Business English 9780070667778, 0070667772

Table of contents :
Cover
Preface
Contents
Unit 1: Winning Resumes
Transcript
Help Zone
Unit 2 Group Discussions
Transcript
Help Zone
Unit 3: First Day at Work
Transcript
Help Zone
Unit 4 Getting to Know Your Team
Transcript
Help Zone
Unit 5: Effective Telephone Skills
Transcript
Help Zone
Unit 6: Effective Meeting
Transcrip
Help Zone
Unit 7: Breaking Bad News
Transcript
Help Zone
Unit 8: Videoconferencing
Transcript
Help Zone
Unit 9: Handling Complaints
Transcript
Help Zone
Unit 10: Persuasive Messages
Transcript
Help Zone
Unit 11: Negotiations
Transcript
Help Zone
Unit 12: Public Speaking and Presentation Skills
Transcript
Help Zone
Model Answers

Citation preview

N WIN ING

TATA McGRAW-HILL’S

WE

SERIES

EDG E

Business English

N WIN ING

TATA McGRAW-HILL’S

WE

SERIES

EDG E

Business English T Samson Centre for Training & Development, English and Foreign Languages University (Formerly CIEFL) Hyderabad

Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Limited NEW DELHI McGraw-Hill Offices New Delhi New York St Louis San Francisco Auckland Bogotá Caracas Kuala Lumpur Lisbon London Madrid Mexico City Milan Montreal San Juan Santiago Singapore Sydney Tokyo Toronto

Tata McGraw-Hill Published by Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Limited, 7 West Patel Nagar, New Delhi 110 008. Business English Copyright © 2009 by Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Limited No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise or stored in a database or retrieval system without the prior written permission of the author. The program listings (if any) may be entered, stored and executed in a computer system, but they may not be reproduced for publication. This edition can be exported from India only by the publishers, Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Limited. ISBN (13): 978-0-07-066777-8 ISBN (10): 0-07-066777-2 Managing Director: Ajay Shukla General Manager—Publishing (B&E/HSSL and School): V Biju Kumar Sponsoring Editors: K N Prakash/Abhishek Sharma Senior Copy Editor: Anupma Rai Junior Manager—Production: Medha Arora General Manager—Marketing (Higher Education & School): Michael J Cruz Product Manager: Vijay Sarathi Jagannathan Controller—Production: Rajender P Ghansela Asst. General Manager—Production: B L Dogra Information contained in this work has been obtained by Tata McGraw-Hill, from sources believed to be reliable. However, neither Tata McGraw-Hill nor its authors guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information published herein, and neither Tata McGraw-Hill nor its authors shall be responsible for any errors, omissions, or damages arising out of use of this information. This work is published with the understanding that Tata McGraw-Hill and its authors are supplying information but are not attempting to render engineering or other professional services. If such services are required, the assistance of an appropriate professional should be sought. Typeset at Bharati Composers, 159A, D-6, Sector-VI, Rohini, Delhi 110 085, and printed at Lalit Offset Printers, K-179, Karawal Nagar Industrial Area, Delhi 110 094 Cover Design: K Anoop Cover printed at: Rashtriya Printers RALYCDLXRYDAL The McGraw-Hill Companies

To my parents

The other highlight of this course is the loop input. The reading and listening texts in the book perform two major functions. They help students acquire the sub-skills of reading and listening, and they provide valuable tips on effective workplace communication. I sincerely hope that the book will initiate the process of self-development in the user and contribute to the teaching community’s efforts to help their students emerge as complete professionals. T SAMSON

I wish to express my gratitude to the following people who readily granted me permission to reprint their article: Christine Perey, PEREY Research & Consulting Christopher Ernstorm, Consultant Colin Ong, Managing Director, MR=MC Consulting Pvt. Ltd Ed Brodow, http://www.brodow.com/ Helen Wilkie, http://www.mhwcom.com Joe Love, JLM & Associates, Inc. Kim Harrison Principal, Century Consulting Group Lynn Gerlach, Communication Consultant Martin Haworth, http://www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com Patricia Wiklund, http://www.1personbusiness.com Tim Clancy, Publisher, Graduating Engineer & Computer Careers T SAMSON

