Introduction
The textbook that you are now holding in your hands is addressed to all those whose activities (in the future or present) are related to communication, to all who, by the nature of their occupation, must communicate effectively and competently with people, who strive to improve interpersonal relationships.
The content of the textbook meets the requirements of the State Standard of Vocational Education.
The main goal of the academic discipline that you have to study is the formation of a professional with certain psychological and moral qualities necessary in everyday activities.
The German philologist, philosopher, and linguist Wilhelm Humboldt (1767-1835) noted that there is nothing more interesting for a person than people. We communicate with people every day (at home, at work, in transport, in stores), interact with them and try to draw conclusions about the behavior of others. So, for example, we know how to “read” by external manifestations - facial expressions, voice, and try to determine the emotional state of another person. From early childhood, children behave and talk very differently with their grandmother, father, and mother. They begin to understand early on at what point they can come up with a request (demand), and when they need to remain silent or postpone the request until better times. As you can see, everyday experience tells us different behavioral tactics, and in this sense we can safely call ourselves psychologists.
The ability to distinguish the mood of other people, the characteristics of their character and behavior in communication belongs to the field of everyday psychology. Official science is based on everyday psychology and appeared only in the last quarter of the 19th century (in 1879, the German psychologist W. Wundt founded the first laboratory of experimental psychology in Leipzig).
The word "psychology" comes from the Greek words: psyhe
(soul) and
loqia
(science, understanding) - and means “science of the soul.” Ancient and young, full of secrets and mysteries, it attracts the attention of thinking people.
Currently psychology
is the science of the laws of development and functioning of the psyche as a special form of life activity. Psychology is a branched system of sciences; it has relatively independent sub-branches: developmental psychology, educational, medical, military, social, management psychology and others.
The textbook examines social psychology, which studies patterns of communication, interpersonal cognition, and group behavior, and also reveals the importance of ethics and business culture in establishing contacts. Knowledge of psychology, ethics of communication and culture of behavior is always in demand and practically necessary.
By the beginning of the 21st century, many remarkable discoveries had been made in various fields of science: physics, chemistry, genetics, medicine, but man still remains the most complex and unknown mystery, which means that the saying “another soul is darkness” will remain relevant for a long time. After all, even a person’s self-interest has two sides. On the one hand, he is interested in himself. Remember how in a group photo we look for our face: “How did it turn out?” On the other hand, we don’t always want (we don’t always strive, we are afraid) to get an idea of ourselves, to see the negative sides, to learn the “bitter” truth. We readily notice the shortcomings of another, explain the bad behavior of our partner by his shortcomings and at the same time are reluctant to discuss our own shortcomings, and we explain (justify) unworthy behavior (of course, not characteristic of us) by external circumstances: “that’s how the stars aligned,” “life forced us” … Research conducted by psychologists and sociologists shows that we are more concerned with how to change other people. We look for the reasons for our personal failures and ill-being in other people, in current situations and circumstances, but not in ourselves.
Each person is unique, inimitable. Knowing yourself, managing yourself, feeling the joy of communication, adapting to new conditions, living in harmony with others, and also learning to hear, listen and understand a person - these are the main tasks
discipline being studied. These tasks can be easily solved with proper business relationships.
Business relationship
belong to the type of social relations and are considered as relationships between partners and colleagues that arise in the process of joint activities and in a team. In business relationships, employees should focus on the partner, the consumer, which, in turn, increases interest in professional activities. Business relationships are closely related to communication.
Communication
is a complex process of establishing and developing contacts between people.
The main thing in communication is not memorizing the rules, but mastering the culture of relationships and the culture of speech in order to briefly and accurately, expressively and intelligibly convey your thoughts to your interlocutor. It reveals values such as sensitivity, responsiveness, kindness, empathy and understanding. All these values are inextricably linked with the culture
of behavior, i.e. with such actions and forms of communication of people that are based on morality, aesthetic taste, as well as compliance with certain norms and rules.
Self-test questions
1. Folk sayings, proverbs, fairy tales and myths, parables serve as the sources of psychological theories and branches of psychology.
Give examples of apt proverbs and sayings that reflect knowledge of everyday psychology.
2. Does your behavior change depending on who you communicate with?
3. Do you know how to accept a remark with dignity and respond to it appropriately?
Don’t rush to answer, think about your behavior and try to critically (as if from the outside) evaluate it. The textbook will help you understand the intricacies of interpersonal communication, in which you need not only to know your strengths and weaknesses, but also to learn how to translate weaknesses into strengths.
Chapter 1. ETHICS AND CULTURE OF BEHAVIOR
It's easier to do something right away,
than then explain why it was done poorly.
