Rules of business communication, forms, principles, norms, means, goals and organization

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.

Argumentation phase

It is advisable to imagine the course of argumentation in advance and even rehearse it. Important to remember:

It is necessary to operate in simple, clear, precise and convincing concepts.
The method and pace of argumentation must correspond to the temperament of the interlocutor.
Arguments and evidence explained separately achieve their goal much more effectively than when they are presented all at once.
Three or four strong arguments achieve more impact than many “average” arguments.
Argumentation should not be declarative or look like a monologue of the “main character”.
Precisely placed pauses have more impact than a stream of words.
The interlocutor is better influenced by the “active” construction of the phrase than by the “passive” one when it comes to evidence (for example, it is better to say “we can do it ...” than “it can be done ...”)
Empty phrases indicate a weakening of attention and lead to unnecessary pauses in order to gain time.
You need to conduct your argument correctly in relation to your interlocutor.
You can continue to operate only with those arguments that are accepted by the interlocutor. It is necessary to adapt the arguments to the personality of our interlocutor, i.e.:
Direct your argument to the goals and motives of your interlocutor.
Avoid simply listing facts, but instead state the benefits or consequences of those facts that are of interest to the interlocutor.
Use only terminology that is understandable to the interlocutor.
Test the impact of arguments with cross-questions to monitor the level of understanding and perception of the interlocutor.
Do not forget that excessive persuasiveness causes resistance from the interlocutor.
Comparisons should be based on the experience of the interlocutor.

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.

Making decisions and ending conversations

The following main tasks are solved here:

Achieving the main or, in unfavorable cases, an alternative goal;
Ensuring a favorable atmosphere at the end of the conversation;
Stimulating the interlocutor to carry out the planned actions;
Providing a concise summary of the conversation that is understandable to everyone present, with a clearly defined main conclusion.

Decision making is a complex process, the successful completion of which can and should be learned. Let's look at nine basic principles of decision making.

Before going into details, try to get a good picture of the whole problem as best you can. Before making a decision, you need to get an idea of the phenomenon as a whole and the context in which this phenomenon fits, and only then analyze the details. Otherwise, both you and your interlocutor are in danger of getting bogged down in trifles without going beyond them.
Don't make a decision until you've considered all your options. “Measure seven times, cut once” - this principle applies in all situations (except, of course, emergencies). Hasty decision-making almost always leads to bitter regret later or to attract significant additional funds to eliminate the undesirable consequences of haste.
Doubt it. When listening to your interlocutor’s argument or building your own chain of evidence, do not take for granted or use the so-called “generally accepted truths.” The best evidence is facts, and one of the best criteria of truth is practice.
Try to look at the problem from a variety of points of view, even in cases where the chances of success seem minimal. Having prepared a solution, look, maybe it is just the most obvious, while the optimal one is somewhere on the side. Don't reject the impossible. Sometimes it can be brought to life.
Look for a model or analogy that will help you better understand the essence of the problem being solved. This can be a verbal or graphic model, a mathematical formula, or a reduced reproduction. At the same time, don't be lazy and pay attention to your actions. Find a suitable metaphor for them. If you are “banging your head against a wall” when analyzing a problem, think about who is putting up this wall, how high and strong it is. With the metaphor of a wall in mind, look for what is best to do with it: smash it with a battering ram (direct attack), climb over it (offensive), go around it (look for other ways to solve the problem), or go back (abandon the solution).
Don't be satisfied with the first solution that comes to mind. The first solution is simply the most obvious solution. The optimal and most creative (creative) may lie somewhere to the side. Therefore, imagine yourself as a critic and try to find all his weak points.
Before making a final decision, talk to someone about your concerns. Such a conversation will help you relax, organize the problem and see new aspects in it. It's also worth listening to what others have to say. They may be able to see something that has escaped your attention. Seeking advice does not mean sharing responsibility for a decision. It helps to once again abstract from the problem and clearly present it. Sometimes, when you talk through a problem, you begin to see it clearly.
Don't neglect your feelings. The leading role of logical thinking and common sense in analyzing problems and making decisions is beyond doubt. But we cannot underestimate the importance that feelings, experiences and intuition have.
Remember that each person looks at life and the problems that arise every day from his own special point of view. Therefore, when asking for expert opinions, you need to be able to stop in time (otherwise there will be so many of them that the picture will blur). Therefore, it is unlikely that your decision will be able to satisfy the needs of all interested parties. Most likely, there will also be dissatisfied people. But since you are responsible for the decision, that means you are responsible.