Welcome to Career Corner. This is Harish Mehta, your host. This morning we are going to get you some good advice on putting together a good résumé. Our expert today is Dr. Anjali Raj, Senior Vice President careerfolks.com. HM: Good morning, Dr. Raj and welcome to the show. AR: Thank you. A very good morning to you. HM: Dr. Raj why do you think a résumé is an important document? AR: Well, it’s the first stage of the selection process. A résumé outlines a candidate’s skills, competencies, confidence level; their professionalism. Prospective employers leaf through résumés in about 15 to 20 seconds and they form their opinions about the candidates in this short span of time. It’s for this reason that a résumé is a crucial document. This is why résumé writing a difficult task. HM: (Laughing) Please don’t scare off our listeners! AR: (Laughing) No, I’m not trying to intimidate them. I want them to give their résumés the attention it deserves. HM: I’m sure they appreciate the importance of résumés. Could you tell us how to plan this important document? AR: The way you plan any piece of writing. You need to make a few important decisions. Ask yourself, “Why am I preparing this document?” That’ll take you to the objective of your résumé. You should know what kind of jobs you are looking for. That is the first decision you have to make before you write the résumé. Your résumé will appear unfocussed to the employer if you don’t have a clear objective in your mind. HM: What next? AR: Ask yourself “How much time does my reader have?” The answer to this question will ensure that your résumé does not become a long and boring story about your life. HM: We agree that a résumé is not a life story. But what’s the best way to describe it? AR: I’d say it’s a sales document. It sells the idea that you’re the best person for the job. Like all good persuasive write-ups it’s directed towards specific objectives. Of course, it’s an honest document. HM: That’s a nice way of putting it!

3.2 RÉSUMÉ Personal Details: Name: Phone: Email Address: Postal Address: Objective: (Three lines) Accomplishments: (Use action words to highlight achievements useful to the company you are interested in). Refer to the résumé ready reference, words to avoid lists below. Education: List Degrees/diplomas, specialisation, awards. Start with the most recent. Work experience: (Mention work-related experience, even if they are not directly employment-based) Personal affiliations and interests: (List activities/membership in organisation relevant to the job) References: (Say references are available on request) Signature: Date:

Résumé: Ready-Reference Wordlist Achieved Acquired Adapted

1. A goal 2. A target 1. Knowledge 2. Skills 1. A code 2. A programme

Are you good at group discussion? Listen to Imtiaz Hussein. Imtiaz is Divisional Manager, Bright Prospects. Bright Prospects prepares students for competitive examinations. Ever watched a cricket match? Or played cricket for your school or college? Silly questions, aren’t they, especially since they are addressed to an Indian student? You must also be wondering about the relevance of these questions to group discussions, an important part of the selection process. The analogy of a cricket game is not misplaced when you realise that group discussions are a tool to evaluate a candidate’s potential to be a leader… and his or her ability to work in teams. To understand the niceties of group discussions, you need to remember that today’s organisations are interested in team players rather than superstars. To do well in a group discussion, you have to remind yourself of the value of discussion skills. These are life-skills. In today’s world, no one can hope to be an island. He or she is a part of a group wherever he or she is: in a class, on the playing field, or in an office. It’s, therefore, essential that you know how to size up a group, how to discover what a group might achieve, how to talk in ways that might influence others, and how to resolve conflicts that sometimes impede groups. Think of group discussions as an essential part of your life and not as an uncomfortable routine in your job-search. Believe me you will start liking them. How do most group discussions work? Normally, 8–10 candidates are asked to form a leaderless group. The group is given a specific situation to analyse and discuss within a given time limit, about 20–25 minutes. The group may be given a case study and asked to come out with a solution for a problem. They may be given a topic and asked to discuss it. After the topic is announced, the group is given a few minutes to collect their thoughts. Then the group is asked to discuss the topic. A panel, which normally comprises the functional and HR executives of a company will observe and evaluate the members of a group. Candidate’s performance is assessed in terms of certain well-defined parameters.

