The subtleties of business communication

When it comes to working in a team, such a thing as business communication arises by itself. In order to be able to properly build relationships in the work environment and to avoid common mistakes, it will never be superfluous to learn the intricacies of business communication that have long been gathered by specialists into simple rules of etiquette, psychological aspects, forms and popular communicative techniques.

The essence of business communication is characterized by the process of development of official relations between employees in any organization. Since at work every person has a certain official status and functions, he is focused on achieving goals that are common with his colleagues.

One of the main features of communication in a business environment is the observance of established rules, norms and restrictions that arise as a result of the principles of professional ethics, as well as cultural and national traditions.

As you know, in the social environment there are many “written” and “unwritten” behavioral norms, a kind of “code”, which is generally accepted. Together, all these rules are called business etiquette, the essence of which is to maintain those rules that will help people better understand each other.

Business communication is a whole art that you always need to learn in order to achieve success in the professional field and advancement in the career ladder. It is important to know what the diplomatic communication with colleagues is based on in an official way, how to negotiate, how to behave with higher authorities.

The main task of business communication is to optimize and streamline any activity as much as possible: for example, improving the situation in the workplace, in science, business, and the social sphere. At the same time, everyone who becomes a participant in business negotiations, along the way, situationally learns to perform several tasks:

• strengthen partnerships, avoiding or minimizing the possibility of disagreement between the parties, if possible;
• to develop towards integral and harmonious interaction with others;
• take care of the correct distribution of instructions, tasks, area or sphere of influence;
• ensure that there is trust and mutual understanding between the participants;
• comply with the behavioral standards that are accepted in the business environment.

In the process of business communication, it is necessary that a person has formed several qualities that will help him to be useful in team work. First of all, tactics should be aimed at competently and reasonably convincing the interlocutor of their position, while maintaining reasonedness and perseverance. It is also important to be able to reasonably submit to the interests of the collective as a whole, adhering to internal regulations, including the work schedule and social standards.

Often the most difficult task is equal communication with all parties to a business relationship, no matter what personal preferences a person has. In addition, it can be difficult during general meetings to separate and analyze important information from the secondary, especially if the employee does not yet have enough experience in conducting business conversations or negotiations.

Of course, the management of an organization or company should also adhere to a certain framework and ethical principles, meeting the employees when it may become necessary in order to accelerate the achievement of the goal. For example, a compliment or praise for difficult negotiations can be a serious motivation for success.

All these skills are far from always given to people simply and easily, and a good leader will always cherish those who have mastered the communication skills necessary to achieve their goals and in practice apply their methods in the business sphere. It’s always important to remember that if there is a common goal, it is unlikely that disagreements can be avoided, but they are sometimes a good incentive to overcome all possible barriers and personal growth of each participant in the process.

The concept of business etiquette includes two sections of the rules:

• the rules that must be observed in communication between people who are equal in status;
• those rules that determine the essence of the relationship between employees and their leader (“horizontal” and “vertical” norms).

Etiquette also implies attention to your speech, to the content of speech constructions, thanks to which stable forms of greetings, expressions of gratitude, and requests are created. If a person assumes such responsibility as managing a company or a separate segment of its activities, correct and polite communication will always be its advantage.

Any business communication, regardless of its form and duration, is divided into certain stages that, if desired, can be distinguished from the course of each event, whether it is a private conversation between an employee and a subordinate or negotiations involving several interested parties:

• the moment of acquaintance (or just making contact - including the greeting of the leader). A contact can be either primary or secondary, depending on whether the partners see each other for the first time or communicate not for the first time;
• assessment of the environment and what is happening as a whole;
• the inclusion in the discussion of the issue that has become the subject of negotiations;
• solving a question or problem (as far as possible);
• the final part is farewell, exit from communication.

Specialists studying the essence and practical use of communication skills have identified four fundamental principles by which regulation of all aspects of business interaction is carried out.