Finally, we will describe several techniques that speed up decision making. There are two techniques for speeding up decision making; direct and indirect. Direct acceleration is a direct question that requires a yes or no answer, 50% to 50%. Indirect acceleration - the decision is made through intermediate decisions. Indirect acceleration has three decision-making methods.

Hypothetical approach. It is advisable to talk about a conditional solution so that the interlocutor relaxes and gets used to it gradually. The following formulations are suitable: “If...”, “In the event that...”, “Suppose that...”
Step by step solutions. The final conclusions of the interlocutor can be prevented by assuming that the main point of the conversation has already been accepted. Then only preliminary or partial decisions are made. This achieves a fairly strong impact in the desired direction. In this way, individual decisions are recorded even before final consent is obtained.
Alternative solutions. It is important that both alternatives suit you equally. Using step-by-step and alternative solutions, you achieve solutions to intermediate problems. In this case, the possibility of encountering a “no” is much less than with direct acceleration.

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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.

Techniques for effective conversation starters

Method of relieving tension.
This method allows you to establish emotional contact with your interlocutor. Ask yourself: how would people want to feel in my company? Obviously, they would like to be greeted personally, would like to hear something pleasant, such as compliments. All you have to do is say a few kind words or make them smile with a joke. The "hook" method. Allows you to briefly outline a situation or problem, linking it to the content of the conversation, and use this “hook” as a starting point for a planned conversation. For these purposes, you can use some small event, comparison, personal impressions, anecdotal incident or unusual question.

A method for stimulating imagination play. This method involves asking a lot of questions at the beginning of the conversation about a number of issues that need to be addressed later. By doing this, you show that you understand the complexity of the situation and at the same time give a signal that an optimal solution to the problem is possible.

Direct approach method. Characterized by a direct transition to the point, there is no introduction. The scheme for starting a conversation is as follows: the reasons why the conversation was scheduled are communicated, and a quick transition is made from general questions to specific ones. This method is suitable primarily for short-term and not very important business contacts, for example, in communication between a boss and subordinates.

Follow these guidelines:

Achieve extreme brevity in the presentation of your thoughts.
Speak the other person's language.
Show him your respect.
Address by first and last name, if appropriate.
Make positive comments regarding the equipment of the work premises, their interior, business reputation, and exemplary work organization.
Tell us about the changes that have occurred since the last meeting.
Prepare your first question so that it is short, interesting, but not controversial.
Justify your judgments.
Ask questions more often: “why?”, “why?”, “when?”, “how?”, the answers to which allow you to better understand the position of the interlocutor.
Clarify whether you are following the interlocutor’s train of thought: “If I understood you correctly?.. As I understood, do you mean?..”

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.

Types of professional communication

Business communication can take the form of:

conversations,
meetings,
meetings,
meetings,
negotiations,
presentations
conferences,
correspondence,
consultations,
interview,
report and in other permitted form.

A self-respecting professional and specialist needs to be able to interact competently, know the rules and language of business communication.

Successful people interact both directly in person in an official setting and indirectly through technical means: telephone, fax, mail, Internet programs.

Increasingly, in modern society they are resorting to electronic communication systems, and the organization of work is becoming virtual. High technologies help increase the speed of information transfer and its accuracy, eliminating the “human” factor.

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.

Language of communication in the business environment

The concept of "language" is used to refer to the system of signs through which people think and speak. It is also a way of expressing a person's self-awareness.

The language of business communication is an official business style of speech intended for communicative interaction in a professional business environment, as well as other related areas.

Business language is a system of communication in oral and written form that regulates working relationships.

The official style of writing has the following features:

concise presentation of information;
strictly required form;
special terminology, cliches, clericalism;
narrative nature of written speech;
almost complete absence of emotionally expressive means of speech.

Business oral speech has three components:

content component (characterized by clarity and logic);
expressive component (characterizes the emotional side of information);
incentive component (recognized to influence the feelings and thoughts of the interlocutor).

