Body Language

What is body language?

Body language is nonverbal communication that involves body movement. “Gesturing” can also be
termed as body language which is absolutely non-verbal means of communication. People in the
workplace can convey a great deal of information without even speaking; through nonverbal
communication.

Not all of our values, beliefs, thoughts and intentions are communicated verbally. In an ongoing
communication, most of those are communicated non-verbally. In Non-verbal communication, our
human body expresses our feelings and intentions through conscious and unconscious movements and
postures, accompanied by gestures, facial expressions, eye contacts and touch. This collectively forms a
separate language of the body within the ongoing communication. This is called Body Language

How does the body speak?

Our human body speaks through the conscious and unconscious movements and postures, hand
gestures, facial expressions, eye movements and touch. Each of these physical movements of the body
parts could be seen as separate words and can be interpreted differently by other human beings within
a given context of communication.

Why is Body Language Important?

Since interpretations of body language differ from people to people and cultures to countries it is
important to learn about them. Body language alone comprises of 55% of total communication whereas
spoken words comprise of 7% and tone of voice comprise 38%

Types of Body Language

Body language is usually grouped along two lines

1. The body
2. Intent

The body
 1. The Head - Movement and placement of the head, back to front, left to right, side to side,
including the shaking of hair.
2. Facial Expressions - The face has many muscles (anywhere between 54 and 98, depending on
who you ask) that move several areas of the face. Each combination of movements of the
following face elements communicates a state of mind:
 Eyebrows - Up, down, frowning
 Eyes - Left, right, up, down, blinking, eye dilalation
 Nose - Wrinkle (at the top), flaring of the nostrils
 Lips - Smiling, snarling, puckered, opened, closed, tight
 Jaw - Open, closed, clinched, lower jaw left or right
3. Body Posture - The way you place your body and arms and legs, in relation to each other, and in
relation to other people:
 Body proximity - How far or close to other people.
 Shoulder movements - Up, down, hanging, hunched.
 Arm placement - up, down, crossed, straight.
 Leg and feet placement - straight, crossed, weight placement, feet towards speaking partner or
pointing elsewhere, dangling of shoes.
4. Hand and finger gestures - How you hold and move your hands and fingers are particularly
insightful in reading people.
 Handling and placement of objects (eg. pens, papers, etc). - The odd one out... technically not a
body part, but objects do play a big role in reading body language.

Intent

Another way to group types of body language is along Intent:

1. Voluntary/Intentional movements - Usually called "Gestures". These are movements you

intended to make, like shaking a hand, giving the finger, blinking with one eye
2. Involuntary movements - Usually called "tells", but "ticks" also fall into this category. Any body
movement you have no control over falls in this category. While technically not a body
movement, sweating also applies.

Tone of voice
While usually seen as body language, tone of voice and intonation are a separate group from body
language. For completeness sake, these are the groups that are found in tone of voice:

1. Pitch of voice - high voice, low voice, intonation.

2. Loudness - Everything from shouting to whispering.
3. Breathing - Slow, fast breathing, shaky voice.

The Body Language of Gestures

1. It has vital effect or part in oral communication

2. Gesture of a person convey much more than what he speaks

Examples of gesture:

1. Waving of hand to indicate good bye or draw the attention of a person

2. Shaking Hands display the friendship
3. Shrugging of shoulders indicates indifference & unconcern
4. Pointing index finger indicates allegation or charge
5. Thumbs up sign indicates wishing “Good Luck”

The Body Language of Posture

1. Means “an attitude or position of body”

2. Each movement of body has expressive & defensive functions.
3. The way, in which we sit or stand, walk in walk out tells a lot about us.
4. A good posture indicates confident attitude.

The Body Language of Movement

1. Facial Expression
 All facial organs on human face indicates facially expressive message.
 These are hair, forehead, eyebrows, eyes, mouth, chin, nose, lips, ears, teethe, tongue etc.
 Facial expressions comes naturally hence it is beyond the control of speaker.

Examples of Facial Expression

  A Smile expresses friendliness & affection
 Raised eyebrows convey surprise
 Furrowed forehead expresses worries & anxiety
 Frown shows dislike or suspicion
2. Dress & Appearance
 The kind of dress we use & the way in which we groom ourselves shows our status &
attitude.
 We influenced how others look & clothes they wear
 Physical attractiveness plays an important role in our assessment of people.
 Persons dress & physical appearance conveys great deal of information about him
3. Eye Contact
 Eye contact has very much in face-to-face communication.
 Absence of eye contact shows lack of interest & understanding.
 We look faster than listen or talk.
 Eyes are human windows except them there is no life.
 The speaker must look in to the eyes of the audience from right to left & left to right this will
built up the confidence & eliminate the nervousness.
 It build the rapport between the speaker & the listener.
4. Silence
 It establishes the relationship between the communicators.
 Moments of silence – do not know how to continue

More Body Language Examples and Their Meaning

1. Arms Crossed in front of the Chest

 This is one of the body language examples that indicate that one is being defensive.
 The body language meaning of crossed arms may also show disagreement with opinions and
actions of other people with whom you are communicating.
2. Biting of nails
1. Nail biting demonstrates nervousness, stress, or insecurity.
2. Many people bite nails without realizing they have the habit.
3. Hand on cheek
  This body language example indicates that one is lost in thought, maybe considering
something.
 When your hand is on your cheek and your brows are furrowed you may be in deep
concentration.
4. Finger tapping or drumming
 This action demonstrates that one is growing tried or impatient while waiting.
5. Touching the nose
 Touching or rubbing the nose signifies disbelief, rejection, or lying about something
6. Prisk rubbing of the hands
 This may show that the hands are cold, which may mean that one is excited about
something, or waiting eagerly
7. Placing Finger tips together
 This is called “steepling,” or placing fingertips together to demonstrate control or authority.
8. Open palms, facing upward
 This gesture is a sign of honesty, submission, and innocence.
 This is how some people show submission and respect.
9. Head in hands
 The body language meaning of this gesture may be that of boredom, being upset, or being
ashamed, so one does not want to show their face.
10. Locking of ankles
 Whether you are sitting or standing, when your ankles are locked, you are communicating
apprehension or nervousness.
11. Stroking the chin or beard
 This communicates that one is In deep thought.
 This action is often done unintentionally when one is trying to come up with some decision.
12. Ear Pulling
 Pulling an ear lobe can mean one is trying to make a decision, but remains indecisive about
something.
13. Head nodding
 This gesture usually signifies agreement or bowing, s submissive gesture that shows one is
going along with another person’s opinions.
14. Lint picking
  Picking of imaginary lint is another one of the body language examples of displacement
gestures, which one uses to show disapproval of the attitudes or opinions of other.
 This action makes one look away from the other person while doing some irrelevant action.
15. Catapult posture
 This seated version of the “Hand-on-Hip” male poster with the hands behind the head and
elbows pointed out is used to intimidate or show a relaxed attitude.
 Thus giving a false sense of security before an ambush is made.
16. Lowered head
 This indicates one is hiding something. When you lower your head while you are being
complimented, you may be showing shyness, shame, or timidity.
 It may also convey that you are keeping distance from another person, showing disbelief, or
thinking to yourself.

Written communication skills

Meaning, Importance, Advantages and Disadvantages of written communication

Letter writing - (letters of inquiry and booking of a banquet or a room, complaint, apology, leave and
appreciation)

Letters (Applying for a job with resume, Letter of quotation and order) 7.3 Writing a synoptic summary,
case study, report writing, memo, notice, circular, agenda, minutes. 7.4 Writing emails and etiquette 7.5
Note making, writing a log book 7.6 Travelogue and Restaurant Reviews 7.7 Print – creative article
writing, advertisement and promotions by means of posters, pamphlets, tentcards etc
Written communication skills
Written Communication - Meaning,
Advantages and Disadvantages
Written communication has great significance in today’s business world. It is an innovative activity of the
mind. Effective written communication is essential for preparing worthy promotional materials for business
development. Speech came before writing. But writing is more unique and formal than speech. Effective
writing involves careful choice of words, their organization in correct order in sentences formation as well
as cohesive composition of sentences. Also, writing is more valid and reliable than speech. But while
speech is spontaneous, writing causes delay and takes time as feedback is not immediate.

Advantages of Written Communication

Written communication helps in laying down apparent principles, policies and rules for running of an
organization.

It is a permanent means of communication. Thus, it is useful where record maintenance is required.

It assists in proper delegation of responsibilities. While in case of oral communication, it is

impossible to fix and delegate responsibilities on the grounds of speech as it can be taken back by
the speaker or he may refuse to acknowledge.

Written communication is more precise and explicit.

Effective written communication develops and enhances an organization’s image.

It provides ready records and references.

Legal defenses can depend upon written communication as it provides valid records.

Disadvantages of Written Communication

Written communication does not save upon the costs. It costs huge in terms of stationery and the
manpower employed in writing/typing and delivering letters.
 Also, if the receivers of the written message are separated by distance and if they need to clear their
doubts, the response is not spontaneous.

Written communication is time-consuming as the feedback is not immediate. The encoding and
sending of message takes time.

Effective written communication requires great skills and competencies in language and vocabulary
use. Poor writing skills and quality have a negative impact on organization’s reputation.

Too much paper work and e-mails burden is involved.

The 7 C’s of written communication

 the seven Cs of communication provide a checklist for making sure that your meeting,
emails, conference calls, reports, and presentations are well constructed and clear – so
your audience gets your message.
According to the seven Cs, communication needs to be: clear, concise, concrete,
correct, coherent, complete and courteous.
In this article, we look at each of the 7 Cs of Communication, and we’ll illustrate each
element with both good and bad examples.

1. Clear

When writing or speaking to someone, be clear about your goal or message. What is
your purpose in communicating with this person? If you’re not sure, then your audience
won’t be sure either.
To be clear, try to minimize the number of ideas in each sentence. Make sure that it’s
easy for your reader to understand your meaning. People shouldn’t have to “read
between the lines” and make assumptions on their own to understand what you’re trying
to say.
Information and actions required, must be clear so the reader has the information they
need to take action.

2. Concise

When you’re concise in your communication, you stick to the point and keep it brief.
Your audience doesn’t want to read six sentences when you could communicate your
message in three.

 Are there any adjectives or “filler words” that you can delete? You can often eliminate
words like “for instance,” “you see,” “definitely,” “kind of,” “literally,” “basically,” or “I
mean.”
 Are there any unnecessary sentences?
 Have you repeated the point several times, in different ways?

3. Concrete

When your message is concrete, then your audience has a clear picture of what you’re
telling them. There are details (but not too many!) and vivid facts, and there’s laser-like
focus. Your message is solid.

4. Correct

When your communication is correct, it fits your audience. And correct communication
is also error-free communication.

 Do the technical terms you use fit your audience’s level of education or knowledge?
 Have you checked your writing for grammatical errors? Remember, spell checkers won’t
catch everything.
 Are all names and titles spelled correctly?

5. Coherent

When your communication is coherent, it’s logical. All points are connected and relevant
to the main topic, and the tone and flow of the text is consistent.

6. Complete

In a complete message, the audience has everything they need to be informed and, if
applicable, take action.

 Does your message include a “call to action,” so that your audience clearly knows what
you want them to do?
 Have you included all relevant information – contact names, dates, times, locations, and
so on?

7. Courteous

Courteous communication is friendly, open, and honest. There are no hidden insults or
passive-aggressive tones. You keep your reader’s viewpoint in mind, and you’re
empathetic to their needs.

Letter writing
A business letter is a letter from one company to another, or such organizations and their
customers, clients, or other external parties. The overall style of letter depends on the relationship
between the parties concerned. Business letters can have many types of content, for example to
request direct information or action from another party, to order supplies from a supplier, to point out
a mistake by the letter's recipient, to reply directly to a request, to apologize for a wrong, or to
convey goodwill. A business letter is sometimes useful because it produces a permanent written
record, and may be taken more seriously by the recipient than other forms of communication.

Letter of inquiry

Letters of Inquiry

A letter of inquiry asks someone for specific information. In some cases, such as a
request for promotional material, the recipient will have a clear interest in responding
to your letter. In other cases, such as a request for specific information on a product,
the recipient may or may not be as motivated to respond quickly. Consequently,
always make the tone of the letter friendly and make it easy for the recipient to
identify and provide the information you need.

Format of a Letter of Inquiry

Follow this format in writing a letter of inquiry:

1. In the first paragraph, identify yourself and, if appropriate, your position, and
your institution or firm.
2. In the second paragraph, briefly explain why you are writing and how you will
use the requested information. Offer to keep the response confidential if such
an offer seems reasonable.
3. List the specific information you need. You can phrase your requests as
questions or as a list of specific items of information. In either case, make each
item clear and discrete.
4. Conclude your letter by offering your reader some incentive for responding.

Types of inquiry letters

The inquiry letter is useful when you need information, advice, names, or directions.

There are two types of inquiry letters: solicited and unsolicited.

You write a solicited letter of inquiry when a business or agency advertises its
products or services. For example, if a software manufacturer advertises some new
package it has developed and you can't inspect it locally, write a solicited letter to that
manufacturer asking specific questions. If you cannot find any information on a
technical subject, an inquiry letter to a company involved in that subject may put you
on the right track. In fact, that company may supply much more help than you had
expected (provided of course that you write a good inquiry letter). If you need to find
the names and addresses of businesses related to your report project, see the section
on finding information in libraries.

Your letter of inquiry is unsolicited if the recipient has done nothing to prompt your
inquiry. For example, if you read an article by an expert, you may have further
questions or want more information. You seek help from these people in a slightly
different form of inquiry letter. As the steps and guidelines for both types of inquiry
letters show, you must construct the unsolicited type more carefully, because
recipients of unsolicited letters of inquiry are not ordinarily prepared to handle such
inquiries.
1102 West 30th
Lawrence, KS 66321
August 4, 19XX

Dr. Maria Gomez-Salinas

Director of the Diabetes Clinic
St. David's Hospital
1000 Greenberg Lane
Wichita, KS 66780

Dear Dr. Gomez-Salinas:

I am writing you in hopes of finding out more about how the

new Glucoscan II blood glucose monitoring system, which a
representative at Lifescan informed me that your clinic is
currently using.