Longfellow (1807–1882), American poet
Currently, close attention is paid to the study of the ethics of business relations in order to improve the level of culture of these relations. Ethics covers a wide range of issues and must be taken into account in relationships within and between organizations. Without observing business ethics and a culture of behavior, most people in the team feel uncomfortable and unprotected.
The most important aspect of professional behavior is business etiquette, which sets standards of behavior at work, on the street, at a party, in transport, etc. Speech etiquette, the art of conducting telephone conversations, rules of correspondence and appearance serve as signs of your good manners, respectability and self-confidence.
Remember that in business relationships there are no trifles.
1.1. General information about ethical culture
As you know, a person enters into business relationships with other people throughout his life. One of the regulators of these relations is morality, which expresses our ideas about good and evil, about justice and injustice. Morality gives a person the opportunity to evaluate the actions of others, to understand and comprehend whether he is living correctly and what he should strive for. A person can make communication effective and achieve certain goals if he correctly understands moral standards and relies on them in business relationships. If he does not take into account moral standards in communication or distorts their content, then communication becomes impossible or causes difficulties.
Who created the rules of human behavior? Why is one behavior approved by society, while another is condemned? Ethics answers these questions.
Ethics
is one of the oldest branches of philosophy, the science of morality.
The term “ethics” comes from the Greek word “ ethos ”
(“ethos”) - custom, morality. The term “ethics” was introduced by Aristotle (384-322 BC) to designate the doctrine of morality, and ethics was considered a “practical philosophy” that should answer the question: “What should we do in order to do the right things?” , moral actions?
Initially, the terms “ethics” and “morality” coincided. But later, with the development of science and social consciousness, different contents were assigned to them.
Morality
(from Latin
moralis ~
moral) is a system of ethical values that are recognized by a person. It regulates human behavior in all spheres of public life - at work, at home, in personal, family and international relations.
The most important categories of ethics
are: “good”, “evil”, “responsibility”, “justice”, “duty”.
“Good” and “evil” are indicators of moral behavior; it is through their prism that a person’s actions and all his activities are assessed. Ethics considers “good” as the objective moral meaning of an action. It unites a set of positive norms and moral requirements and acts as an ideal, a role model. “Good” can act as a virtue, i.e. be a moral quality of a person. “Good” is opposed to “evil”; there has been a struggle between these categories since the foundation of the world. Morality is often identified with goodness, with positive behavior, and evil is seen as immorality and immorality. Good and evil are opposites that cannot exist without each other, just as light cannot exist without darkness, up without down, day without night, but nevertheless they are not equivalent.
Acting morally means choosing between good and evil. A person strives to build his life in such a way as to reduce evil and increase good. Other important categories of morality—duty and responsibility—cannot be correctly understood, much less become important principles in human behavior, if he has not realized the complexity and difficulty of the struggle for good.
Moral norms receive their ideological expression in commandments and principles about how one should behave. One of the first rules of morality in history is formulated as follows: “act towards others as you would like them to act towards you.” This rule appeared in the VI-V centuries. BC. simultaneously and independently of each other in different cultural regions - Babylon, China, India, Europe. Subsequently, it began to be called “golden”, since great importance was attached to it. Nowadays, it also remains relevant, and we must always remember that a person becomes a person only when he affirms the humanity in other people. The need to treat others as oneself, to elevate oneself through the exaltation of others, is the basis of morality and morality.
The Gospel of Matthew says: “So in everything you want people to do to you, do so to them” (Chapter 7, Article 12).
The moral life of a person and society is divided into two levels: on the one hand, what is: existence, morals, actual everyday behavior; on the other hand, what should be: due, an ideal model of behavior.
Often in business relationships we are faced with contradictions between what is and what should be. On the one hand, a person strives to behave morally, as they say, properly, on the other hand, he wants to satisfy his needs, the implementation of which is often associated with a violation of moral norms. This struggle between ideal and practical calculation creates a conflict within a person, which is most acutely manifested in the ethics of business relations, in business communication. Since the ethics of business communication is a special case of ethics in general and contains its main characteristics, then under the ethics of business communication
is understood as a set of moral norms and rules governing the behavior and relationships of people in professional activities. Therefore, when studying the course “Business Culture and Psychology of Communication,” we will talk about how to act in business relationships, so that you know about it, try to accept it and act accordingly.
The norms and rules of behavior in force in society require a person to serve society and coordinate personal and public interests. Moral standards are based on traditions and customs, and morality teaches us to do every thing in such a way that it does not cause harm to the people who are nearby.
