Rules of business communication, forms, psychology, principles, processes and norms

List of basic rules Processes of business communication Forms and purposes of business communication Principles and means of business communication Role and characteristics Organization of business communication Conclusion

Rules of business communication - norms, standards used in the course of communication, the purpose of which is to solve a specific problem in the field of economic, as well as socio-legal relations. Their use is mandatory if the goal is to solve the problem without conflict and competently. The use of such norms is a generally accepted pattern among business people who care about their image and reputation. Therefore, you should know them, as well as the rules of business correspondence, in order to be able to conduct business effectively.

Basic Rules

• Punctuality is a manifestation of respect for partners. To maintain punctuality, business people use planning.
• Recency. You shouldn't say too much. This applies both to communication on the topic of solving a specific problem, and to the personal lives of employees, colleagues, and partners.
• Respect for colleagues and partners. In business communication there is no place for curiosity, selfishness, or intolerance. It is necessary to respect the opinion of your interlocutor, no matter how wrong it may seem to you.
• Using the correct language. Ability to conduct a conversation and create interest in the communication process.
• The ability to clearly formulate the purpose of a conversation, conversation, negotiation, etc.
• Maintaining self-control, control over feelings and emotions. Calm communication without rudeness, even if the interlocutor behaves in a manner inappropriate for a business person.
• It is necessary to adhere to business attire. The dress code affects the characteristics and outcome of business communication.
• No unnecessary gestures when meeting. Apart from a handshake, you should not touch your interlocutor in any other way.

Rules of business etiquette

Taking into account the norms of etiquette in communication, any person will feel confident in the most difficult negotiations. After all, etiquette was created so that people understand each other and recognize “their own” in any environment.

So, what rules must be followed in business communication?

• Appeal

It is advisable to address a person by his first name and patronymic and by “you”. If you don’t know the person’s name, you will have to use the impersonal “you” or find out their name correctly. For example, ask: “Excuse me, how can I contact you?”

The use of such addresses as “girl”, “young man”, and even more so “man” or “woman” is not allowed. In modern Russian there is no fixed form of impersonal address, so saying “sir” or “madam” is also unacceptable.

In some formal situations, you may address the person as “Mr. Ivanov,” which is a polite form and emphasizes distance.

• Greetings

The most correct thing to do when meeting someone is to wish them a good afternoon or good morning. It must be remembered that the morning lasts from 6 o'clock to noon, the day from 12.00 to 18.00, and the evening ends at midnight. Also, at any time you can limit yourself to a polite “hello.”

• Apologies

Situations often arise when it is necessary to apologize. In this case, it is worth remembering that the Russian language does not have the word “I apologize.” You can construct a phrase this way: “We apologize to you...” or “I apologize for...”.

The apology must be correct and without excessive emotional overtones.

• Request

Sometimes people, trying to be polite, begin a request with the particle “not.” For example: “Could you…” This phrase, although constructed competently, is not entirely justified from a psychological point of view. You initially specify in the structure of the phrase the possibility of refusal in direct or indirect form. It is better to use the following expressions: “May I ask you,” “Be kind,” “Please.”

• Communication distance

During personal communication, it is necessary to maintain a minimum distance, especially when talking with unfamiliar people. Agree, if someone comes close to you, it is unpleasant, but too much distance from the interlocutor also causes discomfort.

The optimal distance is considered to be no less than 60 cm, but no more than two meters.

Business communication processes

The process of business communication is not only conversations and correspondence. This concept covers emotions, gestures, and manners. Research shows that more than 60-70% of communication is based on non-verbal communication. And only about 30-40% are verbal.

During the verbal process, the rules of speech communication apply. This also includes speech etiquette, the observance of which allows you to build business relationships on a more civilized level. There are rules for the nonverbal communication process. They relate to body language, facial expressions, and general human behavior. This is a separate major area that anyone can study on a large scale if they wish. This will be helped by etiquette trainings conducted by our company. Of the basic rules listed above, this includes control over emotions. Rude communication and excessive harshness are unacceptable. Emotionality should not be present when conducting the same negotiations.

About controlled communication

Conscious, controlled communication (when your every verbal reaction depends on the person’s next reaction) will help you achieve your goals in the dialogue process. It is based on the so-called discrete communication mode. After the ninth word in a sentence, the participial phrase, the fifth comma in the text, a person does not hear communication, but rather forms his own meanings.

Three rules of the “bottom line”

For example, I say: “How should we conduct an important business meeting today? I have reserved a table for us at a restaurant on Arbat at 22.00, my driver will pick you up.”

This will seem suspicious to you, because the time and place of the meeting and the driver do not fit in with business negotiations.
In literally 10 seconds of communication, any person who hears us answers three questions:

• Who am I talking to?
• What do they want from me?
• What am I going to do right now?