Originally, I saw Lifescan's advertisement of this new

device in the January 19XX issue of Diabetes Forecast and
became very interested in it. I wrote the company and got
much useful information, but was recommended to write
several current users of the system as well.

For a technical report that I am writing for a technical

writing class at Johnson County Junior College, I need some
help with the following questions:

1. How often does the Glucoscan II need to be calibrated in

2. practical, everyday use conditions?
 3.
4. How accurate is the Glucoscan II compared to other
5. similar systems that your patients have used?
6.
7. What problems do your patients experience with this new
8. device?
9.

The Lifescan representative indicated that your clinic is

one the leaders in implementing new technology for
diabetics, and therefore I am eager to hear from you. In
the report I will acknowledge your contributions, and I
will send you a copy of the completed report if you wish.

Thank you for your time, and I hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,

Anita Teller
Student, Medical Technology
Johnson County Junior College

Letter for booking a banquet hall

To,
The Manager,
Famous Modern Banquet Halls,
California, United States of America.

Subject: Requesting banquet hall for reception party

Respected Sir,

With due respect and honour it is to state that I had visited this very place few months
ago on the wedding of my dear friend. I was mesmerized by your serving and the cozy
atmosphere of the
banquet hall of yours. Then and there I had decided to set my reception at this place
and here I am! Kindly book any of your halls on the date of 27th February and I will be
really thankful to you for your consideration. Please see to my urgency and the love I
felt for this hall. Thank you.

Best Regards,

Mr. Smith Martin,

6 th February, 2018.
Complaint letters

A Complaint Letter is a type of letter written to address any type of wrong-doing, offense,
grievance, resentment arising out of a product, service, etc. It is used to raise your concern about
unfair things and seek a productive outcome. It is a fundamental right and duty of a citizen to seek
justice arising out of any injustice, and the first step toward it is, filing a Complaint. It inspires other
troubled consumers, influences the concerned authorities to take proper action, and makes the
defaulters more liable, responsible, and responsive.

Types of Complaints Letter

Though there are various types of complaints raised in the course of business
dealings, they can be grouped into two major groups- routine complaints and
persuasive complaints. These are discussed below-

 Routine Complaint Letter: A routine complaint letter is written in the

cased where the mistakes are considerable and routine in nature. In
such cases request for correction is supposed to be complied quickly
and willingly without persuasion. For example, the quoted price of an
item was 500$ but the supplier charged 550$ per item. This type of
mistake is brought to the supplier’s notice by routine complaint letter.
This type of claim is usually managed or satisfied by the sellers.
 Persuasive Complaint Letter: A persuasive complaint letter is
written in the cases where the buyer is to convince the seller to correct
the mistakes occurred. For example, the quoted price of an item was
400$ per unit while placing the order but after placing the order the
price was reduced to 300$ per unit. This type of mistake is brought to
the supplier’s notice by persuasive complaint letter. The seller is not
legally bound to pay attention to this type of claim.

Sources of Mistakes giving Rise to Complaints

In case of fulfillment of order, buyers can raise their complaints against the
suppliers due to various reasons. Followings are some common sources of
mistakes that give rise to complaints by the buyers-

 Incomplete or defective order

 Abnormal delay in sending the consignment
 The goods arrive in a damaged condition
  The goods are not what were ordered
 Quantity of goods is not what was ordered
 Goods are delivered at the wrong place
 Work undertaken is done unsatisfactorily
 Misbehavior of staff or salesman
 Mistake by the accounts section in preparing the invoice
 Defective packing that might lead to the damage of goods in transit
 Mistakes in a bill or reminders for payment after the bill has been paid
 Dispatching products of wrong quality, color, brand, pattern and
defective pieces of goods etc

Format of business letters

Sender’s Address
Date:

Receiver’s Address

Subject: (Mention the reason for complaint)

Salutations (Dear/Mr./Ms.)

Body of the letter:

 Introduction
 Main reason to write the letter
 Conclusion

Closing of letter (Yours sincerely/faithfully)

Signature
Apology letters

An apology is a mode through which we express regret over our actions and
acknowledge the pain our actions have caused to someone. When you have done
something wrong, an apology is a good option to rebuild the relationship with the other
party. In this article, we explain the rationale behind an apology letter and explain how
to write one with examples of some successful apology letters.

What is an apology letter?

An apology letter is a written statement in the form of a physical document or email that
acknowledges wrongdoing, mistake, misunderstanding or misbehaviour and asks for
forgiveness or tolerance. Writing an apology letter is necessary as it betters any
strained relationship and mistrust between two people. An apology could be necessary
in any relationship, including between employers and employees, employees and
bosses, companies and clients, or two colleagues.

In the workplace, apology letters are all the more important, as they are documentary
evidence of your attempts to correct a mistake or failure. To say sorry and apologise for
a mistake is sometimes not easy, but employees who own responsibility and show
eagerness to correct their mistakes earn trust and respect and are valuable assets to
any professional team.

Tips for writing an effective apology letter

Writing an effective apology letter can help you rebuild your relationships when you've
done something wrong or made a mistake. When the time comes to write an apology
letter you might wonder how to start, what to say and how long it should be. Here are
some tips to help you write an effective apology letter:

 Show honesty and don't hesitate to apologise. Honesty is the key to apology, so

ensure that your apology letter conveys a genuine emotion of regret. If your letter comes
across as impersonal, the reader may not appreciate the gesture. Keep in mind the
difficulty caused to the other person and their feelings and respond accordingly. A prompt
apology creates the impression that you have acknowledged the mistake and truly regret
it. Apologies for minor mistakes, such as hurting someone unintentionally, are often
accepted quickly, but for major incidents, you might need to wait for some time for
everyone to cool down so that they can accept your apology and forgive you.
 Don't make excuses. Don't give explanations for your fault. Explanations can be
construed as excuses, and these can go against you. Excuses create the impression that
you are not accepting your fault. Ensure that you wholeheartedly say the words “I am
sorry” or “I apologise” and your body language should convey the message that you are
really sorry for your act.
 Be unselfish. One of the major temptations while writing an apology letter is to try to
redirect blame onto others. Note that it is important to take full responsibility for your
actions, even if it may mar your reputation or hurt your ego. Additionally, make it clear
that you are willing to make personal sacrifices if necessary to make things right.
  Take responsibility. Say sorry and promptly admit that you were wrong. For example,
you can say “Since I was late, the project team could not achieve the daily targets in the
given period.”
 Ensure that the mistake will not be repeated. Explain how you plan to fix the problem
to avoid repetition. For example, if the team has missed a deadline due to your late
arrival, make it clear to your team members that you have re-scheduled your time-table in
a way that, starting next time, you will be there well in advance. You might also seek the
opinion of the person to whom you are apologising if there is anything else you can do to
remedy the situation.
 Stand by your word. If you are committing that you will complete the task at a particular
time, then stand by your word and complete it to show others that your apology is real. In
this way, you can also prove that you can be trusted.
 Think over the mode of apology. In some cases, based on the gravity of the matter and
your relationship with the affected person, you might choose to send the apology letter by
post or email. In other cases, you may want to deliver it in person. For example, if your
mistake was minor and if you and the affected parties are equals in the workplace, a
simple email would probably be sufficient. However, if your mistake affects your boss or
your entire team, it would be better to print the letter and deliver it in person to the boss.
You can also opt for a middle path, in which you apologise via email and ask the affected
persons if they want to meet in person to discuss the matter further. Irrespective of the
situation, the most important thing to focus on is honesty, sincerity and humility.
 Be conscious of the legal ramifications. Keep in mind that the law in some countries
and regions may interpret the apology as an admission of guilt or liability. So, if required,
consult a legal professional before you extend an apology, but don't use this as an
excuse to not apologise unless significant risk is involved.
 Don't expect instant pardon. Keep in mind that the affected person may not so easily
forget the situation and forgive you for what happened. Give that person some time to
cool down. For example, after an apology, you could say, "I can understand your situation
and I know that it is not so easy to forgive me. I simply wanted to say how sorry I am. You
will see that I'm changing my behaviour."

Example letter

"Dear Akashya,

I am very sorry for my unprofessional behavior in the team meeting this evening. I
interrupted you many times and cast aspersions on your commitment in front of other
employees. This was simply rude and disrespectful.

I have always insisted on the free flow of ideas and prefer two-way communication at
the workplace. When I cast aspersions on your commitment and criticized you for a
minor mistake, I spoiled the team's collaborative environment.

I am working on ways to control my stress level so that such a situation does not arise
in the future. I have no doubt about your capabilities and sincerity as you have many
times completed the projects on time. I would, therefore, request you not to take it
seriously.
 I express regret once again. If you would like to discuss this matter, feel free to contact
me.

Sincerely,

Anuj Pandy

General Manager

Kunkool Industries"

E
Leave application

A leave application is a professional way of asking for a pause from work for a
specific period of time. There are different ways in how you address your concern
to your supervisor. There are rules and features which are essential to include if
you are sending a formal leave email. 

Your leave application should be brief, genuine and should have sufficient details
with the reason for your absence. Your leave application and the content in it
decide whether your leave request gets accepted or rejected.

There are two types of leave application:

1. Letter Format
2. E-Mail Format

Since digitization, email format is widely used with almost all sections covered in
both formats.

What to include in leave application for office (Letter Format)

There are certain sections which are essential to include when drafting a leave
application in a letter format to HR Manager or your supervisor.

 Receiver’s Name & Address: Add the name and address of an individual to whom the letter is
concerned.
 Subject Line: Add ‘Leave Application’ in your subject line along with other details (If required)
 Salutation: Add Recipient’s Name. If you identify the person, use the first title only.
 Body of the Letter: You must state the purpose for your absence, duration of your unavailability, name of
the colleague who will watch for your work and point of contact (mode and time availability)
 Thank you note: Thank the reader for acknowledging the leave
 Complimentary Closing: Add formal closing only.
 Name: Add your full name.
 Job Position: Add your job title. This is an optional field.
 Date: Add the present date

What to include in leave application for office (Email Format)

There are certain sections which are essential to include when drafting a leave
application in an email format to HR Manager or your manager.

 Subject Line – Add ‘Leave Application’ in your subject line along with other details (If required)
 Salutation- Add Recipient’s Name. If you identify the person, use the initial title only.
 Body of the Letter- You must state the reason for your absenteeism, duration of your unavailability,
name of the colleague who will look for your work and point of contact (mode and time availability)
 Thank you note- Thank the reader for considering the leave
 Complimentary Closing- Add formal closing only.
 Name- Add your full name.
  Job Title (Optional) - You can also include your job title.

Types of Leave Application for Office

1. Annual leave application

2. Maternity leave application
3. Paternity leave application
4. Casual leave application
5. Sick leave application
6. Emergency leave application
7. Vacation leave application
8. One-day leave application
9. Half-day leave application

Subject: Annual leave application

Dear (Recipient’s Name)

I am writing this email with reference to my remaining annual leave

quota. I am planning to go on a trip to Europe with my family. Thus, I
would like to avail my remaining 25 days of annual leave from (Date)
to (Date) 

I have assigned my duties to ( name of a team member) for the

current project we are working on. He/She has been working with me
and understands the role effectively. Also, I am looking for all the
essential inputs required for the project before I leave for the vacation.

I request you to consider my leave request. During my absence, I can

be reached at my phone number and email id (Email address and
contact no). 

Yours sincerely

(Your Name)

Resume writing

1. Basic Facts
A. Writing Skills
 Hiring personnel likely to hold a poorly written resume against the applicant
 Used as a weed-out tool
  Should use minimal wording, thus making sure each carefully chosen fact produces a lasting
impression on an employer
B. Time Allotted and Length
 Average time spent on a resume is 10 to 30 seconds
 Should be one page
2. Resume Defined
A. Purpose
 A resume is a summary of your experiences and skills relevant to the field of work you are
entering.
 It highlights your accomplishments to show a potential employer that you are qualified for
the work you want. It is not a biography of everything you have done. o Its purpose is to get
you an interview.
 A resume can and should reflect more than just your paid work experience. Include the
details of your more important extracurricular, volunteer, and leadership experiences.
B. Tailored Resumes
 Tailor separate resumes to fit each career field in which you are job searching. You can
create slightly different resumes tailored to each job opening.
3. Resume Types:
Chronological Resume
 Most common
 Objective statement followed by chronological job history, including some highlighted
achievements at each position
 Shows progress in a single profession, thus puts emphasis on work experience (may not
be the best choice for a college graduate)

Functional Resume

 Emphasis on abilities instead of work history

 Objective statement followed by list of skills an employer wants with a brief example of
the qualifications; employment history follows at the bottom in a brief format

Chrono-Functional Resume

 Combines the strengths of both resumes

  Objective statement followed by a list of a few key skills followed by an in-depth
employment history similar to a chronological resume
 Good for students who have internship experience and career-oriented extracurricular
activities

Getting Started

Step 1: Make a list of your various activities over the years

 Include paid work, volunteer positions, extracurricular activities (especially those in which you
had a leadership role) and internships.
 Can go as far back as four or five years.
 Graduating seniors will often have one or two items from high school on their resume if those
items stress an important skill.

Step 2: Write a paragraph about each important item in your list.

 "Important items" would include most paid work, internships, extended volunteer activities, and
activities in which you had a leadership role.
 Don't worry about the wording of your paragraphs at this point ; “resume language” will come
later
 Describe accomplishments as well as duties (provide a skill and its result)
 An example of a duty might be "I maintained ten computers, loading new software and resolving
problems as needed," while an example of an accomplishment might be "I created two self-
paced PowerPoint presentations to train people in our office on the new company software, and
it was so successful that my manager asked me to present it to five other managers in the
company."

Step 3: Pick the items that you will highlight or emphasize on your resume.

Give this some thought. Consider two factors here:

 What are your greatest strengths, and how can you demonstrate those strengths through your
experience? All employers value certain qualities: team player; good communication skills;
leadership abilities. In addition, you have particular skills that you consider your strong points,
you would generally try to bring those to light, as well.
  What are the requirements and needs of this particular industry, this particular employer and
this particular job?

Step 4: Create the sections of your resume.

Section 1: Name and Address

 Put your name

 Include both your school address and phone number
 Include your e-mail address.

