Landis on Mechanics of Patent Claim Drafting -2000

Tips For Communicating Effectively With Your Boss

This link will take you to ten tips on how to effectively communicate with your boss.

Keep  in mind that regardless of where in the world you may be working or where your boss may be from, following general business etiquette is the proper course to take.

Click here to read the ten tips.

Improving Communication With Foreign Expatriates in the Workplace
By Chris Franek
It is common knowledge that our nation is a nation of immigrants. Because of being recognized around the world as being "The Land of Opportunity," the U.S. has historically been and continues to be a popular destination for foreigners wanting to come here to learn English and gain experience working for an American company. Historically, many of the associations Americans have had with foreign workers was in the context of them working in a physical labor capacity type job but in more recent decades, an ever growing number are here working in various salaried professional job capacities from engineering to middle management.
While their growing presence in the workforce has represented an opportunity for American corporate cultures to gain valuable exposure to alternative non-American approaches to problem solving and thought processes, it has also predictably created communication problems due in large part to the obvious linguistic shortcomings of the foreign expatriates but also in significant part due to the varying degrees of cultural myopia many of us Americans sadly suffer from.
While it is clear that any person who is hired on to be a salaried professional in an American company should rightfully be expected to communicate in English competently, it is far too easy to place the burden of responsibility for effective communication exclusively on the shoulders of the foreign expat worker. I say this because the line of reasoning upon which this misplaced accountability originates from is overly simplistic. It's easy to blame communication problems with foreign expats merely on the expat's perceived linguistic deficiencies totally ignoring or forgetting the fact that effective communication is not merely the product of a sterile exchange of language between two people. There are a lot of subtle but important contributing factors that come into play such as cultural context, linguistic register, collocation, pace of communication, idiom usage, body language cues, and vocal intonation.
The first five in that list represent major areas of communication challenge for almost all non-native speakers of English because they are largely learned through authentic experience within that language's concomitant cultural and social context rather than from a formal linguistic education process. Although many (though certainly not all) foreign expats working here are able to communicate fairly competently from a linguistic standpoint, they often can struggle mightily in the other aforementioned communication areas.
There is almost no way that a foreign expat could excel in those other areas of communication in English that for their American counterparts come easily and naturally due to a lifetime of exposure to English in an American social, cultural, and educational context. It's quite unfair to expect that a foreign expat could acquire that with ease, regardless of his level of education in the English language. If progress is to be made towards resolving these communication barriers, our biased conventional notions will need to be reexamined and refashioned so that accountability is equally distributed. Let's address these communication challenges from each of the first five subareas of communication that I mentioned starting with cultural context.
Cultural Context
I looked up the definition of "language" on Dictionary.com and the first definition listed was; "a body of words and the systems for their use common to a people who are of the same community or nation, the same geographical area, or the same cultural tradition." Notice how language is tied to people belonging to the "same community or nation" or the "same cultural tradition." What can be inferred from this? I think it's clear that simply being able to coherently organize words together does not necessarily constitute effective communication. Language is indeed a cornerstone of communication but it's critical to understand that language is indelibly linked to the culture that it's spoken in. Without this knowledge of the cultural context that a language is spoken in, it's easy for miscommunication to occur.
This even happens between two people who are speaking the same native language but come from different cultural perspectives. For example, in Australia it might be perfectly acceptable to joke with someone by poking fun at a personal attribute like his appearance or a personality trait without it seeming offensive while in the United States, such a form of joking can largely be taken as an affront. Understanding how to use language in its cultural context can be a critical factor in how effectively someone communicates. If this is important even when two people speak the same language natively but come from different cultural backgrounds, imagine how critical it is when one person is speaking the language from a second language perspective and is unfamiliar with the cultural context of that language from where it is spoken.
Linguistic Register
Linguistic register refers to level of formality a person's choice of words is associated with. Look at these three examples:
1) It's dangerous to swim here.
2) Swim at your own risk.
3) Swimming prohibited when dangerous conditions exist.
All three communicate a similar idea but all three convey the message with increasingly higher levels of formality. Clearly, the last example is appropriate for a public sign but would be a rather awkward way to communicate in an informal conversation. However, that is certainly not to imply that it is not useful to know how to communicate in a more formal manner. All three are perfectly acceptable ways to communicate the same idea but knowing when and how to use each manner of expression separates a novice user of English from a more sophisticated one.
Depending on the level of competency and experience a foreign speaker has with English, it is quite likely that at least some would not clearly understand what's being communicated in the second example and many would likely not know what's being communicated at all in the final example. Foreigners that learn English as a second language often acquire a type of macro-level, vanilla vocabulary that is often serves them adequately in informal conversation circumstances but lack the ability to understand and communicate with the subtlety that is required in more sophisticated situations.
Collocations
Collocations refer to the very specific way that some words need to be paired or grouped in order for a certain idea to be accurately expressed. Phrasal verbs (or pairings of a verb with a preposition) are one of the most common forms of collocations (and also one of the most difficult for foreign speakers of English to master). For example, if you want to express to someone that they need to be sure that a particular task is completed, you would say, "Follow through with this." However, it wouldn't make sense to say "Follow with this." "Take out the trash." isn't quite the same meaning as, "Take away the trash." In America, we would say, "Did you have breakfast?" but we wouldn't say "Did you take breakfast?" When you want to retell a dream you had, you would say, "I had a dream about.." but not "I had a dream with..." There is an ocean of these very specific collocations in the English language that can be next to impossible for all but the most diligent and experienced speakers of English as a second language to master.
Oral Reduction and Pace
One problem that many foreigners discover upon arriving here in the United States is that even if they have diligently studied English extensively prior to relocating to the U.S., they discover that what they studied in their English classes and in their English textbooks doesn't seem to have much relationship to what real people are saying to them in every day encounters. They discover that English is spoken much more rapidly than they were exposed to in their classroom environment and they also discover that spoken English is often reduced, sometimes quite aggressively. For example, an ESL (English as a Second Language) student might learn something like, "What are you going to do this weekend?" However, when he encounters someone in an American office, he'll more likely hear; "What'r you gonna do this weekend?" If the reduction is really aggressive, he might encounter something like; "Whatcha gonna do this weekend?" I've had students who had come to the U.S. feeling quite confident after having studied English for years both privately and in college in their native country only to feel completely discouraged upon arriving here and speaking to real people on the street. They sometimes feel that they were studying a completely different language than what they are hearing on a daily basis.
Idiom Usage
Day to day spoken English is saturated with idioms. It's hard to have a conversation between two Americans that doesn't include idioms. Even the simplest of common dialogue between people can contain numerous instances of idiom usage. For example, two coworkers encountering each other in the hall on a Monday morning might have a conversation like this:
John: Hey Mike! How's it going?
Mike: Not bad. What were you up to this weekend?
John: I just hung out with my wife. We threw some dogs on the grill and watched a little ball on tv.
Mike: Pretty low key weekend.
John: It was alright. How bout you? Did you get into any trouble this weekend?
Mike: Nope. Just laid low with some friends.
To a foreigner who hasn't been in the U.S. very long, that whole conversation would likely make no sense at all. Learning the incredible number of idioms that make up every day language in the U.S. is something that takes years of exposure to English to learn. It is quite unlikely to learn purely from the context of studying an idiom guide book formally like some ESL students have often attempted.
Overcoming the Challenges
So, if you are an American company who has foreign expat professionals working among your workforce, how do you address these challenges? Here are two recommendations. First of all, contract the services of a quality ESL provider. Secondly, assume an equal level of accountability for effective communication with foreign expat workers.
Contract with a Quality ESL Provider
It's important to provide language support to your foreign expat workforce by utilizing the services of a quality ESL provider. A good one should place the greatest emphasis on the quality of its teachers rather than some quick-fix program they are promoting. The reality is that there are no quick-fix programs. Learning a language is a function of student willingness, student effort, student dedication, and the talent of the teacher. The process is not a science as it can vary from individual to individual but you must start with a good teacher who is bonafide ESL teaching experience abroad. Language teachers who have been expatriates themselves can empathize with their students which is such an undervalued quality in the language learning field. These are the types of teachers I insist on working with at my language school, Premiere English.
Fair Accountability
It's important for companies that employ foreign expats to put themselves on the same side of the table when it comes to facilitating effective communication. Creating a corporate culture that promotes a heightened level of self-awareness in situations that require an American coworker or superior to communicate or interact with a foreign expat can be incredibly beneficial. By self-awareness, I am referring to monitoring the way you use English when communicating with a foreign expat. Taking care to remove idioms and avoiding reductions when communicating can significantly improve communication.
Observing when an expat might look confused by something you said and taking the time to rephrase what you said in more vanilla language can make a big difference. Not only will communication improve, the confidence and comfort level of the foreign expat will improve. Contracting with a quality ESL company to provide cultural awareness and communication consultation can also be of immense value. When accountability for effective communication is more fairly distributed between the foreign expat and his American coworkers, communication issues can be significantly reduced if not eliminated.
Chris Franek directs a Houston-based company called Premiere English that specializes in providing premium on-site language services. Specifically, Premiere English provides business English classes for corporations, English classes for blue collar workers, and English classes for private schools. He has been involved with ESL since 1995 which was the year he arrived in South Korea to teach English for the first time. After five great years in Korea, he returned to the Houston area and eventually launched Premiere English in 2004.
This article was adapted from several blog posts that he wrote for the blog on the Premiere English website. In the blog, Chris writes articles about ESL, language, culture, and how the interplay between them profoundly influences the language learning process.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Franek
http://EzineArticles.com/?Improving-Communication-With-Foreign-Expatriates-in-the-Workplace&id=3125180

