MCM603_Professional Business Communication-1

Oral Business Communication 193 Invite questions from the audience. Answer the questions. Then summarize the major points and appreciate audience for their involvement. 7.5 Summary Speaking is the activity of giving talks or speeches. Speech is a powerful communication tool. The general purposes of speaking are to inform, persuade or entertain an audience. The special purpose will be more defined and specific relating to the context. Making a speech is not a scary thing to do. All you need is willingness, confidence and good preparation. The important features of speech are ͸ clarity, relevant, conciseness, interesting, informal touch, audience oriented, neutral, and involves audience. Listening is an essential competency of individuals for remaining competitive. It is foundation for communication. It facilitates management, fosters relationships and improves creativity. It resolves conflicts, encourages achievement and builds image. It reduces written communication needs. Hearing is different from listening. Hearing is the physical ability, while listening is mental skill. Listening is more than just hearing. It is a process by which what is said by speaker is received and understood. It involves understanding of the meaning behind the sounds. Writers have classified listening into several ways. Basically, we can identify them as positive and negative ones. The positive ones will lead to understanding and the negative ones may result in partial understanding. The tips for make listening effective are: (i) Decide to listen, (ii) Keep an open mind, (iii) Face the speaker and maintain eye contact, (iv) Be attentive, but relaxed, (v) Manage your own emotions and reactions, (vi) Don’t interrupt, wait for the speaker to pause to speak, (vii) Give feedback but don’t impose your “solutions.” (viii) Empathize with the speaker, (ix) Listen for the whole message and (x) Use comprehension skills. The 9 ways to use your communication skills effectively to make meetings effective are: Be on time, Stay on topic, Choose proper words, Watch your body language, Don’t talk over others, Listen actively, Avoid distractions, Use stories and crack jokes to remove boredom and summarize key points. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

194 Professional Business Communication-I The ways to meet the challenge of formal speaking are: Speaking is a performance, Organize your thoughts into a structure, Develop a good opening, Establish your credibility, Use the power of eye contact, Exude confidence, Deliver content, Tell compelling stories, Vary your cadence and Close with an impact. 7.6 Key Words/Abbreviations z Speaking: Speaking is the delivery of language through the mouth. To speak, we create sounds using many parts of our body, including the lungs, vocal tract, vocal chords, tongue, teeth and lips. z Listening: Listening is the active process of receiving and responding to spoken (and sometimes unspoken) messages. z Meeting: A meeting is an arranged event at which a group of people come together to discuss a particular topic. The phrase is most commonly used to refer to business meetings, at which a group of employees discuss, for example, the work they intend to do on a particular project. 7.7 Learning Activity 1. Listening to emotions: Note to instructor Step-1: List six different moods, such as happy, sad, angry, nervous, optimistic, and pessimistic. Step-2: Ask two boys and two girls to volunteer to say the following sentence conveying the six moods one by one in your own order to your partner. “I was not selected for promotion”. Step-3: Find out how many times the mood could be displayed correctly. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Oral Business Communication 195 2. Listening to tongue twisters: Instruction to students Tongue Twisters are difficult to gasp and memorise. Step-1: Form into dyads. Step-2: You will say to your partner three times the following tongue twister –‘ A Flea and a Fly’. A flea and a fly flew up in a flue. Said the flea, \"Let us fly!\" Said the fly, \"Let us flee!\" So they flew through a flaw in the flue. (Source: Kenneth Beare, About.com) Step-3: Ask your partner to say it and find how far he could repeat it correctly. Step-4: Your partner says three times the following tongue twister – “Fresh fried fish,” Fresh fried fish, Fish fresh fried, Fried fish fresh, Fish fried fresh Step-5: Listen carefully and try to repeat it. Your partner finds how far you could repeat it correctly. 3. Listening abilities: Note to instructor Step-1: Form the students into dyads. Step-2: One members in the dyad (A) speaks properly the following sentences by memorizing and the other (B) student responds by saying what the speaker has said. The speaker (A) now listens and evaluates the performance in the sheet given under. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

196 Professional Business Communication-I S.No Listening performance sheet 1. Repeated correctly Number of mistakes Words left out 2. 3. 4. 5. Sentences for A to speak and for B to listen and repeat 1. Would you mind giving me a pen? 2. The organization has diversified its product portfolio 3. I heard on the news there was a big earthquake and tsunami in Japan last night. 4. Goa is a nice place to visit because it is close to a beach, and there are lots of interesting walks you can do in the surrounding countryside. 5. Everything we have discussed so far has been based on the assumption that the role of listening is to help develop abilities to understand things they listen to. Step-3: Now it is the turn of B to speak and A to listen and repeat what B said. B listens and evaluates the performance of A in the sheet given above. Sentences for B to speak and for A to listen and repeat 1. I am going to the dentist this afternoon. 2. What are some advantages and disadvantages of a skills- based syllabus? 3. Classroom activities should be meaningful and involve real life communication. 4. Be tolerant of errors of employees, as they indicate that they are building up his or her communicative competences and personality development. 5. Most of the learning activities of management students reflect an important aspect of their style of working in organizations –working in pairs or small groups. Step-4: Encourage Each dyad to share their listening experience with class mates. 4. Listening Styles: There are different ways of classifying listening styles. We will consider here the following styles. z Active listening: Concentrating on speech with open mind. z Emotional listening: Listening with excitement the thoughts relating to speaker or subject CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Oral Business Communication 197 z Analytical listening: Examining each aspect or idea to gain a complete in and out view or understanding. z Critical listening: Sharply evaluating right and wrong in the speech. Note to instructors Step-1: Form students into dyads. Step-2: Some situations are given below. Ask them to play the roles of A and B. Ask them to note style of listening of their partners as shown below. The style is to be decided by the kind of response given. So listen to the response and identify the style it represents. Situation 1. 2. 3. 4. Style Step-3: Now A says and B responds. A records the style in the sheet. Situation - 1: Quitting job in a reputed company A says I am doing this job for the last two years. Now I find it difficult and B responds unattractive. I am unhappy with my nagging boss, extra hours of work I have to put up, and the unremunerative salary I am getting for hard work. Of course, it is a reputed one and people may think I am weird if they hear me say all this. But I’m just feeling like kicking this job and staying at home rather than working in the company. I have a family and it is for this reason I have not done it so far. I will resign tomorrow. Situation - 2: Manager criticizes a lazy and indifferent subordinate. A says I am unable to understand why on the earth you alone in this office B responds come late. I told you to be punctual and systematic. You do not listen to me and play games. If I find this sort of behaviour in future, I will have to take stern disciplinary action against you. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

198 Professional Business Communication-I Situation - 3: Employee expresses problems to boss A says Thanks for giving time. In my branch, I have problems with two of B responds the staff members. They try to scare me by quoting their relationship with you. Last week they were absent for work on two days. Every day they come late to the office and disturb others. Situation -4 Manager talks to subordinate A says Our company is serious about ethical values. In your appointment it B responds is clearly stated that If it is found that you have misrepresented any of the facts, your will be terminated. We have found from references that you have wrongly quoted your marks in MBA and the years of experience, you have. For these false claims, we are initiating an inquiry. Step-4: Now B says and A responds in the four situations. B records the style in the sheet. Step-5: Now A and B discuss the following: z What are the consequences of each style of listening z Which response do you think would be best? Why? Step-6: A or B make a two minute presentation on “Listening styles and consequences”. 5. Just a-minute speeches: Note to instructor Step-1: Ask each member of the class to write a topic on a piece of paper and put the paper in a basket. Step-2: Decide the order in which students will present their speeches, and write the names on the board. Step-3: Call the students in that order and ask them to pick up a topic from the basket and speak for one minute. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Oral Business Communication 199 6. Impromptu speeches: Note to instructor Step-1: Ask each member of the class to write a topic on a piece of paper and put the paper in a basket. Step-2: Decide the order in which students will present their speeches, and write the names on the board. Step-3: Call the students in that order and ask them to pick up a topic from the basket and prepare for 5 minutes. Step-4: Call the students after 5 minutes time to speak for 3 minutes. 7. Speech making: Note to instructor Step-1: Ask each member of the class to choose a company in which they would like to work given an opportunity. Step-2: Ask them to gather information about the organization covering topics like genesis, progress and current activities and prepare to speak in the next week. Step-3: Decide the order in which students will present their speeches, and display them. Meet one week after. Step-4: Call the students in the publicized order to speak for 5 minutes. Step-5: Give your feedback 7.8 Unit End Questions (MCQ and Descriptive) A. Descriptive Types Questions Short answer questions 1. What is speaking? 2. What is the importance of speaking? CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