Section 2: Objective

 An objective is optional, but should be included. If you have worked out a clearly targeted job
objective, then definitely include it.

Section 3: Education

 This section always goes first on your resume

 Include major, minor, type of degree, honors distinctions, GPA
 If you are still an undergraduate and applying for an internship, list your high school below your
college in this section.
 Once you have graduated from college, your education section goes first on your resume from
one to three years, depending on such factors as whether your education was relevant to your
career field and how impressive your work experience has been in the intervening years.

Section 4: Experience

 Don't limit this section to paid work experiences.

 Employers understand that the most valuable or most challenging experiences often occur in
internships, volunteer work or other extracurricular activities.
 Opportunity to show how transferred skills learned in the classroom to the workplace.

Section 5: Activities, Volunteer work, Interests

 Listing your "interests" or hobbies on a resume is okay, but generally you should not do so at the
expense of leaving out other, more important information.
  When should you list your interests? Section 6: Skills

Computer skills:

 You may wish to list the systems and applications with which you are capable.
 List specific programming languages

Languages:

 List languages in which you are proficient or conversational and indicate your level of ability
("basic conversational ability," "proficiency," "near-fluency," "fluency") or the number of years
of college-level study.

Section 7: References

 Don't write "References Available on Request" on your resume.

 Do create a references list as soon as you can and have it available, in case an employer asks for
references.

Step 5: Format your resume.

Direct the employer's eye to the most important information:

 Leave plenty of white space on your resume - don't make your resume look crowded.
 Emphasize job titles by boldfacing them (except where the name of a prestigious organization
you have worked for will grab their attention first).
 Place the most important information closer to the top of your resume. (For example, if you are
a student and your paid work has been fairly mundane, but you have great computer skills or
excellent extracurricular leadership experience, then put the skills or the extracurriculars near
the top of your resume.)
 Where appropriate, descriptive category headings can attract an employers attention (for
example, "Counseling and Tutoring Experience" or "Leadership Experience" instead of just
"Experience").
 Leave blank space between the separate sections and items on your resume

Other formatting details:

  Condense to one page. Exceptions: two-page resumes for nursing, for education and for those
alumni who have over two years of experience in that field (however, before going with a two-
page resume, check with others in your career field).
 Center and balance your resume on the page, leaving approximately 1 inch margins.
 Design your resume for easy skimming: emphasize by boldfacing, capitalizing and italicizing.
 Use 8 1/2" x 11" white, off-white or very light-gray bond paper. Do not use colored paper.
 Proofread carefully and have others review your final draft.
4. General Resume “Don’ts”
 Include information for leaving a job
 Letters of recommendation
 Race, religion, age, gender
 Starting date (should be included in the cover letter)
 Photographs
 Inflated jargon
 Use “I”
 Use clichéd adjectives like “dynamic” or “self-starting”; use detailed descriptions of
accomplishments to convince employer;
 Just use job duties—prove what you have done
 Send a resume without a cover letter
 Use a resume wizard or place your resume in a table
 Use elaborate fonts (Arial or Times New Roman will suffice)
 Avoid unnecessary personal information such as marital status and date of birth.
5. General Resume Do’s
 Use consistent format and alignment
 Keep in plain text
 Vary sentence structure to avoid bored
 Keep sentences to under 25 words; average about 18 words, but change it up so the resume
is not the same line after line
 Shorter sentences: start with a clause: follow with a colon, then add bullets of information
relating to the introductory clause
 Add bullets to accomplishments to make them stand out
  Proofread by you and other people; watch out for spelling and grammar—spell-check does
not catch everything (manger v. manager)
 Use quality paper (at least 50% cotton); no scented or decorative paper
 Potentially include preferences on job location and personal hobbies
 Revise, revise, revise
6. Using Resume Keywords
 Many employers use database technology to store and search the resumes that are sent to
them by potential employees.
 Employers and recruiters search these databases using industry-specific keywords.
 Keywords are nouns and phrases that highlight technical and professional areas of expertise,
industryrelated jargon, achievements, projects, task forces, job titles, etc
 If your resume does not contain at least some of the keywords that the employer is using,
then your resume will be skipped by the computer, even if you have all of the experience
and skills required by the job.
 Some experienced job seekers may enhance their resume by including many of these
keywords in a "Summary of Qualifications" near the top of their resume. This section may
also be called a "Professional Summary" or "Skills."
 And while most graduating seniors' resumes do not benefit from such a summary, it is still
imperative to include the appropriate keywords in the text of your resume.

Here are two examples, taken from Job Searching Online for Dummies, by Pam Dixon:
Keyword summary, example 1

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY:

 Award-winning corporate controller with more than ten years' experience in two $500
million corporations. Impressive record in implementing financial record database
architecture that saved over $2 million annually. Proficient in Oracle, Prism, Red Brick, and
SAP systems, as well as MS Project, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and FrontPage."
Keyword summary, example 2
SKILLS
 Languages: C, SQL, C++, Assembler, Pascal
 Software: Oracle Developer 2000, Informix NewEra, FoxPro
  OS: UNIX, Windows NT/95/3.11, MS-DOS
 RDBMS: Oracle7, Informix 7

Summary writing

Imagine you're preparing a presentation for your CEO. You asked everyone in
your team to contribute, and they all had plenty to say!

But now you have a dozen reports, all in different styles, and your CEO says
that she can spare only 10 minutes to read the final version. What do you do?

The solution is to paraphrase and summarize the reports, so your boss gets
only the key information that she needs, in a form that she can process
quickly.
What is summarizing?

a summary is a brief overview of an entire discussion or argument. You might

summarize a whole research paper or conversation in a single paragraph, for
example, or with a series of bullet points, using your own words and style.

People often summarize when the original material is long, or to emphasize

key facts or points. Summaries leave out detail or examples that may distract
the reader from the most important information, and they simplify complex
arguments, grammar and vocabulary.

Used correctly, summarizing and paraphrasing can save time, increase

understanding, and give authority and credibility to your work. Both tools are
useful when the precise wording of the original communication is less
important than its overall meaning.

How to Summarize Text or Speech

Follow steps 1-5 below to summarize text. To summarize spoken material – a
speech, a meeting, or a presentation, for example – start at step 3.

1. Get a General Idea of the Original

First, speed read  the text that you're summarizing to get a general impression
of its content. Pay particular attention to the title, introduction, conclusion, and
the headings and subheadings.

2. Check Your Understanding

Build your comprehension of the text by reading it again more carefully. Check
that your initial interpretation of the content was correct.

3. Make Notes
Take notes on what you're reading or listening to. Use bullet points, and
introduce each bullet with a key word or idea. Write down only one point or
idea for each bullet.

If you're summarizing spoken material, you may not have much time on each
point before the speaker moves on. If you can, obtain a meeting agenda, a
copy of the presentation, or a transcript of the speech in advance, so you
know what's coming.

Make sure your notes are concise, well-ordered, and include only the points
that really matter.

4. Write Your Summary

Bullet points or numbered lists are often an acceptable format for summaries
– for example, on presentation slides, in the minutes of a meeting, or in Key
Points sections like the one at the end of this article.

However, don't just use the bulleted notes that you took in step 3. They'll likely
need editing or "polishing" if you want other people to understand them.

Some summaries, such as research paper abstracts, press releases, and

marketing copy, require continuous prose. If this is the case, write your
summary as a paragraph, turning each bullet point into a full sentence.

Aim to use only your own notes, and refer to original documents or recordings
only if you really need to. This helps to ensure that you use your own words.
If you're summarizing speech, do so as soon as possible after the event, while
it's still fresh in your mind.

5. Check Your Work

Your summary should be a brief but informative outline of the original. Check
that you've expressed all of the most important points in your own words, and
that you've left out any unnecessary detail.

Summarizing: an Example
Original
So how do you go about identifying your strengths and weaknesses, and
analyzing the opportunities and threats that flow from them? SWOT Analysis
is a useful technique that helps you to do this.

What makes SWOT especially powerful is that, with a little thought, it can
help you to uncover opportunities that you would not otherwise have spotted.
And by understanding your weaknesses, you can manage and eliminate
threats that might otherwise hurt your ability to move forward in your role.

If you look at yourself using the SWOT framework, you can start to separate
yourself from your peers, and further develop the specialized talents and
abilities that you need in order to advance your career and to help you
achieve your personal goals.

Summary
SWOT Analysis is a technique that helps you identify strengths, weakness,
opportunities, and threats. Understanding and managing these factors helps
you to develop the abilities you need to achieve your goals and progress in
your career.
Writing a case study

There are two different approaches to case studies. This guide focuses on the problem-oriented
method. Always check with your lecturer to confirm if this is the type required.

A successful case study analyses a real-life situation where existing problems need to be solved. It
should relate the theory to a practical situation; for example, apply the ideas and knowledge discussed
in the coursework to the practical situation at hand in the case study

 Identify the problems.

 Select the major problems in the case.
 Suggest solutions to these major problems.
 Recommend the best solution to be implemented.
 Detail how this solution should be implemented.

There are usually eight sections in a case study:

1. Synopsis/Executive Summary
 Outline the purpose of the case study.
 Describe the field of research.
 Outline the issues and findings of the case study without the specific details.
 Identify the theory that will be used.
 Note any assumptions made (you may not have all the information you'd like so some
assumptions may be necessary e.g.: "It has been assumed that…", "Assuming that it takes half
an hour to read one document…").
2. Findings
 Identify the problems found in the case by: - analysing the problem, supporting your findings
with facts given in the case, the relevant theory and course concepts. - searching for the
underlying problems
 This section is often divided into sub-sections

3. Discussion

 Summarise the major problem/s.

 Identify alternative solutions to this/these major problem/s.
 Briefly outline each alternative solution and evaluate its advantages and disadvantages.
  There is no need to refer to theory or coursework here.

4. Conclusion

 Sum up the main points from the findings and discussion.

5. Recommendations

 Choose which of the alternative solutions should be adopted.

 Briefly justify your choice explaining how it will solve the major problem/s.
 This should be written in a forceful style as this section is intended to be persuasive.
 Here integration of theory and coursework is appropriate.

6. Implementation

 Explain what should be done, by whom and by when.

 If appropriate include a rough estimate of costs (both financial and time).

7. References

 Make sure all references are cited correctly.

8. Appendices (if any)

 Attach any original data that relates to the study but which would have interrupted the flow of
the main body

Report writing

THE NEED FOR REPORTS As a student, you spend most of your time in reading, listening, and speaking.
However, once you get a job, and enter the professional arena, you are bound to devote 70 to 80 % of
your time in writing or interpreting reports. You will be dealing with reports that are factual accounts
recorded objectively about significant aspects of business transactions.

Sometimes reports are not written by a single individual; committees are formed for writing reports and
these committees actually suggest further recommendations. Many actions are taken based on these
recommendations, in which, you will be an integral part. A report trains you as a writer in a very planned
and orderly manner to deal with procedures and logical presentation of ideas and information. Report
writing develops the power of discrimination, organization, judgment and communication.

TYPES OF REPORTS

Basically, reports are either oral or in written form. Oral report involves face to face communication. So,
the advantage here is that you can observe the nonverbal part of communication and evaluate the
actual message. If you are a shrewd observer, you can detect easily that a person is lying to you.
However, the disadvantage of oral communication is that unless it is recorded, it cannot be reproduced.
Due to its ephemeral nature, less value is attached to it in business communication.

To the contrary, a written report is more accurate and permanent. The reader can skim the abstract and
can refer back to it as and when required. A written report, in its printed/typed form, can be divided
further into formal and informal categories. In professional communication, formal reports are normally
in use, and these reports are further classified as informational, interpretive and routine. Informational
reports generally contain only the data collected or the facts observed. They present the situation as it is
and not as it should be. Which means they will just quantify the fact and pass whatever is observed
without any concluding remarks or recommendations based on the reporter’s judgment. Whereas, in
case of interpretive or analytical report, the facts are presented with evaluation, data interpretation, the
reporter’s conclusions and recommendations for future actions. A routine report is formally written in
prescribed form. Often the reporter does it in the form of simply putting ticks or crosses on the boxes
provided in a predesigned format. Performance Appraisal Reports, Periodic and Progress Reports,
Inspection Reports, etc., fall under this category

STRUCTURE OF REPORTS

A good formal report contains seventeen elements, which are grouped into three major categories,
namely, preliminary parts, main text, and supplementary parts. Preliminary parts are the matter which
will come in the front. The main text is the body, which is followed by the supplementary parts.

PRELIMINARY PARTS

The preliminary parts of a report consist of the cover, title page, copyright notice, acknowledgements,
authorization letter, table of contents, list of illustrations, and synopsis or executive summary. In certain
cases, the synopsis is called abstract.

COVER

For cover, you can use your company’s standard cover imprinted with logo and the company’s name. If
the company does not insist on using a prescribed cover, then you are free to choose your own cover.
Nonetheless, you cannot use flowery and gaudy covers. You should use a heavy paper or light coloured
card for cover. The basic purpose of a cover is to prevent the manuscript from regular wear and any kind
of damage. It carries the title with the writer’s name, the submission date, classification (confidential,
secret, etc.), and a number, if required. The inside of the front and the back of cover is left blank.

THE TITLE PAGE

The title is placed on the first right hand page of a report. When the reader opens the report, the title
page is seen on the first right hand side. It contains detailed/additional information of data presented on
the cover. Thus, it gives the full title and/or adds the subtitle. This is followed by the name and the
address of the author; the name of the authority who sanctioned the contract, the project number,
approvals, distribution list (to whom it should be circulated), and date.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE
In present times, where people use Wikipedia for the first quick reference, copying is done without any
qualms. Literally, students cut and paste information from on line sources and attach their names as
authors. Thus, copyright, that is, the author’s privileged ownership, is misread as the right to copy!
However, when you have produced something originally, then, you have the right to own the copyright,
where a future user needs to take your permission for quoting or reproducing your material in any other
form. Besides permission, the user has to pay royalty to the original producer of a work. Copyright is
marked by the sign © and presented along with the name of the author or the person who owns the
product. You will find the copyright notice on the back of this title page as, for example:

© 2014 Sunita Agarwal

This will be further detailed with the following note: All rights are reserved. No part of this report may
be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

You need to acknowledge the people who helped you write the report. So, here you make a list of the
names of persons and organizations that helped you in the production of the report. You should include
the libraries that you consulted, the librarians who helped you, researchers who shared their materials,
and so on.