How to recognize communication barriers and remove them.

Effective communication is crucial for successful relationships, both in and out of the office. When a party is able to communicate effectively, problems and misunderstandings are easily avoided. Ineffective communication can result in frustration, hurt feelings, lowered morale, and improper business tactics.
One way to make sure your business is operating as smooth as possible is to recognize communication problems and then remove them. If you don't feel like the flow of communication within your organization is operating smoothly, consider the following barriers and whether they may be having an impact on your own company:

Click here to continue

[from  businessknowledgesource.com]

Competing across borders

The impact of international communication on a business' bottom line

A very visual and colorful site that provides some insight regarding international communication.

Click here to go to the site.

How to speak to foreigners

Avoid jargon, technical language, idioms and acronyms if you're making a presentation abroad, advises The Influence Business managing director Jack Downton.

Click here to continue.

[from realbusiness.co.uk]

What Is The Message?

Breaking Down Barriers to Effective Communication

Successfully getting your point across can be hindered by communication barriers. Why not focus on breaking down barriers to effective communication so your message is properly interpreted?

Click here to continue.

[from life123.com]

International Body Language, Gestures and Manners, Don’t Be “That Guy”

When you travel, you may think that if you don’t know the language, you can just communicate using gestures. BZZT! Knowing what gestures and body language mean in foreign countries can mean the difference between making friends and getting beaten up and it’s all too easy to make mistakes.

Site provides a lot of useful information when traveling abroad.

Click here to continue.

[from parkrideflyusa.com]

Business Etiquette for International Gift Giving

It's hard to know sometimes what would be an appropriate gift for a business contact in a foreign country. If you are an American business professional, should you give your colleague in Beijing a gift that represents something valued in the U.S.? If you are an Irish entrepreneur, should you send a Celtic knot work design to a business executive in South Africa? Here are some guidelines to help you choose what to give and when.

Click here to continue.

[from soyouwanna.com]

Effects of Negative Communication in the Workplace

Common elements of negative communication include rumors, misinformation, misinterpretation, incomplete information and employee slander. While many of the elements are purposely initiated -- for example, employee slander -- other elements occur without any intent of malice, such as unknowingly relaying incomplete information. Communication is essential for maintaining a productive workplace. By understanding the effects of negative communication in the workplace, you can develop policies that help to decrease the problem and encourage positive communication.

click here to continue.

[from smallbusiness.chron.com]

Global Business and Ethics

Global Business and Ethics
By Jed A. Reay
With the advent of the Internet, everything from personal relationships to business has become 'global' for all intents and purposes. Today, you can talk to people across the world just as easily as if you were talking to your next door neighbor. Businesses can exchange documents of all sorts with the push of a button - without having to wait days, and often weeks, for those documents to be delivered by hand. We are global, and this has had a profound effect in the area of business ethics.
What we must realize is that what may be deemed ethical in our own country is not necessarily deemed as ethical in another country. This often makes conducting global business quite hard. At one time, because we did not have the Internet, it was more of a question of not accidentally disrespecting on another's customs and traditions. However, today, there is much more at stake. You must also not trample all over another businesses - or countries - ethical code, while you remain true to your own businesses or country's ethical code.
The first step is to understand business traditions and customs in the country that the business you are dealing with resides in. Hopefully, they will do the same for you, making an effort to learn about your business traditions and customs. Next, you need a way to clearly communicate. In this area of the global marketplace, hiring the services of a talented translator is essential. You need to clearly know what they are saying, and they need to know what you are saying as well. Don't rely on your one semester of a foreign language from high school to get you through this.
Global business also has a profound effect on your employees. For example, if you do business with a foreign country that only keeps regular business hours - in their time zone - one or more of your employees will need to be available for telephone calls and such, when it is convenient for the foreign company. Are you expecting your employees to be in the office to field those calls or to conduct those teleconferences at midnight, and expecting them to clock in bright an early the following morning? That is not very ethical.
Another area that has become a growing concern when it comes to global business and ethics is reporting income from foreign countries. If your company makes a sale to a company in Canada, for example, that sale will not be reported to the IRS in the United States by the company that you made the sale to or Canada's government. It is not, by anyone's standards, ethical not to report that income to the IRS yourself.
In many countries, bribing officials is a part of doing business. However, this does not make the practice ethical, and experts advise business owners to instruct all of their employees that such practices will not be tolerated when conducting global business - or even when conducting business in your own country.
Global business is seemingly easy with the use of the Internet, but in the grand scheme of things, when you start looking at what is and is not acceptable or expected in foreign country, in terms of ethical business practices, one must use a great deal of caution.
This and other topics that deal with corporate communications, business to customer relationships, and sales training through Collective Vision are just some of the topics discussed.
And now I would like to offer you one of my book chapters absolutely free. You can get instant access at http://www.jedreay.com/freechapters
From Jed A. Reay - The Communicator/Connector and Visionary Master Sales Trainer.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jed_A._Reay
http://EzineArticles.com/?Global-Business-and-Ethics&id=1102046

Communication Faults

100 Communication Mistake People Make.

Click here to read the PDF file.

