measurements, and examples when possible.
8. Give the reason for asking employees to follow a certain procedure and explain what will happen if the procedure is not followed.
9. Use written summaries and visual aids (when appropriate) to clarify your points.
10. Demonstrate and encourage the right way to complete a task, use a tool, and so on.
11. Reduce language barriers: Train managers in the language of their employees, train employees in the language of most customers and of most people in the company, ask bilingual employees to serve as translators, print important health and safety instructions in as many languages as necessary.


C. Access how well you’ve been understood
1. Research the nonverbal reactions of other cultures; then be alert to facial expressions and other nonverbal signs that indicate confusion or embarrassment.
2. Probe for comprehension.
3. Encourage employees to ask questions in private and in writing.
4. Observe how employees use the information you’ve provided, and review any misunderstood points.

D. Offer feedback to improve communication
1. Focus on the positive by explaining that should be done rather than what shouldn’t be done.
2. Discuss a person’s behaviors and the situation, rather than making a judgment about the person.
3. Be supportive as you offer feedback, and reassure individuals that their skills and contribution are important

A Kind of verbal sparring occurs when we judge people to a great extent by their voice. Some native languages demand many tonal variations, giving the impression to a nonnative of loudness, even arrogance.

Nonverbal
A Myriad of nonverbal symbols exists for every culture, even in subcultures. Knowing the major desirable and undesirable cues helps knowing both intended and unintended communication errors.

PROCESS OF PREPARING EFFECTIVE BUSINESS MESSAGES

While preparing a written or an oral business message, you need to plan, organize, compose, edit and revise it. The message must also be proofread and corrected before it is mailed. Apart from the steps mentioned above the writer must take care of seven C qualities and also of legal aspect. Careful preparation of communication is important, even if the writer / speaker has the modern technology. The basic planning steps are as follows:

Five Planning Steps

Before writing a message, the following steps are necessary for effective communication.

1. Define the purpose of the message.
2. Analyze your audience – readers or listeners.
3. Choose the ideas to include.
4. Collect all the facts to back up these ideas.
5. Outline – organize – your message.


1. Define the purpose of the message.
1. General Purpose
To inform, to persuade, to collaborate with your audience
This deters the amount of audience participation and amount of control your have over your message.

to inform: you control is high you inform you need with interaction. Audience absorb or reject the information
to persuade: you require a moderate amount of participation / moderate amount of control.
to collaborate: with audience you need maximum participation / you control is minimal.

Specific purpose
That purpose you be clear and straightforward.
To achieve this are your self what you want to achieve / accomplish with your message and what your audience should think after receiving the message.
Is you purpose realistic
Is this the right time?
Is the right person delivering the message?
Is your purpose acceptable to you organization?

2. Analyze your audience – readers or listeners.
It is very important to write the message to the recipient’s views and needs. You might or might not have met the recipient. It is better to visualize the individual. Try to picture that person – business or professional person or labourer, superior (boss) colleague, or subordinate, man or woman, new or longtime customer, young, middle-aged, or elderly client. Also, consider the person’s educational level, attitudes, and so on. If the message is for many people, try to find some common characteristics. In all communications, the areas must be considered on which the recipient is likely to be well informed or uniformed, pleased or displeased, positive, negative, or neutral, interested or uninterested and unreceptive.
As yourself some key question about your audience
1. Who are they?
2. What is their probable reactor to your message?
3. How much do they already know about the subject?
4. What is their relationship to your
Audience profile
1. Who is your primary audience?
2. How big is your audience?
3. What is your audience’s composition?
4. What is your audience’s level of understanding?
5. What is your audience’s probable reaction?

3. Choose the ideas to include.
While answering a letter, one can underline the main points to discuss and get the ideas briefly on a pad. If one is writing unsolicited or a complex message, one can begin by listing ideas as they come to mind. Then most important facts can be changed into message. It is better that the message written to welcome a customer should have other incentives or policies what the firm offers.

* Consider your reader’s viewpoint (be in his place)
* Read company’s document
* Talk with your colleagues, customer etc.
* Ask your audience for input

4. Collect all the facts to back up these ideas.
After the main ideas, the writer / speaker should ask himself what specific facts, updated figures or quotations he needs. The knowledge of the company’s policies, procedures, and product details is necessary for an effective communication. A brochure, table picture, or product sample is also useful to enclose.