1.6 GROUP DISCUSSION: NOTE-CARD Topic: ________________________________________________________________ Name

Name

Name

Name

Name

Discussion

1

Ideas

2

Questions

MODEL REPORT OF MEETINGS The meeting began with the announcement of the topic “Globalisation: Bane or Boon?” The discussion was centred on the following points: 1. Definition of globalisation: What do we mean by the term? 2. Effects of globalisation on developing countries — effects on economic, political and cultural spheres: positive and negative effects. 3. Effects of globalisation on India: positive and negative effects.

Raj When I walked into Transom to report for work for the first time, I was in for a big surprise. The General Manager of my new company was waiting for me at the gate. Waiting with him was the entire HR team! I was garlanded… and they gave me a big bouquet too. I was hugely embarrassed! Looking back I feel it’s an out-of-the-world experience. I’m indeed lucky to be part of this company. Nalini My first day at the workplace? Well.. I had an interesting experience all right. After the interview, I received the offer letter and.. mm mmm… I was asked to report at TV Software Solutions’ corporate office on a particular day. I reached the place at 9 o’clock and you know what? The office is closed. There was no one there! (Laughter) not a soul!!. I waited for half an hour.. worried and confused ..and then I left the place. I thought I’d been taken for a ride, you know. I tried calling them but the number was busy the whole day. And guess what, the next day the HR manager calls me and asks me why I didn’t report the previous day! He told me that the office opened at 10 o’clock! We still have a good laugh over it. John My first day at Bright Computers.... I must tell you I was completely lost on my first day.. I was asked to report to a Mr. Christopher but there was no sign of him. I waited for a couple of hours and then some one told me that he’s on leave. I went to the HR department but no one knew anything about my appointment. Apparently, the papers hadn’t reached them. I’d been interviewed by a different team, you see! Luckily there were a couple of others waiting to report, so it wasn’t so depressing! Sunil I had a very interesting first day. When I entered my new office there’s practically nobody! MGV’s HR, Manager’s the only one around. He motioned me to sit, he was on the phone, you see, and a little later he told me that the staff’s busy with the annual vendor’s meet. “Why don’t you come back at 6 in the evening? The meet is at 7. Come to Muskan International, the hotel on the PV Road.” Well, I did that. I went to the hotel dressed in formal clothes.

2.3

IDEAL WORKPLACE

1. Do I want to work for an organisation or run my own business? 2. What kind of business would excite me (Modern? traditional?) 3. What kind of organisation would I like to work in (Large? Medium? Small?) 4. What kind of values do I want my organisation to have? (Profit maximisation? Ethical practice?) 5. What kind of organisational culture do I like? (Quite relaxed and flexible, maybe with a casual dress code to match? Structured and possibly very formal?) 6. What do I expect organisation to offer me? (Big salary? Opportunity for flexible work and further training?) 7. What kind of people do I want to work with? (A real mix of outlooks and opinions, people who share my outlook?) 8. What pace do I like to work at? (Love stiff deadlines? Hate working to a schedule?) 9. Does the physical location of an organisation matter to me? (Quiet rural place? Buzz of a city or town?)

3.2 EFFECTIVE EMAILS Email : A cross between speech and writing Like speech it is interactive and sketchy. It is like writing, in that, it gives no clue about the speaker’s status or emotions. It is unlike speech and writing, in that, the hard and soft ware that you and your reader use to compose and download messages may be very different. What does it mean for us? 1. Do not send emails, if you do not have a good reason for sending them. 2. Remember to have e-respect: Without eye contact, tone of voice and body language to cushion it, your message can come across far more