Primarily, business communication should be interpersonal, aimed at multitasking and multidimensionality of human interaction. Be that as it may, the interpersonal aspect should not be excluded from it, even if people have to put the interests of the collective above their personal ambitions.

Business interaction should be focused, with a conscious movement towards a clearly defined goal. In this aspect, the work of each person’s subconscious mind should be taken into account: goals can be both conscious and unconscious (latent). For example, a speaker who has prepared a presentation on a topic of a problem, objectively talks about it to the audience, but at the same time unconsciously and spontaneously shows his listeners his temperament, intellectual and rhetorical abilities.

Business communication must be continuous.. If business partners are constantly in sight of each other, this stimulates the continuous development of the process. The process of communication implies the presence of not only verbal elements, but also non-verbal ones. Using non-verbal messages in communication, a person gives them one or another semantic load and coloring with subsequent conclusions.

Even if a business partner does not say anything at the moment or is absent, all this, nevertheless, is involved in a communicative act and has the same indisputable significance as a conversation.

Behavioral aspects without the presence of components of spoken language in them are no less important: it is they who set the tone for responding to other participants in the process and to the whole situation.

Business communication is always multidimensional, because in its process there is a constant exchange of information between participants along with the regulation of relationships. Multidimensionality implies, first of all, the manner in which a particular information or request is communicated: warm, friendly, cold, disposing, incredulous, arrogant, tactful or, conversely, tactless.

Considering that employees of many companies have to work closely with foreign partners, it is also important to know what specifics of business communication may be in contact with the mentality of representatives of other countries.

There are two different opinions on this. The first version is inclined to the fact that the modern world and the predominance of European business etiquette in it (including English as an international language) have almost blurred national boundaries and led to the formation of ethical standards common to representatives of all nationalities. In addition, over the past few decades, international cooperation has been actively developing in various fields of human activity. An intensive scientific and cultural exchange took place, which greatly accelerated all processes.

At the present stage, the representative of China or Japan, who was educated in the UK or America, will perfectly perceive the mentality of the British or Americans, and the manner of their business communication will not seem incomprehensible or specific to them.

The second opinion, on the contrary, places emphasis on national aspects and puts them at the center of international contacts, especially in the negotiation process, which is fundamental in communication. Proponents of the second version believe that most of the difficulties in the negotiations are due to cultural differences. They have a decisive influence on people, being assimilated from an early age during parenting. In addition, as international relations in business develop, those people who do not have experience in business relations in the European and American ways become involved in it, which brings a fair share of national aspects to the overall picture.

Researchers claim that if the interests of parties consisting of representatives of different nationalities coincide, then differences in ethnic criteria are not so noticeable. However, in the event of a controversial or conflict situation, everything immediately comes to the surface and the role of ethnic moments still has to be reckoned with. Therefore, a brief description of the main national features should be made, which will reflect the characteristic of people from different countries in business communication.

The description will include those mentality features that are the most common and likely. This can help to at least partially navigate the possible behaviors of business partners.

Americans are people who always emphasize their individuality. Human rights are the most important thing for them, which encourages them to respect other people as well. They all the time insist on equality and independence, always advocate open and honest conduct of business and do not like formalities of any kind. They are very simple in communication, their clothes, even in a business context, are convenient and lack stiffness.

They are characterized by the spirit of competition and achievement of results, and they measure success by the amount of money that is earned. Despite the fact that Americans are alien to pettiness and pedantry, they are punctual and used to living according to a schedule.

The French nation is distinguished by its identity due to the fact that arose a very long time ago.. It is known that France is one of the countries characterized by a wealth of historical and cultural heritage. Representatives of this nation are distinguished by chivalry and ingenuity, but at the same time they are characterized by cunning and skepticism. The French are often eloquent, they do not like silence, and they always speak freely, naturally and very quickly.

In business communication in France itself, personal contacts and family ties are greatly appreciated. They are very subtle and elegantly able to defend their point of view, but at the same time they are characterized by rather tough negotiations, rarely make compromises and “fallback” options.