200 Professional Business Communication-I 3. State the purposes of speeches. 4. Why is listening important? 5. Distinguish between hearing and listening. 6. Identify the types of listening. 7. What is active listening? Essay questions 1. Explain the meaning and importance of Speaking. Suggest ways to make an effective speech. 2. Explain the concept and importance of listening. Draw the differences between listening and hearing. 3. Explain the different types of listening. Suggest guidelines to make listening effective. 4. Suggest ways for communicating effectively in meetings. 5. How do you meet the challenge of formal speaking? B. Multiple Choice/Objective Type Questions 1. An effective speech is (a) Rational and not informal (b) Audience oriented (c) Biased to a particular view (d) None of the above 2. Hearing is different from listening because (a) Listening is effort, hearing is natural (b) Listening involves interpretation, hearing involves perception (c) Listening needs mind, hearing needs ears (d) All the above CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Oral Business Communication 201 3. The ways of indicating interest or understanding to a speaker are: (a) Non verbal cues, Repeating, and Paraphrasing (b) Standing, Waving hand, Summarizing (c) Non verbal cues, Repeating, Smiling (d) Smiling, Expressing, Summarizing 4. Effective speaker in meeting is one who keeps on (a) Talking over others (b) Telling stories and jokes (c) Contradicting the views of others (d) Avoiding distractions 5. Which of the following is NOT a technique to manage speaker anxiety? (a) Focus on your audience (b) Take advantage of opportunities to speak (c) Focus on your anxiety (d) Focus on your message Answers 1. (b), 2. (d), 3. (a), 4. (d), 5. (c). 7.9 References Textbooks 1. Krishnamacharyulu, C. S. G. & Lalitha Ramakrishnan (2014), Business Communication: Text, Cases and Laboratory Manual, 2/e, New Delhi: Himalaya Publishing House. 2. Sailesh Sengupta (2011), Business and Managerial Communication, New Delhi: PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. 3. Guffey, M. E. & Loewy, D (2016), Essentials of Business Communication, 10/e, United States: Cengage Learning. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

202 Professional Business Communication-I Web Resources 1. Verbal Communication: Meaning, Importance, Types, Examples Retrieved from https://www.importantindia.com › verbal-communication-meaning-import. 2. Verbal communication: definition, types, importance Ⴈ Legit.ng Retrieved from https://www.legit.ng › Ask Legit Reference Books 1. Lesikar, Raymond. V; Flatley, Marie. E; Rentz, Kathryn; Lentz, Paula a & Neeraj Pande (2015), Business Communication: Connecting in a Digital World, 13/e, New Delhi: McGraw Hill Education. 2. O’Brien, Terry (2016), Little Red Book of Reading and Listening Skills, New Delhi: Rupa Publications. 3. Romero, Diane Bonet (2009), The Business of Listening: Become a More Effective Listener, 4/e, USA: Axzo Press. 4. Cusack, Barry & McCarter,Sam (2007), Listening and Speaking Skills, Oxford: Macmillan Education. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Professional Skills 203 UNIT 8 PRESENTATION SKILLS Structure: 8.0 Learning Objective 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Paper Presentations 8.2.1 Types of Papers 8.2.2 Features of Presentation 8.2.3 Planning a Presentation 8.2.4 Structuring a Presentation 8.2.5 Preparing for a Presentation 8.2.6 Delivering a Presentation 8.3 Power Points 8.4 Summary 8.5 Key Words/Abbreviations 8.6 Learning Activity 8.7 Unit End Questions (MCQ and Descriptive) 8.8 References 8.0 Learning Objective After studying this unit, you should be able to:  Explain how a paper presentation can be made effectively.  Discuss the guidelines for making effective use of PowerPoints. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

204 Professional Business Communication-I 8.1 Introduction Presentation skills are vital for the success of managers and the organization to which they belong. Managers may have to present their ideas relating to their work, projects and proposals to limited audience in the organizations. On some occasions, like functions and get together meetings they may have to speak on general topics to a large audience. For making effective presentations, managers have to therefore learn the principles of oral communication and improve the art of speaking to professional as well as general audience. 8.2 Paper Presentations A research paper is a piece of academic writing based on its author’s original research on a particular topic, and the analysis and interpretation of the research findings. It can be either a term paper, a master's thesis or a doctoral dissertation. A presentation is the process of presenting a topic to an audience. It is typically a demonstration, introduction, lecture, or speech meant to inform, persuade, inspire, motivate, or to build good will or to present a new idea or product. 8.2.1 Types of Papers In case of technical conferences or workshops, authors can prepare the following for presentation. z Technical Paper: A full-length, peer-reviewed paper, that is accepted for presentation at a technical session and publication in the conference proceedings. z Extended Abstract: It is a short peer-reviewed paper that is accepted for presentation at a technical session and publication in the conference proceedings. Extended abstracts may include diagrams, graphs, charts, photos and a small amount of text to illustrate major points of paper. Depending on the conference, you may be asked to submit one of the following: z Abstract: Synopsis of your research (250 words or less). z Extended abstract: High-level summary of your research (less than 2 pages). z Brief or short paper: Summary of your research (less than 4 pages). CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Professional Skills 205 z Full paper: Complete paper describing your research in full (6-8 pages). Research paper presents your own thoughts based on your thorough analysis of what you previously knew and what you managed to know from your investigation. Based on content, research papers can be categorized into seven types: Argumentative papers, Analytical papers, Definition papers, Compare and contrast papers, Cause and effect papers, Reports, and, Interpretive papers. Based on the way the paper presentation is taken up, papers can be classified into contributed and invited. z Contributed paper: They are papers submitted by members on their own initiative when called for submitting before a due date for presentation in conferences. z Invited paper: Often experts are invited to make presentations. Being invited to present a paper or give a keynote is an honour. It shows that the community recognizes your work. Generally, the audience is larger for invited speakers. 8.2.2 Features of Presentation Presentations are usually made extemporaneously, before small audience, with the support of written material and visual aids. It may be by an individual or team. 1. Small audience: Presentations are made before small audiences, which are often composed of decision makers. By decision makers, we mean senior executives or clients. Audience will also be making an evaluation about your competence and frankly, your future prospects with the firm. 2. Extempore: Presentations are usually delivered extemporaneously. By extemporaneous, we mean that the presentation is prepared and delivered from an outline. 3. Written: Presentations usually complement some type of written communication. The typical oral report complements and reinforces a longer, more detailed written report. 4. Visual aids: Presentations usually employ some type of visual aid, typically computer generated presentation graphics (power point, for example), overhead transparencies, or slides CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