Jyothi: Hi, Manoj! How’s life? Manoj: Not very good, I’m afraid. J: Really? I thought you’re doing extremely well for a new recruit! M: Well, I have no problems with the tasks. In fact, I’ve managed to complete them ahead of schedule. J: That’s very good! Where’s the problem then? M: I don’t know how to put it……I feel I’m not wanted around here. Colleagues avoid me. They leave my cubicle the moment their business with me’s over. You know the signs! J: But, that’s not what people say about you. They say you’re a cool guy, sincere and efficient. M: Well, I’m not sure that’s what they feel about me. If I’m cool, why do they stop their conversation and wait for me to pass? J: Maybe you’re imagining all this. Maybe it’s just a coincidence, you know. M: I think it’s much more than mere coincidence. People concentrate on the food, once I join them at their table. Colleagues who never miss an opportunity to chat at the office kitchen, prefer to carry their mugs to their cabins. Are you saying these too are coincidences? Jokes stop midway, songs dry up the moment I appear on the scene. J: You’ve got me there!....... Tell me, is that how it was right from day one? M: Heavens, no! People readily introduced themselves to me and wished me luck. They were more than willing to help me. J: I see! It’s good that you aren’t readily putting the blame on others. Look back at your first fortnight at work. Did you offend anyone? M: Are you kidding me? You know me, don’t you? It’s not in me. J: I know. Perhaps it’s your attitude that put them off. Perhaps your behaviour was a bit too casual, you know, a hangover from your previous organisation. M: Not really. I made sure I never took liberties with people. Never called them by their first name you know. I always waited for them to tell me

(Voice over): Samuel Johnson is the founder of “Call to Success,” an organisation, that, has been schooling young executives in the fine art of telephoning. He is also the author of the bestseller, ‘Telequette.’ ANN caught up with him last week. Interviewer: Good afternoon, Mr. Johnson! Welcome to our show career success. SJ: Thank you for having me on your show. I: Could you please tell our listeners how you thought of setting up an institute devoted to developing telephone skills. SJ: Twenty years ago, I was a telephonist with R&R Marketing Services. I was amazed at the way people misused the telephone! Anyone handling telephone calls for a few hours everyday, would realise that very few people really know how to use the phone. We’re incredibly ignorant, even years after the telephone became an integral part of our life. People assume that their listeners can and should instantly recognise them from their voice or the listener knows shorthand or their listeners have nothing else to do in life. I: I know. But when did you decide to set up “Call to Success”? SJ: When people complimented me on my telephone skills. In fact, I must give all the credit to my friend Joseph. He suggested this idea. “Don’t waste your talent on one company,” he said. “Teach people your telephone skills. Create awareness among people. You won’t regret it” That was his advice. I thought, “why not?” And that’s how Call to Success was born. I needn’t regret, eh? (Laughs) I: Not at all. Tell us what you teach in your programmes. I hope it is not top secret! (Laughs) SJ: Not at all. We help bring about a change in the way our trainees view the telephone. We want them to understand that it is an instrument for convenience, neither an imaginary master nor a monster, programmed to shatter their mental peace. I: I see. What else?

2.3 TELEPHONE CONVERSATION Example: A: Hello ! (sigh) B: This is Ramu from SRR Silks. Could I speak to you for a minute? A: Sure. (Yawn) B: We’ve come up with a new series of dress materials made of our shrink free GF yarn. A: I see (yawn) B: I’d like you to see the new range. You’d be bowled over. A: Really? (Suppressing another yawn) Can we fix up the meeting tomorrow? B: if you don’t mind, I’d like to finalise your visit to our factory now. A: But, I need to check with my wife..sorry ..secretary to find out when I’m free this week. B: I see. Could I call you tomorrow morning? A: Sure.

2.4

SITUATIONS FOR TELEPHONE CONVERSATION

Introducing yourself

Answering the phone

Hello, my name’s Ira. This is Ira speaking from IL Plastics. This is Rahul Dev of M&M.

Good Morning/afternoon, CAB Systems. Good Morning/afternoon, NYE Enterprises, Rishab Rao speaking. Who’s calling please? PB Rao’s phone. PB Rao’s office. This is he/she. Can I ask you who’s calling, please? What company are you from, please? Can I ask what it’s about?

