Business Communication: Course Outline

Introduction to Communication skills:

• Organizations communication.
• Understanding business communication
• Communicating in teams and mastering listening and non-verbal communication skills.
• Inter-cultural communication.
• Communicating through technology

Written Communications:

• Business Correspondence the art of good letter writing.
• The Role of sentences and paragraphs, punctuation and clarity.
• Writing effective and excellent business letters
• Openings building the main body, Logic and sequence. Effective endings, Style. Active vs. Passive. Creating typographic excellence on Computers. Letters for complaint.
• Memos and other forms of Correspondence.
• Minutes. Email.
• Writing Reports.
• Outlines and guidelines on report writing,
• Appraising a Draft Report, Sales Letters and Proposals.
• The Use of Proposals. Preparing a sales proposal. Example Proposal.
• Dictation Techniques.
• Practical Working Sessions.
• Analysis of success and failure in correspondence

Oral Communications:

• Interviewing and Conducting Meetings.
• Introduction to art of presentation speaking.
• Techniques for reducing speakers’ anxiety.
• Choosing your topic and putting your speech together.
• Verbal and Non-verbal aspects of Delivery.
• Body Language.
• Language Knowledge.
• Golden rules for presenters.
• Playback and evaluation of taped speeches.
• Audience Analysis.
• Involvement Techniques.
• Impromptu Speeches.
• Presentation of informative speeches.
• Creating and using effective visual aids.
• Developing powerful stage preference.
• Persuasive speech.

Persuasive Communications:

• Understanding Persuasion, Prepare to persuade. Organize a persuasive presentation. Methods of persuasion.Persuasive message of fact, value and policy. Impact on audiences. Use of evidence, reasoning and emotional appeals
• Challenges of persuasive speaking, the role and purpose of persuasion. Aristotle and persuasion: A classic combination of Ethos, Logos, and pathos. Comparison with contemporary techniques and strategies employed in contemporary advertising and political campaigning. 
• Modern Media Theories and tools for analysis: McLuhan, Peirce, Barthes and Eco.
• Strategies of modern print and electronic media. Style, organization and presentation.
• Principles of typography, layout and graphic design.
• Practical Applications of persuasion in business.
• Business and corporate communication, Professional and technical writing, arts and entertainment.
• Persuasion and Argument: the Toulmin model.
• Persuasive campaigns and social movement’s ideology, world view and persuasion: Propaganda and Persuasion.
• Persuasive Techniques in Contemporary News media, politics and popular culture.