Major sections that constitute business communication include advertising, marketing, customer support, public relations and consumer activity. In order to expand the business to reach more and more people, it is necessary to be familiar with the communication style and customs of the prospective customers. In addition, the business entities involved in verbal interaction face challenges in communicating effectively and efficiently as they frequently struggle with understanding accented English. Some of the issues that are regularly faced in business communication regarding the foreign accent include the following:

1) Waste of time, money and resources in trying to understand the other party: Communications done in fields like customer support and public relations cover a wide range of languages and cultures. The presence of a foreign accent when dealing with customer complaints and concerns may cause problems in clearly understanding the words said by the other party. For example: The native American English speakers pronounce certain words by combining two words to make one. These are called contractions (e.g. can’t, don’t, shouldn’t). Speakers of English as a second language very often substitute certain vowel sounds. For example “ship” may sound like “sheep”. These differences in pronouncing English can cause both parties to struggle to understand the basic meaning of what is being conveyed. This leads to inefficient use of time, money and resources.

2) Frustration and lack of confidence: For the reasons stated above, frustration and lack of confidence may prevail in both the parties thereby leading to fewer clients and finally impacting the business directly.
Successful business communication can be achieved only when such issues can be addressed. A business’ growth relies on its ability to connect and successfully communicate worldwide. This can be done by providing proper training and workshops for intercultural language awareness and English pronunciation to both native and foreign English speakers.
Source: EnglishWithoutAccent.com

Whether you’re standing before an audience of businesspeople or your classmates, the effect is the same. All of your preparation flies out the window, your knees knock together and you must force yourself to take the stage. Public speaking is a terrifying experience for most people, but it need not be. Most people would rather have a root canal performed than speak in front of a group of people. However, performing well in this environment is not as difficult as it sounds. In fact, it can be an enjoyable experience once you get past your fear of public speaking.

To succeed in the corporate world and to some extent your own personal world, overcoming your fear of public speaking is essential. Which poses the questions: How do you get past this seemingly insurmountable obstacle? How do you bury that fear deep in your heart and not let it overwhelm your defenses? How do you survive such a ghastly ordeal?

1. It’s Not as Bad as It Seems
The very first thing you need to understand is that it is not as bad as it seems. You are focusing on the bad things, the things that might happen or could happen that would make you seem foolish or unprepared, that would make your audience laugh in derision, rather than in good humor. Such fears are natural, but baseless. The audience is not there to laugh at you; they have no desire to pick apart your performance looking for absurdities. They have come to hear you speak. They believe you have valuable information to impart and they want to know what you have to say. They obviously place a great deal of value on your opinion and expertise; else, they would have found somewhere else to go.

2. Everyone Experiences a Fear of Public Speaking
Everyone experiences a fear of public speaking, no matter how experienced a speaker they might be. This is important to understand – everyone feels the same fear, the same trepidation. Everyone gets the same butterflies in their stomach and experiences the same sweat-slicked palms; even those with years of experience under their belts still succumb to the fear of public speaking. So what does this tell you? It tells you two things: first, the fear you feel is natural and nothing of which to be ashamed. Second, it tells you that you are not alone and if you work through it, you can reap tremendous rewards.

3. You are the Expert – You were Chosen to Speak for a Reason
Perhaps you have the most in-depth understanding of a particular product’s features. Perhaps you are responsible for developing and implementing new techniques with wide-ranging ramifications. Maybe you are the only person who understands your company’s new product/service and must explain how it works to potential investors or even to company sales reps. Regardless of the reason, you are the expert – it was no mere accident you were chosen to speak at this event. You have important, vital, unique information to impart, which brings enormous value to your audience. This is your chance to share your information, so that alone should help you resolve your fear for public speaking.

4. Understand the Value You Bring to the Table
Once you understand the value you bring to the table, the rest of the process is very simple. While overcoming that fear of public speaking might seem impossible, you can use numerous techniques to help you move past it. For instance, meditation-style breathing techniques, used before you take the stage, will help slow your racing heart and stem the flood of adrenaline surging through your body.

Remember that the audience is likely not going to notice your sweating palms or your nervousness; in many ways, fear of public speaking is simply all in your mind. Having a positive mindset and the right outlook on the event will help you move past this fear. Remember, you are the expert here, take that to heart, and all else will fall into place and you can confidently deliver your engaging speech.

