LISTENING FOR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

The International Listening Association, cited by Hybels and Weaver (2001:64), defines listening as “the process of receiving, constructing meaning from, and responding to spoken and/or non-verbal messages”. Listening goes beyond being an important communication skill, it is a way of life. Most of our conscious and unconscious communication efforts are geared toward listening. A research reveals that listening takes 53% of our communication activities, reading 17%, while speaking and writing constitute 16% and 14% respectively (Hybels and Weaver, 2001:70).

However, this statistics notwithstanding, it is rather pathetic that most people have a poor listening habit. They listen without really listening. Lamenting on this anomaly, Benson (1977:155) says:

"The art of listening is an essential but oft overlooked element of good communication. Genuine listening has become one of the endangered species. God gave each of us two ears and one mouth – perhaps he intended that we use them proportionally."

The tendency common to most people is to ‘egospeak’, a term which communication experts coined to describe people’s desire to listen to themselves more than anyone else:

"Egospeak is thinking of what you’re going to say next while another person is trying to talk to you. Jumping in before, or on, the other person’s last word. Constantly trying to top the other person’s story" (Benson, 1977:155).

In similar vein, Beck et al (2002:12) distinguish between hearing (which is what most people really do) and listening. They note that:

"It is useful to make a distinction between hearing and listening. Most people can hear, in that they can receive and distinguish sound within a specific frequency range. Hearing, however, is a passive activity. It is something that happens to us, rather than something that we do. On the other hand, listening is active… ‘People hear but do not listen’. In a class or lecture, it is very likely you will hear the words being spoken. You may not necessarily listen to them."

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WHAT A BUSINESS PROPOSAL IS NOT

- It’s not a price quote
- It is not a bill of materials, project plan or scope of work
- It is not the company’s history either

It is a sales document designed to move the sales process towards closure.

THE READY WRITERS CONSULT can help you develop a felicitous business and personal document that will enhance your (personal/corporate) brand and image in the eyes of your publics.

For more information, call any of our hotlines:

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 NATURE OF BUSINESS PROPOSALS

Generally, proposals provide answers to three basic questions:

WRITING A BUSINESS PROPOSAL

Proposals are selling instruments which present not only facts, but also information on the processes of executing a given project.

They are expected to be:

- Accurate
- Detailed
- Persuasive

THE READY WRITERS CONSULT can help you develop a felicitous business and personal document that will enhance your (personal/corporate) brand and image in the eyes of your publics.

For more information, call any of our hotlines:

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GLO: 08072067661
ETISALAT: 08183944607

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THE MEMO

The memo is the short form of “memorandum.” It is used for short reminders, quick announcements or concise pieces of information.

Memos should not be used for communications to people outside the company.

There is no rule for the format of the memo. Pick one and make it a standard for your company.

The vital information in a memo are the date, the recipient, the sender and the subject matter.

THE READY WRITERS CONSULT can help you develop a felicitous business and personal document that will enhance your (personal/corporate) brand and image in the eyes of your publics.

For more information, call any of our hotlines:

MTN: 08030538099/08037724431
AIRTEL: 08022137976
GLO: 08072067661
ETISALAT: 08183944607

WEBSITE: www.trwconsult.com

EMAIL ETIQUETTE

- Establish a courteous tone
- Decide who should receive an e-mail message
- Respond to e-mail messages
- Begin with salutation.
- Keep content brief.
- If you are referring to a web site, do provide a link.
 
- Don't use ALL CAPS: In the real world, all caps mean that you are stressing a point. However when online, all caps means that you are YELLING! Bold the word or put asterisks around it to stress the word.
 
- Don't get too informal: The tendency when it comes to e-mail is to write less formally, just remember, you are still writing a business letter only via e-mail.
 
- Don't use emoticons and acronyms: There are two reasons for this, first, while many net-savvy users are familiar with it, there are still a lot of people who don't understand what the symbols mean. Secondly, you are still writing a business letter, emoticons and acronyms are just too informal.

