Business Communication

by Review, Harvard Business

• ISBN13: 9781591391135
• ISBN10: 159139113X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-07-01
• Publisher: Harvard Business Press

Summary

Effective communication is a vital skill for everyone in business today. Great communicators have a distinct advantage in building influence and jumpstarting their careers. This practical guide offers readers a clear and comprehensive overview on how to communicate effectively for every business situation, from sensitive feedback to employees to persuasive communications for customers. It offers advice for improving writing skills, oral presentations, and one-on-one dealings with others. Contents include: Understanding the optimal "medium" to present information Learning the best timing to deliver a message Delivering an effective presentation Drafting proposals Writing effective e-mails Improving self-editing skills Plus, readers can access free interactive tools on the Harvard Business Essentials companion web site. Series Adviser: Mary Munter Professor Mary Munter has taught management communication for over twenty-five years, for seven years at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and since 1983 at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Professor Munter is considered one of the leaders in the management communication field. Among her publications is Guide to Managerial Communication-recently published in its sixth edition and named "one of the five best business books" by the Wall Street Journal. She has also published many other articles and books and consulted with over ninety corporate and not-for-profit clients. Harvard Business Essentials The Reliable Source for Busy Managers The Harvard Business Essentials series is designed to provide comprehensive advice, personal coaching, background information, and guidance on the most relevant topics in business. Drawing on rich content from Harvard Business School Publishing and other sources, these concise guides are carefully crafted to provide a highly practical resource for readers with all levels of experience. To assure quality and accuracy, each volume is closely reviewed by a specialized content adviser from a world class business school. Whether you are a new manager interested in expanding your skills or an experienced executive looking for a personal resource, these solution-oriented books offer reliable answers at your fingertips.

Author Biography

Richard Luecke has authored or developed over thirty books and dozens of articles on a wide range of business subjects. He has an M.B.A. from the University of St. Thomas

Table of Contents

Introduction	ix
1 Good Writing	1	(16)
It Begins with Principles
Have a Clear Purpose	2	(1)
Be Audience Focused	3	(3)
State Your Key Message Clearly	6	(1)
Stay on Topic	6	(2)
Observe Economy of Words	8	(1)
Use Simple Sentences	9	(2)
Consider Your Delivery Strategy	11	(3)
Summing Up	14	(3)
2 Start-Up Strategies	17	(12)
Your Launch Point
Questioning Method	18	(2)
Traditional Outline Method	20	(2)
Brainstorm Outline Method	22	(3)
Free Writing Method	25	(1)
Scoping Your Project	26	(1)
Summing Up	27	(2)
3 The First Draft	29	(14)
Getting It Down
Get It Down First	30	(2)
Build on Strong Paragraphs	32	(4)
Create Transitions	36	(2)
Use Design Elements to Lighten the Reader's Load	38	(3)
Summing Up	41	(2)
4 Getting It Right	43	(18)
The Editing Craft
Editing for Content	44	(3)
Editing for Style	47	(4)
Tighten and Sharpen Those Sentences	51	(5)
Editing for Accuracy	56	(3)
Summing Up	59	(2)
5 Everyday Writing	61	(18)
Memos, Letters, and E-mail
Writing Effective Memos	62	(5)
Business Letters That Do the Job	67	(5)
Making the Most of E-mail	72	(5)
Summing Up	77	(2)
6 Presentations	79	(16)
Timeless Principles
Presentations: The Greek Way	80	(5)
Four Rhetorical Devices	85	(2)
Three Learning Styles	87	(3)
Aim for the Head and the Heart	90	(3)
Summing Up	93	(2)
7 Backstage	95	(12)
Preparing Your Presentation
Step 1: Define Your Objective	96	(1)
Step 2: Understand the Audience	97	(1)
Step 3: Decide What to Say	98	(1)
Step 4: Get Organized	99	(2)
Step 5: Develop Effective Visuals	101	(3)
Step 6: Rehearse	104	(1)
Summing Up	105	(2)
8 Show Time	107	(14)
Making an Effective Delivery
Speaking Effectively	108	(1)
Projecting a Positive Image	109	(1)
Keeping the Audience Engaged	110	(2)
Handling Questions	112	(4)
Making Group Presentations	116	(1)
Dealing with Stage Fright	117	(1)
Evaluating Your Presentation	118	(1)
Summing Up	119	(2)
9 Dialogue	121	(12)
The Ultimate Communication
Understanding the Other Person	123	(1)
Seeing Yourself (or Your Company) from the Other Person's Perspective	124	(2)
Creating Dialogue	126	(5)
Summing Up	131	(2)
Appendix A	133	(6)
Useful Implementation Tools
Appendix B	139	(4)
Writing the Perfect Job Application Cover Letter
Appendix C	143	(8)
Commonsense Rules for Presentation Visuals
Notes	151	(2)
Glossary	153	(2)
For Further Reading	155	(2)
Index	157	(4)
About the Subject Adviser	161	(1)
About the Writer	162