12 Things to Never Say to Younger and Older Coworkers - Excelle

12 Things to Never Say to Younger and Older Coworkers - Excelle

12 Secrets Of Effective Business Communication

The ability to communicate, and communicate well, is one of the biggest factors in business success. You could be an excellent designer, but if you’re unable to promote your services and communicate effectively with clients and colleagues, your potential is limited. The principal areas where communication is essential include:

• Pitching potential clients,
• Client meetings,
• Customer service,
• Face-to-face networking,
• Marketing your business

Click here to read.

[from noupe.com]

About the author

Alyssa Gregory is the owner of avertua, LLC, a full-service virtual assistant firm. She has a passion for supporting small businesses, and provides business tips, advice and news through her business blog, the Small Business Idea Generator, and as a regular contributor on SitePoint.com. You can follow her on Twitter at @alyssagregory.

The Dos and Don'ts of Effective Communication

The Dos and Don'ts of Effective communication

by Jeff Meyers, Nationwide and Have The Talk

Sure, life would be easier if we avoided conflicts and dodged difficult talks. However, according to research, avoiding arguments, or "negative" interactions, isn't a good thing. Couples with higher ratios (fewer fights) were LESS satisfied in their relationships three years later than couples who hovered around the 5/1 ratio (of positive to negative interactions), presumably because they were avoiding important conversations or conflicts.

Keeping that in mind, below are a few dos and don’ts for effective communication as developed in coordination with Harvard communication expert Sheila Heen. Read them over and let me know what you think. What are your dos and don’ts for effective communication? What have you learned through your life experiences?
DO

• Prepare for difficult conversations — It will help you organize your thoughts and feelings, and may reduce anxiety.
• Choose your purpose — Not all problems need to be solved; sometimes you first need to discuss what happened or how everyone is feeling.
• Move from certainty to curiosity — Be curious about why someone feels the way they do or interprets a situation the way they did.
• Acknowledge that different things influence our perceptions — We each have different histories with money, family and decision-making in relationships, all of which influence our current views. Even the amount of information available today is overwhelming and impacts what we observe in contrast to others.
• Share your purpose — Express when you just need someone to listen or, on the contrary, when an issue needs resolution.
• Take responsibility — Be accountable for your part in the problem.
• Choose your words carefully — Use "and," not "but."
• Listen and be open to persuasion — Take an active listening role. See if you can figure out why you see it so differently and ultimately consider whether your original view may need adjustment based on what you’ve learned.
• Be open to changing roles — Don't get pigeonholed as the bystander, opposer or even initiator in your family; you need to take on different roles at different times.
  Shift from delivering a message — Approach the conversation from a perspective of sharing information.
• Know when to use humor — Humor can be very helpful when it’s self-deprecating, helps keep perspective or is used to engage someone.
• Invite the conversation — Make sure you’re approachable.

DON’T

• Hit and run — Don't start a conversation with an offhand comment on the way out the door, or risk an outburst of pent-up feelings by delaying too long.
• Try to persuade — Try to understand the other person's point of view.
• Disregard the other person's perspective and come prepared only to share your proposed solution or answer to a problem.
• Use humor as a weapon — When it's about someone else's personality traits or their family members, or used as a vehicle for the real message, you’ll damage your cause.
• Fall victim to an identity quake — Your feelings about your own identity are impacting your point of view.
• Assume you know the other person's intentions.
• Resort to name calling, character casting or typecasting.
• Place blame — It's the shortest route to defensiveness and denial.
• Let your nonverbal signals override your words — Sometimes gestures, such as eye rolling, can have a bigger impact on the conversation than what you actually say.
• Use words such as "always," "never" or "I feel like you..."
• Push for a particular outcome.
• Take it personally.

This article is provided for general, informational purposes only and is not intended as advice specific to your situation.

[originally published on http://www.gather.com/]

The Importance Of Communication Skills

The Importance Of Communication Skills
By Carl Formby
Communication skills simply do not refer to the way in which we communicate with another person. It encompasses many other things - the way in which we respond to the person we are speaking, body gestures including the facial ones, pitch and tone of our voice and a lot of other things. And the importance of communication skills is not just limited to the management world, since effective communication skills are now required in each and every aspect of our life. However, in this article we will discuss the importance of communication skills in two areas namely business and relationships.
First, let us concentrate on the importance of communication in business. We can measure the importance of communication skills in the business sector when we take a look at job advertisements. There is little chance that you will come across an advertisement which does not mention that candidates should have good communication skills. Perhaps this is the only criteria which creates a positive impact when a person goes for a job interview. This is because technical qualifications are likely to be more or less the same for the candidates.
Without effective communication skills, a person may find it impossible to climb up the corporate ladder. Promotions come to those who can communicate effectively at all levels, from senior management level to the lowest employee. The use of communication skills in business is covered in more detail at http://www.communicationskillsworld.com
As for communication within relationships, it should be remembered that maintaining good relationships is a way to a healthy lifestyle, and a good relationship can only be maintained by maintaining healthy communication with our near and dear ones. They are the ones we stay with on a regular basis. They are also the ones who see us at our best as well as our worst.
Good communication skills help the relationships to develop along good lines, and ensure that arguments and disagreements are kept to a minimum. Good communication will avoid arguments and insults
Another important part of communication in relationships is taking the initiative yourself. Do not wait for your best friend to call you after a long break. Instead take the phone and also take initiative to start the conversation. Often people have this problem while communicating, which comes from fear. They always think a thousand times whether to approach a person or not. But a person with good communication skills is always the first to start a conversation.
Given the importance of communication skills in both the personal and the corporate world, any individual who want to make progress with their life should develop this important skill.
Carl Formby owns and operates http://www.communicationskillsworld.com a website dedicated to information on Communication Skills
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carl_Formby
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Importance-Of-Communication-Skills&id=780635

Nonverbal Communication

IMPROVING YOUR NONVERBAL SKILLS AND READING BODY LANGUAGE

Good communication is the foundation of successful relationships, both personal and professional. But we communicate with much more than words. Most of the messages we send other people are nonverbal. Nonverbal communication includes our facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, posture, and tone of voice. The ability to understand and use nonverbal communication, or body language, is a powerful tool that can help you connect with others, express what you really mean, navigate challenging situations, and build better relationships.