AUTHORIZATION LETTER

The authorization letter refers to the written authorization either in the form of a letter or in the form of
a memo (short for memorandum). This letter specifies the problem, the scope, the duration (that is, the
time in which it should be finished—six month, one year, two year, five year project), the budget
restriction, specific instructions (related to the methodology that has to be followed, the statistical
information that has to be collected) and the dead line (the final time in which it should be submitted).

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Often the table of contents are simplified to contents. The contents outlines the coverage, the
sequence, and significance of information in the report. It will be usually mentioned in the form of
chapters: chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3, chapter 4, chapter 5, chapter 6. And it begins with preface,
acknowledgments, etc., and ends with the back matter containing conclusion, recommendations,
glossary, and index. Nonetheless, the contents are required only if the report exceeds ten pages. As it
gives a bird’s eye view, the reader can identify easily a specific topic and choose to read the item that
interests him/her.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

The list of illustrations details all the figures, images, visual aids, pictures, graphic designs, photographs
and tables. In case the list becomes longer than a page, then the tables are separated from the figures.

SYNOPSIS OR EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The ‘synopsis or executive summary’ is also synonymous with ‘Abstract’. You can also use abstract to
indicate the condensed content of the report. It tells in concentrated form what the report is about. The
extent of coverage is also mentioned here, and in summary, it tries to give the substance of the report.
Overall, it presents the report in a nutshell without any illustrations and explanations. It often includes
the method of analysis, the significant findings, important conclusions and major recommendations.

BODY

The major component of the main text of report is the body, which contains the discussion or
description part of the report. In terms of length, this is the lengthiest part of a report because it
contains the central ideas and arguments of the report with all the illustrations and tables. The body
presents the data in an organized form, discusses their significance, and analyzes the results. If the data
is too much, it is not presented in the main body; but it is given in the appendix. You can also find
footnotes or parenthetical statements in the body. While presenting the ideas, the backward order is
used. This means, it begins with the end result; what was found than with how it was found.

CONCLUSIONS

The main text ends with the concluding remarks by the author, which will actually summarize the main
idea and highlight the recommendations. If the writer wants to reemphasize an important point that
s/he thinks that the reader should not miss, this is one more time where s/he can reiterate that
important point and then summarize succinctly. The conclusion will also suggest the course of action for
the reader to take. All conclusions must be supported by what has gone before, nothing new should be
added at this stage. If the results and findings of the conclusions are large, they may be itemized in the
descending order of importance.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Recommendations specifically suggest future course of action. However, if they are very few then they
are merged with conclusions. Sometimes only this part of the report is frequently referred to and
seriously read for taking decisions. Recommendations are given only if they are expected or the nature
of the report demands them.

SUPPLEMENTARY PARTS

The supplementary parts contain the following five components: appendixes, references, bibliography,
glossary, and index. Although they are the back matter of the report, they are equally important because
they give the scientific evidence of the fact that you really conducted an objective report.

APPENDIXES

An appendix contains materials related to the report; but they are too detailed or lengthy to be included
in the main text. The reader can safely omit reading it without any loss of understanding of the contents
or feel disconnected from the main thought flow. Whether to give certain material in an appendix or not
is decided on two factors.

One: whether it sustains the theme and forms an essential and integral part of the report.
Two: whether it would interrupt the train of the reader’s thought if included in the main body. All
appendixes should be referred to in the text; whether they are questionnaires or statistical data. They
must also be labeled as for example:

Appendix A: Questionnaire

Appendix B: Statistical Data

LIST OF REFERENCES

In the list of references, the report writer gives credit to the works referred to or quoted. This is done by
citing such works in the text and listing them in alphabetical order at the end. If their number is small,
they can be mentioned in the form of footnotes at the bottom of the page on which they are cited. The
foot note is numbered sequentially by superscript font or by simply superscribing an asterisk or star
mark [ 1 *]. It gives in detail the author’s name and title in full, and the details about publication (the
place, the name and the year), and the page numbers.

For example: 1 Alan Warner, A Short Guide to English Style, Oxford University Press, London, ELBS
Edition, 1964, pp. 40-42.

This is a typical example of a reference where commas are used to separate items and the author name
is arranged with the first name followed by the surname. However, in a bibliography, the items will not
be separated by commas but by full stops.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Bibliography literally means the list of books that you have referred to. By extension, it
refers to the articles or any kind of work that you have referred to. It is alphabetically arranged list of
published/unpublished works, consulted before or during the preparation of the report. You need to
keep the following in mind; one, the order of writing the names and surnames of authors; two: the
sequences of details; three: the punctuation marks, and four: the layout.

In bibliography, the second name or surname is placed first. All the items are separated by full stops.
The edition comes before the place of publication. Similarly, the place of publication comes before the
name of the publisher and the ear of publication. The second line and the subsequent ones are
intended.

For example: Warner, Alan. A Short Guide to English Style. ELBS Edition. London: Oxford University
Press, 1964.

GLOSSARY

Glossary is a list of technical words used in the report and their explanations. It briefly explains jargons
and unfamiliar terms in the form of a small dictionary format. If the number of entries is small, it can be
explained in footnotes. The inclusion of it depends on the level of understanding and background of the
readers.

INDEX
 Index is intended to serve as a quick guide to the material of the report. It enables the reader to locate
easily any topic, sub-topic or important aspect of the contents. Key words are entered and arranged in
alphabetical order, and then, cross referenced. All page numbers on which information about an entry is
available are mentioned against it.

For example:

Reports

 audience for, 121, 156-157

 characteristics of, 131-132, 148

Writing memos

There are many types and tools for official communication each suited

to specific situations. One such popular form of communication is a
memo. Let us learn about their format and importance and also see
examples.

What is a Memo?
A memo is actually short for Memorandum. It is one of the most used
means of official communication in the business world. Its main
purpose is to serve as a reminder or to give some instructions. Again
these like circulars are a means of mass communication, i.e. to
communicate with a large number of people within the organization.

Usually, we write a memo is for one of the following five reasons

i. as a reminder
ii. highlight an event or circumstance
iii. to recount an event
iv. keep an official record of anything
v. to pass information or instructions
Memos have been a popular way for commuting for over a century
now. This is because they have many advantages as seen below:

 They are a very cost effective way of mass communication. And their
transmission is also very cheap.
 Another advantage is its simplicity. They are very simple to write and
understand.
 Memos tend to be brief and to the point. They also reach a lot of
people. So they are very time-saving as well.
 They also serve as evidence in case of a dispute

The Format of a Memo

Let us see the steps of writing a memo.

1. Heading: After the name and address of the company (which is on

the letterhead) we type the word “Memo’ or ‘Memorandum’ at the
top of the page in the center.
2. Recipient: Address the recipients in the correct format, Example
-‘ To: All Employees of the Sale Division’
3. Writer: Write the name of the person writing the memo, Example –
‘From: Mr. ABC, Head of Sales’
4. Additional Recipients: These are the people who will receive a
courtesy copy of the memo. We don’t address the memos to them,
but we keep them in the loop.
5. Date: The date of writing the memos is an important detail that one
must include.
6. Subject Line: This will give the reader a brief idea about the
information in the memos. The line must be brief, precise and to the
point. Example – Subject: Meeting of all employees of
the Sale Division.
7. The body of a memo: This is where all the information is contained.
A formal salutation is not required in a memo. Just relay the
necessary information with clarity and precision. The body must not
be too long. The ending must restate the issue and end on a positive
note.
8. Proofread: Finally, proofread the memo before sending it.
e.g.

This is a memo to the accounting department asking them to attend a

training program to learn about the new software the company has
adopted.

MEMORANDUM

To: All Employees of the Accounting Department

From: Mr. XYZ, Head of Accounts

CC: Ms. ABC, HR Department

Date: 25 October 2018

Subject: Compulsory Training wrt to the New Software

As you are all aware, we have recently adopted new accounting

software at the company. The decision was taken to improve our
accounting procedure and make it more time and cost efficient.
A training seminar will be held on 5th November 2018 at 9 am to
familiarize the staff with the new software. This is done to make the
transition between the software as easy as possible. All employees of
the department are required to attend.

Notice writing

Notice
Notices are a means of formal communication targetted at a particular
person or a group of persons. It is like a news item informing such
person or persons of some important event. This can be an invitation to
a meeting, an announcement of any event, to issue certain instructions,
make appeals etc.

It is generally written and then displayed at a public place, where it is

accessible to all.  They can be pasted on notice boards. If it is meant for
a wider audience it can even be published in a newspaper. The
government when it issues notices must publish it in national and local
papers.
Format

Since notices are a formal document it should follow a structure or a

format. Keep in mind there is no one correct rigid format. Different
formats used by different people/organizations can show some
variations. But it is ideal to follow a somewhat similar format for ease
of understanding and uniformity. Let us look at the most used format of
notices.

1. Name of Issuing Organization/Authority: Right at the very top, you

print the name of the person or company that is issuing the said
 notices. This will help the reader identify the notices as important or
unimportant to him.
2. Title: When writing notices we mention a title “NOTICE” at the top.
This helps draw attention to the document. Notices are generally
posted at a public place or published in newspapers. It is important
that they do not get lost in a sea of information. So a bold title clearly
mentioned helps draw the attention.
3. Date: After the tile to the left-hand side we print the date on which
the notices have been published. Since this is a formal document date
is an important aspect of it since these documents stay on record.
4. Heading: Then we move on to an appropriate heading to the notices.
This heading should make abundantly clear the purpose of the
notices.
5. Body: After the heading, we write the brief and to the point body of
the notice. The main content of the notice features in the body.
6. Writer’s Name: At the end of the notices we write the name and
designation of the notice-writer. The notices have to also be signed by
the same person to lend it authority and validity.
Content

Notices should cover some important points that are to be

communicated to the readers. Let us summarize the five points that the
content of the notice will cover, the five W’s

1. What: What is the notice about? The notice should be clear about

what is going to happen (event), or what has already happened
(occasion). This is the crux of the message and should be written
clearly. There should not be any ambiguity.
2. Where: If the notice is about an event, then the location of such an
event must be written clearly. The venue or the location is important
details, so make sure to include this in the notice.
3. When: This is the time and the date of the event or meeting. If
possible the duration of the event should also be mentioned to people
can schedule their time accordingly.
4. Who: This will be who the notice is addressed to. Who all are
suppose to adhere to the notice should be clearly mentioned to avoid
confusion.
5. Whom: And final detail should be whom to contact or get in touch
with. This mentions who the appropriate authority is to contact.
Tips to Remember regarding Notice Writing

 Be precise and to the point. The ideal length of notice is 50 words, so

precise language is appreciated.
 It is a formal form of communication so the language used should be
formal as well. No flowery text.
 Keep the sentences short and use simple words. Since notices are
fairly brief it is best to keep it simple.
 Use passive voice as far as possible.
 Present your notices in a proper format in a box. The presentation
should be neat and thus be appealing to the eye.

Writing circulars
Circulars
A circular is essentially a letter containing some important information
that is distributed to a large number of people. Say for example you
have to invite an entire department for a meeting, or update the
dress policy for the whole office – a circular will be the best mode of
communication for these purposes.
Additionally, circulars also find use as advertising tools. They can
contain marketing information and have a wide distribution range. Be it
for inter-departmental communication, advertising or even personal
reasons a circular must always reach a large number of correspondents.
This is one of its main features.

Let us also take a look at some of the advantages of a circular

 It is a very simple and effective way of communication. Since it is

precise and written, very little chance of miscommunication
 It is also quite inexpensive. It is a cost-effective way of
communication.
 Circulars are also a time-saving method. It reaches a large number of
people in very limited time and effort.
 They are great advertising and marketing tools as well. They can help
create a new market, educate people about the product or services and
also increase consumer confidence in the company and the product.

A Sample of a Circular

Let us see how circulars effectively communicate information in an

inter-office situation. The following is a sample circular to inform
employees about the revised working hours of the company.

Circular No. ____

25th October 2018

Revised Working Hours

All Employees of XYZ Company,

This is to inform all employees there will be a change in the

working hours of the organization effective immediately. As you know
we now do not function on any Saturdays since last month. So we only
have 5 working days in a week, a revision in the working hours was
necessary to ensure the quality of work does not suffer. Hence one hour
will be added to the previous 9 hour work days. The revised working
hour will be as follows:

 Working Days: Monday to Friday (except holidays)

 Working Hours: 8:30 am to 6:30 pm (These hours will include the
one-hour lunch break)
All employees are requested to note these new and revised timings. The
timings are effective immediately from 26 October 2018. Punctuality
and adherence to the new timings are requested. Repeated defaulters
will face action. Please contact the HR department or your managers for
any queries you may have.

ABC,

CEO of XYZ Company.

Agenda writing
When leading a business meeting, you might be responsible for managing a large number of people
and tasks. An effective meeting agenda can help you make sure you discuss all the necessary
material, keep the meeting on topic and ensure that your group uses time efficiently. In this article, we’ll
cover how to create a meeting agenda that will help you effectively lead any meeting.
What is a meeting agenda?

A meeting agenda is a list of topics or activities you want to cover during your meeting.
The main purpose of the agenda is to give participants a clear outline of what should
happen in the meeting, who will lead each task and how long each step should take.
Having this information before and during the meeting should ensure that it proceeds
efficiently and productively.

How to write a meeting agenda

Whether you have a short, one-hour meeting or one that lasts a full day, you can use
these steps to help you write an agenda: 

1. Identify the meeting’s goals.

2. Ask participants for input.
3. List the questions you want to address.
4. Identify the purpose of each task.
5. Estimate the amount of time to spend on each topic.
6. Identify who leads each topic.
7. End each meeting with a review.

1. Identify the meeting’s goal

When you start with your goal, you can make sure the purpose of the meeting is clear
and every task you want to cover is related to your objective. Make sure to set an
achievable goal to keep your meeting as focused as possible. For example, a meeting
goal to approve the company’s monthly advertising budget is more attainable than a
goal to improve spending overall. 