206 Professional Business Communication-I 5. Discussion: Presentations usually have question and answer sessions. You rarely escape a presentation without some questions from members of the audience. 6. Teamwork: Presentations may also involve a team of presenters. Team presentations require careful planning and coordination to ensure successful outcomes. Such presentations are increasingly common in business and industry. 7. Process: Presentation is a process that involves three phases – planning, Structuring and Delivering. 8.2.3 Planning a Presentation Planning involves deciding what to say and how to say. It involves consideration of the following factors. Knowing the Context It refers to the circumstances under which presentation has to be made. It involves consideration of three factors: facilities available, time, and the occasion as given in Table 8.1. Table 8.1: Context of presentation Context factors Description Facilities Venue, seating arrangement, light, ventilation, projection equipment, and Time acoustics. Occasion The hour of the day. Before or after lunch, first or last speaker. Knowledge sharing (seminars and conferences) or Evaluation (examinations). Making Audience Analysis You must know the audience for your message to have the best effect. Whatever the occasion may be, your speech must always be targeted to your audience. Know the audience ͸ their level of knowledge, their comprehension abilities, their interests, and the probable roles they play during the speech. If the knowledge level of audience is high, presentation can be technical and critical. For example, a technical paper presented to professors or clients. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Professional Skills 207 On the other hand, if listeners represent a mix of maturity levels like students and professors, presentation can be simple and general. For example, a knowledge sharing paper presented in a seminar or conference. Preferences of audience also vary. Some may insist on a formal presentation, while others satisfy themselves with a casual one; some may appreciate humour, while others prefer serious explanations. Audience may differ in number or size of the group. If audience size is large, audio ͸ visual aids are necessary. Presentation cannot allow lengthy question ͸ answer discussion. The number of handouts to be distributed will be large. In addition, it would not be wise to be seated while addressing a large audience. You have to stand behind a podium to make a presentation. Define the Purpose Before you start preparing a presentation, you should ask yourself; why am I making this presentation? You can classify your purpose into two broad categories, general and specific. The general presentations may intend to serve one or more of the four purposes given in Table 8.2. Table 8.2: Purposes of presentations Objective Presentation content To inform Elaborated data. To persuade Convincing logic and arguments. To reinforce Proposals with case examples. To motivate Achievements and expectations. Specific purpose refers to the objective of an individual speaker. The purpose statement should clearly specify the desired outcome or impact of the presentation. For example, in a training programme, when you are given the task of explaining the techniques of marketing your purpose statement would be: I want everyone in this group to understand the techniques of marketing after my presentation. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

208 Professional Business Communication-I State the Central Idea The central or core idea of your presentation is referred to as the thesis statement, a single statement that summarizes your message. It is against this core idea you would collect information and organize it. For example, if your purpose statement is to convince employees to change over to the new technique your thesis statement would be: ‘Recent advances have changed the course of our project’. Collect Material Once you have formulated your thesis, you need to develop the information, which elaborates it. Collecting material requires some research. Look for important information and read. Often, you may have to collect information through surveys or interviews. You may have to contact external organization to procure information for some of your presentations. Once you have collected material and ideas for your presentation, assemble them at one place. You may list all the ideas on a piece of paper and then organize them. 8.2.4 Structuring a Presentation Structuring or organizing your material clearly is vital for an effective presentation. In other words, your presentation should have three elements – Introduction, Body and Conclusion. Introduction Introduction should grab attention, introduce topic, contain a strategy for establishing credibility, preview your speech, establish rules for questions, and have a smooth transition to the main text. The introductions vary with the target of the speech. The opening can be made with a thought provoking statement, quotation of facts and figures, a joke or a story or an argument. Body of Presentation It contains all the matter written in a sequence and style. Sequencing can be done in two ways for easy comprehension ͸ logical and psychological. Logical sequencing is rational and message oriented. It is thought provoking. Psychological sequencing is essentially emotion oriented. It arouses feelings to prepare audience to listen to your message. The style adopted should be simple and easy to understanding. Make the subject interesting by using examples and comparisons (chess is like cricket; or chess is like a naval battle). CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Professional Skills 209 Conclusion The talk should end on a firm ground. The speaker should show enthusiasm in closing the topic on a positive, optimistic note either substantiating or demonstrating. 8.2.5 Preparing for a Presentation This is the real action phase. One can make presentations using manuscript or power points. Whatever may be the form of presentation, prepare a presentation outline and develop audiovisual aids. (i) Presentation outline: Your outline should serve as an aid to effective delivery. Therefore, after you are satisfied with the content of the presentation in manuscript form, you should reduce the manuscript to an outline. Outlines may be alphanumeric or decimal; outlines may be full sentence, key phrase, or key word. The key word is a bit risky because it leaves out so much information. After you have developed your outline, you should prepare the materials in a form suitable for delivery. Exhibit 8.1 shows different outlines. First, type the outline on either 8½ by 11 inch paper (20 pound) or index cards using a large type size for example, 18 point times roman. (If you plan to speak from a lectern, either the paper or the index cards will work well. If you must speak without lectern, the index cards will be easier to handle). Double space between lines, allowing for 1½ to 2 inch margins at the top, bottom, left, and right of each page, and number the pages. If (when) the pages or cards fall to the floor, you will find the numbers a blessing as you hurry to reassemble the sheets in their proper sequence. Many speakers find it helpful to write reminders about effective oral delivery in the margins of the outline. Some examples are: Look at the audience! Smile! Pause here! CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

210 Professional Business Communication-I Relax! Slow! Along with comments about delivery, important instructions for the presentation such as these should also be included. Show slide #1 here Demonstrate the model Crack a joke Tell the story of 3-fish Exhibit 8.1 Types of outlines (i) Full Sentence Outline 1. Communication is important a. It socializes people and satisfies affiliation needs. b. It helps managers in leading –motivating and instructing. 2. Communication media are many a. Oral media includes face-to-face and telephone speaking b. Written media include letters, memos, pres releases and so on. (ii) Key Phrase Outline I. Communication is important A. It socializes B. It helps manager lead II. Communication media A. Oral –speaking B. Written – vehicles like letters. (iii) Key Word Outline I. Important Socialise Lead II. Media types Oral Written. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Professional Skills 211 (ii) Prepare Audio Visuals: Visual aids are many. They fall under two categories͸ (a) projected and (b) Non projected. Their choice depends on various factors like audience size, cost and ease of preparation. The non-projected aids are: Paper, flip charts, black boards, and projected media are overhead transparencies, slides, and computers with projection aids respectively. (iii) Practice Your Presentation: Dale Carnegie says: “A well prepared speech is already nine tenths delivered”. Real preparation consists in allowing the speech to grow and developing courage and self – confidence. Start with introduction, and continue to practice with your outline until you have worked your way through the conclusion. Do this a minimum of three times. Practice using visual aids. Be sure to indicate in your outline when to use each visual aid. Time will vary a bit from practice session to practice session. If you are an inexperienced presenter, allow your presentation to run little longer in your practice sessions. When you stand before your actual audience your rate of speech will increase somewhat because of nervousness. Therefore, a 16-minute practice session may well be a 15 or 14-minute presentation. If possible, tape your delivery during practice on a tape recorder or video camera to provide feedback. Listen to your vocal delivery; observe your body a language. After a few practice sessions by yourself, ask a colleague to watch another practice session and offer some constructive criticism. 8.2.6 Delivering a Presentation The effective speaker while depending upon the structure employs flexibility and objectivity in delivering the speech depending upon the presentation situations. It implies that more care is to be taken in dynamics of the speech than in its mechanics. Here is step by step description of making a presentation. (i) Overcome stage fright: Many people fear to speak before a gathering though they have vast knowledge in the subject they are asked to speak about. They say, “When I am called upon to stand and speak. I become so self-conscious, so frightened, that I cannot think clearly, cannot concentrate, cannot remember what I had intended to say. I want to CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

212 Professional Business Communication-I gain self-confidence, poise and the ability to think on my feet”. Four things are essential to overcome stage fright. z Start with a strong and persistent desire z Know thoroughly what you are going to talk about z Act confident z Practice (ii) Request a lectern: Ask for a lectern. It provides the security of high desk. It serves a note holder and convenient place to rest wandering hands and arms. (iii) Distribute Handouts: To complement your presentation you can distribute handouts. However, the timing of distribution of handouts is critical. If given out during a presentation, your audience will keep reading and reviewing it and do not listen your talk. Distributing them at the end of presentation will be good but it cannot be a complement to your talk. After the talk, very few people will be interested in reading it. Generally handouts contain copy of slides and notes. (iv) Check microphone: The microphone is a peculiar device. It can be a help or a hazard. It is likely to screech, to whine and then to break down. It is therefore, better if you can avoid it. When audience size is large and use of microphone is necessary, use it properly. Take the following steps. z Pre-test. Arrive in good time for the speech. Test the microphone for position and for volume. z Keep the microphone 6 to 9 inches from the mouth. z Direct the microphone at the chin or throat and not directly at the mouth. (v) Choose proper style of addressing: First, address the chairperson of the meeting. Then address the other signatories on the dais. Finally, the audience must be addressed. Respected Chairman of the meeting Mr. R. R. Rao, Distinguished professional Mrs. Sailaja, Managing Director of Andhra Automobiles, and conference delegates, Ladies and gentlemen, Good morning. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Professional Skills 213 (vi) Establish rapport with audience: From the beginning, you have to establish relationship with the audience. A common point of interest is to be highlighted to say we are here together for same cause or purpose. I am very happy to be here on the occasion of ---. Let me thank the organizers for giving me this opportunity to be part of the function. I am glad to be with you to share few of my thoughts on this interesting topic which you have chosen to discuss. (vii) Arouse attention: Here are some hints for a good start. z Narrate a ‘slice of life’, from your own experience. Example: “Late last night by the Institute gate, a man suddenly caught my arm.” z Arouse curiosity: Example: “Next week a visitor is coming to this centre who has the power to change the course of your life.” z Present arresting facts or startling statistics. Example: “Twenty-four human beings, eighteen of them children under five year of age, die as a consequence of hunger every minute of every hour of every day.” z Ask a question. Example: “Do you know what enabled Colgate to become the number 1 brand in toothpaste market?” (viii) Use body language: Many feel that body language conveys far more than words. In fact, some think that most of our message, most of the meaning we convey is in our posture, facial expression and gestures. z Speak with your body. Like an actor or actress let your face, eyes, shoulders, hands, tone, all channels help in getting your message across. z Eye contact. Look at the audience, front, left and centre. Read their faces for feedback. Speaking is not a word process, it is a people process. (ix) Have voice control: Very few people are endowed with good voice. However, most speakers can increase their effectiveness substantially if they make some effort. There are seven considerations with voice. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

