Business Communications: Course outline (COM-411)

Introduction to Communication skills.

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

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

Written Communications

• 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.

Written Communications

• 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.

Written Communications

• 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.

Oral Communications

• Verbal and Non-verbal aspects of Delivery.
• Body Language.
• Language Knowledge.

Oral Communications

• Playback and evaluation of taped speeches.
• Audience Analysis.
• Involvement Techniques.
• Impromptu Speeches.

Oral Communications

• 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.

Persuasive Communications

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.

Persuasive Communications

• Modern Media Theories and tools for analysis: McLuhan, Peirce, Barthes and Eco.

 Strategies of modern print and electronic media. Style, organization and presentation.

Persuasive Communications

• Principles of typography, layout and graphic design.
• Practical Applications of persuasion in business.

Business and corporate communication, Professional and technical writing, arts and entertainment.

Persuasive Communications

• 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.
• Persuasion 21^st Century.
• Conclusion Session
• Terminal Exam (to be announced by the University)