Click here to continue.

[from helpguide.org]

Doing Business In Hong Kong

A common phrase suggests that the world is "getting smaller". Although this may be true in that it is easier to travel to and communicate with the rest if the world, it is hard to argue that this has led to greater synergy in how to do business globally. Cross cultural differences in the way we meet, greet, communicate, negotiate and build relationships still exist.

This guide to doing business in Hong Kong presents some useful tips on some salient points relating to etiquette, protocol and cross cultural communication.

The major influence on the business (and social) environment is the fact that Hong Kong is overwhelmingly populated by Chinese. The Chinese population are primarily drawn upon the five major groups of Southern China: 1) The Cantonese, 2) The Fukkien, 3) Hainan, 4) The Chui Chow and 5) The Hakka. Cantonese and English are the two languages of use on the island.

Click here to read the rest.

[from www.kwintessential.co.uk]

Doing Business in England: Business Tips for England

Doing business in England can be a disconcerting affair.

Aside from the obvious and much-publicized cultural differences, American executives doing business in the British Isles are placed in the peculiar position of speaking a common language but meaning things that are entirely different from the British interpretation.

Click here to read the rest.

[from morebusiness.com]

3 Tips For Effective Global Communication

3 Tips For Effective Global Communication
By Alain Bordier
Global communication is a major concern of every International business. The success of every International business depends on the effectiveness of the Communication. It is a well known fact that International businesses need communication with people of different cultures. Apart from the language differences, they need to focus on social attributes, attitudes and thought patterns of different cultures. All these communication terminologies are collectively known as intercultural communication. This Intercultural communication is the base for any International business and hence it has to be made effective. Just keep reading on the article to see the 3 most wanted tips for effective Intercultural communication.
1. Intercultural Communication - Not all about Language
Many people have a misconception about Intercultural communication that, it is all about managing a different language. The true fact is that language is just a part of Intercultural communication. Intercultural communication is about understanding different cultures, languages and customs in a particular country. For example, if you are an American, traveling to India, you should be able to cope up with the Indian culture along with understanding the language in India. You should also make an approach to learn their culture which will induce a positive relationship with the host. Learning the culture of a Country is not that easy as it seems. This is where the cross cultural training comes into play. There are many cross cultural training service providers available today who will be able to feed you with the much needed Intercultural communication skills.
2. Avoid Native Slang and Explain in Simple words
When traveling to a foreign country or delivering a speech to people of different cultures, you should make sure to avoid your native slang and style. Using your native slang and style in a different Country will confuse the listeners. For example, people living outside Canada may or may not understand the phrase "you can't squeeze blood out of a turnip (which means that you cannot get something (money) from a person that they don't have)". Hence it is always wise to explain things in simple words for effective Intercultural communication.
3. Judge the behavior of people according to their cultures
The way of expressing the feelings and behavior greatly differs across different cultures. For example, people of different cultures have different ways of greeting (say) A the way of greeting a Brazilian is offering a hug, whereas an Indian will greet you with shake hands. You should be able to understand the different behaviors of people worldwide for effective Intercultural communication. You should be able to express your behavior according the culture of different people you are communicating with.
Learning Intercultural communication was pretty difficult in the olden days. Today, with the introduction of different cross cultural training and professional translation service, learning Intercultural communication is just a breeze.
Effective communication and cultural awareness is a basic necessity of each and every human being. Knowing the importance of cultural awareness, the author of this article gives many tips to develop it. He has also written many articles which can be used a valuable resources for developing communication skills and cultural awareness.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alain_Bordier
http://EzineArticles.com/?3-Tips-For-Effective-Global-Communication&id=2097437

The Subject Line Debate

The Subject Line Debate
By David Bateson
Is it more important to have a short or long subject line?
The answer to this is not I think simply a yes or no. The answer depends on what the email is setting out to do and who the target audience is. Business emails that are sent out to many recipients can be many different types, all of which serve valid purposes. There is the email update or email newsletter type email, there is the sales or product focused email, there is the news alert or news release type email. So let's have a look at the differences:
The newsletter/email update
The major purpose of this type of email - particularly for B2B and professional services types of businesses - is simply to remind recipients of your existence and your expertise. If you are able to provide your readers, clients and prospects alike, with useful information, you become a trusted source of information and advice, and when they are ready to use your expertise, they know where to find you. The purpose is less to directly sell your services than to reinforce your expertise and enhance your credibility.
With these types of email, the subject line needs to be as long as necessary to convey all the items in the email the reader might be interested in, to encourage them to open and read it. The online business news website Smartcompany does this with their daily news emails - their subject lines are always very long, but informative when you're scanning your inbox.
The sales/product focused email
This type email is the one where a short and sharp subject line is going to get the best results. It is better with these type emails to only be talking about one thing. If this is the only type of email you send however, be prepared for low open rates and higher unsubscribe rates, as those people who are not interested in taking up your product or service offering immediately, tire of only getting promotional messages from you. This applies particularly in B2B and professional services, less in consumer and retail where there is a greater likelihood of an impulse type purchase.
The news alert/news release email
If you have some important news, it's a good idea to tell everyone. The subject line here should be reasonably short and to the point. Don't necessarily wait until your next update is due out if the news is important enough.
In our opinion businesses should be sending out a judicious mix of all three types of email - if you're only sending out email newsletter type emails you may not be making the most of email to promote specific products and services. If you're only sending out promotional emails, people soon tire of being sold to all the time and will start unsubscribing or ignoring. It's also good to mix things into your regular (monthly) update, but certainly send single subject emails from time to time to promote individual products and services.
David Bateson is principal of Brisbane-based email newsletter and email marketing agency NewsBusiness. Prior to setting up the agency David has a successful career in sales where he had seen first hand the power and effectiveness of email newsletter campaigns he had initiated. Although he has worked for large corporates in his time, his experience and enthusiasm is with the SME (small/medium enterprise) sector. Originally from the UK David is now based in Brisbane, Australia. For more information go to http://www.newsbusiness.com.au
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Bateson
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Subject-Line-Debate&id=6902315

Telephone Skills and Techniques: The Art of Successful Communication

A new age of communication

Click here to read.

10 Etiquette Mistakes You Didn't Know You Were Making

By Good Housekeeping

• Posts

By Good Housekeeping | Secrets to Your Success – Tue, Jul 10, 2012 12:10 PM EDT

Surprise: It's not okay to wait a year to send a wedding gift. From Peggy Post, a refresher course on this and other tricky rules.

Click here to go to the article.

[from shine.yahoo.com]

Doing Business in South Korea

Click here to read about doing business in South Korea.

 Includes lots of useful information.

Doing Business in Russia

This is a site with comprehensive information if doing business in Russia or with Russians.

Click here to go to the site.

Doing Business In Japan

Here is a site that offers information related to doing business in Japan.

Click here to go to the site.

Doing Business In Germany

This is a site with comprehensive information if doing business in Germany or with Germans.

Click here to go to the site.