214 Professional Business Communication-I Elements Description Pitch or inflection It refers to the tone level of the voice. It should be varied to prevent monotony. Voice quality sounds that are nasal, thin, harsh, etc., need to be improved to be soft. Intensity Soft or loud depending on audience size. Rate or tempo Slower or faster. Neither too fast nor too slow. Pause Right pauses to lay emphasis or facilitate reflection. Peculiar sounds Sounds like ‘uh!’ ‘mm’ Faulty pronunciation Wrong way of speaking words. (x) Utilize visual support material: Visual support materials include charts, exhibits, manuals, Filmstrips, transparencies, models, etc. The following rules are to be observed for effective use of these aids. z Never use a visual aid before an audience until you have rehearsed with it. In case of power point, know your equipment and software. z Position the equipment so that you can see the monitor and use the computer while facing the audience. z Don’t just read the slides. Add explanatory or analytical description. z Don’t let the slide show be a distraction. Don’t make slide show an entertainer (limit graphics and animation). Remember the audience came to see and hear you. z Move slowly from slide to slide. z Use blank background screen where ideas will pause. Use same font size and style for similar headings. Apply the rule of seven: No more than seven words on a line and seven total lines. z Be sure that everyone in the audience can see the slides. (xi) Refresh audience: During the middle of the talk, audience may lose their concentration for one reason or another. They might have lost track of the theme and wondering what to do. You can help them to follow your talk by employing bridging points or verbal sign posts which remind them what is said and what is going to be said. The following approaches are helpful. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Professional Skills 215 z Summarizing: Example: “So far, I have dealt with the product strategy. We will now examine the pricing aspects and then explore promotion measures to be taken.” z Previewing: Saying what the next topic is. Example: “The next segment of my talk presents three reasons for fall in productivity” z Switching directions: Moving from one to another area. Example: “I have so far dealt with product and now let’s move to services.” (xii) Monitor audience: For various reasons, audience may lose their attention. A speaker has to take responsibility to regain and hold their attention. Be flexible and lively. Be aware of interest killers such as deviating from the topic, and using hackneyed phrases. Emphasise key words and points. Use humor and one line summaries. (xiii) Assert yourself: An effective presenter needs to be assertive, not aggressive. Follow the guidelines given under. z Look confident and act confident: Have the confidence to fill your space in front of an audience. Avoid saying “sorry” for delays or lapses like microphone not working, which are beyond your control. Take time to begin your presentation. Let audience settle down before you start speaking. z Adopt right postures: Different postures create different moods. A very formal, upright and still posture indicates your authority and seriousness of the subject. On the other hand, an open, active and relaxed posture indicates that the presentation is going to be more informal. z Employ right gestures: We use our arms and hands to add emphasis or to help describe events. Do not keep your hands in your pockets or leave them idle on the sides. Use gestures to welcome your audience, to add emphasis to your main points or to indicate an ending. Try to use open gestures which move away from your body, extending them out to your audience. Make sure that all gestures are controlled and precise; too much movement will distract your audience from the content of your presentation. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

216 Professional Business Communication-I (xiv) Maintain contact with your audience: Making contacts is essential to relate with your audience and sustain their interest in you and your talk. When you look at them and speak, audience will start believing that you are genuinely interested in talking to them. There are different ways of maintaining contact with audience. Here we give a brief explanation of them. z Eye contact: Eye contact is part of everyday conversation with others. Making eye contact with individuals gives them a sense of involvement in your presentation. You can share eye contact with all members by regularly shifting your focus around the room. When addressing a large group, it will be difficult to make eye contact. Try looking at people’s foreheads. This will be considered as eye contact by people around you. Never look at the floor or ceiling when addressing audience. It indicates lack of confidence. z Spoken contact: There are many simple and easy ways of connecting with audience. At the beginning of your talk, greet them and share an obvious point about whether or the proceedings. Ask if they can see and hear you. Ask them whether the lighting and sound levels on audio-visual equipment are satisfactory. During your presentation, ask simple rhetorical questions (e.g., “How do we know this was true?” or “So, what does this prove?”). At the end of your talk give the audience an opportunity to ask questions. z Use inclusive language: Your use of language is important in developing relationship with your audience. Try using language that involves your audience. For example, asking questions such as “What can we learn from this?” or “How did we arrive at this conclusion?” involves your audience in an exploratory process or discussion. When looking at visual aids, introduce them by saying “If we look at this slide we can see that...” or “This slide shows us that…” Use language that is welcoming and involving throughout your presentation (xv) Manage time effectively: Remember the advice: “Be clear, be brief, and be seated.” The effective speaker is time conscious. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Professional Skills 217 z Start on time: Take off the watch. Note at the top of the notepaper or cards the starting time and the target finishing time. Occasionally, examine your progress. z Finish on time: End the presentation on time. Audience becomes itchy if a speaker drags on beyond the allotted time. z Spare time for questions: If time is limited, let your audience know in an inviting manner. For example: “We have about 30 minutes before this session ends”; this would be a good time to ask questions. To signal the end of the session, before you take the last questions, say something like: “We have time for just one more question.” (xvi) Handle question-answer session: In fact, a speaker has to identify probable questions in the pre-delivery preparation period. Your listeners can be appreciative, sympathetic, or hostile. They may ask questions seeking clarifications, or just to trouble you. Be ready to confront all of them. Use a plan for answering the questions. One may encounter four types of questions. z Information seeking: Will you elaborate the concept – cognitive dissonance? z Opinion seeking: Do you agree that low price will sell mobile phones? z Hostile or negative: I don’t think you are right when you said, mergers will accelerate industrial development. z Off-target: May I know whether you have visited England? If you know the answer to a question, you have three possible alternatives. z Restate the question in either the listener’s or your words- in order to be sure that you have accurately heard and those other listeners may hear what was asked. z Clarify the question in order to get proper understanding of what is being asked. z Answer the question directly. If you need time to think, try one of the following gambits. Would you mind repeating the question so I can be sure I understand you? That’s an interesting question. How do some of the rest of you feel about it? CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