2. Ask participants for input

If you want to keep your participants engaged during the meeting, ask for their input
beforehand so you can be sure the meeting fulfills their needs. You can ask them to
suggest what topics they would like covered or what questions they have. Once you
have a list of ideas from the participants, you can review them and decide which items
you’ll ultimately include.

3. List the questions you want to address

Once you know your meeting’s objective and have some ideas about the topics you
want to cover, list the questions you need to answer during the meeting. Some meeting
agendas simply list a topic as a phrase, for example: “rental equipment.” However, you
can clarify each agenda item’s purpose by phrasing discussion points as questions. For
example, you could write, “Under what conditions should we consider renting equipment
instead of buying it?” These prompts can ensure you are inviting discussion and
gathering all of the information you need for each agenda topic.

4. Identify the purpose of each task

Every task you complete during your meeting should have a purpose. Typically, the
three main purposes are to share information, seek input or make a decision. As you’re
going through your agenda, make note of the purpose of each task. This step will help
meeting participants know when you want their input and when it’s time to make a
decision.

5. Estimate the amount of time to spend on each topic

Next, estimate how much time you plan to spend on each task. This part of the agenda
ensures you have enough time to cover all of the topics you have planned for your
meeting. It also helps participants adjust their comments and questions to fit within the
timeframe.

You can optimize your timeframe by giving more time to items you anticipate taking
longer to discuss or scheduling items of higher importance earlier in the discussion to
ensure vital topics are covered. If you have many people coming to your meeting, you
may even limit time on certain topics to streamline the conversation, encourage a quick
decision if needed and keep the meeting on schedule.

6. Identify who leads each topic

Occasionally, someone other than the meeting leader will lead the discussion on the
topic. If you plan on having other people mediate topics during your meeting, you can
identify them under their respective topic. This step helps keep the meeting running
smoothly and ensures that everyone is prepared for their responsibilities.

7. End each meeting with a review

Leaving time to end each meeting with a review can help participants better understand
what decisions they made and what information they discussed so they can take any
necessary steps after the meeting. During this review, you and your meeting
participants should also consider what went well during the meeting and what needs
improvement. By taking a few minutes to consider these questions, you can make sure
your next meeting is even more effective.

Meeting agenda template

Here’s an outline that you can tailor to nearly any type of meeting:

MEETING AGENDA
Date:
Time:
Location:

AGENDA DETAILS

Goals:

1. Agenda item one description

Time:
Purpose:
Leader:

a. Remarks
b. Remarks
c. Remarks

2. Agenda item two description

Time:
Purpose:
Leader:

a. Remarks
b. Remarks
c. Remarks

3. Agenda item three description

Time:
Purpose:
Leader:

a. Remarks
i. Additional remarks
ii. Additional remarks
b. Remarks
c. Remarks

4. Agenda item four description

Time:
Purpose:
Leader:
a. Remarks
b. Remarks
c. Remarks

5. Agenda item five description

Time:
Purpose:
Leader:

a. Remarks
i. Additional remarks
ii. Additional remarks
iii. Additional remarks
b. Remarks
c. Remarks

6. End of meeting review

Time:
Purpose:
Leader:

a. What did we do well in this meeting?

b. What should we do differently next meeting?

Meeting agenda example

You can use the following sample meeting schedule when crafting your own agenda:

MEETING AGENDA

Date: Aug. 1, 2019

Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Conference Room A

AGENDA DETAILS

*Goals: Review the marketing campaigns from last year, identify seasonal slumps in
product demand, brainstorm ways to increase demand during these slumps and make
sure we’re prepared for the next marketing campaign.*

1. Review marketing campaigns from last year.

Time: 15 minutes
Purpose: Share information
Leader: Jamal Adams

a. Present the marketing campaigns from last year.

b. Review the sales numbers after each campaign.
c. Identify which campaigns seemed to have the biggest impact.

2. How do we best manage the fluctuating demand for our product?

Time: 30 minutes
Purpose: Decision
Leader: Blair Hanline

a. Review sales numbers from the last four quarters.

b. Identify any trends in sales numbers.
c. Brainstorm ideas on how to increase sales during those slumps.

3. Preparing for the next marketing campaign

Time: 15 minutes
Purpose: Decision
Leader: Blair Hanline

a. What do we need to prepare for the next marketing campaign?

i. Review the attached marketing campaign materials.
ii. Identify tasks for each team member.
b. How will we track the effectiveness of this campaign?
c. Review sales goals for this campaign.

4. End of meeting review

Time: 5 minutes
Purpose: Decision

Leader: Jamal Adams

a. What did we do well in this meeting?
b. What should we do differently next meeting?

Preparing the minutes of the meeting

Meeting minutes are an important resource in many workplace settings. Recording the
details of a meeting can help team members who may have been absent or need to
reference a previously discussed topic. It takes some training to learn how to take
minutes during a meeting and format them professionally. Some jobs may emphasise
this skill more than others, such as executive assistants or administrative professionals.

In this article, we define meeting minutes with examples, explain why they are important
and provide some tips on how to write meeting minutes.

What are meeting minutes?

Meeting minutes are notes taken during a company meeting. These notes serve as a
record of the decisions made, actions planned and steps taken during the meeting.
Typically, an attendee takes meeting notes during a meeting and types those in an
easy-to-read format after the meeting. Then the attendee sends the meeting minutes to
a senior leader for approval. Once approved, the meeting minutes can be distributed to
others and filed away.

Meeting minutes dictate the actions that take place during the meeting, including
assigned projects, delegated work and other important workplace decisions. This also
helps employees who attended the meeting remember important discussion topics.

What to include in meeting minutes

When writing meeting minutes, your primary goal is to document all important details
that might be useful for future reference. Here are some essential elements you might
see included in your meeting minutes:

 The meeting agenda

 First and last names of attendees
 The date and time of the meeting
 Any formal announcements and/or important decisions made
 Details of attendance, including who joined late or left early
 Projects assigned, who's responsible for them and the deadlines
 Any corrections of previous meeting minutes
 Voting outcomes, if applicable
 Details about the next meeting date and time

Importance of meeting minutes

Meeting minutes can provide a record of important discussion topics within meetings.
Here are some reasons meeting notes are important:

Helps keep track of the team's progress

Meeting minutes can be a vital tool for keeping tabs on the progress of each team
member and their schedules. It serves as a map for your team towards accomplishing
each task or goal. It can also be a helpful review tool, to see how far you've come as a
team and review important votes or milestones at later dates.
Acts as a reminder

You and your team can forget what you have discussed, agreed upon or decided in
your last meeting. With meeting minutes, you can easily check back on those at a later
time. Meeting minutes can also help you remember the date and time of your next
meeting.

Acts as a reference for absentees

Meeting summaries can be helpful tools for bringing absentees up to date with the
organisation's proceedings. A simple follow-up email with the minutes attached can
ensure that no one gets left behind in pursuing company goals.

Saves time

Meeting minutes can work as a single source of truth for the entire team. With each
member aware of their responsibilities, accomplishing goals and meeting deadlines
becomes easier. The document helps remove unnecessary information and streamlines
the overall functioning of the team. It also helps your team save time on planning
because they don't have to revisit previously discussed topics.

Serves as corporate defence

As companies that expand and diversify, they may face some litigations and civil suits.
Meeting minutes can serve as a solid record of intent in such cases, allowing the
authorities concerned to pinpoint all relevant details and proceedings. Usually, the
members of the meetings vote to approve the minutes before their next meeting. This
can ensure minutes are accurate if they're needed later for evidence.

How to take meeting minutes

Follow these steps to take meeting minutes:

1. Prepare a template

To ensure you are ready for the meeting, make a template with all the relevant
information filled out before the meeting starts. Make sure the template has
placeholders for specific meeting items and information. It can be a good idea to reach
the meeting venue early and fill out the template as much as possible before the
meeting begins.

Discuss the main agenda of the meeting beforehand with the meeting leader and, if
possible, go through some previous records to build a suitable template. Once you
know what to include in the meeting minutes, you can create your format and simply fill
it in during the event.
Here are some common placeholders used in meeting minutes:

 Name of the organisation

 Purpose of the meeting
 Start and end times
 Date and location
 List of attendees and absentees
 Space for important information, such as decisions made and responsibilities delegated
 Space for signatures
 An agenda (consult the meeting leader if in doubt)

2. Take notes during the meeting.

When the meeting starts, you can simply begin taking notes. You should note only the
important factors of the meeting. Consider passing around an attendance sheet or
check off individuals as they arrive. Record motions passed and make immediate notes
to ensure accuracy. Be sure to ask for clarification when required. Note taking should
not interfere with the meeting, but for important decisions or discussions, it's important
to get the details right. Groups can sometimes lose focus, but it is your responsibility to
ensure they resolve each topic before proceeding.

If you are struggling to keep up, you can switch to noting decisions, assignments and
actions rather than quoting verbatim. Another option is recording the whole dialogue.
Use shorthand or abbreviations to write your notes quickly. Use initials to identify
meeting participants or an acronym to represent an important project. With time, you'll
likely develop your own form of shorthand that you can easily translate to full writing for
others to view.

3. Transcribe the meeting minutes.

Transcribe the complete document while things are fresh in your mind. The minutes can
serve as a reminder of the commitments made in the meeting, so meeting participants
often want details clearly stated. Review the template and add or subtract sub-headings
and notes wherever required. Verify that you have noted all the key points clearly and
correctly. Note any deadlines, events or other important dates mentioned in the
meeting. Try to detail your report sufficiently to ensure you're providing valuable context.
For top-level management meetings, try including a brief description of each action
taken and the rationale behind it.

If a team actively debated a particular motion, mention the major arguments given in
favour of and against the motions, ensuring brevity and clarity. If your company requires
it, you may also need to note the voting details. The final document should be impartial,
in a single tense, devoid of personal observations and fact-based. It may contain links to
other documents in the meeting as an appendix, if appropriate, as well.

4. Distribute and share meeting minutes.

Have the meeting chair or leader review your minutes and make respective revisions
and/or corrections prior to circulating the meeting minutes. The document needs to be
officiated as a record of the meeting. As the official minutes-taker, your role often also
includes the dissemination of the minutes.

Once complete, you typically type the minutes into an official record, receive approval
from present leadership and, finally, forward your document to colleagues who require
it.

5. File and store meeting minutes.

Finally, be sure to label and file your meeting minutes so you can easily retrieve them
later. Consider creating and maintaining a clearly labelled digital or print folder. This can
help you easily refer to the minutes at a later date.

Meeting minutes example

To see how the proper format for meeting minutes looks and get an idea of what type of
content you should include, it can help to look at an example. The following minutes
represent a typical meeting of an organisation's board members. Note the formatting of
the minutes so that the information is easy to scan for important details.

DT LABS Pvt. Ltd.

*Board of Directors Meeting

Date: Thursday, June 11, 2020

Time: 3:00 p.m.
Location: DT Corp Headquarters, New Delhi

Type: Monthly meeting

Present:
Vinod Kumar, President
Amit Singh, Vice President
Anand Joshi, Treasurer
Ann Abraham
Rahul Arora

Absent:
Ayan Khastgir

Quorum:
Call to order at 3:05 p.m. by President.
May 2021 meeting minutes approved.
Proceedings:
1. The financial report provided by Vice President.
2. Company tax return has been completed and filed. An annual review of the
organisation's accounting procedures to be completed by July 2020.
3. Trends from the past year's finances include an increased cash flow because of
vendor changes enacted in 2019.
4. Motion to accept financial statements – seconded and passed.
5. Development Committee report provided by Treasurer.
6. Company search for a second business location has not turned up any promising
prospects yet. The board is using the services of a Goa-based commercial real estate
agent to help locate a property that meets the organisation's needs, but the
development committee recommends extending the search to include properties in
Karnataka.
7. Motion to expand property search – seconded and passed.

New Business and Announcements:

1. Fundraising efforts have been falling short of expected targets so far this year.
Members are asked to tap their networks for potential fundraising resources and report
back at the next meeting.
2. The annual organisation retreat will take place on July 26, 2021.
3. The next monthly Board of Directors meeting is scheduled for Thursday, July 1,
2021.*

*Adjournment:
Meeting adjourned at 4:35 p.m.*
Authorised Signatories --/--

Email writing
Communication through email has been the go-to medium to exchange meeting specifics, project
plans and generic day-to-day work-related information. With the increased digitization of companies,
emailing has become all the more widespread for employees to stay informed. Learning the art of
writing a professional email helps you set a lasting impression of your work etiquettes, including how
effectively you communicate. In this article, we discuss more about emails, including how to write a
professional email, and share some tips for writing effective emails.

Strong communication skills are an important asset in today's workplace. With modern
technology, more work is being performed on computers and email has become a
primary method of communication for professionals. Knowing how to write a business
email can help you improve your communication skills and stand out to colleagues and
customers.

In this article, we discuss everything you need to know to write a great business email,
including tips and examples.
What is a business email?

A business email is a form of written communication that is sent to the recipient

electronically over the Internet. The purpose of a business email is often to convey
information or to ask the recipient to take action. While email is often less formal than
other forms of communication, a business email often follows a professional tone, style
and format that is designed to elicit the expected response from the recipient.

How to write a business email

Follow these steps to write a great professional email:

1. Choose a clear subject line.

2. Begin with a greeting.
3. State your purpose.
4. Close with a professional signature.
5. Proofread.

1. Choose a clear subject line

The subject line is a brief summary of what your email is about. The subject line lets the
recipient know what they should expect to find more information on when they open
your email. It is important for the subject line to be clear and professional to ensure the
recipient understands the purpose of the email and opens your email to read it. It is best
to be direct and clear in the subject line to prevent your email from mistakenly being
overlooked or deleted.

2. Begin with a greeting

Every business email should begin with a professional greeting. Your greeting should
be concise and should aim to address the recipient by name. However, if you do not
know the recipient's name, you can use their professional title instead. A few examples
of greetings commonly used in business emails include "Dear", "Good
morning/afternoon/evening", "Hello" and "Greetings".