Find out
* be sure the information is accurate
* be sure the information is ethical
* be sure the information is pertinent
* select appropriate channel

5. Outline – organize – your message.
The order in which the ideas are to be presented is as important as the ideas themselves. Disorganized writing reflects disorganized, illogical thought process or careless preparation.
Choose the organizational plan after the purpose has been finalized collecting all necessary facts. Ask yourself: “How will the reader or listener react to these ideas?”

LECTURE 08

Listening
• Difference between hearing and listening
• Hearing is a physical process. The ear receive stimuli or sensations and transmit them to brain
• Listening refers to the interpretive process that takes place when we hear something. When we listen, tore ,classify and label information
• Listening is the most important of all the communication skills. Upon awakening we listen to people, friends around us. Wherever we go, we listen to something. We spend most of our time engaged in listening. Listening occupies more time than any other communication.

What is listening?
Listening is an active process of receiving aural stimulus. Listening is an active rather than a passive process. Listening does not just happen we must make it happen. A great time is spent listening and talking listening serve two purposes in its process 1 As the sender of the message, listening to your receiver tells you how the other person has interpreted your message 2 As the receiver of a message listening to the other person allows you to understand their meaning.

Purpose of listening
Serves a number of important purposes. It enables the listener to check on the accuracy of understanding what the speaker said. Besides, the listener expresses acceptance of speaker’s feelings. Most important of all, listening provides a chance to the speaker to explore his or her feelings and thoughts further.

A variety of listening skills can be learned and developed with practice The following skills are worth practicing
• Attending listening
• Encouraging listening
• Reflecting listening
• Active listening
In attending listening you focus on speaker by giving them your physical attention you use whole body, eye contact posture personal space in short complete feedback .

Encouraging listening
It invites speaker to say more without pressuring them to disclose their feelings or though it is their choice.
Minimal and brief responses
Brief spoken responses let speaker know you are listening and encourage them to talk.

Pause
Brief pause allows speaker time to consider reflect and decide whether to continue speaking Allow silence
Use encouraging question (5w)

Reflecting listening
Restate the speakers feeling and contents it shows the other person you understand.
Active Listening
An active listener has empathy with the speaker that shows that you understand the issue from other person’ point of view. Feedback is the connecting continuing or completing link.

Faults in listening
Remember that every sound or voice that we receive cannot be termed as listening. There are certain occasions when you receive some certain sound stimulus but you do not understand it because your attention is towards something else. In such cases, we say that you heard something but you did not listen to anything. Moreover there are certain other factors which bar our proper listening. An average person remembers only half of what is said during a 10-minute conversation and forgets half of that within 48 hours. Studies agree that listening efficiency is no better than 28 to 30 percent. Following are the causes of listening pit falls:

Prejudice
All of us have personal opinions, attitudes, or beliefs about certain things. When we listen to a speaker who is contrary to our ideas, we cannot maintain attention. As a result we do not listen to whatever he says. We should give a chance to the speaker to finish his message. Later, we can agree or disagree.

Distraction
Not only the verbal messages but also the nonverbal cues of the speaker affect our listening. Actually, the entire physical environment affects listening. Among the negative factors are noisy fan, poor light, distracting background music, bang of a horn, extreme weather. Among the speaker’s nonverbal cues are his clothes, his voice quality, his wearing of a certain perfume, reek of sweat, excessive gestures, etc.

Semantic barrier
Meaning of words also create problem in listening, as meaning of words vary from person to person influenced by feelings, attitudes, prejudices and biases. Sometimes the way a speaker utters a word annoys us.

Preshrinking
The average thinking capacity of a person is up to 800 words per minute while the average speaker utters 80 to 160 words per minute. This difference sometimes makes listeners deviate from the speaker’s words and they shift to something else. On the other hand people fill this gap by premature evaluation of what they are listening to. They arrive at the concluding thought quickly. This premature evaluation poses us our effective listening is impaired.

• .Boredom or lack of interest
• Listener’s dislike of speaker
• desire to change rather then accept the speaker
• Tendency to make early conclusion
• Intrusion of listeners’ own values or attitude
• Listener’s opinion that the speaker lacks credibility Ways to improve listening

Ways to improve your listening

(1) Be prepared. By knowing the speaker and the topic beforehand you can prepare yourself for better understanding of the topic.
(2) Show positive attitude. Don’t make premature assumptions before listening to a certain speaker. Always be ready to learn new ideas or facts that you are not aware of.

(3) Listen to learn, not to refute. While listening, try to understand the points. Don’t let them mix up with your biases before you have listened and evaluated the message.