In response to my offer, you will decide to either refuse altogether, or come with someone, because I look like a maniac... Unfortunately, most communicators are not responsible for this “bottom line”. They released their “communicative child”, and let it live in the minds of others as it happens.

Forms and purposes of business communication, its functions

There are several forms of business communication. The main ones are:

• Conversation;
• Negotiation;
• Discussion;
• Meeting;
• Meeting;
• Correspondence;
• Performance.

Each of the listed forms has its own characteristics. However, the general rules of business communication are observed in all cases. For example, respect for opponents is present in every form. Another example would be the rule of punctuality. It is unacceptable to be late for the same negotiations.

If we talk about the purpose of business communication, it is defined as the impact on others. Such influence is expressed in the desire to persuade opponents to take some actions, actions, change their opinions, and achieve from them what they want within the business framework. An additional goal can be called the desire to learn more information about the interlocutor in order to use it in further communication to achieve the main goal. At the same time, the rules are followed, for example, the conversation is conducted in a polite manner, since in the communication of business people an impolite attitude towards an opponent is unacceptable.

Functions of business communication:

• Information and communication – associated with the accumulation, formation, as well as transmission and reception of information;
• Regulatory-communicative – involving the correction of behavior, the choice of methods of influencing the opponent;
• Effective communication – expressed in the formation of the emotional shell of the interlocutors.

Meaning and role

How to flirt with a man correctly - rules and examples of flirting

The scope of business and services is constantly expanding and updating. The level of competition is increasing. In the field of management, properly structured business communication influences the implementation of set goals. Therefore, competence in the field of business communication has significant weight for the successful construction of business relationships. In addition to the field of production, business communication extends to the spheres of science, politics, education, and culture.

Business communication performs a number of functions:

• Communicative. It is expressed in the need of people to communicate, build relationships, and ensures interconnection between different people.
• Informative. It lies in the need to transfer and exchange information with each other, enriching one’s knowledge and skills.
• Integrative. It is expressed in the unification of all participants in business interaction with one common goal and objectives. In the case of competitive relationships, this is an opportunity to include both parties in the search for an acceptable option for cooperation.
• Regulatory. Through business communication, people influence other people to achieve productive results.

Principles and means of business communication

Principles of business communication:

• Interpersonality

Business contacts are characterized by interpersonal relationships. Communication concerns the topics being discussed, the parties are interested in, and also demonstrates the attitude towards each other.

• Focus

Business communication is always built on achieving some goal.

• Continuity

Communication occurs continuously. Even if the opponent is silent, what he, for example, thinks can be understood from the characteristics of his behavior. Any behavior can carry one or another information.

• Multidimensionality

In the process of communication, not only information exchange occurs. Opponents adjust their relationships during communication.

When communicating, certain means of communication are used: verbal and non-verbal. Speech is considered verbal. For a business person, it should be distinguished by accuracy, clarity, correctness, purity, and brevity. This also includes listening skills. The result of business communication always depends on the degree of mastery of this skill. If a person does not know how to listen, then he will not be able to communicate with partners, colleagues, clients in such a way that the communication is effective and efficient.

Important! Speech culture and business communication are integral concepts from each other.

Non-verbal means include intonation, gestures, facial expressions, postures, etc. Moreover, in the business world, all of the above points are given even more importance than words. For a businessman, it is not only important to control his non-verbal behavior, but also to be able to correctly evaluate facial expressions, gestures, postures of his opponent in a business conversation, conversation, etc.

Rhetoric: Workshop

Effective speech communication is the achievement of adequate semantic perception and adequate interpretation of the transmitted message.

The correct interpretation is considered to have taken place if the recipient (addressee) interprets the main idea of ​​the text in accordance with the intention of the communicator (subject). If the recipient has learned for what purpose the text was generated, what exactly its author wanted to say using all the means used, it can be argued that he interpreted the text adequately. Inadequate understanding of oral and written messages by the sender and recipient can lead to serious errors during the development and adoption of decisions and cause unwanted conflicts.

What conditions that contribute to the effective exchange of information and the implementation of a communicative goal should be taken into account when organizing speech communication? Experts include such conditions as the need for communication, communicative interest; attuned to the world of the interlocutor, the closeness of the worldviews of the speaker and the listener; the ability of the listener to penetrate into the plan (intention, intention) of the speaker; external circumstances (presence of strangers, physical condition), knowledge of the norms of etiquette speech communication, etc.

It is very important to create a positive communication climate that helps establish contact during the communication process.

The creation of such a climate is facilitated by the observance by the participants of the dialogue of important organizational principles of verbal communication: the principle of cooperation and the principle of politeness.