The British are traditionally characterized by restraint, a tendency to hints and some degree of scrupulousness, which often leads to isolation and distrust when dealing with strangers. Moreover, they are businesslike and entrepreneurial, value accuracy and punctual to the smallest detail, which is a strict rule for them.

The Germans are hardworking, also punctual and very prudent. They are sometimes characterized by excessive pedantry and even stinginess. They are prudent and always strive for order in all areas of their lives, which they are used to painting literally by the hour.

Any Arab country is sensitive to local traditions., and this should be especially taken into account in business communication with representatives of the Arab world. Traditions for the Arabs are in the first place, and their behavioral standards are quite strict, especially in the business sphere. Representatives of the Muslim world always often accompany their first acquaintance with cordiality and courtesy, in the future this may become an occasion for establishing trust and openness between partners.

It is believed that gender and cultural aspects are most characteristic and specific for representatives of the Arab world, but this is not entirely true. In the context of the European mentality in many areas of business, women are gradually beginning to gain a certain degree of freedom and independence.

The Italians are ardent, expansive, very sociable, sometimes even too much. In order to establish productive business relations with them, an official correspondence with a list of proposals will be sufficient.

Representatives of Spain are characterized by seriousness and, at the same time, openness and humanity. Their valuable trait is a great sense of humor and the ability to work in a team spirit. Sometimes they can be late for business meetings, which sometimes becomes an occasion for jokes and jokes.

They like to talk, but do not talk to them about the civil war, bullfighting, personal issues and the period of power of General Franco.

The Swedes are famous for punctuality, accuracy in everything, decency and reliability in partnership. Swedish business partners have a very high degree of qualification, and it is for this reason that they respect the professionalism of others.

They know several languages ​​(usually German and English), are very restrained in communication, but if warm relations are established between partners, they can be continued in an informal setting.

In Russia, two aspects strongly influenced the characteristics of business communication: the norms of the Soviet period and the traits characteristic of the national character of Russian people.You can even be proud of our specialists who were born and raised under the USSR: the methods of conducting business conversations were highly appreciated by many foreigners at the time, and the fulfillment of what was promised was in the first place.

However, foreign experts criticized the former representatives of the Soviet state for the fact that, having well-defined the goal, they do not focus so much on how it can be achieved.

There are general rules and regulations that should be followed when working in the office environment or in the field of government agencies. You always need to come on time to the workplace, timely fulfill all orders, and delays and failure to complete work on time are unacceptable. If you do not come to business meetings on time, this can spoil not only the personal reputation of the employee, but also the image of the organization or company as a whole.

When working in the office or in the civil service, of course, it is important to dress decently and in accordance with the requirements adopted in the institution. The appearance of employees should reflect the reputation of the institution, so ethical standards must be followed in this. For women it is allowed to wear skirts strictly to the knee or trouser suits that have a classic cut. Bright defiant clothing is unacceptable, as well as an abundance of shiny jewelry, rhinestones, sequins and tight-fitting things.

For men, it will be optimal to wear formal suits with shirts. The presence of a tie can be either mandatory or desirable, depending on the status of the institution and the environment in which business partners meet.

There are six basic rules by which the essence of what is commonly called business etiquette is determined:

• work should always be done on time;
• not to disclose professional secrets of the organization, including those related to the personal life of employees;
• friendliness and attention to colleagues must always be shown (this applies to everyone - both managers and their subordinates);
• Respect other people's opinions, criticisms and the advice of others if they doubt the quality of the work;
• always match the dress code accepted at the institution;
• always keep speech control during the conversation, to prevent the appearance of indecent expressions in oral and written speech.

Many people know that communication at any level is not just words or writing. Facial expressions and gestures play an equally important role here, moreover, often with their help it is possible to make an exact definition of what the partner wants and how he really relates to other people. Some psychologists claim the advantage of non-verbal knowledge in communication, putting it first, because it conveys much more information than ordinary conversation.