(4) Concentrate.
Pay attention to what is said. You know that everything that is said has a special meaning in a certain context. Out of the context it may be misunderstood.
(5) Jot down notes.
If possible, take down main ideas. These notes will help you a lot later on.

LECTURE 07

ORAL PRESENTATION

Successful Oral Presentation
In your personal life and in the world of business, you orally communicate with your customers, colleagues, associates, superiors, employees, employers and others. But this communication does not need any special preparation as this is simply a face to face conversation in which you can convey your message very easily and without any hesitation. However, at certain occasion you have to talk to a big audience such as employees to convince to do hard work and customer to trust you.

Definition
This action of communication in which one speaker is doing most of the sending and a number of listeners are doing most of the receiving is known as oral presentation

Successful Oral Presentation
An oral presentation creates mutual understanding between audience and speaker so you will have to give yourself some time to improve your oral presentation skills. For oral presentations, you need the different steps to be effective in your oral presentation.

• Stages for preparing oral presentations.
• Types of oral presentations.
• Art of delivering the oral message.
• Delivering the speech.
• Nonverbal delivery.

The Three Step Oral Presentation Process
Regardless of your job or the purpose of your presentation, you will be more effective if you adopt an oral presentation process that follows these threes steps:

1. Planning your presentation
2. Writing your presentation
3. Completing your presentation

The content and style of speeches and presentations vary, depending on your purpose.

Planning Oral Presentation
Planning oral presentations is much like planning any other business message: it requires analyzing your purpose and your audience, investigating necessary information, and adapting your message to the occasion and your audience so that you can establish a good relationship.

The four basic purposes for giving a presentation are to inform, to persuade, to motivate, and to entertain. Here are sample statements of purpose for business preventative:

To Inform
Here your objective is to clarify, explain a process. As teacher, delivers a lecture to inform. In brief, at the conclusion of your message you hope your listeners have a better comprehension of an issue, an idea, a process, a procedure that you have talked about.

Planning Oral Presentation•
To inform the accounting department of the new remote data-access policy.
• To explain to the executive committee the financial ramifications of Omni Group’s takeover offer
To Persuade
Gaining willing acceptance of an idea is objective to persuasion. Note that the key word here is willing. Your goal is that after you have finished your presentation, listeners will accept your proposal. You hope they will do as you ask them to do. To persuade potential customers that our bank offers the best commercial banking services for their needs
To Motivate
To motivate the sales force to increase product sales by 10 percent.
To Entertain
In this type of presentation your purpose is to entertain an audience. Gear the content, organization, and style of your message to your audience’s size, background, attitudes, and interests.

Audience Analysis
A. Determine audience size and composition
1. Estimate how many people will attend.
2. Consider whether they have some political, religious, professional, or other affiliation in common.
3. Analyze the mix of men and women, age ranges, socioeconomic and ethnic groups, occupations, and geographic regions represented.
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B. Predict the audience’s probable reaction1.
Analyze why audience members are attending the presentations
2. Determine the audience’s general attitude toward the topic: interested, moderately interested, unconcerned, open-minded, or hostile.
4. Analyze the mood that people will be in when you speak to them.
3. Find out what kind of backup information will most impress the audience: technical data, historical information, financial data, demonstrations, samples, and so on.
4. Consider whether the audience has any biases that might work against you.
5. Anticipate possible objections or questions.

C. Gauge the audience’s level of understanding.1.
Analyze whether everybody has the same background and experience.
2. Determine what the audience already knows about the subject
3. Decide what background information the audience will need to better understand the subject.
4. Consider whether the audience is familiar with your vocabulary.
5. Analyze what the audience expects from you.
6. Think about the mix of general concepts and specific details you will need to present.
Defining main idea

Writing Oral Presentation
Main Ideas or Content
Brainstorm your ideas first. Then decide which ideas are more relevant and appropriate to your audience and to your objective. Carryout any research that is necessary. Be selective, your first list of ideas may be disorganized. Later you can select those ideas that are workable. Don’t think this initial structure will be your final version.

The main ideal is to point out how the audience can benefit from your message. Convince audience that reorganizing the data-processing department will improve customer service and reduce employee turnover.