The principle of cooperation presupposes the willingness of partners to cooperate. This principle was formulated by G. P. Grice. In his work “Logic and Speech Communication” he writes: “Your communicative contribution at this stage of the dialogue should be such as is required by the jointly accepted goal (direction) of this dialogue.”

The work formulates specific postulates, the application of which contributes to compliance with this principle. The author divides these postulates into four categories - Quantity, Quality, Relationship and Method.

He associates the category of Quantity with the amount of information that needs to be conveyed: Your statement must contain no less information than is required; Your statement should contain no more information than is required.

To the category of Quality, G. P. Grice includes a general postulate: Try to make the statement true, as well as two more specific ones: Do not say what you consider to be false; Don't say anything for which you don't have sufficient grounds.

According to the scientist, the category of Relationships is associated with one single postulate of relevance (English: relevant, relevant): Do not deviate from the topic of conversation.

The category of Method is concerned not with what is said, but with how it is said: Express yourself clearly; Avoid unclear expressions; Avoid ambiguous expressions; Avoid unnecessary verbosity.

The author emphasizes the expediency and usefulness of observing the principle of cooperation and its postulates for anyone who strives to achieve the ultimate goals of verbal communication (this can be transmitting and receiving information, influencing others and subordinating oneself to someone else’s influence, etc.).

The principle of politeness was described by another foreign scientist J. N. Leach. This principle requires compliance with a number of rules, which are formulated as follows.

Rule of tact: You should not touch on topics that are potentially dangerous for your interlocutor (private life, individual preferences, etc.).

Rule of generosity: You should not bind your partner with obligations, promises, oaths, etc., that is, burden him in any way.

Rule of approval, positivity in assessing others: Do not judge others; Judge not lest ye be judged.

Rule of modesty: Do not be arrogant in a conversation with your interlocutor (the most important condition for the development of a communicative act is realistic self-esteem).

Rule of agreement: Try to avoid conflict situations in order to achieve communication goals.

Rule of sympathy: Demonstrate goodwill towards your partner (the so-called indifferent contact poses a certain problem).

The principle of cooperation and the principle of politeness form the basis of the communicative code that regulates the speech behavior of both parties during the communicative act.

The basic categories that form the communicative code are communicative (speech) goal and communicative (speech) intention.

The most important criteria in the communicative code are the criterion of truth (fidelity to reality) and the criterion of sincerity (fidelity to oneself).

When considering the communicative code and analyzing the possibilities of its use in the practice of speech communication, of course, it should be remembered that the formulated rules do not have absolute meaning. None of the rules in itself ensures successful interaction between interlocutors; moreover, compliance with one rule can lead to violation of another, etc. However, it cannot be denied that the application of the described principles allows us to more successfully organize speech interaction and increase its efficiency.

In order for verbal communication to be productive, one should adhere to a number of psychological principles formulated in scientific and methodological literature. Let's name the main ones.

The principle of equal security, which implies non-infliction of psychological or other harm to a partner in information exchange. This principle prohibits offensive attacks against the recipient and humiliation of the partner’s self-esteem. Labels, rude words and expressions, offensive remarks, insults, a contemptuous and mocking tone can unbalance a person, cause moral injury and even physical damage to health, and therefore interfere with the perception and understanding of information. Of course, each participant in the dialogue has the right to defend and defend his point of view, disagree with the statements of his opponent, show and prove the fallacy of his position, but he is obliged to respect the personality of the interlocutor.

The principle of decentralization, which means not causing damage to the cause for which the parties interacted. The essence of this principle is that the efforts of communication participants should not be wasted on protecting egocentric interests. They should be directed to find the optimal solution to the problem. It is noted that this principle is often violated. Often people, guided by a variety of motives, in the heat of emotions forget about the very subject of discussion.

The principle of adequacy of what is perceived with what is said, i.e. not causing damage to what is said by deliberately distorting the meaning. Sometimes participants in communication deliberately distort the opponent’s position, distort the meaning of his words, in order to achieve advantages in the conversation in this way. This leads to disagreements and mutual misunderstanding [10].

The following factors also contribute to the establishment of a favorable climate for verbal communication:

► recognition not in words, but in deeds, of pluralism of opinions, the presence of a variety of points of view on various problems of modern life, which is a necessary prerequisite for the democratic resolution of issues;

► providing everyone with the opportunity to exercise their right to express their own point of view;

► providing equal opportunities to obtain the necessary information to substantiate one’s position;

► awareness that the need for constructive dialogue is dictated not by the will of individuals, but by the actual situation, which is associated with the solution of vital problems for both sides;

► determining a common platform for further interaction and cooperation, the desire to find in the partner’s statements and behavior what unites him and does not separate him, searching for common ground.

Failure to comply with these conditions and ignoring these principles turns a constructive dialogue into a destructive one and prevents the organization of effective verbal communication.