Facial expressions and gestures are caused by subconscious impulses, so people often do not pay special attention to them. At first it may seem that learning a non-verbal language is difficult, but it is not entirely true. A few elementary skills will be enough to achieve a more effective interpersonal interaction and learn to better understand people.

It is best to start such a practice with a visual assessment of the interlocutor: how he keeps himself, in what position he stands or sits, how intense his gestures are.There are several universal gestures that are easy to recognize correctly. Simple examples: if a smile is wide and laid-back, a person is happy, and if a person shrugs, he expresses his perplexity or misunderstanding of the situation.

Consider such a popular gesture as a handshake - an action taken in the business environment everywhere. You can recognize what it carries in itself by the following signs: in the case of a short shake of the hand, we can conclude that the interlocutor is indifferent.

If the hand is dry, the person is calm, if wet, he is very worried. Much depends on the nature of the look when shaking hands: an open and warm look means the sincere and friendly disposition of the partner, and if the eyes "run" or the interlocutor avoids meeting his eyes with others, there is reason to suspect him of insincerity or fear.

If during the greeting the hand of one person is clasped with the other hand down, this means that the shaking hand (most often unconsciously) demonstrates a desire to dominate communication. If the hand is extended palm up, it means a desire to transfer the "palm of leadership" to another.

There are so-called "open gestures", the recognition of which is also not difficult. They say that the interlocutor is sincere and determined to speak frankly. The gesture of "open hands" looks like this: the partner reaches out to the side of another person, while with his palms facing up. The equally popular gesture of an “unbuttoned jacket” means the same thing.

It is often necessary to observe how during negotiations held in a cafe or restaurant, participants take off their jackets in front of each other. The same picture is observed in offices in the event that negotiations are successful and the parties are more and more disposed towards each other.

Gestures that show distrust or a desire to hide something are characterized by movements such as rubbing the forehead, chin, or temples automatically: in this way, the person spontaneously wants to cover his face. Also, the "rolling" eyes, which were mentioned above, are a typical sign of insincerity. Even if the interlocutor tactfully and imperceptibly tries not to look into the eyes, this means the same thing.

Protective gestures and postures indicate that the partner is afraid of something. In such cases, usually the arms cross automatically on the chest, and if at the same time the fingers are also clenched into a fist, the situation for the partner is clearly tense and if the tension between the interlocutors is not removed, the conflict may become inevitable.

Reflecting and evaluating gestures indicate confusion and a person’s desire to find the right solution to the problem as soon as possible. If the partner’s hand involuntarily hardens on the cheek, he is clearly interested in what is happening and is worried about something: this is a sign of concentration and careful listening. In this case, we should begin to work out possible ways of resolving the issue in order to come to an agreement on the most successful wave.

Also, if one of the negotiators begins to pinch his nose, this means the same thing - deep concentration. The stage at which people begin to form a way out of this situation can be characterized by scratching their chins (eyes are often narrowed at the same time).

If the interlocutor no longer wants to take part in the conversation and seeks to end it, he begins to lower his eyelids or as a sign that the conversation no longer interests him.Scratching the ear means striving to distance oneself from the subject of the conversation, and if one of the partners begins to slightly sip the earlobe, he clearly wants to take an active part in the conversation and express his point of view.

If the interlocutor is telling a lie, he automatically covers his mouth, ears or eyes with his hand. Sometimes a lie is characterized by intense and quiet coughing in order to distract the attention of others from this gesture. The fact that a partner is lying can also mean a light touch on the nose during a conversation, and if a person rubs his eyelid, he shows a desire to move away from suspicions of lies.

With any form of verbal communication, skills in the field of rhetoric and the correct construction of oral speech come first. The experts identified five main techniques with which you can effectively influence the public in a verbal way:

• speech should be accessible - when preparing a public speech, it is important to take into account the level of education and culture of the audience to be addressed;
• speech should be associative and evoke empathy and a sense of involvement in the process, stimulate listeners to their own thoughts;
• speech should be sensory - it is important to use drawings, graphic images, simple tables and diagrams during the presentation for the purpose of clarity;
• speech should be expressive, with a sufficient level of emotionality, gestures and facial expressions that have the ability to enhance speech perception;
• speech should be intense - when talking, it is important to be able to adapt to the pace of the audience and match its level of training.