• Convince audience that we should build a new plant in Lahore to eliminate manufacturing bottlenecks and improve production quality.
• Address audience’s concerns regarding a new employee health-care plan by showing how the plan will reduce costs and improve the quality of care.
Limit your scope
Effective presentation focuses on audience's need but also tailor messages to the time allowed.
• In one minute, the average speaker can delivery about one paragraph or 125 to 150 words.(7500 to 9000 wph)
• Fit your oral presentation to the time allotted.
• Introduction
• Conclusion
• Time to each point
• 10 minutes presentation / one hour

Choose Your Approach
With a well defined idea you begin to arrange your message

• Structure a short oral presentation like a letter or a memo
• Organize language speeches and presentations like formal reports.
• For bad news or persuasive plan to arouse interest or give a preview
Long presentation
Organize longer speeches and presentations like formal reports. If purpose is to entertain motivate or to inform, use direct order and a structure imposed naturally by the subject. Importance, sequence, chronology, spatial orientation, geography or category. If you purpose is to analyze, persuade or collaborate organize your material around conclusions and recommendation or around a logical arguments. Use direct order if the audience is receptive use indirect if you expect resistance. Regardless of the length of your presentation, bear in mind that simplicity of organization is valuable in oral presentation. (outline)

Prepare Your Outline
A Carefully prepared outline can be more than just the starting point for composing a speech or presentation – it will help your stay on task. You can use your outline to make sure your message accomplishes its purpose to help your keep your presentation both audience-centered and within the allotted time. If you plan to deliver your presentation from notes rather than from a written text, your outline can also become your final “script”. Outline will serve you speaking notes. The heading should be complete sentences or lengthy phrase not one two word. Include visual aid. Use transmittal sentences Outlines can help you compose your presentation and stay on task.

Decide on style
Chose your style to fit the occasion your audience size subject purpose.
Decide on an Appropriate Style:
Use a casual style for small groups; use a formal style for large groups and important events.
In both formal and informal presentations, keep things simple. Remember to choose your words carefully. Don't try to impress you audience with obscure and unfamiliar words.

Developing Your Oral Presentation
Developing a major presentation is much like writing a formal report, with one important difference. You need to adjust your technique to an oral communication channel. Her you have the opportunity of interacting with your audience. So, formal presentations differ from formal reports because they have more interaction with the audience. The speaker uses nonverbal cues to express his meaning, has less control of contents and requires greater need to help the audience stay on track. How formal presentations differ form formal reports:

• More interaction with the audience
• Use of nonverbal cues to express meaning
• Less control of contents
• Greater need to help the audience stay on track

Introduction
The introduction must capture attention, inspire confidence, and preview the contents.

Arousing Audience Interest• To capture attention, connect your topic to your listeners’ needs and interests.
• Match the introduction to the tone of your presentation

Body
Limit the body to three or four main points. Help your audience follow your presentation by using clear transitions between sentences and paragraphs, as well as between major sections. Emphasize your transition by repeating key ideas, using gestures, changing your tone of voice, or introducing a visual aid.

Holding Your Audience’s Attention

• Relate your subject to your audience’s needs.
• Anticipate your audience’s questions
• Use clear, vivid language
• Explain the relationship between your subject and familiar ideas.
Close
To close should leave a strong and lasting impression .
Restating your main Points
Summarize the main idea, and restart the main points

• Increase the overall level of compensation
• Install a cash bonus program
• Offer a variety of stock-based incentives
• Improve our health insurance and pension benefits

Describing the Next Steps•
Be certain that everyone agrees on the outcome and understands what should happen next.
• Make your final words memorable
• Completing oral presentation
• Evaluate the content of your message
Edit for clarity, besides mastering the art of delivery, prepare to speak, overcome anxiety and
handle questions with responsibility.

Types of Oral Presentations
The effectiveness of your presentation largely depends on how it is delivered. Following are four main delivery methods, you can choose according to need and situation.

1. Extemporaneous
This method of delivery is very carefully planned and practiced. In it, the speaker, makes a presentation with the help of an outline, note cards, or visual aid. It is very popular and effective method of delivering a speech. In this way the speaker can glance at his notes, keep eye contact and speak in a natural, conversational tone.

2. Reading
In this method the whole presentation is read aloud. It helps a speaker when the presentation has technical or complex topic. If you choose to read your speech, practice enough so that you can still have eye contact with your audience, otherwise, your speech may become boring.

For reading, some speakers use a page style similar to a TV script, leaving a left margin of about one-third of the page. In that wide margin are pronunciation aids or suggestions as to where to look in an audience.

3. Memorization
Few speakers today memorize complete speeches. However, it can be useful for short speeches. In case of a long speech, often the first few words of a statement can be memorized. This technique may sound like a robot. Besides, forgetting a single line may cause disaster.