The basis for destructiveness can also be the personal characteristics of its participants: selfishness, ambition, confidence in one’s own infallibility, categorical judgments, inability to compromise, give up one’s own interests, as well as a lack of common sense, lack of understanding of the real processes taking place in society.

A necessary condition for effective verbal communication is the ability to listen. This skill is important not only for the recipient, but also for the communicator, since the dialogical nature of communication is recognized as the most effective and preferable.

“Listening is a rare ability and highly valued. Much more often they try to interrupt...” writes D. Granin in the novel “Painting”. Perhaps these words will cause confusion for some. Really, what’s so special about being able to listen? After all, all people with normal hearing hear each other, talk, communicate. However, hearing and listening are not quite the same thing. Hearing means physically perceiving sounds, and listening means focusing on what is perceived, understanding, and comprehending the meaning of what is being said.

Most people rate their listening accuracy at 70–80%. However, as research has shown, many people are poor at listening to what others say, especially if it does not affect their real interests. In reality, most people's listening efficiency is 25%, meaning 75% of the messages heard are lost.

It is not difficult to notice that when we mentally disagree with the speaker, then, as a rule, we stop listening and wait for our turn to speak, select arguments and arguments, prepare a worthy answer, and when we start arguing, we get carried away with justifying our point of view and also do not hear the interlocutor , who is sometimes forced to interrupt us with the phrase: “Yes, listen to me, finally!”

The ability to listen is a necessary condition for a correct understanding of the opponent’s position, a correct assessment of existing disagreements, the key to successful conduct of a court hearing, negotiations, conversation, and an essential element of the culture of business communication.

Therefore, it is important to consider what listening is from a psychological point of view, to determine what its basic principles are and what techniques of so-called good listening everyone needs to learn.

Listening is the process of perceiving, comprehending and understanding the speech of the speaker. This is an opportunity to focus on your partner’s speech; the ability to extract ideas and thoughts from his message; determine its relationship to the subject of speech. This is psychological readiness for contact with another person. As psychologists say, listening is hard work, but also the most valuable gift that you can bestow on another.

The manner of listening, or the so-called listening style, largely depends on the personality of the interlocutors, on the character and interests of the listeners, on the gender, age, and official status of the participants in the communication. For example, subordinates, as a rule, are more attentive and focused in a conversation with their “superiors” than vice versa; they do not always dare to interrupt their opponent.

Psychologists have also established significant differences in the behavior of men and women. They believe that in a conversation a man interrupts a woman almost twice as often. For approximately one third of the conversation, the woman collects her thoughts and tries to restore the course of the interrupted conversation. Men are more likely to focus on the content of the conversation, while women pay more attention to the communication process itself. Men love to listen to themselves. They tend to give ready-made answers too quickly, without listening to the interlocutor to the end and without asking him questions [10].

There are two types of listening. One of them is called non-reflective. It consists of the ability to remain attentively silent and not interfere with the interlocutor’s speech with your remarks. At first glance, such listening seems passive, but it requires significant physical and psychological effort. Non-reflective listening is usually used in communication situations when one of the interlocutors is deeply excited, wants to express his attitude to a particular event, wants to discuss pressing issues, or has difficulty expressing his problems. However, such a hearing is not always appropriate. After all, silence can be taken as a sign of consent. Non-reflective listening is sometimes mistakenly interpreted as accepting the opponent's position. Therefore, it is much more honest to immediately interrupt the interlocutor and openly express your point of view in order to avoid misunderstandings later.

In addition, it should be borne in mind that some interlocutors do not have sufficient desire to express their own opinions, others, on the contrary, expect active support and approval for their words. In such cases, it is recommended to use another type of listening - reflective. Its essence lies in active intervention in the speech of the interlocutor, in helping him express his thoughts and feelings, in creating favorable conditions for communication, in ensuring that the interlocutors understand each other correctly and accurately.

It is important to be able to choose the type of listening that is most appropriate in a given communication situation.

A necessary condition for effective listening is eye contact between interlocutors. Have you ever had to analyze where you are looking during a conversation, in which direction the gaze of other participants in the discussion is directed? The norms of Russian etiquette require that speakers look at each other, not with “empty eyes,” but attentively and interestedly. If the interlocutor’s eyes “shift,” it seems that he is telling a lie; if he averts his eyes, it seems that he is insincere, hiding something, etc. We can say that the listener’s eyes show the temperature of the conversation. But in Japanese etiquette, the rules of listening are somewhat different. For example, in formal relationships, a subordinate is not allowed to look into the eyes of a superior. This is seen as a challenge, insolence, disrespect. To confirm their attention during a conversation, the Japanese have developed a special technique: they constantly nod their heads and say “hi” (yes). Americans and Europeans perceive such etiquette behavior in accordance with their standards, so they are often shocked by the refusal of the Japanese at the end of the conversation. How is it that throughout the entire conversation they nodded their heads, said “yes” and suddenly gave a negative answer.