218 Professional Business Communication-I If you do not know the answer, do not be afraid to admit your inability to answer. Generally, questions you may not be able to answer are tangential, complex or involved questions. You may appeal for help. I am not sure I can answer that…Can anybody else offer advice to our colleague? Be tactful in handling arguments. The argumentative individual who attempts to get into an argument over a particular point must be turned aside. Š Do not nail him to the wall. Š If he wants recognition, give it to him and get off it. As I understand, it is a wonderful question. I congratulate you for bringing our attention to this sensitive and important point. The curve or loaded questioner is the one who aims at embarrassing the speaker. A typical curve might be “how do we know that the employee’s performance would have improved any way even without training?” z Write it or answer on the chalkboard. z Instead of prolonging discussion with him, get off the subject. The windbag or long-winded questioner rambles all over the lot wasting valuable time. You can cut him off by picking up a word idea he is expressing and show its relationship to something you or someone else has said previously and quickly pass on to other members in the audience. The egoistic questioner poses a question that may try to set a trap or to be critical. You can feed back the question to the questioner. Example: It is a very interesting question. Before I comment from the background of my work, I wonder if the questioner himself has any experience to offer us on this matter. (xvii) End the talk gracefully: z Conclude intelligently: Go back to the story or incident with which you started. Connect the main point of your talk with it and finish. Often a little summary is helpful. Recap or repetition will be helpful. A recap is a summary of the main CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Professional Skills 219 points covered in your talk. Repeat core message. This technique ends your presentation by briefly emphasizing the theme that you have carried throughout the talk. z Do not apologize: Do not say I have bored you, perhaps. Instead, thank them for good listening. z Show courtesies: Thank the organizers and the audience. Example: “Let me once again thank the organizers for inviting me to share my thoughts (to speak on this happy occasion)”. z Leave slowly: Do not leave the speaker’s stand while saying the last few words. After you have spoken the last word, pause for just a moment. Then sit down or leave the platform with purpose and decision. 8.3 Power Points PowerPoint has become the de facto presentation tool for most of us. However, research on the effectiveness of PowerPoint slides has yielded mixed results. Here are the findings that have implications to presenters. 1. People learn better from visuals and narrative than from words alone. This is because the brain has separate channels for processing visual and verbal materials, resulting in a higher level of understanding. 2. Communication is actually inhibited when the same words are spoken and displayed on the screen because people cannot listen and read at the same time. 3. People are capable of holding only a few pieces of information in their shortಣterm memory at a time. These three concepts should inspire you, as a presenter, to abandon slide after slide of bullet points and replace them with slides that use visuals to sustain the interest of audience. The following tips will be useful for making effective power point presentations. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

220 Professional Business Communication-I Design a template that is free from distracting items Strive for simplicity and readability. Most PowerPoint templates contain distracting elements such as borders or shading that can distract you from your message When creating your template, keep in mind the advice of French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, “A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” Ensure your template promotes readability Choose colour combinations that make it easy for the audience to read your slides. If you will be presenting in a darkened room, then light text on a dark background works well. But if you will be in a room with the lights on or considerable ambient light, then dark text on a light background works better. Limit your fonts to two, at most Be sure to select standard fonts or embed the fonts in your presentation. Serif fonts, such as Garamond, Times New Roman or Century Schoolbook, have protruding “feet” (called serifs) that extend beyond the main shape of the letters. They will produce a blurred look on the screen. Sans serif fonts (translated as “without serifs”), such as Calibri, Arial and Trebuchet, produce a cleaner, less cluttered, easier to read look. By limiting your fonts to two (at most), your presentation will have a consistent look and feel. This limitation does not include the use of bold, italic or bold italic. Always use fonts that are 24 point or larger If small font size is used, audience cannot read your message. If you have more text, either: (a) create another slide or (b) shorten your text. Incorporate high quality photos, images or diagrams that reinforce your verbal message Research has shown that communication is enhanced when a verbal message is combined with a powerful image on the screen. Avoid clip art, since it can make your presentation look unprofessional. Use high quality photos, images or diagrams. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Professional Skills 221 Use phrases or abbreviated sentences, rather than full sentences Do not write in full. Develop creatively short sentences or phrases that indicate the key ideas. The words used in the phrases should be self-explanatory. Use bullet points sparingly. If using bullet points, be sure they are less than six words long. If you want to use an outline to organize your talk, keep it on paper rather than putting it on screen as bullets. Eliminate the use of headings or titles unless they communicate the main message. Headings should be used to call attention to the main finding in a chart or graph. Otherwise, headings tend to be redundant. Use animation, slide transitions, audio, and video sparingly Research has shown that when there is movement on the screen, audience will be diverted to the movement. As a result, there will be break in their concentration. Highlight the most important information in tables and graphs Keep the number of graphs and tables to minimum. Use online sources which help build attractive tables and graphs. Use colours to distinguish different variables in them. Be passionate about your topic The success or failure of your presentation is not dependent on the design of power point slides. It is mostly in the way you engage your audience. The slides should serve to enhance your oral presentation, not eliminate you. 8.4 Summary Presentation skills are vital for the success of managers and the organization to which they belong. A paper is a piece of academic writing based on its author’s knowledge of a topic. In case of technical conferences or workshops, authors can prepare Technical paper or Extended Abstract. In case of conferences, we find presentation of abstract, short paper and full paper. Papers can be contributed or invited. Research can be categorized into seven types: Argumentative papers, Analytical papers, Definition papers, Compare and contrast papers, Cause CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

222 Professional Business Communication-I and effect papers, Reports, and Interpretive papers. Presentations are usually made extemporaneously, before small audience, with the support of written material and visual aids. It may be by an individual or team. Planning for presentation involves factors such as: Knowing the Context (seating arrangement, facilities and equipment), Making Audience analysis, Defining the purpose, stating central idea, and Collecting material. Structuring or organizing involves developing Introduction, Body and Conclusion. Sequencing in developing body can be done in two ways for easy comprehension ͸ logical and psychological. Presentations may use manuscript or power points. Whatever may be the form of presentation, prepare a presentation outline and develop audiovisual aids. Presentation outlines are three types: Full sentence, Key phrase and Key word. Then practice, practice, practice till you are comfortable in delivering. Delivering the presentation includes the following steps: Overcome stage fright, Request a lectern, Distribute Handouts, Check microphone, Choose proper style of addressing, Establish rapport with audience, Arouse attention, Use body language, Have voice control, Utilize visual support material, Refresh audience, Monitor audience, Assert yourself, Maintain contact with your audience, Manage time effectively, Handle question-answer session and End the talk gracefully. PowerPoint has become the de facto presentation tool for most of us. The following tips will be useful for making effective power point presentations: Design a template that is free from distracting items, Ensure your template promotes readability, Limit your fonts to two, at most. Always use fonts that are 24 point or larger, Incorporate high quality photos, images or diagrams that reinforce your verbal message, Use phrases or abbreviated sentences, rather than full sentences, Use bullet points sparingly, Eliminate the use of headings or titles unless they communicate the main message, Use animation, slide transitions, audio, and video sparingly, Highlight the most important information in tables and graphs, and Be passionate about your topic. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Professional Skills 223 8.5 Key Words/Abbreviations z Paper: A paper is a piece of academic writing based on its author’s knowledge and understanding. z Research paper: A research paper presents original research on a particular topic, and the analysis and interpretation of the research findings. It can be either a term paper, a master's thesis or a doctoral dissertation. z Technical paper: A technical report is a document that describes the process, progress, or results of technical or scientific research or the state of a technical or scientific research problem. It might also include recommendations and conclusions of the research. z Presentation: A presentation is the process of sharing a topic with an audience. It is typically a demonstration, introduction, lecture, or speech meant to inform, persuade, inspire, motivate, or to build good will or to present a new idea or product. Presentations in certain formats are also known as keynote address. z PowerPoint presentation: A PowerPoint presentation is created using Microsoft PowerPoint software. The presentation is a collection of individual slides that contain information on a topic. PowerPoint presentations are commonly used for knowledge sharing, training and educational contexts. 8.6 Learning Activity 1. Project proposal presentation Note to instructors Step-1: Form students into Entrepreneurial project teams. Each team consists of 6 members drawn from different specialization areas. Step-2: Ask each team to identify opportunities for new business and come up with a decision to prepare a proposal for one product for submission to financial institutions. Give them one week time. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