How To Speak With Foreigners

How to speak to foreigners

Avoid jargon, technical language, idioms and acronyms if you're making a presentation abroad, advises The Influence Business managing director Jack Downton.

Click here to read the rest.

[from realbusiness.co.uk]

Title: How to Communicate Globally.
Author(s): Gundling, Ernest
Source: Training & Development; Jun99, Vol. 53 Issue 6, p28, 4p, 1 graph
INTERCULTURAL communication
Abstract: Discusses the use and selection of technology in cross-cultural business communication. Counterproductive effect of technology in communication; Context content of various communications; Creating context using facilitation techniques; Aspects to consider in selecting communication technologies.
ISSN: 10559760 Accession Number: 1941178
Database: Business Source Premier
Section Communication Skills Global Teams

Click Here To Read The Report

Communication and Culture Tips for Global Managers

Culture Matters: Communication and Culture Tips for Global Managers


By Karine Schomer

When offshore outsourcing or other cross-border business ventures run into implementation difficulties, managers and team members often point to "communication problems" as the root cause. This attribution occurs both in anecdotal responses and in formal surveys.

But what is meant, exactly, by "communication problems"? Weaknesses in the project management aspects of communication? Generic weaknesses in the art of effective communication on the part of individuals in your teams? Cross-cultural differences in the approach and protocols of communication? Unless you can untangle this web and pinpoint where those costly communication gaps are (or may be in the future if your work is just starting), it's unlikely you'll be successful in either resolving or preventing them.

Click here to read the rest.

[from http://www.sourcingmag.com]

Survive Workplace Assholes

In every workplace environment there seems to be one or more persons who you don't get along with or like very much because you consider them an asshhole.  The reasons may vary and be long, but it is best to resolve any issues before causing long term damage.

In a global working environment, you could feel that people are assholes, where in reality there may be just be some miscommunication or cultural issues that you are not familiar with.  When dealing with foreigners take extra caution on how to deal with those you perceive as being assholes.  A little effort can go a long way to put those feelings aside.

In any case, click here to read about how to survive workplace assholes. 

Communicating Bad News

How to Communicate Bad News Professionally

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
"I have good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?" "Oh, give me the bad news first. I want to end on an upbeat note." Prepare for it, because when you have bad news to convey in a professional environment, there are ways to do it correctly, and ways to make a mess of it. There are different approaches to this and different techniques, depending on (among other things) the nature of the news, the circumstances in which it is delivered, the gravity of the news, and how the news will be used. The following set of steps will give you some guidelines about how you can create the appropriate result with the appropriate impact. While reviewing these methods, you will see one that stands heads above the rest from a philosophical point of view, and it is presented last. The first methods you see are here because they are common techniques and you should know how to recognize them. Only the last one has the element of true character. That doesn’t mean, however, that you should ignore the first ones. They do have their place. Just be aware of when they are appropriate and when they are not. Never, never, never give bad news first!

Steps

The Spin Technique You might see this used in political venues and by corporations broadcasting to the public; no matter how bad things are, everything is presented in positive terms: "I’m pleased to report that at this pace he will finish with school and that he is currently in the upper 98% in his class of only 100 students!" The presentation may appear to be "off the cuff" but in reality it takes careful planning and well-timed delivery. (If you didn’t catch it, the quote above does not say he will graduate, and the upper 98% in a class of 100 means there are only two worse students. The word "only" is added for no reason other than to distract and confuse.)

1. Know your subject well: You are going to make bad news sound like good news. To do so effectively, you must be knowledgeable of other facts and issues that are close to the situation. If, for example, you are presenting bad news about the deterioration of a forest due to extensive lumber harvesting, you must also know about other environmental impacts (e.g. fauna habitats). In this approach, you will be questioned about ancillary items. Be prepared.
2. Use statistical references: Using numbers to back your presentation is a powerful tool. The truth is that, if carefully prepared, statistical references (this is different from real statistics that might weigh against you) can be used to back nearly any position. That doesn’t make the position right, but it does add power to your presentation. It’s a Sophist approach (Sophists focus on being able to argue either side with equal effectiveness – usually categorized as individuals without regard for "truth").
3. Do not present points that do not support your position: Having said that, it is possible there are points you know will be raised. It may be desirable to diminish those points during your presentation. If that is appropriate, do not disparage or "brush off" the opposition, but rather indicate why those opposing points are either irrelevant or incorrect. Don’t spend a lot of time on this – the more time you take the more solidly the opposing positions will be anchored. Address them and move on. "To address animal protectionist concerns, we have thoroughly studied the impact on local fauna and conclusively proven it to be negligible. We will make our studies available to appropriately qualified reviewers." End of story – no questions.
4. Give the appearance of being intellectual: You don’t have to be a Rhodes Scholar to make your point, but it’s important that the audience believes you are well versed on this, and other related subjects. References to obscure but pertinent facts can have a powerful psychological impact. "As most of you know, the six-year-old gymnogyps mates in the early fall and our efforts are clearly sensitive to this important event."
5. Be upbeat: There is a line, often crossed, between an upbeat presenter and a snake oil salesman. "Trouble with a capital ‘T’ and that rhymes with ‘P’ and that stands for pool!" Even if you are selling snake oil, you don’t want to come across that way, right now. Remember, this is a bad news presentation.
6. Be ready for fallout: This technique is almost always transparent on an intellectual level. You are appealing to an immediate emotional reaction. After that reaction fades, the hope is that your sound bites will have enough exposure to carry. You will definitely get commentary on the "glossed over" areas. How you handle that is not within the scope of this document.

Compare and Minimize You probably see this most frequently in reviews of activities gone wrong. "Things could have been much worse. Yes, there may have been mistakes made but we had a good plan and executed it perfectly. Remember how bad things were when the same thing happened two years ago? Well, this was much better in every measurable way." This type of presentation is often used to (try to) conceal fault. It rarely does that, but on a positive note it allows the presenter to admit mistakes and save face at the same time. On the downside, it will appear childish and petulant, if not performed well. "But mom! Nobody did good on the test and Johnny and Mary even got an F and the test next week is the important one!"

1. Identify common references: You want to find other, similar events that had less favorable outcomes. You will use these as comparisons. Generally speaking, the more the better, but don’t use the entire list – keep some in reserve for backup. Definitely, the worse those other things are, the better the comparison. "The outcome of our efforts was phenomenal when you consider that three of the other teams failed to recover over 30 times as many."
2. List every good thing that was done: You’re not going to ignore the bad news, but you want the focus to be on the effort rather than the result. "Despite the hazardous working conditions and the lack of proper funding and the obvious lack of local support those men and women persevered and overcame - they deserve our deepest thanks!"
3. Focus on the future: Catastrophes are nothing more than opportunities to improve. When you start talking about the future, you must expand on recent efforts. Don’t point out the things that weren’t done, but rather stick to how this lesson showed how the good things that were done can be improved and can be done better and faster. "I'm going to work even harder to make sure the fallout from events like this are minimized, even further!"