Good Morning, ladies and gentlemen! It gives me great pleasure to share my views on a topic that should interest everyone of us here in this room. I’m going to take the next few minutes to talk about effective meetings. I’ve divided my talk into three parts: 1. Need for meetings 2. Features of a good meeting 3. meeting dos and don’ts. First of all, do we need meetings? We all know meetings are expensive affairs, considering the fact a lot of useful work could be done during the time spent on unproductive meetings. So, why have meetings? Well, meetings can be very useful. The staff can learn directly from the administration about new policies. They can participate in decisions affecting them. Meetings can ensure communication between a member of a team and his or her supervisors and co-workers. Everyone in a unit can stay informed of new developments or conditions faced on the job. When communication is constant, I’m sure you’ll agree with me, potential problems can be detected early and solved, saving the organisation time and money. In short, meetings are a useful means to inform people about policies or operations, gather information, conduct training, resolve problems, and make decisions. A meeting, then, is a miniscule version of the workplace. Meetings almost inevitable since in modern days, an increasing percentage of work done in an organisation is accomplished by teams. Meetings, therefore, provide the setting in which much of the important work done in an organisation gets done. On the flipside, they could be the settings where much of time and energy is wasted. Having agreed on the necessity of meetings, let’s move on to consider the features of an effective meeting. The first major ingredient of a successful meeting is the people attending the meeting. If you find it a little too obvious, consider the number of meetings in your organisation that have occurred without the right people in them. I’m sure these are more than a handful. The organiser of a meeting should draw up the invitee list by consulting a few people.

2.3 GREAT IDEAS FOR EFFECTIVE MEETING Ideas to make meetings more productive 1. Have icebreakers before the meeting 2. Have awards for the best ideas 3. Before starting the business on the agenda, felicitate employees celebrating their birthdays, anniversaries, etc. 4. Establish rapport by organising quizzes where the members of the group are the topic: e.g. Who likes to read in his free time?/Who enjoys cooking? 5. Install a whiteboard/fixograph for the unit members to communicate with one another (share photographs, display their write-ups, etc.)

2.4 SOL VE THE MYSTER Y SOLVE MYSTERY Teatown, a small beautiful town surrounded by a lake was agog with excitement. An early riser jogging along Major Sinha road discovered a car involved in a major accident. It had rammed against the tree, killing the driver. The driver of the car was 40-year old Nirmal, a criminal lawyer. Police sent the body of Nirmal for postmortem. Even before Nirmal’s family could come to grips with this tragedy, there was more bad news waiting for them. Nirmal’s death was not an accident! It seemed a cold-blooded murder! The autopsy revealed a bullet wound behind Nirmal’s right ear. Nirmal’s death was caused by a bullet injury to his brain! The police were looking for a .22 caliber rifle, and more importantly, its owner. Who killed Nirmal? Did the police find the killer? Figure out how it happened for yourself. � Rearrange the jumbled words to construct meaningful sentences. � Use these clues to reconstruct the crime.

Seema: Rakesh, may I have a word with you? R: You may, if it’s not about my missing my deadlines. S: I see. But why are you averse to discussing this rather annoying habit? R: It isn’t a habit. I just forgot the deadline a couple of times. S: How can you forget, Rakesh? I make it clear to everyone at the team meetings. I also send reminders to everyone. R: I know. You’re an angel and others are devils. S: I don’t think that’s a healthy attitude, Rakesh. R: Don’t lecture me, Miss Team Leader. I know my job. S: I’m sure you do. I’m only asking you to respect deadlines. R: Are you telling me I’m the only one to miss deadlines? I know half a dozen other guys who don’t give a damn about deadlines. S: I’ll have a chat with them too. I just want you to know the team’s work suffers when one or two members play truant. R: How dare you call me a truant! I don’t want to talk about it anymore. You go ahead and do your worst. S: Sit down. I haven’t finished yet. You have no business to get upset! What’s wrong in calling you a truant executive? You are famous for ignoring your work and coming up with new excuses for not completing it on time. I’ve been meaning to talk to you for a long time. It’s happened once too often for me not to talk about it. R: Do you ever try to find out why I miss my deadlines? S: Well, that’s not my business. I’m here to ensure that the team’s decisions are implemented. R: That’s leadership, eh? S: I know what leadership’s all about. And you’re the least qualified to comment on my leadership skills. R: I may not be qualified to comment on your skills, but I do know you’re more than willing to blame others for your failure. S: Do you expect me to say sorry to you for you missing your deadline? R: I didn’t say that. Isn’t it the team’s responsibility to find out why someone who has bagged 5 best executive awards is lagging behind now? You make it appear as though I’ve always been a reluctant worker.