David Wilkins has put together a complementary 20 page report full of simple and effective ways to reduce your fear of public speaking, which will help you quickly deal with and solve any anxiety issues. To download it instantly visit: http://www.publicspeakingmentor.com/banishfearreport.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Wilkins http://EzineArticles.com/?4-Dynamic-Ways-to-Overcome-Your-Fear-of-Public-Speaking&id=2261134

One student struggles to learn English.  His speaking is slow and hesitant.  His pronunciation is garbled and heavily accented. He is painful to listen to.

Another student speaks easily.  English flows from her, seemingly without effort.  Her pronunciation is clear; her voice is strong.

We all know both types of students.  The question is, what creates the difference between them.  Why do some students forever struggle to speak English fluently, while others seem to do so naturally, with a minimum of effort?

Some teachers believe that genes or ingrained talent determine a students success.  But there is no research to support this opinion and it is, in fact, totally false.   Students do not fail or succeed because of talent or genetics.

Success or failure are ultimately determined by one simple thing:  how the student learns.   Students who use inferior learning methods get inferior results.  Students who employ the very best learning strategies get superior results.  It is that simple.

The trick, of course, is knowing which methods to use.  There are, of course, a wealth of highly effective English learning methods.  Unfortunately, most are not taught in traditional schools.

One of the most effective methods for learning English is to learn the language physically.   Research by Dr. James Asher shows that combining physical movement with language learning produces powerful results.   Dr. Asher developed a method called Total Physical Response as a way to teach language through physical movement.

What we find is that combining physical movement with intellectual learning creates stronger neurological connections in our nervous system.  In other words,  we more quickly wire our brains..  thus learning faster, remembering more, and remembering longer.

Studies at San Jose State University show that students who moved their bodies while learning English learned more vocabulary and grammar in a shorter time, compared with students who learned the same material while sitting still.   More remarkably, when tested one year later, the students who learned with movement still remembered 80% or more of what they had learned, while the non-moving students had forgotten over 80%.

So how can you put this to use?  One simple suggestion is to always be moving while learning English.   Go for a walk or run as you listen to a lesson- do not sit still as you learn.

For even better results, try this:   as you listen to a story or article, physically mime the action.  For example, if you hear the word go, move your feet as if walking.  Pretend you are an actor who is physically acting out the action of the story.

By doing this, you wire the language deeply into your nervous system and subconscious.  As a result, you will learn more English, remember it longer, and be able to use it more easily.

AJ Hoge helps international students [http://www.EffortlessEnglishClub.com]learn English. He is the Director of The Effortless English Club.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Allen_J_Hoge http://EzineArticles.com/?Learn-English-Physically&id=1839112

Reading people and their body language can give you great insights into their true feeling.

We use our head, arms, hands, shoulders and even legs and feet to make gestures, and emphasize what we are saying, but the majority of gestures are made with the hands and arms. Here are some things to look for, to help you interpret body language and gestures.

1. Nodding or tilting the head to the side shows interest, active listening, and concern.

2. A head held up indicates confidence, but if it is held too high, it can indicate aloofness or a patronizing attitude – looking down your nose at someone.

3. Shrugging the shoulders with a palms-up gesture indicates that the person doesn’t know or care, or is bored or uninterested.

4. People sometimes reveal their real feelings through body language that contradicts their words. For example, if someone says he agrees with you, but his head moves slightly from side to side, he is really signaling disagreement. He may be showing his real feelings, but not want to be bothered arguing with you.

5. Some people pick lint from their clothing. Whether this is conscious or unconscious, it can indicate that they disagree with you, but can’t be bothered to argue.

6. Nervousness often shows in your hands. People who are anxious may rub or wring their hands together, or clasp and unclasp them.

7. When we aren’t comfortable with our hands, we hide them in our pockets or behind our backs. Hands in the pocket convey a hidden agenda or secretiveness.

8. An open palm suggests honest and sincerity. A closed fist can be considered menacing.

9. Hands on the hips can be seen as defiant.

10. The fig leaf position, with your hands clasped together over your crotch, or folded tightly over your chest (the female fig leaf) can make you seem aloof or defensive.

Do you know the biggest business image mistakes? Find out with these free reports:

7 Business Casual Crimes and How to Solve Them, and 13 Foods that Can Sabotage a Business Meal, when you sign up for my Communication Capsules Ezine at: http://www.Impressforsuccess.com/signup.html

From Lynda Goldman, author of 30 books including How to Make a Million Dollar First Impression

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lynda_Goldman http://EzineArticles.com/?Body-Language—10-Tips-for-Reading-People-and-Interpreting-Gestures&id=1018081

The telephone can be the most convenient invention ever, or the biggest intrusion. It all depends on whether you are the caller or the receiver.