The Sandwich Method Good News – Bad News – Good News In business environments you will often find that the earlier "slick" presentations just don’t work. This is particularly true when ethics and accountability are held to high standards. This method gives you a way to present bad news in a way that both starts and ends on a positive note without "smoke and mirror" techniques. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to report that our new testing procedures have improved our failure detection by 97% over the past three months. We had one catastrophic failure which, regrettably, resulted in the loss of an expensive robotic arm, but on a more positive note, the arm was scheduled for replacement during the next fiscal year and this event allowed us to advance our retrofit which has further increased productivity."

1. Identify the good news: Before the negative event, what was going well? Find something that was on the up swing that is related to the bad news. It’s important to present this first. Do not ever present the bad news first. If you do that, the audience will often focus on that and you will lose their attention – they won’t even hear the good news. Give them something interesting so they’ll want to hear more.
2. Present the facts: After the initial good news, lead directly into the bad news. Don’t segue with "and now the bad news" or you’ll deflate the positive impact the previous good news brought. When you state the bad news try to be be somewhat monotonic in nature but don’t waiver and don’t be apologetic.
3. Outline the positive results: You’ve stated exactly what happened. Now, most importantly, what did you learn from it? Bad things do happen; accept it. But you can use those events to improve. This is most commonly called a post-mortem analysis. Done properly, such an analysis can lead to dramatic improvements. When you present your summary of the post-mortem, you will be telling the audience how this negative event poses a future benefit.
4. Avoid excuses: Yes, it happened. No, it wasn’t a good thing. No, you’re not trying to dodge responsibility. Your objective is to state the news and nothing but the news. You’re simply going to put it in such a way that the audience recognizes you as a person of integrity. When done properly it’s likely you’ll get a round of applause by using this method.
5. Avoid finger-pointing: Instead of a blame fixer, be a problem fixer. Don't try to assign the bad news to someone - not even to yourself. Quibbling over who did what to whom behind which barn isn't going to solve anything. We were having a good day, something bad happened, here's what we're doing about it.

Tips

• Whenever possible, use the Sandwich Method. It shows maturity and character. The other methods are highly specialized and require very distinct circumstances and very experienced presenters.
• Rehearse! Don’t try to do any of these without practice. If you have the opportunity to work with friends or associates first, that’s a very good way to learn of potential objections or to judge audience reactions.
• In the Spin Method, you need to be slick and talk fast. If you’re asked a follow-up question, nod a lot during the question as though you already know the answer. Always remember you can avoid answering follow-up questions by referring to future release of information to "appropriately qualified reviewers." See How to Spin Bad News for a more detailed presentation.
• In the Compare and Minimize Method, it is sometimes helpful to talk about the comparison bad news in a sympathetic way. Inducing sympathy in the audience toward other bad news will often carry across to yours.
• There is one method not mentioned here that is obvious by its absence. This is the "factual presentation." It’s omitted because in the environment where it’s used, there really isn’t any such thing as bad news. In that scenario (lab experiments, for example) there is only supporting data and non-supporting data. Reporting that a wheel failed during a test is not bad news – it’s simply data.
• The Sandwich Method is a very good way to offer constructive criticism (coaching) to modify behavior (with employees, friends, children, spouses). See How to Give a Feedback Sandwich for additional uses and a different presentation of this technique.

Warnings

• Never give the bad news first! Your audience will lose interest in everything else you’re going to say. They won’t even hear the good news.
• Once you start down a path, it is very difficult to reverse course. If you choose the Spin Method, for example, you will find it difficult to switch to one of the others.
• The worst possible way to present bad news is to lie about it. Lying is out of the scope of this document, but there are articles you can reference if you truly believe that is your only option.
• Always show respect for those who are affected by bad news.

Related wikiHows

• How to Give a Feedback Sandwich
• How to Spin Bad News
• How to Break Bad News
• How to Be Honest
• How to Lie
• How to Communicate Your Weaknesses
• How to Accept Criticism While at Work
• How to Respond to a Job Performance Review

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Communicate Bad News Professionally. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Communicate Effectively

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
No matter your age, background, or experience, effective communication is a skill you can learn. With a little self-confidence and knowledge of the basics, you'll be able to get your point across. Here's how to do it.

Steps

Creating The Right Environment For Communication

1. Choose the right time. As the cliché states, there is a time and a place for everything, and communicating is no different.
   • Avoid leaving discussions about heavy topics such as finances or weekly planning until late evening. Few people will be thrilled to be faced with sorting out major issues when they're at their most tired. Instead, leave heavy topics for mornings and afternoons when people are alert, available, and more likely to be able to respond with clarity.
2. An intimate conversation]]Choose the right place. If you need to tell someone something that isn't going to be well received (such as news of a death or a breakup), don't do it in public, around colleagues or near other people. Be respectful and mindful of the person receiving the communication and communicate to them in a private place. This will also enable you to provide space to open dialog with them about the communication, and helps to ensure that the two-way process is occurring properly.
   • If you are presenting to a group of people, be sure to check the acoustics beforehand and practice projecting your voice clearly. Use a microphone if needed to ensure that your audience can hear you.
3. If the phone rings, laugh it off the first time, then turn it off immediately and continue talking]]Remove distractions. Turn off all electronics that could go off during the conversation. Do not allow external distractions to act as crutches that keep sidetracking your concentration. They will distract both you and your listener, and effectively kill the communication.

Organizing Your Communications

1. Organize and clarify ideas in your mind. This should be done before you attempt to communicate these ideas. If you are feeling passionate about a topic, you may become garbled if you haven't already thought of some key points to stick to when communicating it.
   • A good rule of thumb is to choose three main points and keep your communication focused on those. That way, if the topic wanders off course, you will be able to return to one or more of these three key points without feeling flustered. Writing these key points down (if it's appropriate) can also help.
2. Be clear. Make it clear what you're wishing to convey from the outset. For example, your purpose could be to inform others, obtain information or initiate action. People need to know in advance what you expect from your communication.
3. Stay on topic. Once you start addressing your three main points, make sure everything you're saying adds to the conversation or debate. If you have already thought through the issues and the essence of the ideas that you wish to put across, it is likely that some pertinent phrases will stick in your mind. Do not be afraid to use these to underline your points. Even very confident and well-known speakers reuse their key lines again and again for major effect.
4. Thank your listener(s). Thank the person or group for the time taken to listen and respond. No matter what the outcome of your communication, even if the response to your talk or discussion has been negative, it is good manners to end it politely and with respect for everyone's input and time.

