Business Communication

Vocabulary flashcards covering core business communication concepts, nonverbal cues, channel richness, active listening, voice types, and presentation delivery techniques.

Communication

Transmission of information between a sender and a recipient.

Listening

Seeking and understanding feedback from an audience and responding appropriately.

Noise

Interference that causes misinterpretation of information.

Communication Barriers

Obstacles to effective communication, which can be physical, language, body language, perceptual, organizational, or cultural.

Nonverbal Communication

Communication that does not use words.

Eye Contact

A form of nonverbal communication that indicates integrity, trust, and respectful attention.

Tone of Voice

A nonverbal element that may indicate mood and contribute to effectiveness through variation.

Facial Expression

Nonverbal communication that conveys various emotions, level of agreement, as well as comprehension.

Gesture/Posture

Nonverbal communication that conveys level of authority, confidence, and coherence.

Active Listening

Attentive listening that occurs when a listener focuses his or her complete attention on the speaker.

Human Thought vs. Speech Speed Gap

Humans think at a rate of 1,000 to 3,000 words per minute but talk at less than 250 words per minute.

Communication Channels

Various means used to send a message.

Texting (Communication Channel)

A channel with very low richness, used when content is uncontroversial, a quick response on simple issues is needed, and the audience will not be annoyed.

Memos/Reports

A channel with very low richness where the audience gains no tone or body language information, used for uncontroversial, lengthy, or detailed information sent to multiple people.

Email (Communication Channel)

A channel with very low richness where the audience learns nothing beyond the words, best used for uncontroversial content sent to multiple people.

Voice Mail

A low-richness channel where the audience hears tone but cannot see body language, used when content is uncontroversial and no record is required.

Telephone Conversation

A moderate-richness channel benefiting from tone variation, used for quick messages, personal or controversial content, or spontaneous dynamic dialogue.

Videoconferencing

A high-richness channel conveying much of the richness of being there, used for complex or high-priority content, or spontaneous dynamic dialogue with remote audiences.

In-Person Presentation

A high-richness channel where the audience directly experiences verbal content, tone, and body language, used for large audiences with important messages.

Face-to-Face Meeting

A very high-richness channel where the audience experiences the full message directly, best for personal, emotional, complex, or high-priority messages and instant feedback.

Bias

Preconception about members of a group, which can relate to gender, age, race, ethnicity, and nationality.

Active Voice

A sentence structure in which the subject performs the verb's action (e.g., 'The man played the game'), facilitating direct, powerful, and concise communication.

Passive Voice

A sentence structure in which the subject is acted upon (e.g., 'The game was played by the man'), which tends to be less effective for business communication.

Presentation Opening

The beginning of a presentation designed to grab attention and involve the audience.

Presentation Body

The core part of a presentation that expresses two to four main points and explains them sequentially.

Presentation Closing

The final part of a presentation that summarizes key points and verbally signals that the speaker is about to conclude.

Audience Eye Contact Rule

A delivery guideline stating to look directly at members of your audience at least 50% of the time during a presentation.