When it comes to effective listening, it is advisable to pay attention to the posture of the participants in communication. She can express desire and unwillingness to listen to her opponent. Your interlocutor has a natural, relaxed posture. He leaned his body slightly in your direction, his appearance suggests that he is all attention. All this creates favorable conditions for conversation. On the contrary, the interlocutor leans back, turns away, is inactive, does not look at the speaker, i.e., with his whole appearance he emphasizes his reluctance to discuss the problems raised.

One should also take into account such an important factor as interpersonal space, the distance at which the interlocutors are in relation to each other.

Researchers define the limit of permissible distance between interlocutors as follows: interpersonal distance (for friends talking) - 0.5–1.2 m; social distance (for informal social and business relationships) - 1.2–3.7 m; public distance - 3.7 m or more. Depending on the type of interaction, one or another distance is selected that is most favorable for contact.

Additional information about the internal state of the interlocutor, his attitude to the subject of discussion, and his reaction to speech can also be provided by his facial expressions, gestures, and intonation. All this increases the effectiveness of listening and, therefore, allows you to better understand the essence of your opponent’s position.

This will allow you to obtain additional information about the internal state of the interlocutor, his attitude to the subject of discussion, and his reaction to his partner’s words.

To implement this principle, it is recommended to use various techniques of reflective listening. You can ask the speaker for clarification using phrases such as: Will you repeat it again?; What do you have in mind?

It is advisable to formulate the speaker's thoughts in your own words to clarify the message. Paraphrasing usually begins with the words: As I understand you...; As I understand you...; At your discretion…; In other words, do you think...

Sometimes it is necessary to understand and reflect the speaker’s feelings: It seems to me that you feel...; You probably feel...; Don't you feel a little...; You are probably upset...

You can also use the so-called summarization technique. The listener summarizes the speaker's main ideas and feelings: What you said could mean...; Your main ideas, as I understand it, are...; If we now summarize what you said, then... This creates confidence in the correct perception of the message, especially in situations where there are disagreements between the interlocutors, there is no common point of view, and a conflict is brewing.

Unfortunately, this principle is often violated. People, without bothering themselves, often do not listen to their opponent’s words, do not clarify his position, do not weigh his arguments, sometimes give them a different meaning and, therefore, respond not to his, but to their own thoughts. In this case, the opponent is forced to return to what was previously said and restate the points made.

Psychologists say that assessments and advice, even when given with the best intentions, usually limit freedom of expression. This can reduce the activity of participants in the dialogue, put pressure on the opinions of those present and, as a result, prevent effective discussion of the problem.

Understanding and applying the principles of good listening helps to establish contact with your opponent, understand his point of view, understand the essence of disagreements, and make the dialogue more fruitful.

Determining the type of interlocutors becomes important when conducting a dialogue and, accordingly, achieving success. Fundamental to this is knowledge of the main types of sociability of people (potential interlocutors), which vary depending on the predominance of the following speech characteristics: dominance, mobility, rigidity, introversion.

A dominant interlocutor strives to take the initiative in verbal communication and does not like to be interrupted. He is often harsh, mocking, and speaks a little louder than others. To achieve the goal of communication, especially in the business sphere, it is not recommended to seize the initiative from the dominant partner, interrupt, or use expressions of speech pressure (“Enough”, “Shut up”, “I’m tired”). The “verbal exhaustion” strategy should be used. After waiting for a pause, quickly and clearly formulate your interests. Entering a speech after a pause does not look outwardly like seizing the initiative, although in essence it is. With each pause, your position becomes more and more clear; the dominant interlocutor is forced to take it into account and somehow evaluate it. You have achieved the main thing - they listen to you.

The mobile interlocutor does not experience any difficulties in verbal communication. He easily enters into a conversation, speaks a lot, willingly, often interestingly, often jumps from topic to topic, and does not get lost in unfamiliar company. This is one of the best types for everyday communication. However, in the business sphere, the constant desire of a mobile interlocutor to change the topic reduces the effectiveness of verbal communication. Therefore, you should return him to the topic through a summary, questions, and conclusions. Otherwise, you can happily talk all day and leave without even understanding the main points of the topic.

A rigid interlocutor usually experiences difficulties when entering into verbal communication. When the introduction stage is over, the rigid interlocutor clearly formulates his position, is logical, and reasonable. This type is best for fruitful business communication.

In order for verbal communication with a rigid partner to be productive, it should be “warmed up”. In this case, it is not recommended to immediately move on to the subject of verbal communication; it is preferable to expand the introductory part, talk on an abstract topic, and create a situation of etiquette communication.