2.5 ROLE PLAYS

Role Play 1 A Your partner is your neighbour. He/She is an extremely nice person. But, he/she has a terrible habit. Whenever he/she wants to go out of town, he/she dumps his/her dog on you. The dog is extremely restless and destructive. You have to struggle with it for several days. You have decided to put an end to this. Next time when he/she comes to you, with the request to look after her dog in his/ her absence tell him/her firmly, but politely, that he/she should consider leaving Misha in a pet-care centre. He/She won’t give up without a fight. Convince him/her that this cannot go on. But please don’t be rude!

Role Play 1 B Your partner is your neighbour. The two of you are very good friends. He/She looks after your one-year old cocker spaniel Misha whenever you go out of town. Your neighbour has a way with dogs. Misha loves him/her. When Misha is with him/her, you have nothing to worry about! Of late he/she seems a little reluctant to look after Misha. You have to go on a business trip to Delhi for a week. Request him/her to take care of Misha in your absence. Don’t let him/her convince you to leave Misha in a pet-care centre!

Sheetal: Hello, Ram! How was the meeting? Ram: OK, I guess. S: It’s a pretty lengthy discussion, I thought. R: Not really. We had to wait for the client, who joined us half an hour late. S: Oh! And what’s his excuse? R: He didn’t get the meeting notice. Actually, it’s his day off. Luckily for us, he happened to have some work, so we got him. S: What poor planning! Who’s responsible for organising the meeting? R: Suresh. But you can’t blame him. He wasn’t asked to coordinate this meeting. They assumed that it’s his turn and he knew about it. S: The meeting must have been a waste of time then, if the guy wasn’t ready for the meeting. R: That’s right. We’d to postpone the discussion on a number of important points related to the design. In any case the videoconferences in our units are never anything to write home about. We end up discussing the same issues by email or by telephone. S: I know. I thought the major problem is the equipment you have. R: They’re quiet primitive. But that’s only one part of the problem. The room where we have our videoconferences is terrible. The room’s cluttered with furniture and the windows are bang in front of the videoconferencing system. The blinds are very old and allow plenty of light to enter the room. The lighting is terrible and the furnitures, heavy. Every time you lean forward, there’s a horrible creek. S: (Laughing) You seem to be mighty upset about the set up. R: Wouldn’t you be? You can never make yourself understood by the other participants. Someone or the other keeps coughing into the microphones or drumming with their fingers. People are carrying on side conversations. If everyone is quiet, the guys in the stores section choose to drag their chairs or drop a book. One feels miserable. S: I know. Some of them arrive ten minutes late and expect us to stop the meeting and tell them the story so far.

Customer Service Executive: Hello! TSP Phones. Customer: Good Morning. Am I speaking to Ms. Roy of the Customer Care Unit? CSE: You are. How may I help you? C: Yeah, I’m Nikil Das, one of your subscribers. This is about your plan to send this year’s Yellow Pages through FTP. CSE: What about it? C: Well, I wish to point out it isn’t such a great idea. Many of your subscribers will not have the File Transfer Protocol software, you see. They’ll find it difficult to download your Yellow Pages. CSE: People should know they can download reliable FTP software for free. There are several web sites that allow one to download it absolutely free. C: In that case, your letter should have mentioned these web sites. There should also some assurance to the subscriber that these downloads are absolutely safe. CSE: We can’t do that. We can only make a suggestion. It’s up to you to decide. C: Decide what? CSE: Decide whether you’d like to buy the FTP software or download free software. C: I don’t think the company can pass the buck to the subscriber. It’s you who decided not to send the CD and put this year’s Yellow Pages on your web site. CSE: We’re cutting costs, you know. This year the estimated cost of production is about 500 rupees a CD. C: But you’re charging your subscribers for it, aren’t you? CSE: Not really. The CD is a compliment. We can’t afford to give the subscriber such an expensive gift every year. C: I know, but aren’t there ways of reducing the cost of CD production? I’m sure you know of firms that can produce your CDs for half the cost you mentioned.