Communicating Through Speech

1. Set the listener at ease. You want to do this before launching into your conversation or presentation. It can help sometimes to begin with a favorite anecdote. This helps the listener identify with you as someone like them.
2. Be articulate. It is important to speak clearly so that the message comes across in a way that every listener can understand. Your words are remembered because people instantly understand what it is that you are saying. It means uttering your words distinctly, preferring simpler words over more complex ones and speaking at a level guaranteed to be heard, but without coming across as too quiet or disengaged.
3. Avoid mumbling. Take special care to enunciate highlighted points you need to make in order to avoid any kind of misunderstanding. If mumbling is a defensive habit that you have fallen into out of fear of communicating, practice your message at home in front of the mirror. Discuss what you want to communicate with those you feel comfortable around first in order to better develop the message in your own mind. Both the practice and the development of your words for the messaging will build your confidence.
4. Be attentive when listening and ensure that your facial expressions reflect your interest.]] Listen actively. Communication is a two-way street. Remember that while you are talking, you are not learning. In listening, you will be able to gauge how much of your message is getting through to your listeners and whether or not it is being received correctly. It can be helpful to ask listeners to rephrase some of what you have said in their own words if they appear to be returning confused or mistaken views to you.
5. Be vocally interesting. A monotone is not pleasing to the ear. A good communicator will use "vocal color" to enhance communication. Norma Michael recommends raising the pitch and volume of your voice when you transition from one topic or point to another, and to increase your volume and slow down your voice whenever you are raising a special point or summing up.[1] She also recommends speaking briskly, but pausing to emphasize keywords when you are requesting action.

Communicating Through Body Language

1. Recognize people. Sure, you don't necessarily know the people in your audience or that new friend in your group, but they're nodding along with you and looking knowingly at you all the same. This means that they are connecting with you. So reward them with your acknowledgment.
2. Clarity of meaning can be expressed through your body language, too.|right]]Use facial expressions consciously. Aim to reflect passion and generate empathy from the listener by using soft, gentle, and aware facial expressions. Avoid negative facial expressions, such as frowns or raised eyebrows. What is or isn't negative is dependent on the context, including cultural context, so be guided by your situation.
   • Be alert for unexpected behavior that suggests you're cross-culturally colliding, such as a clenched fist, a slouched posture, or even silence.[2] If you don't know the culture, ask questions about communication challenges before you start to speak with people in their cultural context.
3. Communicate eye-to-eye. Eye contact establishes rapport, helps to convince people that you're trustworthy, and displays interest. During a conversation or presentation, it is important to look into the other person's eyes if possible and maintain contact for a reasonable amount of time (but don't overdo it; just as much as feels natural, about 2-4 seconds at a time).[3]
   • Remember to take in all of your audience. If you're addressing a boardroom, look every member of the board in the eye. Neglecting any single person can easily be taken as a sign of offense and could lose you business, admission, success, or whatever it is you are endeavoring to achieve.
   • If you're addressing an audience, pause and make eye contact with a member of audience for up to 2 seconds before breaking away and resuming your talk. This helps to make individual members of the audience feel personally valued.
   • Be aware that eye contact is culturally ordained. In some cultures it is considered to be unsettling, or inappropriate. Ask or research in advance.
4. Use breathing and pauses to your advantage. There is power in pausing. Simon Reynolds says that pausing causes an audience to lean in and listen. It helps you to emphasize your points and allow the listener time to digest what has been said. It also helps to make your communication come across as more compelling and it makes your speech easier to listen to.[4]
   • Take deep breaths to steady yourself before you begin communicating.
   • Get into the habit of solid, regular breathing during a conversation that will help you to keep a steady, calm voice. It will also keep you more relaxed.
   • Use pauses to take a breather in what you are saying.
5. How does this gesture come across?|right]]Use hand gestures carefully. Be conscious of what your hands are saying as you speak. Some hand gestures can be very effective in highlighting your points (open gestures), while others can be distracting or even offensive to some listeners, and can lead to the conversation or listening being closed down (closed gestures). It also helps to watch other people's hand gestures to see how they come across to you.
6. Keep a check on other body language signals. Watch for wandering eyes, hands picking at fluff on your clothing and constant sniffling. These small gestures add up and are all guaranteed to dampen the effectiveness of your message.

Communicating Effectively In Conflict

1. Place yourself on even ground. Do not stand or hover over the other person. This creates a power struggle and pushes the conflict to another level. If they are sitting, you should sit with them.
2. Listen to the other party. Let them say how they feel. Wait until they are completely finished talking before beginning to speak yourself.
3. Speak in a calm voice. Don't yell or make accusations at the other party. Let them know you have heard their point and understand their side.
4. Don't try to finish the argument at all costs. If the person walks out of the room, do not follow them. Allow them to do so and let them return when they are calmer and ready to talk.
5. Don't try to get the last word in. Again, this could lead to a power struggle that may not end. Sometimes, you have to agree to disagree and move on.
6. Use "I" messages. When you're phrasing your concerns, try to start your sentences with "I...". This will make the other person more receptive to your complaints. For instance, instead of saying "You're sloppy and it drives me crazy," try "I feel like messiness is a problem in our relationship."

Video

This video shows you how to communicate effectively.

Tips

• Look on the Internet for examples of great speakers in action. There are plenty of role models instantly accessible through videos online. Treat them as your "personal communications coaches!"
• If you are giving a presentation to a group or audience, be prepared for difficult questions so that you're not thrown off course and left feeling flustered. To remain in a position of communicating effectively, Michael Brown recommends a golden rule for handling difficult questions in the context of a group or audience. He suggests that you listen on behalf of everyone present, including asking questions and repeating the issue. Share the reply with everyone, which means moving your eyes off the questioner and onto all present in order to have the whole group "wear the answer." Capitalize on this shared answer to move on and change direction.[5]
• Don't ramble. This will lead to your message not being understood or taken seriously
• Do not whine or plead. Neither is guaranteed to instill respect or interest in the listener. If you are very upset, excuse yourself and come back to the discussion later when you have had a chance to think it through.
• Be careful with humor. While a little humor injected into what you are discussing can be very effective, do not take it too far and do not rely on it as a crutch to cover up the hard-to-say things. If you keep giggling and joking, your communication will not be taken seriously.

Related wikiHows

• How to Teach Your Child Good Interpersonal Communication Skills
• How to Communicate to Evoke Admiration
• How to Avoid Misspeaking
• How to Say No To Your Boss
• How to Communicate With a Non Native English Speaker
• How to Communicate With Younger People
• How to Communicate With a Mentally Challenged Person
• How to Communicate in an Assertive Manner
• How to Speak Clearly
• How to Communicate Effectively With Children
• How to Give Verbal Instructions
• How to Communicate Effectively With a Teen
• How to Get Guys to Communicate More Clearly

Sources and Citations

• Some elements of this article were sourced from FEMA, Effective Communication: An Independent Study, December 2005, at PDF document - downloads on clicking, a US government copyright free information source.
• Center for Nonverbal Studies, (http://center-for-nonverbal-studies.org/ CN), is an organization dedicated to the study of all forms of non-spoken communication; here you'll find a thorough explanation of the various forms of non-verbal communication.