In addition to the main points, it is important to consider that any form of instructive and arrogant tone in the business are not welcome. It is important to win over interlocutors, letting them know that the conversation is on an equal footing.

The verbal art of business communication is also based on the creation of optimal speech structures, good voice performance and a rich vocabulary. Speech turns should not be difficult, do not grammatically overload speech. Better to use short sentences consisting of eight, maximum of fifteen words: this will appeal to the audience, and the meaning of what has been said will be conveyed clearly and clearly.

Voice delivery should be expressive, loud, but not "flashy": it is necessary to observe the measure - so that the speech is expressive, and exciting, and pleasant at the same time.

The methods of business communication are different, but not all of them, unfortunately, are correct, ethical and honest. All of them are aimed at achieving their goal, and in the business sphere they have to deal with them very often. There are techniques that are allowed by professional ethics, but there are ways that it is not recommended to use them in order to maintain both the company's reputation and its own personality.

Deferment - one of the neutral tricks that can be used by either side to get time to think about the final decision.

Intimidation method using secondary sources "dirty", but very famous. Example: one person tries to intimidate another with threats to spread false information and rumors with the involvement of the media. When this happens, it is better to immediately terminate any cooperation with such people.

A technique known as bluff. He is also not entirely honest, but more decent, and with his help many achieve results. This is one of the varieties of manipulation. The technology consists in the fact that one of the partners makes a categorical attack: "I see no more sense in continuing our negotiations." In the event that his opponent wants to conclude a deal, having taken these words seriously, he may give up and begin to give in to the manipulator additionally in a particular matter relating to the transaction.

The method of "surrender of authority" lies in the fact that one of the partners may say: "I have no right to make this decision myself, I need to consult." As a rule, this is very effective, because the second side gives the impression of a certain “strong structure” that stands behind the interlocutor, and the second side automatically starts to position itself several steps lower.

Threats - of course, this is the “last thing”, and they are applied only if any of the parties is not able to build other relations with partners. However, they can also be an indicator that the opponent is very interested in the transaction. When threats are used, it’s important to remain calm and rational. If possible, you need to convince your opponent that common goals can be achieved without using such a crude method.

Positions in business communication are no fundamentally different from everyday ones. They are as follows:

• Friendly - indicates acceptance of the interlocutor, full disposition to him.
• Neutral - the interlocutor may demonstrate restraint or even coldness, which in the first stages of communication is quite acceptable. It is important to prove to the partner the sincerity and honesty of their intentions in order to achieve his goodwill.
• Hostile position - open rejection of a partner or interlocutor. You can try to persuade him to take at least the neutral side first.
• Position of excellence - the partner openly demonstrates his dominance, looks down on others.
• Perception of each other as equals - one of the most optimal positions.
• Submission position - when one of the parties can deliberately seek out the other in order to achieve its location in this way.

Not a single communication, including business communication, is without conflict situations. Ideally, a business relationship is a type of communication in which the emotional plan should be in last place, and rationality, prudence, degree of profit, possible profit and effectiveness of certain people in performing a certain kind of tasks focused on achievement of the main goal.

Experts in the field of conflict management identified several solutions that can be applied to the solution of any conflict situation:

• mode of dominance - one of the parties resolves the conflict, but more in its favor, often resorting to unethical methods of doing business;
• capitulation - one side surrenders under pressure to the other and makes concessions in all respects. In some situations, it may be that there is no other way out, but this is an undesirable way to solve problems;
• avoiding conflict - conscious detachment from the situation of one of the parties, which is no longer configured to continue further communication, since it does not see constructive ways to solve the problem;
• conversation - A great opportunity to resolve the conflict, in the process of which the parties are trying to meet each other, offering possible and real solutions to the difficult situation that has arisen;
• arbitration method - intervention of a third party is allowed in the situation, which is not directly related to the conflict and is not an interested person. However, a person or group of people from the side takes all possible efforts so that the conflict is resolved.