3. State your purpose

Every business email should have a purpose, and preferably there should be only one
purpose per email. Try to ensure your email conveys a clear message related to a
specific subject, task or request. Doing this will help ensure important details are not
missed and will help prevent confusion. Starting your email with a sentence that clearly
states the purpose can help ensure the recipient understands why you are writing the
email.
For example, "I am writing this email to inform you that changes have been made to our
privacy policy. Please review the following changes and let me know if you have any
questions."

4. Close with a professional signature

In a business email, your email's signature line acts as a business card. Many
businesses have pre-formatted signatures for their employees. A professional signature
typically includes a formal closing salutation, your name, professional title, the name of
your company and your contact information. Your professional signature may also
include your company's logo or a picture of yourself.

5. Proofread

After you have finished writing your email, you should proofread the email for spelling
and grammar errors. You should also make sure your email's message is clear. When
proofreading a business email, try to think of yourself as the recipient reading the email
to ensure you have used the appropriate tone, style and format. Finally, if there are
supposed to be attachments double check that you have attached the documents
before sending the email.

Business email to colleague example

To: Johnathon Roman

Re: Sales Project Timeline Revision: Please Review

Attachments: Sales Contest Project Timeline

Message:

Dear Johnathon,

I am writing this email to let you know the project deadline for the sales contest project
we have been working on has been moved up one week. The new deadline is
December 20 instead of December 27. Because of this change, we will need to make
adjustments to the timeline to ensure each task of the project is completed by the
deadline. I have attached an updated project timeline proposal. Please review and let
me know if you will be able to complete your assigned tasks by the new deadlines. Let
me know if there are any questions or concerns.

Thank You,

Monica Lewis

Sales Manager
Life Touch Insurance Group

Phone: (888) 888-8888

Email: [email protected]

Business email writing tips

Here are a few general tips to remember when writing a business email:

 Know your audience: It is important to know who your audience is before you begin
writing a business email. Most business emails need a formal tone, style and format to
keep them professional. The tone of your email should aim to remain clear and positive.
However, you may be able to use a less formal style and format if you know the recipient
well.

 Use empathy when writing: The tone and intended meaning of written communication
can sometimes be challenging for a reader to determine. Using empathy while writing
your email will help you ensure your tone remains positive and prevent
misunderstandings from arising.

 Make sure your email is necessary: Most people receive a lot of emails every day.
Making sure your email is needed before sending a business email can help improve the
likelihood of the recipient actually opening, reading and responding to your email.

 Make sure using email is appropriate: While email is a great communication tool for
professionals, some types of communication are better when delivered via another format
such as in-person or over the phone. It is important to make sure using email is
appropriate for what you need to communicate before sending a business email.

 Keep your email brief: Keeping your email short and to the point can help you ensure
your email's message is clear and will elicit the response you expect from the recipient.
Being clear and precise in your email communication will save the reader time and help
them clearly understand the purpose of your email.

Note taking
Taking notes is a skill you can use and continue to refine throughout your career.
Taking good notes can help you remember important information, prioritize tasks and
create records for key ideas to look back on as you need them.

In this article, we will discuss why note-taking skills are important, how to take notes and
when to avoid taking notes.
Why note-taking is important

Taking notes can be a helpful tool for recording, remembering and referencing important
information. Writing down ideas, instructions or other information that will help you be
better at your job is an important skill to use and develop in your career.

Here are a few benefits of taking organized notes:

 Organize your thoughts. Taking notes allows you to edit, elaborate on and update
information about important tasks, projects and relationships. Taking notes can help you
arrange your thoughts.

 Remember important information. Writing down information can help you remember

and recall it later. When you take notes at a meeting or during a presentation, the
information you want to remember is more likely to stay top of mind.

 Refer back to previous information. Taking notes can also be helpful when you need to
refer back to specific data points or other pieces of information. It is especially helpful
when you have taken notes in preparation for a meeting or interview.

 Prepare ideas. Writing down your thoughts and ideas ahead of a meeting can help you
feel more confident and prepared. Even if you do not refer back to your notes, it might be
helpful to simply write them down so you can see and remember them.

 Stay focused. Because work is typically very busy, you might be thinking about other
projects or tasks during a meeting or presentation. Taking notes can help you stay
focused.

 Create a shared record of a conversation. If you’re meeting with another person or

group, it can be helpful for one person to take notes so that you can all agree on what
was said. Sharing these notes with everyone in attendance can make it more likely that
work will move forward as a result of the conversation.

When you should take notes

While taking notes is not appropriate in every setting, there are a few settings in which
taking notes might be helpful, including but not limited to:

 Before interviews: Taking down notes for common interview questions and questions
you’d like to ask your interviewer can be helpful, especially for phone interviews.
  During interviews: Be sure to write down key information you get from the interviewers
including what they are looking for in a candidate, what it takes to succeed at the
company and more. Recall these details in your follow-up and thank you notes.

 During meetings: Take down key due dates, next steps, people you should contact,
statistics and other pieces of information that will be helpful to your work. Often, sending a
follow-up email with your notes and key takeaways to the attendees after meetings
showcases your listening and communication skills.

 During conferences or presentations: Taking notes during presentations and

conferences is useful when you’d like to refer back to thoughts or ideas that were
impactful to you.

 When ideas for issues, projects or meetings come to mind: Throughout the day,
ideas to resolve issues, items to bring up in your next meeting or other thoughts will enter
your mind. Write them down so you remember them when it is important.

 During conversations: If you have a call with a client or colleague, you mind find it
helpful to jot down information that builds relationships with them. For example, you might
record their weekend plans, hobbies, birthday, names of their pets or children or other
things that are meaningful that you want to remember.

When to avoid taking notes

If you have an important or sensitive meeting when face-to-face interaction is important,

you should avoid taking notes. For example, if you have been called into a meeting
about a serious event that occurred at the company, simply focus on active listening as
to not distract the speaker or others in the room.

You should also be sensitive when taking notes during an interview. While it is important
to write down key pieces of information for your own knowledge and to reference in
thank-you notes, it is more important to show that you are interested and attentive
through eye contact and body language. Find a balance between writing notes and
active listening during interviews.

Additionally, be aware of the culture around computers at meetings. While it is accepted

and encouraged at some companies, others might frown upon having your laptop open
during meetings as it might be considered a distraction. If laptops are not accepted,
bring a notebook and pen instead.

Best ways to take notes

Taking notes is often subjective as different people will find different ways of note-taking
more helpful than others. To find what works for you, try taking notes in one way for a
week or two. Then change methods the next week and see what is most effective.
There are several options for note-taking, and you might use one, two or all of them
depending on the scenario:

 Notebook and pen

 Computer or online document
 Note-taking software or app
 Calendar or organizer
 Small notepad or sticky notes

When taking notes, follow these steps to keep your thoughts organized and refer back
to the information you need with ease:

 Title your page or section of the page with the date and subject of your meeting,
conference, conversation or presentation.
 Provide context for your notes so you understand the purpose of what you wrote down.
 Use bullet points and other formatting tools such as numbers, indentations and dashes to
organize your page for easy reference.
 Instead of writing entire sentences, only write as much information as you will need when
you go back to your notes. This way, you can capture more information.
 Highlight or flag key information such as due dates, contact information or important
instructions. Add key dates to your calendar with reminders, if necessary.
 If you are sending your meeting notes to attendees in a follow-up email, be sure to
summarize them with key takeaways and next steps.
 If you are giving a presentation or preparing for an interview, highlight key sections so you
are able to quickly find needed information.

a travelogue is a truthful account of an individual’s experiences traveling, usually

told in the past tense and in the first person. In that article, I focused on how
travelogues compared to modern travel books. In this article, I will offer tips on
how to write a captivating travelogue. You will learn how to avoid writing a
traditional (and boring) “Dear Diary” travelogue and craft a modern and
compelling travel story. 

Writing a travelogue

What does a travelogue contain?

A travelogue contains vivid descriptions of the place you’re traveling in,
descriptions of the subjective experiences of visiting a place (your thoughts,
blunders, fears), informed commentary about a place (its history and culture),
and accounts of your interactions with local people. Above all, a travelogue must
tell a story.

A travelogue is not academic writing, so you need not make a formal argument
and present evidence—keep formal language at bay. A travelogue is not a write-
up for a tourism board or a marketing agency, so don’t try to “sell” the destination
to your readers. A travelogue is not a guidebook or a blog post, so you need not
be helpful, list “the top 10 best restaurants,” or offer practical travel tips or
suggestions.

Rather, a travelogue is a creative narrative of your experiences traveling. 

Tell one specific story

Traditionally, travelogues were mundane accounts of what a person saw, did,
and ate while traveling. But try to avoid giving a “Dear Diary” account of your
travels. You will bore your readers if you write a step-by-step report of what you
did, ate, and saw.
Instead, a travelogue will be more effective if it focuses on one interesting story
from your travels. A destination is not a story. Neither is simply traveling from
point A to point B.

Now that you’ve returned from your travels and want to write an essay or an
article about your trip, review your notes and reflect on your experiences. Does a
particular story stand out? Is there an experience that you can’t stop telling
people about? Did you have a haunting, transformative, or enlightening
experience? Did something bad or unexpected happen? If so, it might be a good
candidate to write about.

Be descriptive
Now that you have your travel story in mind, think about the setting. 

Details and descriptions are essential in travel writing. They will make your
writing and story more vivid. What sounds, scents, tastes, and textures did you
experience? 

Give your readers a sense of what it is like to be there. Transport your reader to
that specific time and place.

Be forthcoming
A travelogue is special because it gives us a glimpse of a foreign place, but it
does so through the lens of the writer. We want to know your specific take on
things. 

We are all human. We all think, have opinions, and get scared. What did you
feel? Did your experience stir up old memories? Were you frightened? Did you
embarrass yourself? Was there a misunderstanding? What did you learn?
Be honest with your own flaws, biases, and assumptions. Give your reader
subjective and emotional insight.

Be engaging
We travel (and read travel stories) to engage with and learn about other cultures.
And our best travel stories almost always involve interactions with local people
you’ve met.

So, while it is good that your reader gets a glimpse into the subjective world of
the author, we will want to hear other voices in your story too. 

What conversations did you have with the locals? Did anyone tell you something
interesting, alarming, or enlightening? Who did you meet? Who were they? What
did they look like? Did they have a particular manner of speaking? A distinctive
feature?

Be informed
The point of a travelogue is to entertain, but sometimes it is good to inform.
Sprinkle relevant information into your story.

Is there historical or cultural details that will help your reader understand why
something is so? Did a local person reveal something interesting about the
politics or history of a place?

How do you start a travelogue?

If a travelogue is a narrative account of your travels, then consider starting the
travelogue with an inciting incident. Begin your travel story with something that
will draw your reader in. Highlight a problem, conflict, struggle, or tension that will
propel your story along. 

The best travels stories are when things go wrong.

For example, you can begin your travelogue by stating your quest or mission,
and then complicating that with an obstacle that gets in the way. Or, you can start
with an intrigue, curious statement, declaration, or observation. You can start in
media res, and then fill in the story later. 
The trick is to hook your reader.

How do you end a travelogue?

Like any story, a memorable travelogue will offer a resolution. Consider ending
your story with a transformation or a resolution, a return to the beginning, a
moral, a message, or a revelation. 
 You want to give your reader a sense of closure, that the specific story has
ended.

Tips to write a better travelogue

 Tell a specific story
 Describe the outer world using vivid descriptions
 Reveal the inner world (your thoughts, mistakes, missteps, blunders,
excitements, etc.)
 Provide informed commentary (historical, political, cultural, etc.)
 Talk to locals and describe your interactions with them
 Use a conversational tone and avoid fancy/big words, marketing jargon, and
guidebook speak
 Begin with an intrigue, something going wrong, or a compelling or captivating
moment
 End with a resolution, a moral, a message, or a revelation

Hotel review writing

Whether your stay was impeccable and you wish to praise a hotel, or your visit fell into the
nightmare category and you need to get some complaints off your chest, writing a hotel
review is a great way to share about your hotel experience with others (from hotel staff to
other travelers).  Knowing how to write an effective review will help fellow travelers make
informed decisions when deciding amongst lodging options.  Travel review sites such
as TripAdvisor, TravBuddy or TravelPost allow you to get your thoughts out there for
others to see and learn from.  Here are some tips to help you compose a useful hotel review:

Share About Yourself

Talk about what the purpose of your trip was (business, pleasure, etc) and who you traveled
with (your family, significant other, group of friends).  Letting other travelers know how
often you travel will also give you some credibility to your hotel review.
Be Specific in your Hotel Review
Telling other travelers what type of room you stayed in might help them narrow down which
hotel reviews to read based on their own room preferences.  If you can think of any details
you wish you would have been aware of before your stay, share them.  Any relevant
information on the property that may not be found on the hotel website will be much
appreciated by other travelers, from room service recommendations to tips on how to
navigate a tricky parking system.  
Sound Intelligent
Make sure that when you write your review, you are as descriptive and concise as possible.
Furthermore, it is important that you use proper spelling and grammar if you want to
readers to take you seriously in your hotel review.
Include Photos if Possible
If the site you are posting your hotel review on allows pictures, put them out there so others
can see things for themselves, whether the view was amazing or your tub was dirty upon
arrival.  Sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words!  
Give Location Details
From the distance the hotel really is from the beach to expensive cab rides from the airport,
fellow travelers will be grateful for your honesty.  Also let them know about any major
attractions nearby, such as shopping, dining, nightlife or tourist activities.
Talk About the Amenities
Let other travelers know whether you felt like you were sleeping on clouds or rocks, if the
pool was as spectacular as the website makes it appear or if the television and cable
provided were basic or amazing.  All of these details will help to make your hotel review all
the more useful.
Don’t Forget the Staff!
Discuss how friendly and courteous or rude and unhelpful the staff was.  Perhaps you had a
concierge that went out of his or her way to accommodate a special request, or your maid
left you a sweet welcome note.  Speak up about shining stars.
When writing a hotel review, remember to keep things in perspective.  If your overall
experience was outstanding, it may not be worth mentioning minor details that didn’t really
matter in the long run.  If you would recommend the place, let that shine through.  
Get excited about your stay! Read what others have to say about our Resort or if you already
had a stay at Villa del Palmar Cancun tell us about your experience, write a review.