When we call a business contact, it’s because we want to connect with them to get or give information. But when we receive a phone call, it may be interrupting important work or a meeting. It imposes the caller’s attention on us.

With proper phone etiquette, you should sound professional even if you are being interrupted. Here are 5 tips for proper phone etiquette.

1. The person you are with should always feel they are the most important. If your phone rings during a business appointment, or while you’re talking to someone on the phone, let your voice mail take a message. When meeting with colleagues, if you are expecting a call from your boss, let the person know why you have to answer it.

2. Don’t interrupt people when they are on the phone. If you walk into a colleague’s office and he or she is on the phone, wait until the conversation is over. This seems obvious, yet many people fail to do this.

3. When someone interrupts you during a meeting or when you are trying to meet a deadline, don’t let them ramble on and then cut them off. Politely tell them right away that it’s not a great time for you to talk, but you’ll be happy to call them back. Take their number, and be sure to call them back when you said you would.

4. Don’t begin with: How are you today? Unless the person knows you well. You’ll be dismissed as a telephone solicitor.

5. Never assume that someone knows you by the sound of your voice. People are busy and distracted, and you can create embarrassment. Leave your first and last name, and your complete phone number, whenever you call.

Do you know the biggest business image mistakes people make? Find out with these free reports:

7 Business Casual Crimes and How to Solve Them and 13 Foods that Can Sabotage a Business Meal, when you sign up for my Communication Capsules Ezine at: http://www.Impressforsuccess.com/signup.html

From Lynda Goldman, author of 30 books including How to Make a Million Dollar First Impression

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lynda_Goldman http://EzineArticles.com/?Proper-Phone-Etiquette—5-Tips-for-Business-Phone-Etiquette&id=1000841

Listening skills are a very important part of any effective communication. Unless you carefully follow what you hear, you will not be able to respond to it effectively. Listening skills can be improved with practice.

Listening is important whether you are having a conversation with another person or listening to a presentation.

Listening is much more than just hearing. What you have heard should register in your mind.

Closely follow the content and try to understand what is being said. Concentrate hard and don’t let your mind wander when you are listening.

One trick to keep focused is trying to anticipate what the speaker says, in advance. When you are having a conversation don’t interrupt and talk only when the other person has stopped. It is not only bad manners to interrupt, but also adversely affects your understanding of the subject.

Don’t think of what you are going to say next, when you are listening. It is not possible to concentrate on more than one thing at the same time.

• You should try to understand at least the main points of what is being said.

• Try to mentally summarize what you are listening to.

• Try to find out what is beneficial to you from what you are listening.

• Concentrate hard

• Closely focus on the content

• Closely focus on the important ideas

My friend told me, that a person he knew, heard with one ear and let it go out of the other, because there was nothing in between. Don’t let this happen.

The author has a master’s degree in science blogs at http://bnsridhar.blogspot.com/ http://wilybusiness.blogspot.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=B.N._Sridhar http://EzineArticles.com/?Business-Communication—Listening-Skills&id=1108665

Imagine this. You are at a national sales meeting, and see someone you know slightly. This person recognizes you, and approaches to speak with you. He keeps coming towards you. Suddenly your heart starts to beat a little faster, and you wonder what he’s doing.

We all have an inborn “fight or flight” mentality. When a stranger comes too close we have to make an instant decision about whether this is a friend or a foe. If a stranger invades your personal space, your senses wake up as you try to figure out what to do next.

International body language has different cues. Generally North Americans and Europeans stand about three feet, or arm’s length, apart. This is sometimes called an arm-length culture. When closer- contact people move into their space, people from an arm-length culture may feel threatened, and draw back to preserve their person space from invasion. This can continue until the person moving back is literally stopped by a wall.

In wrist-length cultures, people are used to being in close contact, and may move nearer to individuals in business as well. But coming too close may intimidate or threaten the other person.

What to do? To create rapport in a business setting, keep an appropriate distance between you and the other person. Stand close enough to be personal, but not intrusive. If you notice someone is backing away from you, resist the impulse to move closer. Aim to make people feel comfortable by respecting their personal space.

And if someone is coming too close to you, and doesn’t take a hint, try this: Break eye contact, and create a physical barrier. This can include moving behind a table, or holding up a newspaper or book. Anything that creates a real or symbolic barrier can help.