The language of business communication of the subject of interaction is assessed according to the following indicators:

Lexicon. The larger it is, the more expressive and effective the speech is. Moreover, the interlocutor is a literate, educated, cultured person.
Vocabulary composition. In addition to how many words a person knows, what kind of words they are is equally important. Words used in common parlance, as well as obscene and slang expressions are unacceptable in the business environment.
Pronunciation. The written language of the organization is the official state language of the country or the international business language (English). Business communication in the form of oral speech is complemented by pronunciation. It is customary to speak in a dialect that is closest to the literary language.
Stylistics and grammar. The language must be literate. Correct direct word order in a sentence, absence of tautology, filler words, etc.

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.

Reviews and comments

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

We also recommend reading:

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Secrets of communication from the greats
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7 levels of communication according to A. B. Dobrovich
How to Deal with Difficult People
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Eldred's Power Strategy
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Key words:1Communication

About business risks

There is no business in isolation from other people. That is, there are always two sides: what we create and to whom we offer it. It is clear that the latter are filled with a ton of proposals and it is important for us that it is ours that is remembered.

Communication (verbal, marketing) is how I convey my meaning. Either I make this channel more and more professional and of higher quality, or I throw money away. Professionalism in business is like in sculpture, you need to cut off everything unnecessary. Unfortunately, many companies waste money, time, and effort training their employees to do things that don't work.

For example, I once created a single conglomerate of two companies, a large Russian and a Western one. There were tough confrontations there. For example, a meeting is scheduled. Americans and British usually go to a meeting to develop a common position, hear where everyone wants to move next, and set synergy. Our people come to receive clear instructions on what to do next. As a result, during this hour and a half, Americans are trying to create a common space for communication, and Russians are perplexed: why are we wasting our time? It turns out that both sides are right, and the situation is zero.

For me, the logic of built communication is:

Agree with yourself what you ultimately need.
Build a communication mode in such a way as to clearly measure the achievement of the goal.

There is a concept of meta-competencies. No matter where the world develops, there are certain competencies that must be developed within people. Either we all learn to understand each other better, or we all blow up. I believe that we will either master this process, or our civilization will take another turn.

Be honest

Of course, this is not so much a communication technique as a basic life principle. People don't trust those who behave suspiciously or don't say something. In work communication, it is especially important not to lie or hide important information from colleagues. Otherwise, effective teamwork will not work.

People will treat you better and respect you more if you are honest with them, even if it means admitting you were wrong. But still keep it in moderation. Some words may be honest but offensive.

The technique of attentive listening is to

pay close attention to what is said
contact your partner with a request, if something is unclear, to repeat and clarify any questions
ask him for clarification.

At the same time, your partner will feel that he is not just wasting time performing the routine ritual of business negotiations, but will experience satisfaction.

There are two types of listening: reflective and non-reflective.

Non-reflective listening is the simplest. Here you just need to use such simple techniques as interested silence and a minimal verbal reaction such as “hmm-hmm” or “aha.” It's good if it goes without interruption. Reaction signals can be different, as long as they do not contain evaluations and judgments. Non-reflective listening is especially valuable when you need to express painful issues. However, attentive listening is not always sufficient. If the interlocutor mistakes your silence for agreement, you need to enter into a conversation - that is, move on to reflective listening.

During reflective listening, we enter into a feedback relationship with the speaker, which does not exclude elements of evaluation or judgment. This makes it clear to the person that they are understood and want to help.

To ensure understanding, the listener must let the speaker know what he or she is getting so that he can adjust his message.

About conflicts and emotional intelligence

Energy arises where there is contradiction. There is a fantastic story that describes how earthly civilization was almost destroyed. Because the aliens said, “You couldn't be that good of a negotiator. Apparently, you destroyed the nation with which you were in constant confrontation.” And the planet survived only because they learned that our confrontation is “hardwired” at the gender level. We don’t hear each other, we constantly have to negotiate.

There are systemic points of conflict: you don’t understand the situation as much as I do.

For example, imagine the beginning of a dialogue:

“Darling, I want to calmly, in a comfortable environment, discuss the fact that you are raising our children incorrectly.”