Trending hospitality communication

Telephone etiquette

Communicating over the phone remains an important tool for businesses. Despite
digital customer service communication advancements including email, texting and
automated answering services, customers continue to use the telephone as their initial
point of contact. Phone calls are often the first positive impression a client or customer
will have of your business.

This article will discuss tips to improve the quality of your phone calls and why phone
etiquette is important.

What is phone etiquette?

Phone etiquette is the way you use manners to represent yourself and your business to
customers via telephone communication. This includes the way you greet a customer,
your body language, tone of voice, word choice, listening skills and how you close a
call.
TELEPHONE MANNERS ( FRONT OFFICE)
QUALITIES TO TRANSMIT BY TELEPHONE

FRIENDLINESS -
Your voice will carry your attitude over the phone.

CONFIDENCE -
Prepare yourself. This will enable you to speak with confidence. Know your property.
Know how to analyze your status data quickly.

INTELLIGENCE -
Remember that you are talking with individuals from different backgrounds
and levels of education. Meet your caller on his level.

CLARITY -
It is embarrassing for the listener to ask you to repeat a statement.

CREATIVENESS -
If the opportunity avails itself, help solve problems. Use your expertise to offer
alternatives he may not have thought of.

ENTHUSIASM -
Find out the positive points about your property and concentrate on them.

INTEGRITY -
Be honest, If you do not know, admit it & offer to find out. Do not mislead your prospect.

TACTFULNESS -
Be tactful in any situation. Try to convince the guest without hurting his feelings.

PRIDE -
Take pride in your company and your work. Let the pride reflect in your voice and your
speech. Pride generates enthusiasm. Your pride in the hotel will instill interest &
confidence in the mind of the caller.

USE OF TELEPHONE BY FRONT OFFICE STAFF

1. The telephone is to be used for reception business. If you want to make a private call,
use the private call box in the lobby. If somebody telephones you personally (not on
business), keep your conversation as brief as possible and offer to telephone back from
the call box when you are free. Unless you do this, you may keep waiting a potential
guest who wants to make a booking.

2. When the telephone rings answer it immediately. The call should be attended within
three rings. If you are attending to a guest at that time, first answer the phone, excuse
yourself. Do not let the telephone ring without answering it. Although it may at times be
irritating the telephone should always come before any desk work, but should not take
precedence over the guest at the counter with whom you were dealing before the
telephone rang.

3. Do not keep the caller waiting for a long time before attending to him.
A caller on the telephone should never be left longer than 45 seconds without somebody
picking up the telephone and telling him again “I am sorry to keep you waiting."

4. Answer the telephone by saying, “RECEPTION (inf. or reservation) GOOD MORNING

(good afternoon or good evening), MAY I HELP YOU? Do not answer "Hello".

5. Speak clearly. Pronounce the words carefully. The caller may find it more difficult to
understand you on the telephone than if you speak to him at the counter.

6. Be brief and to the point, but not abrupt. Remember that telephone time costs money
and that the switchboard operator may be holding another call for you.

7. Be polite, friendly and helpful. On the telephone only your voice can indicate the
welcome we want every potential guest to receive. Do not interrupt the caller while he is
talking. You must never sound short, sharp, irritated and impatient.

8. Be accurate in what you say. The guest wants to have confidence in you. Do not
‘THINK’ or ‘SUPPOSE’ if you do not know the answer; find out and call back.

9. Be courteous in explaining the hotel rules. Do not use the phrase “You have to”, “I
suggest” or “would you mind” is preferable. Never argue with the guest, the guest is
always right. If you can not deal with a certain problem, inform the seniors in the
department, so that they can deal with it.

10. Take the correct name and contact number of the caller. This information will help
you if you have telephone the caller back.

11. Finally, Always remember that you represent the hotel or the organisation you are
working for when you pick-up a telephone call at work. Caller does not see you or your
hotel, so your voice alone has to help the caller become and remain a satisfied customer.
Telephone Etiquette: Thirty-Six Tips

Before you answer be prepared (this includes knowing how to use the phone/system
features):

1. Turn away from your computer, desk or other work.

2. Have pens, pencils and notepaper handy.

In answering the phone:

3. Answer calls promptly, by the second or third ring.

4. Smile as you pick up the phone.
5. Assume your "telephone" voice, controlling your volume and speed.
6. Project a tone that is enthusiastic, natural, attentive and respectful.
7. Greet the caller and identify yourself and your company/department/unit.
8. Ask, "To whom am I speaking?"
9. Ask, "How may I help you?"

In the course of the conversation:

10. Focus your entire attention on the caller.

11. Enunciate/articulate clearly. Speak distinctly.
12. Use Plain English and avoid unnecessary jargon and acronyms.
13. Use action specific words and directions.
14. Use the caller's name during the conversation.
15. Always speak calmly and choose your words naturally.

16. Use all of your listening skills:

a. Focus your full attention on the caller and the conversation.
b. Listen "between" the words.
c. Use reflective/active listening to clarify and check for understanding.
17. If there is a problem, project a tone that is concerned, empathetic, and apologetic.

18. Avoid the Five Forbidden Phrases.

a. "I don't know"

Instead, say: "That is a good question; let me find out for you" or offer to connect the
caller with someone who could provide the answer.
If a call involves some research, assure the person that you will call back by a specific
time.
If you do not have an answer by the deadline, call back to say, “I don’t have an answer
yet, but I’m still researching it.” There is no excuse for not returning calls.
b. "I/we can't do that."
Instead say: "This is what I/we can do."
c. "You'll have to"
Instead say: "You will need to" or "I need you to" or “Here’s how we can help you.”
d. "Just a second"
Instead: Give a more honest estimate of how long it will take you and/or let them know
what you are doing.
e. "No."
Instead: Find a way to state the situation positively.

19. Use "LEAPS" with the emotional caller to vent.

L Listen; allow the caller to vent.
E Empathize; acknowledge the person's feelings
A Apologize when appropriate, even if the problem is not your fault, you can say, "I am
really sorry this has happened" and mean it.
P (Be) Positive
S Solve; suggest/generate solutions that you can both agree on and/or ask what you can
do to help and, if reasonable, do it! If not, find a compromise.

In concluding the call:

20. End the conversation with agreement on what is to happen next; if you are to follow-
up, do so immediately.
21. Thank the caller for calling; invite the caller to call again.
In transferring calls:
22. Transfer ONLY when necessary; get the information yourself.
23. If you must transfer, avoid the use of the word "transfer." Say instead: "I am going to
connect you with".
24. Explain why you are "transferring" the call.
25. Give the caller the person's name and direct number
26. Stay on the line and introduce the caller.

In taking messages:
27. Identify yourself and for whom you are answering the phone.
28. Practice political sensitivity.
29. Indicate the period of time the person will be unavailable.
30. Write down all the important information given:
a. The name of the caller. Ask for spelling if unclear.
b. The (correct) telephone number of the caller.
c. The message. Ask for clarification if necessary.
31. Read back what you've written to be sure you've understood the message correctly.
32. Always assure the person that you will deliver the message promptly.
33. Deliver the message in a timely fashion.

NEVER:
34. Eat, drink or chew gum while on the phone.
35. Leave an open line:
a. Place the caller on hold
b. Check back with the caller frequently: every 30-45 seconds.

ALWAYS:
36. Put a smile in your telephone voice and let your personality shine!

The Complaint Call

Complaint callers who are irate are really saying, "I rate." They have bought into society's
"the squeaky
wheel gets the grease" mentality. When that happens, try the EAR method:
E mpathize with the caller.
A pologize and acknowledge the problem.
Accept R esponsibility. (You'll do something.)
Empathize with the caller. This is different from sympathy, where you take on someone
else's problem.
Try to understand how the person is feeling.
Apologize and acknowledge the problem. You don't have to agree with the caller, but
express regret that there is a problem. People want to be heard, and no one's complaint
is trivial.
Each deserves prompt handling, so do not deal with it in a trivial manner.
Accept responsibility. Make sure something is done. Take it upon yourself to DO
something.
Many times, that's all that people want: the reassurance that something will be done.
People want to be helped. They want to know that you care.
Use these phrases to get that sentiment across: "How can I help you?" "What can I do for
you?" "I'll make sure this message/information gets to the right person."

The acceptance of responsibility may be as simple as forwarding the call to the

appropriate individual or sending the caller more information.
If you do forward the caller to someone else on your staff, follow up with that person to
make sure the caller was taken care of.

If you get an irate caller, or even one who is calm, cool, and collected, here are some
more methods to handle complaint calls:
First, don't overreact, especially if the caller starts using "trigger" words or phrases,
such as: "I want to talk to someone who knows something." Most people respond by
getting defensive when their "hot-button words" are pressed.

Remember, a positive attitude is the most important asset you have.

Second, listen completely to the complaint. Allow the caller the opportunity to vent some
frustration.
When you listen, don't try to apply logic to the situation. Many people are beyond logic if
they are angry, so accept the feelings being expressed. Avoid argument and criticism.
Third, do not blame anyone -- the caller, yourself, or someone on your staff -- even if you
know who is to blame for a problem. This information should not be shared with the
caller.

Fourth, paraphrase the caller's comments, and ask questions if you do not understand
the information being presented to you. Restate the problem as you understand it.
Fifth, offer solutions and, if appropriate, offer alternatives. Providing alternatives
empowers callers. It gives callers a feeling that they were not dictated to and that they
were part of the solution.
Finally, confirm the solution with the caller. Make sure the caller agrees with what has
been decided.
Of course, not everyone will be happy, no matter what you do. These people will not be
content; they just like being grumpy. Usually, these are the people who want to talk to
the person "above you." If that is what it takes to lessen their anger, then do so. By the
time they have been transferred to a supervisor, they usually have become calmer and
less demanding. It seems that they just needed to vent their anger at someone: you. Just
remember that most people are not that way and keep a firm grip on that positive attitude
of yours.

How do people answer the phone in different parts of the world?

In Spain they say "Get on with it!"
In Italy they say "Ready!"
In the Czech Republic they say "Ahoy!"
In Japan they say "Mushi-mushi!"
In New Zealand they ask "Are you there?"
In Hong Kong they say "Waay!"
In the Netherlands they say "With..."
In Finland they state their full name
Ways to answer the Phone!
"Hi."
"Hola!"
"Hey wassup ?"
"You have reached the residence of ___________, but no one is here right now... so
please leave a...."
"Thank you, please pull around."
"Do-do-do- I'm sorry, you call cannot be completed as dialed!"

"Burp!"
"Talk to I!"
"911 Emergency!"
"Pizza Hut, may I take your order?"

Role-play 1

Employer: "Hello, Johnson Industries."

Applicant: "Hi, my name is student's name, and I am calling about the ad in the Sunday
paper for the Customer Service Representative Position." (speak clearly and state who
you are and why you are calling)
Employer: "OK, what I need you to do is come down to the office and fill out an
application."
Applicant: "Could you tell me where you are located?" (you may want to write the
information down)
Employer: "Do you know where the McDonalds® is on Main Street?"
Applicant: "Yes, I do." (try to say more than "yeah" or "no")
Employer: "Good, we are located right across the street."
Applicant: "When is a good time to come by and who should I ask for?"
Employer: "You can come by any time before 5 p.m. today, and ask for me, Fred
Stevenson."
Applicant: "Thank you Mr. Stevenson." (always be polite)
Employer: "You are welcome."

Role-play 2

Receptionist: "Good afternoon, McDonnel and Associates."

Applicant: "Hi, may I please speak to Ms. Fredrickson?" (use formal names)
Receptionist: "Ms. Fedrickson is in a meeting right now."
Applicant: "May I leave a message?" (ask to leave a message)
Receptionist: "Yes."
Applicant: "My name is student's name and I am calling about the status of the job
opening as her assistant. My number is 555-1234."
Receptionist: "OK, I'll give her the message."
Applicant: "Thank you." (always be polite)

Role-play 3

Applicant: "Hello." (When you are doing a job search, answer the phone with an
appropriate greeting each time you answer the phone. You may give a potential employer
the wrong impression if you answer the phone with a greeting such as "Yo" or "Yea.")
Employer: "Hi, may I speak to student's name."
Applicant: "This is she/he." (make sure people respond in a polite way)
Employer: "This is Ms. Fredrickson from McDonnel and Associates."
Applicant: "How are you Ms. Fredrickson?"
Employer: "I am fine. I have read over your application, and I am interested in having you
come in for an interview."
Applicant: "That would be great. When would you like me to stop by?"
Employer: "How does Tuesday at 10 a.m. sound?"
Applicant: "That sounds good. Your office is located by Evergreen School on Elm Street,
right?"
(don't forget to ask where you need to be)
Employer: "That's correct."

Telephone Etiquette-Workshop

Telephone Skills
Work Related Telephone Skills

OBJECTIVES
1. Develop proper phone skills for speaking to a potential employee.
2. Develop proper phone skills when at work.

MATERIALS NEEDED
Access to at least one telephone most recent local Sunday newspaper, paper, pens or
pencils
SUPPLEMENTAL RESOURCES
Job Search/Job Survival – A $199.00 video package by Educational Design, Inc. (1800
221-9372). The Job Search video provides dramatizations of appropriate phone skills
when contacting a potential employee.

INSTRUCTIONAL FORMAT
This lesson will provide training on proper phone etiquette when looking for work and
while on the job. It is important to stress that a person's presentation on the phone is a
significant factor in obtaining a job.
Additionally, poor phone skills at work can decrease an employee's chance for
advancement or a pay raise.

1. Discuss contacting a potential employer.

First, one may have to answer a want ad with a call to the company. This call might
involve answering questions, obtaining information about the job, and finding out where
and how to apply for the position.
Second, following an interview or submission of an application, the applicant should
follow up with a phone call to ask about the status of the position. This demonstrates an
interest to the employer.
Regardless of why the applicant is calling, it is important that he speak clearly, identify
who he is, and indicate the position in which he is interested.

2. Use modeling and role-playing to provide students an opportunity to learn and

practice telephone skills when contacting a potential employee. There are sample scripts
below to help guide the roleplays.

It is suggested that the applicant ask questions such as "Who will interview me? How
long will the interview last? Should I bring anything?"