THE READY WRITERS CONSULT can help you develop a felicitous business and personal document that will enhance your (personal/corporate) brand and image in the eyes of your publics.

For more information, call any of our hotlines:

MTN: 08030538099/08037724431
AIRTEL: 08022137976
GLO: 08072067661
ETISALAT: 08183944607

WEBSITE: www.trwconsult.com

E-MAIL ATTACHMENTS

Instead of drafting a long e-mail message, consider sending a brief message with an attachment—a file already stored on your computer or removable disk.

When sending an attachment, your e-mail message itself can function as a cover note, in which you describe the attached document, its relevance to the recipient, and what action, if any, you want that person to take after reading it.

THE READY WRITERS CONSULT can help you develop a felicitous business and personal document that will enhance your (personal/corporate) brand and image in the eyes of your publics.

For more information, call any of our hotlines:

MTN: 08030538099
AIRTEL: 08022137976
GLO: 08072067661
ETISALAT: 08183944607

WEBSITE: www.trwconsult.com

THE E-MAIL

E-mail is quickly becoming the most popular form of business communication, particularly for messages sent within a company. Aside from the convenience of writing e-mail messages, many people prefer e-mail over letters and memos because of its informality. A loose, friendly tone and approach is not only acceptable, but usually preferred in e-mail correspondence.

Keep in mind, though, that the informal nature of e-mail should not be an excuse for careless work. Particularly when sending a message to a superior within your company or to a new contact or client outside of it, you should choose your language precisely and structure your e-mail correspondence to give your message the greatest impact.

As with any correspondence, you should always proofread all e-mail messages for spelling, punctuation, and grammatical mistakes before sending them.

THE READY WRITERS CONSULT can help you develop a felicitous business and personal document that will enhance your (personal/corporate) brand and image in the eyes of your publics.

For more information, call any of our hotlines:

MTN: 08030538099
AIRTEL: 08022137976
GLO: 08072067661
ETISALAT: 08183944607

CHOOSING THE TOOLS

To determine the appropriate tool to use, you need to consider the following:
 
- What am I writing about?
- How much information do I have to pass along?
- How many people will receive the message?
- How quickly does it need to reach them?
- How much time do the recipients need to respond to it?
- How formal should the presentation be?
- Is the message confidential?
- How are people likely to respond to it?

THE READY WRITERS CONSULT can help you develop a felicitous business and personal document that will enhance your (personal/corporate) brand and image in the eyes of your publics.

For more information, call any of our hotlines:

MTN: 08030538099/08037724431
AIRTEL: 08022137976
GLO: 08072067661
ETISALAT: 08183944607

WEBSITE: www.trwconsult.com

CHOOSING THE TOOLS OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS

Business communication is communication that promotes a product, service, or organization; relays information within a business; or functions as an official statement from a company.

 

The basic tools for communicating information in business include:

- e-mail
- Memos
- Letters
- Reports
- Phone calls
- Meetings and
- Conversations

THE READY WRITERS CONSULT can help you develop a felicitous business and personal document that will enhance your (personal/corporate) brand and image in the eyes of your publics.

For more information, call any of our hotlines:

MTN: 08030538099
AIRTEL: 08022137976
GLO: 08072067661
ETISALAT: 08183944607

WEBSITE: www.trwconsult.co

WRITING EFFECTIVE SENTENCES

Your choice of sentences will be determined by your writing style. Nevertheless, all effective sentences share the same qualities: They are clear, complete and correct. It is easy to see the importance of these qualities when you remember that every sentence you write is designed to communicate your ideas. The most effective way to do that is by presenting the information you want to convey to the readers in a form they will understand and enjoy.

THE READY WRITERS CONSULT can help you/your company develop a winning business document for your official needs. We can also train your staff on the nuances of effective business writing.

For more information, call any of our hotlines:

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