The best outcome of any conflict situation is integration, when both parties jointly find a solution, the implementation of which takes into account mutual interests and desires. Integration (or psychological interpenetration of the parties in each other's situation) provides an excellent opportunity to openly and honestly show all possible disagreements and major contradictions.

In the process of integration, the parties are distracted from the transition to personalities that are typical in such a situation, focus on the common goal, and look for difficult, but real, possibilities for resolution. Of course, the integrative way of resolving the conflict is quite difficult, and it is especially difficult to find the best solutions, but it is here that people get a great chance to show all their organizational and inventive talents.

In the process of integration in order not to lose the thread of the conversation and not deviate from the main thing, you should concentrate as much as possible. If the participants are motivated and united by a mutual desire to achieve an optimal solution to the conflict, you can use a simple method. The main goals and wishes of one and the other side are recorded on two separate sheets, then these indicators are compared, contradictions are identified, and then a search for possible solutions follows.

Thus, it becomes quite realistic to translate the conflict into a stream of useful constructive solutions and channel the energy of its participants into the necessary and useful channel. Of course, you need to sit down at the negotiating table and draw up a similar plan only when the first emotional passions and outbursts have subsided and the participants in the process have come to the conclusion that the situation needs to be taken to a new level.

In the process of business communication, peculiar obstacles can also arise, due to which business communication becomes not so productive and trusting. In the worst case, the occurrence of communication barriers can lead to the termination of contacts and the classic version of the conflict situation, the solution of which depends solely on the parties involved. The main barriers are:

• Aesthetic. Obstruction to communication or generally unwillingness to communicate with a person may arise due to too eccentric or unpresentable appearance. As you know, a person is "greeted by clothes, but only escorted by the mind," so if the first impression of him is spoiled, further contact can be very problematic.That is why in the business sphere such a concept as a dress code has been developed, together with its standards, which literally “insures” people from the possibility of barriers due to aesthetic reasons. Also, the lack of cleanliness and order in the office can also cause an aesthetic barrier, and if this happens, it will be very difficult to restore the reputation.
• Intelligent. It is known that all people are very different in type and level of intellectual development. If a clash occurs between people with different levels or types of intelligence, this can lead to insurmountable obstacles. To prevent this from happening, the leaders of companies and organizations should conduct a more careful selection of employees, choosing teams of highly qualified specialists as the main "players", and train newcomers on the spot so that over time they gain the proper experience and do not become outsiders.

• Motivational barriers - when one person is not interested in the ideas expressed by another person. The interlocutor for him is simply a means to achieve some personal or professional goal and as a full-fledged partner, he does not consider it in advance, in other words, he is simply not motivated to take it more seriously and holistically.
• Moral barriers. These include those obstacles that a person cannot overcome, because one way or another way and manner of communication for him are simply unacceptable. This may be outright rudeness, a manifestation of dishonesty and meanness both among colleagues, and on the part of business partners. Also, psychological pressure from the leader and a demonstration of obvious arrogance and superiority from him can become a serious moral barrier. This approach to business is obviously unconstructive, but, unfortunately, is very common in enterprises.
• And finally, the barriers of the emotional plan. A person, due to the fact that he experiences very unpleasant emotions, is not able to give an adequate and rational assessment of a particular situation.

Thus, business communication is a whole art that should be studied by those who have made a serious decision to delve into the issues of both individual entrepreneurship and the search for work in a large, stable company. Of course, it is not easy to work in the field of business and management, because the question of interpersonal relations will always be acute and constant, especially in crisis conditions, the arrival of which often leads to financial collapses and conflicts between employees and partners.

The main thing is to study in more detail the different areas related to business communication, applying the acquired knowledge in practice.

You can learn more about the intricacies of business communication from the next video.