2.2 ATTITUDE TO COMPLAINTS QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Test general attitude to complaint (negative) (neutral) (positive) (a) nuisance (b) part of one’s (c) chance to satisfy and win professional life over customer (-) (±) (+) 2. Test general attitude to complainants (a) trouble— (b) people who make (c) people who provide makers the working day eventful valuable feedback (-) (±) (+) 3. Test attitude when personally receiving complaints (a) unpleasant/ (b) unavoidable (c) chance to impress a awkward customer and one’s superiors (-) (±) (+) 4. Test attitude when complaint is targetted at one’s own performance/non-performance (a) Put blame on customer (b) Defensive (c) Believe customer (-) (±) (+) 5. Test attitude to follow-up on complaints (a) Hold someone (b) Forget bout it (c) Remove irritants/ responsible snags (-) (±) (+)

Host: Organisations today are moving towards a leadership-style that is based on persuasion. As more and more companies embrace participative management, persuasion becomes an essential tool for managers. A manager cannot hope to achieve her goals without the skills of persuasion. In today’s professional’s corner, we’re going to discuss the fine art of persuasion. We’re happy to have with us today K.L. Murari, Chairman and founder of M&M Human Resource Consultants. This is a live programme. Mr. Murari will answer your questions on the art and skill of persuasion. Please SMS your questions to 5577. I repeat 5-5-7-7. Our expert will answer your queries before the end of the programme. Good evening Mr. Murari and welcome to the show. Murarai: Thank you. H: Let’s set the ball rolling by defining persuasion. What, in your view, is persuasion? M: I’d define it as the fine art of altering another person’s beliefs about something, his or her attitudes to someone or something, and ultimately, that person’s behaviour. H: Wow! That’s quite a succinct yet comprehensive definition. Could you elaborate on these three terms? What do you mean by “beliefs”? M: By beliefs I mean the way someone perceives a person or an object. For instance, an employee might know that teamwork is good for him and the company. His knowledge is based on his belief. It’s the way he looks at teamwork, so to speak. H: Are you saying that knowledge and belief are one and the same? M: I’m claiming that beliefs belong to the realm of the rational and attitudes belong to the affective zone. H: Can you explain what you mean by “affective”? M: Let’s go back to the example. The same person who knows and believes that teamwork is the way to do things in an organisation might like to work alone. Here you notice a conflict between knowing and liking, the head and the heart, if you like. H: I see. Are you then suggesting that knowing something’s bad is different from hating it?

2.12 SPEAKING PERSUASIVELY Product

Customer

1. Smoothday Shaving Cream 2. GoodFit Jeans 3. GoodTackle Hockey stick 4. Wonderchef Non-stick pan 5. Stallion Rum

A. Mr Abbas. Has a long, flowing beard. He is very proud of his beard. He constantly chews tobacco. He is very, very clean. B. Mrs Shakuntala Rao. She is sixty. She is very, very orthodox. She is very fond of her grandchildren. C. Mr Ram, a middle-aged bachelor. Hates sports & games. Lives alone in an old hose in the outskirts of the city. D. Mrs. Urmila Bhatnagar. She is 35. She hates cooking. She is fond of eating. Loves visiting people. E. Sadhu Sunderji. He doesn’t drink. Catches a cold every other day. He is worried about his health.

Here is an example: Assume that you have picked up Card 1. smoothday shaving cream

It is the name of the product I have to sell to my customer

A reads Mr Abbas. He has a long, flowing beard. He is very proud of his beard. He constantly chews tobacco. He is very, very clean and tidy. You have to sell smoothday shaving cream to Mr Abbas, who does not shave at all! Use the clues in Card B. He chews tobacco. He is very clean and tidy. So here is my strategy. Will present smoothday as a cleaning agent like toilet soap. I will tell him “Mr Abbas, smoothday has a special property. It has potent - D, which removes all kinds of stains and marks on the skin. Wash your hands once a day using smoothday and your fingers will never have any tobacco stains.”