One of the main elements of the culture of business communication is the moral behavior of people. It is based on universal human moral principles and norms - respect for human dignity, honor, nobility, conscience, sense of duty and others.
Conscience is a person’s moral awareness of his actions, thanks to which we control our actions and evaluate our actions. Conscience is closely related to duty. Duty
- this is an awareness of the conscientious performance of one’s duties (civil and official). For example, when a duty is violated, thanks to conscience, a person is responsible not only to others, but also to himself.
is of great importance for the moral character of a person ,
which is expressed in recognition of a person’s moral merits, in reputation. The honor of an officer, the honor of a businessman, the honor of a knight - it is this that requires a person to maintain the reputation of the social or professional group to which he belongs. Honor obliges a person to work conscientiously, to be truthful, fair, to admit his mistakes, and to be demanding of himself.
Dignity
is expressed in self-respect, in awareness of the significance of one’s personality;
it does not allow a person to humiliate himself, flatter and please for his own benefit. However, an excessive sense of self-esteem does not really decorate a person. The ability of a person to be restrained in revealing his merits is called modesty.
A person who is worth something does not need to flaunt his merits, increase his worth, or instill in others the idea of his own irreplaceability.
An integral part of the culture of business communication is nobility.
A noble man is true to his word, even if it is given to an enemy. He will not allow rudeness towards people he does not like, and will not slander them in their absence. Nobility does not require publicity and gratitude for help and sympathy.
Self-test questions
1. How did the terms “ethics” and “morality” arise and what do they express?
2. What are “good” and “evil”?
3. Formulate the “golden rule of morality.”
4. What are the main elements included in the concept of “business communication culture”?
1.2. Professional ethics
In the East and Western Europe, since ancient times, great importance has been attached to the need to take into account ethical norms and values in business communication. Their influence on the efficiency of business management was especially emphasized.
Professional moral standards
There were and remain politeness, attentiveness, tact, and hard work.
Politeness
is an expression of respect for other people and their dignity.
The basis of politeness is goodwill, which is manifested in greetings and wishes. For example, we wish good night, good morning, success, health, etc. The words of the Spanish writer Miguel Cervantes (1547-1616) are widely known that nothing costs us so little or is valued so dearly as politeness. A polite person is a helpful
person; he strives to be the first to show courtesy, the first to give up his seat in a vehicle, and to hold the door.
A moral norm akin to politeness is correctness,
which means the ability to maintain oneself within the bounds of decency in any situation, especially in conflict situations.
Correct behavior is manifested in the ability to listen to a partner, in the desire to understand his point of view. Politeness is determined by tact
and
a sense of proportion.
To be tactful means to skillfully make a remark without humiliating a person’s dignity, to provide him with the opportunity to get out of a difficulty with honor.
The set of moral norms that determine a person’s attitude towards his professional duty is included in the concept of professional ethics.
Society places increased moral demands on certain types of professional activities and requires highly qualified workers in the performance of their professional duties. This applies to those working in the service sector, transport, healthcare, management, education and the like, since the objects of activity of these professional groups are people.
Each type of professional ethics is determined by the uniqueness of professional activity and has its own specific requirements in the field of morality. For example, the professional ethics of military service requires strict fulfillment of official duty, courage, discipline, and devotion to the Motherland. The uniqueness of medical ethics is focused on human health, its improvement and preservation. However, any specificity of professional ethics is impossible without taking into account universal human values and ethical standards. Let's look at professional ethics using an example.
Regardless of social status or age, we are all buyers. What does the buyer want from the sellers? Firstly, purchasing a high-quality, fashionable, comfortable product at an affordable price. Secondly, competence, attentive and polite attitude towards yourself when choosing a purchase. Therefore, the seller's task is to satisfy requests and
consumer desires. Therefore, the most important requirements of professional ethics of a trade worker in relation to the buyer are attentiveness, politeness, and goodwill.
The business relationship between the seller and the buyer begins with a greeting, which must be accompanied by a smile. Greetings are followed by the words: “Please, what are you interested in?” or “I’m listening to you.” If the seller is already serving a client, he should apologize and ask to wait, and not say: “Can’t you see that I’m busy.” Once free, the seller finds out what product we are interested in and at what price, after which he reports the characteristics of the available goods.
A professional seller must take into account the gender and age of the buyer and strive to determine his psychological characteristics (aggressiveness, poise, decisiveness - indecisiveness, gullibility - incredulity). It has been established that the behavior of young and old people, men and women differs in the store. For example, men visit a store purposefully, they know what they need to buy, and if the product is available, they buy it. They are more susceptible to the influence of the seller than women and often expect advice from him and are guided by his opinion. Women rely on themselves to make their choices; They look at the product for a long time and therefore it is not recommended to rush them.