224 Professional Business Communication-I Step-3: Entrepreneurial project teams make power point presentation of their proposals. Involve faculty members and representatives of financial institutions and District Industries centre, for evaluation. 2. Mini-project/Paper Presentation Note to instructors Step-1: Form students into project teams. Each team consists of 4 members – two males and two females. Step-2: Ask them to conduct a survey on communication teaching in 3 select B-schools. Step-3: Ask the project teams to make power point presentation of their project reports. Step-4: Provide feedback on (i) content and (ii) style of presentation. Presentation guidelines to students Slides Content 1. Title and names of project team 2. Introduction ( context for the study) 3. Earlier studies and their findings 4. Objectives and hypotheses 5. Methodology – data sources, sample, data collection and analysis 6. Findings 7. Conclusions 8. Suggestions 9. Questions…..please 10. Thank you 8.7 Unit End Questions (MCQ and Descriptive) A. Descriptive Types Questions Short answer questions 1. What do you mean by a Paper presentation? 2. List the types of papers known to you. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Professional Skills 225 3. State the features of presentation. 4. Write the steps in planning a presentation. 5. Identify the steps in structuring a presentation. 6. What steps are involved in preparing for making a presentation? 7. What key points one has to remember in delivering a presentation? 8. What are the tips for preparing power point slides? 9. What are the do nots in delivering power point presentation? Long answer questions 1. How do you plan and structure a presentation? 2. How do you prepare and deliver a presentation? 3. How do you handle question answer session and end your talk? 4. Explain how power point presentation is prepared and delivered. B. Multiple Choice/Objective Type Questions 1. Academic writing based on its author’s knowledge acquired by study with the aim of sharing knowledge is known as: (a) Document (b) Essay (c) Paper (d) Presentation 2. Presentations prepared and delivered from an outline based on information collected from different sources is known as: (a) Extempore (b) Manuscript (c) Impromptu (d) None of the above 3. Presentation outline may be in a format known as: (a) Full sentence (b) Key phrase (c) Key word (d) Any one of the above CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

226 Professional Business Communication-I 4. The rational arrangement of ideas in a presentation is known as: (a) Psychological (b) Climactic (c) Logical (d) Spatial 5. PowerPoints can be ineffective for the following reason(s) (a) People learn better from visuals and less from words. (b) People cannot listen and read at the same time. (c) People are capable of holding any amount of information at a time. (d) All the above Answers 1. (c), 2. (a), 3. (d), 4. (c), 5. (b). 8.8 References Textbooks 1. Krishnamacharyulu, C. S. G. & Lalitha Ramakrishnan (2014), Business Communication: Text, Cases and Laboratory Manual, 2/e, New Delhi: Himalaya Publishing House. 2. Meenakshi Raman & Prakash Singh (2012), Business Communication, 2/e, New Delhi: Oxford University Press. 3. Mandel,S.(1988). Effective presentation skills. London: Kogan Press. Web Resources 1. The OCR Guide to Presentation Skills Retrieved from https://www.ocr.org.uk › Images › 168829-the-ocr-guide-to-presentation-s.. 2. R Dolan, Effective presentation skills (2017) Oxford Academic Journals Retrieved from https://academic.oup.com › femsle › article-pdf › fnx235 › fnx235- 2017 - Reference Books 1. Kaul, Asha (2015), The Effective Presentation: Talk Your Way to Success, New Delhi: Sage Publications. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Professional Skills 227 2. Carmine Gallo (2012), The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to Be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience, New York: McGraw Hill Education. 3. Duarte, Nancy( 2012), HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations, Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Publishing 4. Aarabi, Parham (2007), The Art of Lecturing: A Practical Guide to Successful University Lectures and Business Presentations, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

228 Professional Business Communication-I UNIT 9 INTERVIEW SKILLS Structure: 9.0 Learning Objective 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Kinds of Interviews 9.3 Tips for Interviews 9.4 Most Expected Questions 9.5 Body Language at the Time of Interview, After Interview 9.6 Summary 9.7 Key Words/Abbreviations 9.8 Learning Activity 9.9 Unit End Questions (MCQ and Descriptive) 9.10 References 9.0 Learning Objective After studying this unit, you should be able to: z Explain the types of interviews. z Understand the tips for interviews. z Be aware of the most expected questions in an interview. z Discuss the body language appropriate for interviewees. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Interview Skills 229 9.1 Introduction Among the important skills to be acquired by young people aspiring to become professionals and managers are group discussion, interview and negotiation. The three communication processes have wide application in different contexts and different organizations. The word interview is derived from intrevue meaning sight between. Interviews are planned conversations with a predetermined purpose that involve asking and answering questions. Interview has important uses in different fields. They are used for gathering information, giving advice to others, appraising performance or abilities, evaluating performance, identifying problems, etc. 9.2 Kinds of Interviews Employers make use of different interviews for selecting candidates from among a large number of competing applicants. z Based on the technology used ͸ Telephone interviews, Video interviews and computer assisted screening interviews. z Based on persons interviewing- Face-to-Face and Panel interview z Based on persons interviewed: Group interview z Based on the objective – Project interview and Stress interview. A brief explanation of the different types of the interviews is provided here. z Face-to-face interview: Individual, face-to-face interviews are by far the most popular and efficient form of assessment. It allows you to get up close and personal with each candidate while keeping an eye on their body language. z Panel interview: In a panel interview, a group of experts will interview a candidate. It can be quite intimidating as questions are fired at you. z Group interview: In a group interview, several candidates are interviewed by an interviewer or interviewers. This is a suitable method to assess team skills and leadership competencies of candidates. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

230 Professional Business Communication-I z Telephone interview: It is the most common way to perform an initial screening. The advantages of this method are: (i) it saves time and money, and (ii) it can be tape recorded for review by future interviewers. z Video interviews: Video interviews (Skype, Google Hangouts, FaceTime) are a great alternative to telephone interviews. Video interviews have become popular because they allow companies to interview new recruits at colleges more economically. Either an individual or a team can conduct these interviews. Online interviewing enables employers to screen candidates rapidly and cut interview costs. Because they’re different, there’s potential to cause intimidation among graduate job seekers. z Computer assisted screening interviews: This type of interviews has become popular for screening the candidates. The candidate is provided with a password and a log in time to access the multiple choice interview questions that have been posted online. Once the questions are answered, the computer analyses the answers and creates a report pinpointing the matches. This interviewing method is fast and cost effective. The method has certain limitations. Evaluation may not be correct when the candidates answer by trial and error method. The process is frustrating to candidates because their answers are limited to a group of definitive answers listed. z Project interviews: In this, job seekers are given a group assignment. The objective is to measure a variety of skills including teamwork, leadership, communication, interpersonal relationships, and project management. These types of interviews are difficult to prepare. You can turn the interview in your favour by showcasing your leadership ability. Take up you tasks and complete them. Try to extend a helping hand to others. z Stress interview: It aims at assessing the rational and emotional intelligence of a candidate. It involves questioning to test rational intelligence and creating stress to test emotional intelligence. The candidate is deliberately put under severe tension. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Interview Skills 231 9.3 Tips for Interviews Good interviews have an opening, a body, and a close. z Opening: The opening establishes rapport and orients the interviewee to the remainder of the session. Opening part involves introductions, explanation of the purpose and ground rules of the interview. z Body: The body of the interview is used for asking questions to assess the suitability of the candidate for the job. z Close: In the close of the interview, the outcome is summarized, what will come next is indicated and the rapport that has been established is underscored. A personal interview can be turned into a pleasant experience by following the guidelines given here. Before the Interview Š Make preparation: To prepare well you have to do two things – (i) Gathering necessary information and (ii) Getting ready to perform in the interview. Š Know about job: Company and yourself. Study the job description and know exactly what for you are interviewing. Anticipate the questions you are likely to be asked in the interview. Identify the information necessary to answer such questions and analyse it. For example, know about the company—its history, what it does, its plans, its current activities. Analyze the information and identify the important developments and future plans of the company. Analyze your strengths and weaknesses. Evaluate the weak areas in your bio-data. Be prepared to offer convincing explanations for them. Š Rehearse an interview: You can do a practice interview, videotape it, and evaluate your performance as part of your preparation. Request a friend or relative to conduct a mock interview. Š Be ready to spare time: Be prepared for the possibility of staying longer and be prepared for the possibility that this interview may lead to another. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