Lavanya: Good Morning, Manuel. How’re thing with you? Manuel: Fine, thanks. Thank you for agreeing to see me. I know you have a busy day ahead of you. L: That’s no problem at all. You said you’d like to discuss your salary with me. Tell me how I can help you. M: I’m sure you will agree that my position is comparable to that of a senior manager in our organisation. L: What makes you feel that such a comparison is obvious to everyone? M: If you look at the responsibilities of a senior manager, you’ll notice the kind of tasks he’s assigned is more or less the same as the sort of things I do in my unit. I too communicate policy decisions to the staff, make sure they comply with these decisions, liaise with government agencies...you know. L: Sure, and you are quite good at these jobs. But don’t you know your position is level II and not level III? M: What’s the harm in upgrading my position to level III? L: There’s no harm, but the company’s personnel policy stipulates that you need managerial qualifications for level III positions. You must have an MBA or some other master’s degree in business administration. M: There’s a slight misunderstanding here. I don’t want the title. I know the company rules are non-negotiable. I only want a comparable salary. I think I deserve it. You’re an old friend, you should know I don’t ever ask for the moon. L: I get the message now. Can I make a suggestion? Now that we’ve got to the first base, let’s give your request a serious thought and review it after the performance appraisal. M: Are you suggesting I don’t have the required skill-sets? L: Of course not. I’m only asking you to present your case in such a way that the Review Committee understands it easily. Come back to the drawing board with the latest review of your achievements, spelt out in the language of the company’s new performance descriptors. You’ll do a better job of convincing the Committee.

1.1(b)

NEGOTIATIONS: KEY PRINCIPLES

A. It is generally a voluntary activity. B. At least one of the negotiating parties believes that it is possible to negotiate the issue. C. If one of the parties has decided to impose its decision on the other, there can be no negotiation. D. Personal values could influence negotiations. E. A successful negotiation involves arriving at a decision that both sides want. F. Time is an important element in negotiations. Hence, one shouldn’t negotiate unless he/she is thoroughly prepared for the negotiation.

1.1(f)

NEGOTIATIONS: OPENING PART

1. Introductions: self and team 2. Establishing procedure and ground rules: purpose, time, people, order of presentations, when to respond 3. Establishing rapport, creating right atmosphere 4. Overview of issues: Party 1, Party 2 5. First adjournment: summary before adjourning; agreement on points to be discussed on resumption.

Do you know that for most people, speaking in public is more terrifying than death itself? If you’re afraid of speaking in public, take heart. You’re not the only one afraid of facing an audience. The fact that almost everyone is afraid of speaking in public might suggest that it is a stressful activity. But believe me, public speaking is not as dreadful as visiting the dentist. Speaking in public is an opportunity to communicate with people, nothing more, nothing less. It’s not an event designed to bring your weaknesses and fears for public scrutiny. Remember the time when you attended a party wearing a sock with a big hole in it? You’re so afraid that people would notice it, comment on it, and laugh at you. Only when people behaved normally did you realise that they couldn’t see beyond your new, shining shoes! Only you know about your weaknesses; no one else. Let my try another line of argument with those of you who’re still unconvinced that public speaking is an opportunity and not a threat to your existence. Remember that public speaking, like the visit to the dentist, catches up with you some time in your professional life. So, if you cannot avoid it, why not welcome it? Let us now look at some of the mental blocks that make our mouths turn dry when we hear the words ‘public speech.’ The major obstacle is the misconceived notion that public speech is for the chosen few. Public speaking is a gift from god, and only those who’ve received this gift can speak in public. I’m sure many of us here are convinced that this is the case. Now, let me ask you a simple question. You’ve been listening to speakers all your life. How many of them do you think are great speakers? Not more than a handful, I’m sure. The moral of the story is obvious, isn’t it? Stop giving yourself negative pep talks. Don’t ever tell yourself, “I haven’t got what it takes to be a good public speaker.” You don’t need a magic wand to be successful at public speech. You don’t need to be superman to be a good speaker. This brings us to the second important obstacle: the belief that when you are giving a speech, you need to speak and behave differently from the way you normally do. This is neither easy nor does one like it. But this assumption is not entirely true. While you do need to speak louder and more