The professionalism of the seller is enhanced by his ethical education, which is manifested in speech, facial expressions, and gestures; rudeness, vulgarity and irritability are unacceptable. The seller must be restrained in various situations, for example, when the buyer examines the product for a long time, asks questions and is interested in details, although he does not intend to buy this product. He must be restrained even with an ill-mannered and aggressive customer, since responding to rudeness with rudeness does not have a positive effect. On the contrary, the atmosphere becomes tense, a conflict is brewing, which often leads to the intervention of the administration. The end of the sellers' communication with us, the buyers, is the acceptance of payment for the selected product and its packaging, after which the seller must thank us for the purchase.
In turn, we, buyers, should not forget about politeness and restraint of our negative emotions and bad mood.
A special place in the ethics of trade is occupied by the requirement for appearance and clothing. Tasteless and unkempt clothes, unkempt hair and dirty hands can turn a buyer away from shopping and visiting the store. In addition, trade workers need to monitor their speech when communicating not only with customers, but also with each other!
So, if your field of activity is people, then, despite the specifics of the profession, you always need to pay attention to the rules and norms of behavior, to your responsibilities towards the client and colleagues; be able to control oneself, be patient, listen carefully to the visitor, as well as have an appropriate appearance and master the culture of speech.
Psychology of business communication
Expert Lidia Mikhailovna Stepanova Source: Elitarium.ru
Business communication is, first of all, communication, i.e. exchange of information that is significant for the participants in communication. To succeed in negotiations, you must master their subject perfectly. And although negotiations usually involve specialists from various professions, high competence is required from everyone.
Meeting
To achieve success during a meeting, it is necessary to encourage the interlocutor to communicate, to create the maximum possible field of opportunity for further business discussion and decision-making. To do this you need to: - navigate the situation; — think through the questions proposed for discussion; — determine your position for making this or that decision; — know which contact outputs can be used. Plato said that “a good beginning is half the battle,” but not every contact or meeting develops into a conversation. It is tactless and even indecent to try to engage a person you have just met and who is not inclined to this conversation into a conversation. Probably, it is best to end such a meeting or conversation with the phrase: “If you are interested in our proposals, let’s meet additionally at a time convenient for you.” In this case, the meeting or conversation, although it did not find its continuation, nevertheless has a positive side, because there is always the possibility that this contact will later develop into a good, useful relationship. The language of nonverbal behavior plays an important role in the communication process . It is determined by the impulses of our subconscious, and the absence of the ability to fake these impulses allows us to trust this language more than ordinary verbal language. Particular attention should be paid to the manner, posture, and facial expressions of the interlocutor. Your friendliness and openness are conducive to communication, which is achieved by a soft smile, a slight tilt of the head towards the interlocutor, an expression in the eyes, etc.
Nonverbal behavior
Evgeniy Vakhtangov’s “Golden Rule” sounds like this: “Anyone who wants to be pleasant is always unpleasant by the very fact that he wants to be pleasant,” i.e. in communication you need to be naturally friendly and unobtrusive. The primary role in transmitting information is played by facial expressions (movements of facial muscles). Studies have shown that when the speaker's face remains motionless, up to 10-15% of information is lost. The gaze is closely related to facial expressions, i.e. eye contact . When communicating, people strive for reciprocity and experience discomfort if it is absent. We must remember that when a person is just forming a thought, he most often looks to the side, when the thought is completely ready - at the interlocutor. When it comes to difficult things, they look at the interlocutor less, when the difficulty is overcome, they look more. In daylight, pupils can dilate and contract depending on how a person's attitude and mood changes from positive to negative and vice versa. When a person is joyfully excited, his pupils dilate 4 times more compared to a normal mood; on the contrary, an angry, gloomy mood causes the pupils to narrow, so-called “beady eyes” or “snake eyes” appear. A sidelong glance is used to convey interest (usually accompanied by slightly raised eyebrows or a smile) or hostility, suspicion (downward eyebrows, frowning forehead, downturned corners of the mouth). A constrained interlocutor rarely enjoys trust. During negotiations and business conversations, you should never wear dark glasses, because your partner gets the feeling that he is being looked at point-blank. We can conclude: if they look at us a little during a conversation, then we have every reason to believe that they treat us or what we say badly, and if someone looks into our eyes for too long, then this is a challenge or wariness. If during a conversation the interlocutor lowers his eyelids, then this is a subconscious gesture to “remove” you from his field of vision, because you have become uninteresting to him. When half-closed eyelids are