232 Professional Business Communication-I Š Know the place and time: Check the exact time and location of the interview, and keep this information. Know the names and titles of the persons you are supposed to contact for any information. Š Carry documents: Carry with you additional materials to the interview such as copies of your resume, a list of references, samples of your work, and degree certificates. For some unexpected reasons, if you are going to be arriving late at the interview, call and let the interviewer know. It helps and you will not be considered late. Š Before entering checks: Do quick check of your appearance before entering if possible. If you need to adjust your clothing, do so in the bathroom. Take long and deep breaths. Think positively: you have nothing to lose and everything to gain from the experience. Get a drink of water if your throat is dry. During the Interview Š Greet your interviewer(s): Greet the interviewer(s). Do not offer to shake hands unless it is offered by an interviewer. Do not sit down unless asked to. If you are not asked to sit, ask for permission to sit politely. ‘May I sit down?’ Thank the interviewer/s after sitting down. Š Politely say no to the offer of tea: If the interviewers ask you, ’Would you care to have tea?’ answer negatively with a polite ‘Thank you’. At the time of interview one might be nervous and hence this strategy. In case you accept tea, place it on the table and allow it cool before you sip. If you drink the hot tea, there might be the awkward slurping sound. There is also the risk of tea spilling on the table or on your clothes. Š Listen attentively to questions: Listen to the question carefully showing interest. How you should show interest varies with the occasion. A simple rule is: ‘Always look at the interviewer and give him undivided attention’. Š Do not rush your answers: Let the interviewer complete his question before you reply. If you have not heard the question clearly ask the interviewer to repeat the question. Š Answer honestly and politely: Your success depends not only on your answers but also the way you have given the answers. If you are not able to answer some question admit it, CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Interview Skills 233 do not try to fudge an answer. If you know the answer, express it clearly and completely. Use simple and appropriate words and short sentences. Back up your statements with concrete examples. Continue to make eye contact with the interviewer as you speak. Remain polite and professional at all times. Š Remain balanced: Some interviewers may try to throw the candidates out of balance. They may ask rapid fire questions on several topics at once. Different members of the panel may ask at the same time different questions. Some of them may be arguing, disputing and ridiculing. Remain cool. Do not lose patience and confidence. Š Be courteous: Your postures, your facial expressions and your words should show courtesy to the interviewers, throughout the interview. Your courteous behaviour may at times become a major winning point in your selection for the job. Closing the Interview Interviewers generally indicate when the interview is over. They may say something like. “Thank you, we’ll get in touch with you later”. Like the entry, leaving takes a very short time. Before leaving, clear all your doubts and get necessary information. Š Negotiate compensation: You may be facing one the following two situations. 1. The company has already announced the compensation and benefits. In such a case, the employer will ask you to give your acceptance. Before saying yes, clear all your doubts. 2. If the salary is not announced, the question is: ’How much salary do you expect? Be confident in answering this question. Give an acceptable range like ‘anywhere between ` 10,000 and ` 12,000 or an acceptable figure say, about ` 12,000. Š Seek clarifications: If you are not invited to ask questions, seek their permission to ask. You may say, ‘May I ask a few questions?’ Or ‘May I ask for some information?’ Some typical questions an interviewee may ask are: Will there be opportunities for training in this job? Will this job involve travelling? What are the avenues for promotion? What are the retirement benefits? CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

234 Professional Business Communication-I Ask the questions politely with sincere desire to assess the merits and demerits of the job offered. Finally, set up the next contact by asking “when should I expect to hear from you?” or “when should I get back to you?” 9.4. Most Expected Questions Some of the traditional questions asked in interviews are given here. Model answers are also given for you to adopt and improve. 1. Tell us about yourself: Have a structure when you answer this. z Name and place: Give your name and place of your birth and upbringing. z Family: Then give a description of your family z Education: Then briefly mention your education highlighting achievements mentioning years and places of study. z Hobby/Special Interest: Mention an active hobby of yours. (music, playing cricket or book reading). z Strengths and weaknesses: Mention two or three of your strengths and weaknesses. 2. What are your career goals?: Think about the career options and choose one to answer the question. Justify your choice. Example: “I am looking forward to a career in sales. I think I have the aptitude, energy, and persuasive skills to do well in this field.” 3. Do you have plans to get additional education?: You might say, “Yes, I think it is important to update. I am interested in taking short continuing education courses and, in a few years, working on an MBA degree. 4. Why do you wish to join our organization?: Briefly say what you know about the organization and how the job meets your expectations and skills. “I have come to know through media that your organization is one of the best employers. I am looking for a job in a growing organization. I think I am equipped with suitable skills to make a contribution.” CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Interview Skills 235 “I would like to join this organization because it is a fast growing and leading organization in marketing of consumer durables. My area of interest and specialization are consumer marketing. I have attended various seminars and conferences in this discipline. In this area I am sure I would be able to contribute maximum. 5. What are your strengths?: Identify two or three (not more) strong points that you have related to the type of job in question and mention them. Substantiate your point with examples. “I am a leader and good team player. I was Chairman of students Association in my college and organized a national level management conference.” 6. What are your weaknesses?: The rule is neither disclose nor hide your weaknesses. Be diplomatic. Think of one weak point in your behaviour and mention it in a qualified way. Weakness Frank answer Diplomatic answer Irritation Anger I get irritated frequently. I get a little irritated when people are Emotional late for meetings. Rigid I get angry very fast. I sometimes tend to get a bit angry Less social when others argue illogically. Stage fear I am emotional and will be upset I am a bit emotional and feel for things when things do not happen as around me. But I never lose my balance. Too logical expected. I dislike changing according to Once I commit myself to a task, I the views of others. pursue with do or die spirit. I do not like to meet people. Well, some people may think I am reserved, but thinking before acting has helped me relate effectively to others. I cannot speak before a large Speaking before large groups is difficult audience. for me, so I’ve joined Enrich - the communications club. I cannot put up with silly rules. My inability to adhere to illogical rules is my weakness. I always strive to get them reframed. 7. Why should we select you?: A confident answer is desirable. In case, your are a fresh candidate, quote your experiences in your college. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

236 Professional Business Communication-I “I think I have the qualities and experience required for the job. The job requires energy, communication skills and organizing capabilities which I do have. My success in debating competitions, my proven abilities in organizing a management meet in my college and my robust health … makes me feel I am suitable for the position.” In case, you are an experienced candidate, recall your experiences in your previous jobs. “My educational background in finance gives me the basic knowledge to become an Accounts manager. My success in this area in my previous job is an indication of how I can benefit your company by maintaining books. I look forward to becoming a part of your organization and expect a long term mutually beneficial career relationship.” 8. Have you any questions to ask us? Do not hesitate to ask questions. Do not merely ask for information. Ask a question that shows your interest in the organization and a question that says something about your job, your future and future of the organization. Here are some questions you might ask: z Yes. I would like to know what further opportunities for growth and development I could expect. z How does the company promote personal and professional growth? z What would be my first assignment? z What would be my primary job challenge? z Does your company encourage further education? z What is the potential for advancement? z What are the toughest aspects of the position? z How much travel is normally expected? Is a car provided? z Do you have plans for expansion? 9.5. Body Language at the Time of Interview, After Interview According to a recent study, you get judged in the very first 7 seconds of your interview. Also, body language accounts for a staggering 55% of your overall communication! In such a CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Interview Skills 237 scenario, how will you monitor your body movements to relay the right message to the interviewer? We will fist discuss what body language is and then go about identifying the right body language for interviews. (a) Body language Body language or kinesics can be classified into four physical aspects of the body ͸ body appearance, facial expressions posture and gestures. Body appearance Messages are transmitted by physical characteristics of the body, attire, and accessories. z Physical characteristics of the body include facial shape, body shape, height, skin colour, body odour, hair, deformities, etc. z Attire refers to clothing. z Accessories refer to other appendages, such as fragrance, cosmetics, furniture, art, pets, or other possessions such as glasses, jewellery, handkerchief, flowers, helmet, and so on. Personal appearance is a major factor used to judge a person simply because the first impression of a person is based on appearance. Inferences are made based on height , weight, skin colour, hair style, clothing, and any other physical attributes and artefacts. Potential employers, customers, and colleagues are usually impressed by people who are trim, muscular, and good in shape. People who look attractive are considered to be likable and persuasive. People can change their appearance by changing their clothing styles, hairstyles, and other accessories or artefacts. As a professional, if you take care of your appearance, you are more likely to be successful in working with teams, other colleagues, and customers. Generally, you want to wear professional, or business, attire. For men, this might mean a suit jacket and slacks with a shirt and tie. For women, this might mean a blouse and dress pants or a statement dress. Facial expressions A facial expression is exceptionally communicative and can ‘stand in’ for verbal communication in some instances. They are like sentences in human language. The face has the CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