4. Impromptu
It means a speech made without any preparation or made on the spur of the moment. In so many situations you are asked to make a speech or offer your comments, when you’re asked to speak “off the cuff”, take a moment or two to think through what you’re going to say. Avoid the temptation to beat about the bush.

You may feel a bit of stage fright at the time of delivering the speech. In addition to the stages mentioned above, you should focus on the following aspects to decrease stage fright.

ORAL PRESENTATION

Completing oral presentationEvaluate the content of your presentation, for clarity and conciseness, develop visual aid and coordinate them with your delivery. Besides four areas mastering the art of delivery preparing to speak, overcoming anxiety and handling question responsively.

Extemporaneous
This method of delivery is very carefully planned and practiced. In it, the speaker, makes a presentation with the help of an outline, note cards, or visual aid. It is very popular and effective method of delivering a speech. In this way the speaker can glance at his notes, keep eye contact and speak in a natural, conversational tone. Reading
In this method the whole presentation is read aloud. It helps a speaker when the presentation has technical or complex topic. If you choose to read your speech, practice enough so that you can still have eye contact with your audience, otherwise, your speech may become boring.
For reading, some speakers use a page style similar to a TV script, leaving a left margin of about one-third of the page. In that wide margin are pronunciation aids or suggestions as to where to look in an audience.


Memorization
Few speakers today memorize complete speeches. However, it can be useful for short speeches. In case of a long speech, often the first few words of a statement can be memorized. This technique may sound like a robot. Besides, forgetting a single line may cause disaster.

Impromptu
It means a speech made without any preparation or made on the spur of the moment. In so many situations you are asked to make a speech or offer your comments, when you’re asked to speak “off the cuff”, take a moment or two to think through what you’re going to say. Avoid the temptation to beat about the bush.

Preparing to speak
Knowing your material and practicing your delivery can build your confidence
Make sure you know the location and have everything you need(projector, microphone chalkboard etc)
If addressing audience that doesn’t speak your language consider using an interpreter
Important to take into account any cultural differences in appearance mannerism or other custom

Overcoming anxiety

If you are nervous about facing audience and experience stage fright, prepare more material, rehearse and
think positively.

Show Confidence
You will be nervous at the beginning of your presentation. Don’t worry – most people are nervous. Try not to speak too fast during the first couple of minutes. This is the time you establish your rapport with the audience. Remember your first impressions are very important. You may find it helpful to memorize your introduction. Move during the speech. Some movements hold audience attention. If you’re seated, shift position in your chair or gesture a bit more with your arms.



Body Language: Stand rather than sit when you are delivering your presentation and try to be aware of any repetitive hand gestures or awkward mannerisms that might irritate your audience.

Voice Quality: You must be clearly audible at all times – don’t let your voice drop at the end of sentences. If you vary your intonation, your voice will be more interesting to listen to and you will be able to make your points more effectively.

Visual aids: You your visual aids confidently, making sure you allow your audience time to absorb information from flipcharts and transparencies.


Delivery
Audience reaction: Be ready to deal with any hostile questions. Polite, diplomatic answers are a good disarming tactic, but if you should find yourself ‘under fire’, suggest that the audience keeps any further questions until the end of the presentation and continue with your next point.

Language
Simplicity: use short words and sentences that you are comfortable with. There is no benefit in using difficult language.

Clarity: Active verbs and concrete words are much clearer and easier to understand than passive verbs and abstract concepts. Avoid jargon unless you are sure all your audience will understand it.

Signaling: Indicate when you’ve complete one point or section in your presentation and are moving on the text. Give your audience clear signals as to the direction your presentation is taking.

Handling question responsively

Question and answer period is very important
Give chance to obtain impotent information
To emphasize your main idea and supporting points
Treat hostile question as legitimate request for information
Maintain professionalism to improve your credibility
Focus on the questioner using body language to emphasize the fact that you are listening to him
keep your answer short and to the point
Maintain control by stating some ground rules in the beginning of the question and answer session
Respond unemotionally
Motivate question.
Conclude your presentation finish on time

Presentation on cell phone
1 Welcome everyone
2 Mention handouts /graphics
3 Introduce the subject of the presentation
4 Outline the purpose and structure of the presentation
5 Present some statistics
6 Tell a personal anecdote
7 Sum up the statistics and their significance
8 Comment on market trends
9. Outline the major benefits of the new cell phone models
10. Invite questions
11 Sum up the main benefits of the new cell phone machines
12 Thank and conclude