Do you know the biggest business image mistakes that sales people make? Find out with these free reports:

7 Business Casual Crimes and How to Solve Them and 13 Foods that Can Sabotage a Business Meal, when you sign up for my Communication Capsules Ezine at: http://www.Impressforsuccess.com/signup.html

From Lynda Goldman, author of 30 books including How to Make a Million Dollar First Impression

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lynda_Goldman http://EzineArticles.com/?Body-Language—Are-You-Missing-These-International-Body-Language-Cues?&id=993671

Truly successful professionals are leaders who have mastered the art of effective communication. They are well-liked by colleagues (including subordinates and superiors), your company’s clients seem to love them too and they always seem to close the major deals.

It may seem like these individuals were blessed with a natural talent for speaking well – and maybe they were. But everything can be learned, including how to speak like a star.

Apply these 5 C’s of effective communication to enhance your relationships and get on the road to greater professional success:

1. Articulate Clearly

If your listeners can not understand what you are saying, your message will never be effective. The easiest way to instantly improve the clarity of your speech is to slow down. When we get nervous or stressed our rate of speaking often increases. And these are the times when calm eloquence and tact are most needed. Take a deep breath, slow down and speak clearly.

It is also important to formulate your thoughts in a clear manner so that other people can understand your message. Stick to your main point, be as concise as possible and back up your arguments with examples and stories that make sense to your listener.

2. Speak Correctly

Whether you like it or not, you will be judged based on how you speak. Individuals with poor grammar and sloppy speech patterns are often viewed as being lazy, uneducated and even disrespectful.

Make proper speech a priority. Polish up your grammatical skills and build a healthy vocabulary. Read as much as you can, ask your friends, family or colleagues for help or join a grammar refresher course.

You may not see this as a very important point, but as our world becomes more global, just speaking English isn’t enough. You need to speak it really well.

3. Be Considerate

Before you even open your mouth, focus on being considerate towards everyone you meet. Make eye contact with people when they approach you. Have a good attitude and show your winning smile.

Show that you care for others by asking questions and showing interest. Remember personal details that are important to them, and build a relationship that consists of more than just the work at hand. Limited small talk is imperative to building rapport and stronger relationships in the workplace.

If you are considerate towards others, they will also treat you with care and respect. We all like working with people we like, so your goal should be to be well-liked by others. The way you achieve this is by being friendly, considerate and showing you care.

4. Give Compliments

In addition to being considerate, another way to build instant rapport is to give sincere compliments. Recognize those around you for a job well done. Show interest by congratulating others on their accomplishments.

If your colleague mentions that he finally finished that big project that you know he was slaving over for months, respond with a sincere “Great job!” or “Good for you!” These types of remarks are always appreciated.

Keep in mind that compliments should be subtle and appropriate and the closeness of your relationship also determines how a compliment will be received. Commenting on a colleague’s physical appearance for example, may not be acceptable in the modern workplace, unless you are also very close friends outside of the office.

5. Have Confidence

In the end, a successful communicator is a confident communicator. It is hard to take someone seriously who doesn’t seem to believe in his own words.

Confidence does not just come from what you are verbalizing (saying), but also what you are vocalizing – in other words, the pace, pitch and volume of your voice. A calm, steady voice we can hear always sounds stronger and more confident than a quiet, mousy squeak.

Your visual appearance can also exude confidence or draw from it. Make sure you stand straight and make firm eye contact when you address other people. Even the least confident individuals can “fake” a confident image simply by forcing themselves to do these two simple things.

Heather Hansen, founder of Singapore-based Hansen Speech & Language Training, is an executive speech and language coach, writer and trainer. If you want to boost your linguistic abilities and become a powerful speaker, visit her website http://www.hansenslt.com now for free information on how to speak clearly, correctly and confidently! Join her mailing list to receive your free special report, Speak Clearly! and as a special bonus you’ll also receive her monthly newsletter, Speak like a Star!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Heather_Hansen http://EzineArticles.com/?Communicating-in-the-Workplace—The-5-Cs-of-Becoming-an-Effective-Communicator&id=922601

Recently, I read an interesting article about how people are supposed to shake hands in business interactions. According to the article, when you’re shaking hands with someone-unless they’re your superior at work-you should turn your palm down and position your hand above theirs. This is supposed to suggest that you are the dominant person in the interaction, and subtly influence the other person to do what you want. This, we’re told, is the way powerful executives shake hands with people they meet-implying that, if you want the money and power they have, you should adopt their handshake.

To me, there’s an irony in writings on how to shake hands to make the right impression, and other teachings about how to impress people with assertive, confident or attractive body language. The irony is that these authors learn about the body language they teach by studying the behavior of people who naturally move their bodies that way.