If you start verbal contact with your mobile partner by talking on an abstract topic, you will very soon bitterly regret it. But if with him you move on to the topic without an introduction, then at first you will receive in response to your questions “maybe”, “we need to think”, “how to say”, etc.

An introverted interlocutor does not strive to take the initiative and is ready to give it up without much objection. He is often shy, modest, inclined to belittle his capabilities, and does not like conversations on intimate topics. Harsh, rude phrases can unsettle him, and the presence of strangers (especially strangers) during a conversation noticeably constrains him.

In order for verbal contact with an introverted partner to proceed normally, you should constantly show verbally (through approving etiquette words) and non-verbally (with a glance, a nod of the head) that you respect him as an interesting interlocutor and appreciate his statements. You should not interrupt an introvert or refute his arguments without motivation - verbal contact may be interrupted unexpectedly and for a long time.

Each type of communication is interesting in its own way, but ignorance of the features of any of them can lead to negative consequences. Naturally, we are not always dealing with the absolute manifestation of one or another type of speech communication in a person; some type will always be decisive. Management experts note that introverts are rarely good leaders in general. You can try to make a career in management, even if you are an introvert. But you should shift your type of communication towards rigidity, while tightly controlling your line of behavior. And of course, prepare for each conversation and negotiation several times more thoroughly than your interlocutor, a partner who is a mobile or dominant type, can afford.

Generally accepted rules for conducting a business telephone conversation. Telephone conversations occupy a significant place in business life. Up to 27% of working time is spent on them. And how many business conversations you have to conduct on the phone at home, sometimes while on vacation! And if a person does not master the culture of telephone communication, does not know the basic rules of its conduct or neglects them, then this can significantly undermine his authority, harm his career, and reduce the effectiveness of his activities.

Professional ability to conduct a conversation on the phone makes a favorable impression on the interlocutor and all those present, increases the reputation of the speaker, contributes to the success of his business, and allows him to solve assigned tasks.

With the help of telephone conversations, business people exchange necessary information, agree on something (meetings, joint events, further cooperation, etc.), consult on various issues, and make necessary inquiries. By telephone you can express a request, give an order or instruction, monitor someone’s activities, congratulate on achievements, holidays, memorable dates, etc. The telephone makes it possible to establish and maintain contacts with the right people. In a word, the telephone today is becoming an indispensable tool in work. However, when actively using the telephone in business life, one should not forget about a very important condition: the time spent on the call must correspond to the degree of complexity of the problem being solved. Otherwise, your phone can turn into a monster that consumes a lot of your useful time.

“A telephone is something that can make a person omnipotent or completely deprive him of power. It can be unpleasant, like an unexpected guest, it can distract you from your main work, and become a full-fledged master in your home or office. It can eat up a lot of time. When we answer a call, we open the doors of our own home wide open, allowing an uninvited guest to enter. It’s not surprising that with such unceremoniousness and intrusiveness, the phone can cause serious stress, misunderstandings, all sorts of complications and troubles,” begins Polly Bird’s book “Curb Your Phone!”

Some people mistakenly believe that the more often a person uses the phone, the more phones he has on his desk, the more important and respectable he looks, the more information he receives, the more successful his business is. This is far from true. Excessive use of your phone can most likely harm your work, so you should resort to its help only when necessary.

It is important to streamline telephone conversations throughout the day if possible. It is advisable to set hours when you can call, this will free up time for main work. Colleagues and subordinates should know that you cannot be interrupted by phone calls when you are busy with urgent matters. They can be asked to speak on your behalf.

You also need to plan your phone calls. If the matter you are calling about is not urgent, it is advisable to use the so-called regular dialing method. At the beginning of the working day, the names and telephone numbers of all persons who need to be contacted today are written down on a piece of paper. Then the call to the list begins. If the next number is busy or does not answer, the next one is dialed. Having “ringed” the entire list once, they return to those numbers that were occupied, and then do other work. Mental hygiene requires a short rest after each hour of work. Therefore, after about an hour, an attempt is made again to go through the list from top to bottom. As a result, several more names will be crossed out. So, at intervals of an hour and a half, “telephone” breaks are arranged in the main work and, giving the head some relief, at the same time the difficult task of getting through is gradually solved. This technique makes it possible to keep an eye on upcoming calls and store in RAM the basic figurative speech patterns that contribute to the establishment of speech contact. As in a direct meeting, in a telephone conversation the first impression of the interlocutor is very important, therefore it is far from indifferent what words will be heard on the phone at the beginning of the conversation, in what tone they will be spoken.