3. It is suggested that the class look at employment classifieds from the local Sunday
paper and find want ads that instruct the reader to call a number for more information.
Have each student make at least one call to practice the skills learned above.

4. Discuss phone etiquette at work. Different companies will have different procedures
for answering the phones, directing phone calls, and taking messages. Review these
basic procedures.
• Greet the caller and indicate the organization. "Hello. This is Krueger Automotive. How
may I help you?"
• If the person the caller is asking for is available, transfer the call.
• If the person the caller is asking for is not available, ask if you can take a message.
Never tell the caller why the person is not available unless they are in a meeting, with a
customer, or on another line. Telling the caller that the person is in the bathroom or
running errands is too personal.
• Write down all the necessary information that your boss wants you to when taking
messages.
• If the caller is a customer who wants help from you, be as helpful as possible. Direct the
caller to person who can help if you can't. Always return calls as quickly as possible if
you need to get the correct information and indicated that you would call back.
• Ask about the company's policy is on personal phone calls. A good rule of thumb is to
only make or receive personal phone calls during breaks.
See the unit titled Family Responsibilities for additional information. Find out about the
policy regarding cell phones and pagers.

5. Practice taking phone messages. The trainer can model appropriate ways to take
phone messages.
It is suggested that the class decide on a company name and what information they
should get for taking a message. It does not matter who the caller asks for because that
person will never be in the office. The class members can critique and provide
suggestions to the person answering the phone.
6. If it is feasible, it is suggested that students get an opportunity to answer phones at
the program where they are receiving training. This will give them an opportunity to
practice what they learned within the framework of an actual workplace's procedures.

SIGNS OF GENERALIZATION
Students use proper phone etiquette when searching or working at a job. If students can
complete exercise number 3 and number 6 above, they should have the skills for future
situations involving the phone and work.

After reviewing this vocabulary, you may like to try our hotel vocabulary quiz.

word meaning example sentence

part of speech

adjoining two hotel rooms with If you want we can book your
rooms a door in the centre parents in an adjoining room.
noun

amenities local facilities such as We are located downtown, so we

noun stores and are close to all of the amenities.
restaurants
attractions things for tourists to The zoo is our city's most
noun see and do popular attraction for kids.

baggage bags and suitcases If you need help with

noun packed with personal your baggage we have a cart
belongings you can use.

Bed and a home that offers a I can book you into a

Breakfast place to stay and a beautiful Bed and Breakfast on
noun place to eat the lake.

bellboy a staff member who The bellboy will take your bags

noun helps guests with to your room for you.
their luggage

book arrange to stay in a I can book your family in for the

verb hotel weekend of the seventh.

booked full, no vacancies I'm afraid the hotel

adj is booked tonight.

brochures small booklets that Feel free to take

noun provide information some brochures to your room to
on the local sites and look at.
attractions
check-in go to the front desk to You can check-in anytime after
verb receive keys four o'clock.

check-out return the keys and Please return your parking pass
noun pay for the bill when you check-out.

complimentary free of charge All of our rooms

breakfast have complimentary soap,
noun shampoo, and coffee.

cot, rollaway a single bed on If you need an extra bed, we

bed wheels that folds up have cots available.
noun

damage charge money a guest owes We will have to add a damage

noun for repairs to hotel charge for the hole you put in the
property (when wall.
caused by violent or
careless acts)

deposit amount paid ahead of You will not receive

noun time to secure a your deposit back if you cancel.
reservation

double bed a bed large enough They are a family of four, so give
noun for two people them a room with two double
beds.
floor a level of the building The swimming pool is on the
noun main floor.

front desk, the place where Towels are available at the front

reception guests go to check in desk.
noun and out and to get
information

guest a person that is Our washrooms are

noun staying at the hotel for guests only.

hostel a very inexpensive In the hostel you probably

noun place for backbackers won't get your own room.
and travelers on a
budget

hotel manager person in charge at the I'll let you make your complaint
noun hotel to the hotel manager.

housekeeping, staff members that Put a sign on the door if you

maid noun clean the rooms and want housekeeping to come
linen in and change the sheets on
the bed.

ice machine a machine that There is an ice machine by

noun automatically makes ice the elevator on all of the even
that guests can use to numbered floors.
keep drinks cold
indoor pool place for guests to The heated indoor pool is
noun swim inside the hotel open until 10 pm.

inn another word for "hotel" There's an inn on the other

noun side of town that has a
vacancy.

Jacuzzi, hot tub, a small hot pool for Our honeymoon room has a
whirl pool relaxation personal hot tub.
noun

king-size bed extra large bed A room with a king size

noun bed costs an extra ten dollars
a night.

kitchenette a small fridge and Your room has

noun cooking area a kitchenette so you can
prepare your own breakfasts
and lunches.

late charge a fee for staying past You will be charged a ten
noun the check-out time dollar late charge for checking
out after 11 am.

linen sheets, blankets, pillow We will come in and change

noun cases the linens while you are out of
your room.
lobby large open area at the You can stand in
noun front of the hotel the lobby and wait for your
bus.

luggage cart a device on wheels that Please return the luggage

noun guests can push their cart to the lobby when you are
luggage on finished with it.

maximum the most amount of The maximum capacity in the

capacity people allowed hot tub is ten people.
noun

motels accommodations that Our motel is very clean and is

noun are slightly cheaper close to the beach.
than hotels

noisy loud The guests next to you have

adj complained that you are being
too noisy.

parking pass a piece of paper that Display this parking pass in

noun guests display in the your window to show that you
car window while in the are a hotel guest.
hotel parking lot

pay-per-view extra charge for movies If you order a pay-per-

movie and special television view movie, the charge will
noun features appear on your bill.
pillow case the covering that goes Room 201 doesn't need their
noun over a pillow sheets changed, but they
requested one new pillow
case.

queen size bed bed with plenty of They have a queen size
noun space for two people bed so the small child can
(bigger than a double) easily fit in the middle.

rate cost of renting a room Our rates change depending

noun for a certain time period on the season.

reservation a request to save a They say they made

noun specific room for a a reservation but it doesn't
future date show on the computer.

room service delivery of food or other If you would like a bottle of

noun services requested by wine, just call room service.
guests

sauna a hot room for We don't recommend bringing

noun relaxation, filled with young children into the sauna.
steam

single bed a bed for one person The economy priced room
noun includes one single bed.

sofa bed, pull- a bed built into a sofa or The room contains a sofa
out couch couch bed so the room actually
noun sleeps five.

towels used to cover and dry You can get your swimming
noun the body after pool towels at the front desk.
swimming or bathing

vacancy available rooms We only have

noun one vacancy left, and it is for
vacant a single room.
adj

valet staff that parks the If you leave your car keys with
noun guests' vehicles us, the valet will park your car
underground.

vending a machine that The vending machine on the

machine distributes snacks and fifth floor has chocolate bars
noun beverages when you and chips.
insert coins

view a window that offers a The room is more expensive

noun nice image for guests because it has a
spectacular view of the beach.

wake up call a morning phone call What time would you like
noun from the front desk, your wake up call?
acts as an alarm clock
 weight room, a room that guests can Our weight room has a stair
workout room, use for exercise and climber and a stationary
gym fitness bicycle.
noun

Charts and diagrams

When you communicate data, you can’t just throw a whole bunch of numbers on a page
and expect that readers will understand what you want to say. Charts, tables, and
graphs help communicators organize that data in a way that helps their audiences
understand the story the data tells and, hopefully, interpret it correctly.

In this section, we’ll discuss the types of charts, graphs, and diagrams available to help
you show off your data in ways that make it accessible to your audience. We’ll look at
specific communication challenges and determine which kind of chart or graph best
illustrates your message, and finally, we’ll discuss how to format your chart so that your
story is easily and quickly understood.

Tables, Charts, and Infographics

In this age of information, there are huge amounts of data to process and an equally
impressive number of graphs and charts you can use to tell the data’s story. Here are
some of the more commonly used graphs and the kinds of stories they can help you tell.

Using pictures, videos, charts or graphs can help a business presentation to be

successful. Sometimes, textual data can get monotonous and boring, and adding
visuals can also add clarity to data. This data can be organised using different types of
graphs and charts. Proper use of figures or tables in your presentations can make them
compelling and concise. Therefore, it is useful to know about the types of graphs or
charts and where to utilise them. In this article, we explain the kinds of graphs and
charts that are commonly used in business presentations.

What are the types of graphs?

The major categories of graphs used in statistics and mathematics to represent

numerical data in two dimensions are:
 1. Statistical graphs: These graphs are used to represent statistical data in a visual format.
Examples of statistical graphs include bar diagrams, pie charts, line graphs and
histograms.
2. Exponential graphs: These are the inverse of logarithmic graphs, and they are used in
mathematics. Usually, they represent algebraic equations such as 'y = 3x.'
3. Logarithmic graph: In a logarithmic graph, the numbers from the log table and their
logarithms are plotted on X and Y axes respectively. This type of graph is the inverse of
an exponential one.
4. Trigonometric graphs: Trigonometric graphs represent functions of trigonometry, such
as sin(x), cos(x) and tan(x).
5. Cartesian graph: These graphs are used to plot points on the Cartesian coordinate
system in algebra with X and Y axes.
6. Pictograph: In pictographs, the categories are not entered in numbers. Their pictures are
placed in the respective squares of a graph paper. By using several images, you can
easily find the maximum and minimum value of that category. As an example,
pictographs are used for visualising trees in the Mediterranean region, Equatorial region,
cold regions, etc. The pictures of trees are entered in the squares of the respective area
on the X-axis.

Types of charts

A chart is different from a graph. It can be represented in many forms and is not limited
to two-dimensional axes. Charts are used in various branches of science, mathematics,
economics, statistics and research to describe large data sets in a concise manner. The
common types of charts are:

Bar chart

Bar charts are used in economics, statistics and marketing to analyse big data. The X-
axis represents the category, while the Y-axis represents value. The length of bars
gives the idea of maximum and minimum value with respect to the category.

Pie chart

A pie chart is circular in shape with slices of different sizes. It is mostly used in
marketing. It consists of the value of each variable as a slice of the circle, and various
colours are used to separate the categories. From the area of a slice, the minimum and
maximum values are recognised. Pie charts are more effective when used in 3D form.

Histogram

Histograms are used in statistics, business and economics where numerical data plays
a crucial role. A typical histogram looks like a bar chart. However, a bar chart provides
comparisons of fixed values of a category, while in a histogram, each bar represents a
range of value such as age in the range of 25-40. Histograms are generally used to
summarise big data.
Scattered plot chart

A scattered plot chart is used to know the behaviour of dependent data in response to
the behaviour of independent data. The potential relationship between the two variables
are plotted, and the problem is then solved. Scattered plot charts are used for the
comparison of two or more data at a time.

Dot plot chart

In a dot plot chart, the values for different variables are represented as coloured dots
instead of bars or lines. The different colours are useful in dealing with clustered data,
quantitative data and continuous sets of values. These charts have certain limitations
when plotting big data sets. In such cases, a histogram is generally preferred.

Spider chart or radar chart

These are also known as web charts, star plots, polar charts and cobweb charts. A
spider chart is a new concept used in sports analysis, intelligent data and statistics. It
consists of more than one graph, which looks like a cobweb or a spoke of a wheel. A
spider chart gives an idea of the performance of each category in a particular period.

Stock chart

Stock charts are used in the share market, where the trading price of a particular stock
is presented over a specific period. Such charts are updated daily to show any positive
or negative changes in all stocks. They are used extensively to perform positional
analysis and prediction in the share market. You can select different stocks and change
the period depending on your preferences of short-term, mid-term or long-term
investment goals.

Candlestick chart

This chart is also used in share trading. A candlestick chart is similar to a bar chart, but
the graphical representation looks like a candle with wicks on both ends. This chart is
designed to provide information on stocks such as opening price, closing price, high
points, low points and the time frame. The bars are coloured green and red to indicate
whether the closing price of a stock is higher or lower than the opening price,
respectively.

Flow chart

A flow chart is the graphical representation of a process from the start to its end. This
chart is useful in creating the layout of a process and figuring out any problems in the
logic. Usually, there is a starting point and an endpoint. However, the method may
include more than one position in the beginning or at the end, depending on the
complexity of the process and the logical development. These charts have different
shapes to indicate all the actions and decision points. This method is useful to
streamline the flow of work from the information on the chart and take appropriate
measures as necessary.

Gantt chart

Gantt charts are used in project management. The progress of each project in each
stage is represented by a bar, and the start dates and end dates are associated with the
length of that bar. Some applications present additional information, such as task
owners, dependencies, number of hours and any annotations or detailed descriptions of
the task. Project managers use such charts to create schedules and plans for multiple
projects.

Waterfall chart

A waterfall chart is specifically used in accounting. It only shows positive and negative
values based on sequentially entered data. The chart provides a qualitative analysis of
the impact of an entry or balance on the rest of the accounts. It gives a clear picture of
financial position, profit, loss and income. The change due to a value in a statement is
shown in different colours to highlight them. The chart is helpful in calculating budgets
and expenditures by considering the differences in values over time.

Hierarchy chart

In an institution, this chart is essential and widely used. The order of control is plotted in
this chart in an ascending manner. For example, the apex position in a company can be
the general manager, CEO, COO, CFO, CXO and so on. The posts below these might
be regional managers, area managers and assistant managers followed by other
human resources. Such charts are often used in a company's brochure and annual
accounts.

Trellis chart

Trellis charts are also called a lattice chart or panel chart. In this chart type, more than
two variables can be compared at a time. For example, the different types of
expenditures in a company can be plotted as graphs. In a trellis chart, these graphs are
placed near each other on a single page for easy comparison.

Area chart

An area chart is similar to a linear chart. However, the area under the line up to the X-
axis is coloured. It does not provide actual numbers. Instead, it shows the trends in
particular data for a specific period. An area chart allows for comparison between small
categories and shows the quantity of change. It is also used in a CV to show progress in
solid form during previous employment periods.
Venn chart

A Venn diagram is used in mathematics, science and engineering. It is based on the set
theory of segregating and comparing data. Venn diagrams are generally used to
illustrate the logical relationship between two or more variables, represented by
intersecting circles. The common qualities of two variables are in the intersecting parts
of the circles, while differing qualities are outside.