Further communication will be, to put it mildly, energetically filled, but will lead nowhere. We must learn to identify the points from which communication goes in the wrong direction. Communication or negotiations begin with awareness of your emotions:

I realized what was triggering my uncontrollable flow of emotions.
Or I know how to build communications in such a way as to bypass other people’s reasons for launching such a flow.

Any communication is as difficult as you are not ready for it. There are several dozen rules that describe the “minefields” of communication. And the first is a blow to self-esteem. Therefore, women react negatively to the phrase: “Honey, you look great today.” Or, for example, I was invited to visit, and I say: “It’s good that we met here. I need to re-glue the wallpaper. The color of the chandelier is not suitable. Okay, let’s have some tea.”

Let me translate this classic mistake from my example into the language of business negotiations. A man came to someone else’s office, to the head of another department, approximately equal to him in status, and said: “The problem is obvious, it is not easy, I think this is how we should do it.”

In this situation, he has already stepped on two calluses: on foreign territory he allows himself to dictate terms and burden his status partner with meanings. He may be right in essence, but he is wrong in the form of communication.

If I'm interested in creating that tension, I work to get into the confrontation zone. So I'm right, I'm a communicator. If it seems to me that I expressed the right thought, and how I expressed it is not important, then I am a communicator.

Be ready to meet halfway

Everyone speaks and understands their interlocutor differently, based on their own field of activity, level of education and culture. Therefore, when explaining something to a person from another field, do not use slang words and terms. Give a simple analogy and use clear language.

This is very important because during your career you will have to collaborate with people from completely different fields. If you do not meet them halfway, many misunderstandings and mistakes may arise. And clarity and mutual understanding are the basis for effective work of the entire team.

Business information does not always reach us in the volume we would like.

Sometimes you have to get it by asking your partners about the essential aspects of the matter. A well-posed question is one that you want to answer or that you want to think about. It has been noticed that it is better to start a business conversation with a series of pre-prepared questions. The very fact of asking questions shows interest in communication and proves interest in the interlocutor. The art of persuasion is to lead the interlocutor to the desired conclusion, and not to impose this conclusion by the force of logic, voice or authority. The real question is a question of information, not a hidden accusation. (How could you..., why didn't you....)

How to Succeed in Business Communications

Most people start from the concept of “I love three people: me, myself and that dude in the mirror,” enjoying their vision of how to do something right. Instead of assessing what state the consciousness of another person should be transferred to.

I have a favorite story. Several years ago, two large companies argued over the ownership of objects. One company went through several courts confirming that it was the main owner. But during this time, the previous owner rewrote all the lease agreements, adding all sorts of fines for breaking them. And he didn’t negotiate.

There was no way to reach an agreement here, because in this situation there was only the dictate of conditions. I admired the grace of their decision. The next day, tenants and residents of the hotel (the main object of the dispute) saw that the entire first floor was filled with coffins. From morning to evening, a funeral march played in the hotel. The property owners stood sad, with plumes and wreaths, “We are the best to send you off.” Everything is within the law, there is no blackmail - a certain environment has just been created. In two weeks, they received a thirty percent outflow of customers from the hotel. And the other side itself came to them to negotiate.

This is an example of the ability to increase leverage over a situation through the right events. In the vast majority of cases, no negotiation or communication is necessary. The correct mode of influence on a person’s consciousness is required so that he comes to the “correct” thought.

You need to see a person within the framework of his life system. If you want to be interesting, be interested. It is important to evaluate not just the person himself, but the person in the system of his life connections (cultural values, social contacts).

Methods for determining modality

By the eyes
By hand gestures (visual modality - at face level, auditory - at chest level, kinesthetic - below the waist)
According to the tempo of speech (visual modality - accelerated, auditory - smooth, measured, kinesthetic - slow pace)
By voice intonation (visual modality - increased, auditory - monotonous, kinesthetic - decreased)
According to the characteristics of clothing. (for visual learners, it is important that it be beautiful. As a rule, they pay a lot of attention to their appearance, even to the detriment of comfort. For kinesthetic learners, it is important that it tastes good and is comfortable. Clothes should be comfortable, beauty is in the background. Kinesthetic learners are often overweight. For auditory learners likes to talk (and listen to their own voice as well). A typical auditory person has a well-trained voice. They can talk for hours on any topic.)