238 Professional Business Communication-I capability to produce messages of very high quality, in which the meanings are identical to the expressions. However, many believe that facial expressions are open to various interpretations of the receiver. Facial expressions that indicate an emotion are called facial emblems. These emblems serve as a kind of short hand that is widely understood. There are five basic physical descriptions of facial expressions- neutral, relaxed, tense, uplifted, and droopy. These are described as follows: 1. Neutral expression: It is found when people wish to mask their expressions. It is also found when people are thoughtful or listening to someone attentively. 2. Relaxed expression: It indicates feelings of love, pleasure and submission. 3. Tense expression: It is an outcome of fear, surprise, determination, contempt and extreme interest. 4. Uplifted expression: It could be representative of happiness, anxiety, rage, love, astonishment and attention. 5. Drop expression: It could be because of distress, suffering, grief, dismay and shock. Mouth movements can give away all sorts of clues. There are different types of lip expressions and each gives off a corresponding feeling to its recipient. Compressed lips indicate refusal. Some people bite lips when they are experiencing nervousness. A broad smile of happiness is indicated by open mouth. Teeth will be visible and lips will be curled back. One can read laughter from the sounds that are associated with it. Ha-ha-ha laughter indicates joy and self-fulfilment, where as a Ho-ho-ho laughter expresses a happy surprise. Eyebrows are arch of the short hair above the eyes. Lowering eye brows indicate disagreement whereas raised eye brows indicate surprise. Posture Let us now look at certain body postures. z Head: When you want to look confident, keep your head vertically upright. Conversely, when you want to appear friendly and receptive, tilt your head just a little to one side or the other. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Interview Skills 239 z Legs: Shaking legs indicate nervousness. Crossed legs indicate confidence. z The angle of the body in relation to others: We angle towards people we find attractive, friendly, and interesting, and angle ourselves away from those we do not. z Height: It affects perceptions of power. Standing up tall can help you appear more authoritative. On the other hand, a slumped posture creates an appearance of passive demeanour. Gestures Gesture conveys a message by using one part of the body. Gestures make a large portion of a message. Gestures have three phases: preparation, stroke and retraction. Preparation indicates movement from rest and retraction indicates movement back to rest. The real message is in the stroke. Gestures can be classified as follows. Conscious gestures: These gestures are made voluntarily to communicate a message. They can be emblems or propositional gestures. z Emblems are specific gestures with specific meaning that are consciously used and understood. For example, holding up the hand with all fingers closed in except the index and second finger, which are spread apart, can mean ‘V for victory’ or ‘peace’. z Propositional gestures are used to indicate size or volume. We often use hands to measure the size of a symbolic space while saying ‘it was the big’. Spontaneous gestures: Spontaneous gestures are involuntary. You might have observed people making gestures while making a telephone call. They make the gestures casually without any choice or plan. There are some settled classifications of gestures, as given under. z Deictic gestures are mostly ‘pointing gestures.’ They indicate real, implied or imaginary persons, objects, directions, etc. They occur with or without talk. These can be discourse entities that have a physical existence, such as a chart on the screen. z Beat/Motor gestures are batons and beats. They are commonly associated with coherence through rhythm. Example, starting of a meeting with a bang. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

240 Professional Business Communication-I z Iconic gestures are hand gestures that are co expressive and complementary to the speech. E.g.: She chases him out. (Hand appears to chase an object through the air). z Metaphorical gestures are visual representation of abstract ideas and categories. E.g., Displaying an empty palm hand may indicate ‘presenting a problem.’ Based on the functions, gestures are classified as illustrators, regulators, affect displays and emblems. z Illustrators are used to add emphasis or drama. Example: pointing up to the ceiling while saying “our profits are going up”. z Regulators are used to regulate both conversation and human interaction. Example –A student in class room raises hand when he has a question to ask. z Affect displays are gestures used to communicate emotions. Example - Hands over mouth indicate shock or surprise. z Emblems are basically hand signals. Example: Placing the index fingers at right angles to each other is used to signal time-out both on and off the athletic field. (b) Tips for Interview There are multiple factors that employers take into account during a job interview. Those include your knowledge, preparedness, skills sets, punctuality, and body language. Each factor can be a plus or minus stacked either for or against you in the decision making process. Here are a few do’s for Interview Body Language. (i) Before interview Dress well to make a good appearance: Check your hair, fingernails, and make-up application. Clothing should be neatly pressed and shoes should be in good condition. Jewellery should be limited. Beards and mustaches are generally accepted when nicely groomed. You may find out what the dress code is for the interviewing company. Then dress one level above. For instance, if it is business casual, men can wear dress pants, dress shirt, and sport coat. Women can wear a saree and blouse. Arrive early: Arrive at least ten minutes before the interview. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Interview Skills 241 Wait for your turn: If kept waiting, do not become nervous and restless. Spend the time reading your resume and research materials. (ii) During interview: Walk into the hall: Just before you walk in, stand up tall and roll back your shoulders to improve your posture. Walk in confidently; chin up with a smiling, cheerful face. Shake hands: Your handshake should be firm and brief. But remember to let go at the right time. Don’t put too much pressure because it can make you look aggressive. Posture: Wait until you are offered a chair before sitting. As you sit down, thank the panel for giving you the opportunity to appear. Sit comfortably and with good posture. Take care while handling the chair; it should not be dragged noisily or clumsily. If you have a large brief case, put it down on the floor near the chair, if you have a small handbag, you may keep it on your lap. Do not put elbows or hands on the table. Push your body to the back of the chair. Keep your hands on your lap right atop the left. Keep your legs stationed firmly on the ground right and left intertwined beneath the chair. Do not slouch, fidget, or be distracted. Slouching can be seen as lazy or even timid. Fidgeting can be construed as nervous. Smile: The Interviewer(s) never wants someone who is grim and grumpy. While it is necessary to take questions seriously, it is also important to show them the light side of you. Smile and make them aware of your pleasant and agreeable personality. Also, it makes you look less nervous, and prepared. Gestures: Do not excessively talk with your hands or have them folded/crossed. Excessive hand movement is distracting. Folding or crossing of arms can seem defensive or closed off. Maintain eye contact: Eye contact helps show the interviewer you belong there, are paying attention to them, and that you are not distracted or nervous. It is of utmost importance that you look directly in the eyes of the person who asks you questions. Make eye contact with every panelist. The average time period should be 10-12 seconds. If you get nervous, look at their nose for a few seconds. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

242 Professional Business Communication-I Exhibit good manners: Take care that you do not indulge in awkward mannerisms in your speech or behavior. Avoid expressions like err, you know, oh my god, well!, etc. Do not use slang and highly colloquial language or uncommon abbreviations. Avoid playing with the hair or with the buttons of your shirt, or the keys in your hand, looking away at a painting or other objects in the room, etc. (iii) After interview: Leave gracefully: This is time to make the last impression. The way you leave should strengthen your candidature for the position. Thank the interviewers. Do not offer to shake hands, but be alert; if anyone offers to shake hands be quick to take it. Collect and pack all papers and files quickly and neatly. Get up gracefully, without scraping the chair. Put the chair back in its place. Wish them good day: Walk away with good bearing. Shut the door carefully and noiselessly. 9.6 Summary The word interview is derived from intrevue meaning sight between. Interviews are planned conversations with a predetermined purpose that involve asking and answering questions. Employers make use of different interviews for selecting candidates from among a large number of competing applicants. They include Telephone interviews, Video interviews and computer assisted screening interviews, Face-to-Face and Panel interview, Group interview, Project interview and Stress interview. Good interviews have an opening, a body, and a close. For having pleasant experience the tips useful are: Before interview, Make preparation, Know about job, company and yourself, Rehearse an interview, Know the place and time, Carry documents and Make Before entering checks. During interview, Greet your interviewer(s), Politely say no to the offer of tea, Listen attentively to questions, Answer honestly and politely, Remain balanced and Be courteous. Before Closing interview: Negotiate compensation and seek clarifications. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)