Business Communication Strategies

Scott Smith’s business book teaches the vital everyday language typically used in all aspects of running a business, from being comfortable with small talk to effective teamwork on business plans and marketing strategies.

Essentially, the goal of Business Communication Strategies is good communication, the context is the world of international business, and the result is successful business people – good communicators.

There are 24 units. At the heart of each unit are communication strategies (skills) that business people need in order to be successful communicators.

These strategies include:

• • Showing interest and appreciation

 

• • Offering assistance

 

• • Telephoning

 

• • Making decisions

 

• • Motivating others

 

• • Holding meetings

 

• • Handling criticism

 

• • presenting ideas

 

In addition to these on-the-job face-to-face areas of activity, the text also covers writing résumés, interviewing, emailing, and communicating off the job while traveling.

In a careful sequence of activities:

• • The learners are presented with the things people say (strategies) in the process of, for example, showing interest and appreciation.

 

• • Then they practice using these strategies (showing interest and appreciation).

 

• • Next they read about some aspect of the strategy (for example, how to deal with not being appreciated).

 

• • At the end of each unit, there is an activity in which they carry out tasks (such as applying the Johari Window to see themselves as communicators who do or do not show interest and express appreciation).

 

The two CDs feature native-speakers expressing in dialogue the discourse of everyday business communication, for example, the things people say to show interest and appreciation – “What’s going on?” and “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

The Teacher’s Handbook and Answer Key includes tips for using the material, complete scripts of the dialogues, answers to the sequencing and matching exercises, and a section of “vocabulary cards” – sheets of 12 business-related terms that can be cut up and made into cards for practicing over 200 business terms that are used throughout the text.