1. ↑ Norma Michael, How to Say What You Mean, (1988), p.33, ISBN 0-474-00303-5
2. ↑ Don W Prince and Michael H Hoppe, Listen and Watch for Cultural Differences, in Communicating Across Cultures, (2000), pp.14-19
3. ↑ Linda Talley, Body Talk, Career World, a Weekly Reader publication 38.6, (April-May 2010), p.6
4. ↑ Siimon Reynolds, Why People Fail; The 16 obstacles to success and how you can overcome them, (2010), p. 94, ISBN 978-0-670-07431-0
5. ↑ Michael Brown, Speaking Easy, (undated), Media Associates, NZ, p.114.

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Communicate Effectively. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Cultural Barriers To Effective Communication

Cultural Barriers to Effective Communication

Effective communication with people of different cultures is especially challenging. Cultures provide people with ways of thinking--ways of seeing, hearing, and interpreting the world. Thus the same words can mean different things to people from different cultures, even when they talk the "same" language. When the languages are different, and translation has to be used to communicate, the potential for misunderstandings increases.

Stella Ting-Toomey describes three ways in which culture interferes with effective cross-cultural understanding. First is what she calls "cognitive constraints." These are the frames of reference or world views that provide a backdrop that all new information is compared to or inserted into.

Second are "behavior constraints." Each culture has its own rules about proper behavior which affect verbal and nonverbal communication. Whether one looks the other person in the eye-or not; whether one says what one means overtly or talks around the issue; how close the people stand to each other when they are talking--all of these and many more are rules of politeness which differ from culture to culture.

Ting-Toomey's third factor is "emotional constraints." Different cultures regulate the display of emotion differently. Some cultures get very emotional when they are debating an issue. They yell, they cry, they exhibit their anger, fear, frustration, and other feelings openly. Other cultures try to keep their emotions hidden, exhibiting or sharing only the "rational" or factual aspects of the situation.

All of these differences tend to lead to communication problems. If the people involved are not aware of the potential for such problems, they are even more likely to fall victim to them, although it takes more than awareness to overcome these problems and communicate effectively across cultures.

[from University of Colorado, USA:  http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/problem/cultrbar.htm]

Intercultural Business Communication: Part 2

The Dwyer Group Code of Values

When dealing with customers from around the world, it is good to establish a code of values to have good customer relations, as well as, good relations with foreign companies.

The Dwyer Group has their own code of values which is a good code to do business by.

Click here to read the Dwyer Group Code of Values.

Intercultural Business Communication: Part 1

Global Communication Challenge

This presentation gives tips on how organizations can address the challenge of global communications.

Solving the Global Communication Challenge

E-Mail Management Mistakes

With the billions of emails that get sent everyday, companies have the strenuous task of managing them.  And mistakes are made.

Click here to read the in-depth article about 5 common email management mistakes. 

There are some things to avoid when communicating.

Here is an article about some things to avoid when communicating.

Click on the title to read the article

Four signs you're a terrible communicator

By Les McKeown

Flattery (Giving Compliments)

In social situations, as well as business situations, there is an amount of flattery that goes around.  Flattery (giving compliments) is making positive comments on a persons appearance, preference, accomplishments or other personal reference.  Flattery can sometimes be mistaken for flirting or being a kiss-ass. 

When making flattery, be aware of the cultural norms.  Making flattery to some people in certain countries can be very offensive, while in other countries it may be perfectly acceptable.

When making flattery, don't say something that can be easily misconstrued.  For example, you should avoid saying to a woman, "That skirt and blouse really shows your body shape."  Or to an Indian, "Your turban is so colorful." 

If you feel the need to compliment on someone's appearance, it should not be taken in the wrong way.  Instead, you could say, "That is a nice bag, where can I get one?" or "I love your jacket, it goes well with your suit."

But note, that making any references to the opposite sex could be considered impolite.

A safer way to flatter someone is to make comments on their accomplishment.  Saying, "That was a great speech," or "Your presentation was helpful," are great examples on how to flatter someone. 

Email Subject Line

There have been many occasions when business professionals whose native tounge is not English asked me about the email subject line.  They find it a challenge to construct a good, short, impacted subject line.  This concern is also true for people whose native language is English.

1)   The subject line should clearly tell the receiver what the email is about.  There should be no guessing what the email contains. 

ex.)  Reminder About Meeting on Monday / Test Results Enclosed / RE:  John Smith Contact Info.

2)  The email subject should be as short as possible.  It should also be a sentence or less.  I understand that sometimes it seems really difficult to state the contents in under 6-8 words.  Don't get too stressed out.  This is my recommendation, but once in a while if you have to then (you can not think of any other way) go ahead.

3)  The first letter of the first word should be capitalized.  After that all first letters should be capitalized except for articles, prepositions and conjunctions.  Although, I occasionally capitalize prepositions.

ex.)  Thoughts on the T5 Project / Thoughts About the T5 Project / Final Draft for Upcoming Seminar / Regarding Wednesday's Luncheon

4) The use of punctuation can be helpful by reducing the amount of words and also so the receiver can understand the email easier.

ex.)  Materials for Commencement Speech (Final Draft) / (Urgent) Counteroffer From Supplier / Today's S&M Meeting Cancelled - Contact Mr. Smith for Details

5)  You can shortened or abbreviate words in an email subject line.  Use only common abbreviations or abbreviations that the receiver can understand. 

ex.)  Question Reg. Order / Attn:  John Smith (Renewal Requested) / Rx Expires Next Week

6)  You can use the email subject line to deliver your message with  no contents.  In this case use (EOM).  EOM stands for end of message.

ex.)  Package Sent at 10AM (EOM) / Resend the Documents (EOM)

7)  Use common business-like vocabulary in your subject line.  These words can help reduce the amount of words and also send a clearer message to the receiver.

ex.)  P45 Test Validated / Please Clarify Pg. 4 of the Proposal / Details of the On-Going Test / Circular Letter Detailing Merger / Short Term Proposal / OSHA Compliance Insepction Scheduled

8)  Do not write all the letters in capital letters or in lower case letters. 


I want to reiterate that it is sometimes difficult in constructing a good subject line.  Try to utilize some of the tips above and with a bit of testing and trying, you should find yourself better at writing the email subject line.

Writing Effective Emails

Since most of our communication can be in the form of emails, it is essential that your emails be written in the most effective way possible.
And for English as a Second Language speakers, writing effective emails can be especially beneficial in terms of overall communication.
See the tips below (click on the title for the entire article/click on each tip for more information):

Writing Effective Email: Top 10 Email Tips

Posted by Dennis G. Jerz and Jessica Bauer

Some professionals get scores of emails a day. Follow these email etiquette tips in order to give your recipients the information they need, so they’ll act on your message.

12 Dec 2000 — original version submitted by Jessica Bauer (UWEC student)

03 May 2012 — last modified by Dennis G. Jerz

1. Write a meaningful subject line.
2. Keep the message focused.
3. Avoid attachments.
4. Identify yourself clearly.
5. Be kind — don’t flame.
6. Proofread.
7. Don’t assume privacy.
8. Distinguish between formal and informal situations.
9. Respond Promptly.
10. Show Respect and Restraint.

[Article from Jerz's Literacy Weblog - www.jerz.stonehill.edu]