To conduct conversations on the phone, it is advisable to use special telephone notepads in which the content of the conversation is recorded, the date and time of the call are indicated, as well as who called, who they called, from where, and what needs to be done in response to the call.

On the desk, a business person should always have at hand the telephone directory of his organization for internal use, a directory of institutions and enterprises with which he constantly has to contact, a list of the numbers of the most frequently used telephones, as well as emergency telephone numbers.

You need to make your workplace comfortable too. The phone should be placed where it is easiest and easiest to use. There should be enough free space on the table to take notes during a telephone conversation and to be able to quickly find the documents, papers, forms, etc. needed for the conversation. Conducting a telephone conversation is a kind of art, mastering the secrets of which is necessary for a business person. You should have a carefully thought out list of major and minor questions that require a short and specific answer.

A telephone conversation, as a rule, follows a certain pattern and has its own structure.

When a business meeting comes to an end, as a rule, a small final ceremony is performed: warm words of farewell, handshakes, friendly hugs. A telephone conversation should end on a positive, optimistic note. And although the interlocutors cannot shake hands, they must find suitable words that encourage further collaboration.

When talking on the phone, you must behave with dignity, i.e. treat your interlocutor politely and correctly, listen to him carefully, do not interrupt, do not cut off mid-sentence, do not be rude, and do not give free rein to your emotions. You need to watch your speech, carefully select words that characterize your organization and the people who work in it. It is unacceptable in a telephone dialogue to use colloquial words such as bye, hello, no matter how natural they sound, familiar and all sorts of informal addresses (darling, kitten, etc.), which may offend the addressee or be misunderstood by him.

Business people need to master the generally accepted rules of conducting a telephone conversation. These rules are usually divided into two groups depending on the typical situation of a telephone dialogue - they call you, you call (see Table 2).

Table 2. Generally accepted principles for conducting a telephone conversation

Psychology of business communication: role and characteristics

Business communication is a multifaceted process of relationship development. His role is important. Often opponents forget about it, which leads to various problems. It is necessary to know about the proper level of communication in a business environment, without exaggerating your opinion of yourself. At the same time, it is important to understand that the role of business communication is different if we evaluate it from the point of view of the status of the interlocutors. However, it has one thing in common – its importance is undeniable.

Characteristics of business communication are:

• Regularity – subordination to certain rules, which are determined by the type of communication, the degree of formality, the purpose, as well as national and cultural traditions;
• Compliance with role role. In different communicative situations, a person has to act in a different role: boss, subordinate, etc.;
• Responsibility for the result. The success of business communication is determined by strategy, tactics, in other words, the ability to clearly formulate one’s goals and determine the interests of opponents;
• Strictness in relation to the use of linguistic means. It is unacceptable to use profanity, jargon, or engage in rude conversation, which is a requirement of business communication ethics.

Reviews and comments

You can express your opinion about this article, discuss the techniques and models mentioned in it, by adding a comment below.

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Key words:1Communication

Organization of business communications

When organizing business communication, certain rules apply. They concern preparation taking into account different outcomes, both positive and negative. You need to plan your time, create an appropriate environment, prepare your emotional state, and get acquainted with information about your partner.

The place of communication should not distract or interfere with communication. If necessary, you need to provide equipment - prepare auxiliary materials, some necessary documents, etc. When choosing a strategy, tactics, you should determine the direction, understand what can be sacrificed during communication. The process of direct communication must begin with establishing contact in order to create a favorable atmosphere. The process of information exchange is important. You need to be able to ask questions, listen to your opponent, observe his behavior, and correctly analyze the interlocutor’s reactions.

What is communication

Communicating is when a person commits the classic communication pitfalls. Let's say he forms his thought in the process of pronouncing it. And where she will turn next is not very clear.

For example:

“Good afternoon, I have a very good offer for you. As a professional, it should interest you..."

On the one hand, you may be interested in this, but there is a feeling: why are you sure that I will be interested in this?

Or another example: your mobile phone rings. In a well-trained voice the man says:

“Hello, unfortunately we don’t know each other yet. I represent one of the leading financial companies in our city. Do you have a few minutes?"

I would like to listen to such a proposal just in case.

I gave examples where people think they are communicating, justifying it by saying something. But at the same time, they are not responsible for the effect of the state of consciousness that occurs in another person. Such people have a rule: “We explained everything to these fools, but they still didn’t understand us.”

They call us, introduce themselves, and ask the right open-ended question. Why do we have aggression at this moment? Because there is one of the strict rules of the modern world: any communication that has become recognizable becomes counter-effective. A person living in a city with a population of half a million residents receives up to five thousand direct or hidden advertising messages a day. And he tries to avoid them. As soon as we realize that they want to influence us in some direction, we begin to defend ourselves.

For example, I say:

“You know, I understand what you need to improve your image.”