For instance, the executives referenced in the article I read don’t shake hands the way they do because they read an article or took a course on handshakes. They do it without thinking or being self-conscious about it. The way they shake hands, and other aspects of their body language, are natural expressions of who they are. To them, their handshake is completely comfortable, and the possibility that they’re shaking hands “wrongly” doesn’t even occur to them.

By contrast, if you told someone who’d never before used the “dominant” or “palm-down” handshake to start using it, I’ll bet they would be completely uncomfortable. Every time they met someone, they’d have to focus their attention on their handshake to make sure they got it right. Being this anxious about how you’re coming across isn’t very pleasant, and makes you unlikely to project confidence and “dominance” to others.

Some people might read this and say “but I’m self-conscious about how I move my body all the time anyway. Since that’s how I am, I might as well learn body language that impresses people.” Others might say “but if you work on your handshake long enough, you’ll stop being uncomfortable doing it. It’s like developing any other skill.” A few years ago, I would have voiced the same objections.

Eventually, however, my perspective on this issue shifted. If researchers on body language learn the “right” ways to move one’s body by watching people who aren’t self-conscious about how they move, maybe the easiest way to make a positive impression is actually to get rid of your self-consciousness. Perhaps the very reason powerful executives make a good impression, and are successful in business, is their lack of anxiety and inhibition-not the specifics of how they shake hands or other aspects of their body language. In other words, the best way to present yourself effectively is to stop agonizing over how you’re presenting yourself. This seems like a lot less work, and more enjoyable, than studying other people’s movements and trying to imitate them.

But how do you become less self-conscious? I could go on for many pages about this question. However, I’ll start by saying that, in my experience, one of the most effective methods is to seriously explore the reasons your self-consciousness exists. What impression do you feel you need your body language to convey to people? When did you decide that the way you normally move your body isn’t good enough? What are you afraid would happen if you didn’t adopt the “right” body language? What would people think of you?

Understanding why you have an insecurity is often the key to freeing yourself from it. Insecurities about how we move our bodies, and more generally about how we appear to people, tend to arise from a felt need to defend ourselves against others. Perhaps we’re afraid others will ridicule, ignore, attack, or harm us in some other way. We have to make our bodies look “right,” we believe, to prevent these things from happening. These fears tend to develop in our childhoods, when we’re at our most vulnerable, but unfortunately they can stick with us as we mature.

When you bring your full attention to your fears about the way you’re coming across, you’re likely to discover that many of those fears are obsolete. They arose out of conditions of your childhood environment that no longer exist today. The people you were afraid would criticize, exclude or attack you can’t hurt you anymore. When you have this realization, you feel freer to drop your insecurities-your defense mechanisms-and move through the world in a way that feels right to you.

Christopher R. Edgar is a success coach certified in hypnotherapy and neuro-linguistic programming. Through his coaching business, Purpose Power Coaching, he helps professionals transition to careers aligned with their true callings. He may be reached at http://www.purposepowercoaching.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_Edgar http://EzineArticles.com/?Are-You-Shaking-Hands-The-Right-Way?&id=990712

Mastery of pronunciation is difficult because pronunciation cannot be reduced to a set of definite rules. The English language as we have it today has been built up from many sources, affected by innumerable influences. General rules and principles have been drawn up you will find them at the beginning of some dictionaries.

Furthermore, pronunciation is always changing. Fashions come and pass away. Some years ago museum was accented on the first syllable museum. The word interesting was accented on the third syllable, interesting. The vowel sound of deaf is now sounded like the e in get, but generations ago it was generally sounded like the c in reef.

The first step in the study of pronunciation is to get a good dictionary and form the habit of referring to it constantly. Notice the speech of the people you meet. When you catch a pronunciation that sounds strange to you, look it up in the dictionary. If you find that it has dictionary authority behind it, adopt it, and use the word two or three times in conversation to fix it in memory.

If you can do so, have a good dictionary at hand, perhaps the unabridged form of one and the smaller form of the other, or perhaps both in the smaller size. There are many words one writer says 2,000 or more as to the pronunciation of which the dictionaries disagree. This is due to the complexity and variety of custom. It is impossible in any dictionary to take account of all the variations. As the users of a dictionary desire some uniform guide, the editorial staff have to work out general principles and apply them as consistently as they can, but another group of editors may decide differently.

When the authorities disagree you must use your own judgment. To follow the custom of the persons among your acquaintances who talk best is a safe rule.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jarred_Tompkins http://EzineArticles.com/?Pronunciation-and-Improving-Your-Vocabulary&id=873183