Why am I likely to encounter resistance even though I might have a sincere desire to help? Answer: what right do I have to transfer my vision to the consciousness of another person?

Communicators are those people who form communication without being responsible for the “dry residue” in the minds of another person. They believe that they have said something and thereby completed their task. Next is another person’s problem.

Communicators understand that communication is definitely about professional algorithms. They are aware of what will stand behind their word, the energy, how they will shape the consciousness of another person, and they build on this when building communication.

Psychological techniques

In order to achieve their goals, in business communication they use special psychological techniques that help to most effectively win people over:

• "Proper name". Before addressing a person, you must call him by name and patronymic. This way he will understand that at the moment attention is being paid only to him, and he will see this as a sign of respect.

Psychological technique “Mirror”

• "Mirror". This technique implies that the speaker's face can be a mirror for the opponent. Emotions are contagious. Any person is capable of spreading his positive emotions to others, which will only be beneficial when communicating. When your interlocutor smiles, nods, and empathizes, he understands that he is supported and will definitely appreciate it.
• "Gold words". It is necessary to use positively colored words in speech towards the interlocutor. It's worth giving him a compliment (just don't overdo it). Any person will only be pleased with euphonious words addressed to him.
• "Active listener" When speaking, you need to be attentive and patient, and actively listen to your interlocutor. It is better to start your part of the dialogue after the person has finished his main idea. The interlocutor will see the significance of his words and will feel a sense of respect for the speaker.

Interesting. The concept of business communication is defined as a complex integrated process of communication, which includes bilateral partnership cooperation and is characterized by compliance with the rules of business etiquette. These features of business relationships allow for the most effective interaction, which is important for business development and progress in general.

Business communication is a golden key that, in skillful hands, opens any door in the business world.

Types and forms

Public speaking - what is it, preparation rules, basic mistakes

Business communication depends on the circumstances and situation. The choice is determined by business needs, goals and objectives. In psychology, there are direct and indirect types of communication.

Direct

Direct types mean those in which communication occurs through direct interaction between the parties. Here communication is most emotionally charged, has a lively character and the power of impact. This is the most effective type of business communication. Example: business conversation, negotiations, meeting, etc.

Indirect

By indirect types we mean those in which, with the help of intermediaries, a certain distance is created between the parties to the communication process. This type of business communication may be the least effective due to the lack of direct contact (not being supported emotionally). However, in some cases it can be more advantageous than direct communication. Example: any business correspondence, mailing lists, communication via instant messengers, etc.

Business correspondence

In addition, depending on the method of information exchange, business communication can take place orally or in writing.

Main forms of business communication:

• Conversation is a process of exchanging information and opinions within a narrow circle of employees to consider certain issues.
• negotiations are the process of resolving problems that have arisen in order to make an optimal solution suitable for both parties to the negotiations.
• A meeting is a process of collective discussion of issues that have arisen.
• Public speaking is the process of conveying information that is important to the entire team to the speakers.
• A press conference is the process of interaction between a speaker and the media to announce socially significant news.
• Brainstorming is a process of active interaction of all team members to propose each a unique way out of a difficult situation in an attempt to find an alternative solution.
• Telephone conversation is a type of remote communication using telephone communications to exchange information and solve problems.
• Correspondence is a type of remote communication using paper or electronic digital media.

What rules to follow

There are basic rules of speech etiquette that can be found in any business etiquette textbook:

• Clear and correct pronunciation (do not “swallow” syllables or words).
• Maintaining correct intonation, correct placement of accents (do not strengthen or weaken the intonation of the voice where it is inappropriate).
• Average speech rate (no need to jabber or draw out words and sentences).
• Avoid using filler words. Such words are often meaningless and make speech boring.
• Appropriateness of gestures (no need to wave your arms, do not use gestures where it is inappropriate).
• The use of slang expressions, rudeness and a large number of diminutive words is not allowed.

In addition to verbal communication, there is non-verbal communication, which is no less important in business communication. Monitor your interlocutor's behavior. Here are some rules of etiquette for this silent language:

1. It is necessary to maintain a distance from your business partner. The distance between you should be a little further than from a person you know well.
2. The handshake is very important. It shows that you are respected and want to cooperate. A confident and long handshake is a good sign.
3. If the interlocutor often glances briefly at the clock or at the door, this indicates that he wants to quickly end the conversation and leave.
4. If the opponent clasps his hands, draws something with a pen on paper, shakes or taps his foot, then this may mean that he is nervous and closes down to avoid the conversation. Just change the topic of conversation.
5. If a business partner puts his hands on his belt, then he wants to appear important and dominate the business relationship.
6. When the interlocutor unbuttons his jacket, releases his tie, puts his hands on his knees or on the table, and exhales, this means that he has made a final decision.