combined with a tilted head and a long gaze, known as the “look down,” your partner is emphasizing his superiority over you. And finally, posture is the position of the human body that is typical for a given culture. Due to the cultural tradition of each nation, some poses are prohibited, while others are fixed. The pose (arms open, palms up) corresponds to the phrase: “We are so glad to see you!” - you can’t pronounce it using the Napoleonic pose (arms crossed on the chest, head down). Conclusion: if a person is interested in communication, he will lean towards the interlocutor (this is perceived as courtesy, attention); if not, he will lean back or collapse in his chair. You need to know that nodding the head of the person listening helps the conversation, although it does not always mean agreement. Nodding your head has an approving effect on the speaker in a group conversation, so the speaker usually addresses his speech directly to the one who constantly nods. Closely related to posture are gestures—various movements of the hands and head, the meaning of which is clear to the communicating parties. All cultures have similar gestures: a) communicative - gestures of greeting, farewell, attracting attention, prohibitions, satisfactory, negative, interrogative, etc. b) modal - i.e. expressing assessment and attitude (gestures of approval, dissatisfaction, trust and distrust, confusion). So, nonverbal contact has been established. Now there is no need to rush with the greeting so that it does not interfere with the beginning of the verbal one. verbal communication. A pause is required. It is necessary to enable a person to respond and engage in communication. If you cannot withstand this pause and, following the greeting, throw down all the prepared information, then the contact is destroyed. It's a kind of impoliteness. One may recall the words of Emerson, who said, “Life is not so short that men have not time to be polite.” This mistake is especially noticeable in telephone conversations, when they turn to the interlocutor, but are not interested in his reaction. It is necessary to wait a pause not only to make sure that contact has been established, but also to find out how your partner responded to your behavior and appeal.
Verbal communication
— You should not make contact when the interlocutor is busy with certain matters. - You need to start a conversation with the words “Don’t you think...” or “Could you...”, and not with the words “I”, “me”. — Too fast and verbose speech creates the impression of a person as not being reliable or thorough enough. — Speech that is too slow causes irritation and makes you think about the slowness of this person’s reactions and inefficiency in business relations. Involving your interlocutor in an active discussion of an issue when he has no particular desire is to create a relaxed atmosphere of communication. Of course, this is a kind of art. You can appropriately use a joke (but we must remember that one humorous remark can completely destroy even a carefully constructed argument), or refer to authority (the mention of one famous name is enough). — To increase the emotional tone of the interlocutor is to assign the desired quality to the interlocutor: “Knowing your diligence...”, “You are so persistent...”, “Your experience is extremely interesting for us in solving this problem.” You can use “feedback”: “I understood correctly that...”, “So you think that...” Such phrases enable the interlocutor to formulate his thoughts even more clearly and clearly. — When choosing words, you should try to use simple, well-known and understandable words. But at the same time, these words should most accurately express your thought. Mark Twain said on this occasion that the difference between the right word and a word that is close in meaning is exactly the same as between the flash of lightning and the sparkle of a small firefly. Often smart, good speech is spoiled by parasitic words, as well as proverbs and sayings that, although they are loved by you, lose their appeal from repeated repetition in one conversation, especially if they are used inappropriately. — When addressing your interlocutor, try to remember his name and patronymic correctly. By remembering the name and using it casually, you give the person a subtle compliment. But forget his name or spell it wrong, and you'll put yourself at a serious disadvantage. Napoleon III was proud of the fact that, despite his high responsibilities, he remembered the name of everyone he met. During the meeting, he deliberately said: “Excuse me, please. I didn’t catch your name.” If a name was unusual, he would clarify how it was spelled. During the conversation, he used this name several times and tried to associate it with his features, facial expression and overall appearance. Sometimes he wrote down a name on a piece of paper and imprinted it in his memory. Thus, he achieved not only auditory, but also visual perception of a name that was new to him. - During negotiations and in business communications, you should use the name under which he was introduced to you. — Be attentive and helpful to your interlocutor, appreciate his arguments, even if they are weak. Nothing affects the atmosphere of a business conversation more negatively than a contemptuous gesture, which means that one side dismisses the arguments of the other without the slightest effort to understand their content. The Germans puff out their cheeks - poof, the British pull their heads back and slightly widen their eyes, the French tap their fingers on the table, the Russians keep their hands in their pockets. - Be polite, friendly, diplomatic and tactful. Of course, politeness should not develop into cheap flattery. Measurement is necessary in everything. Do not forget also that a woman can never be disarmed with a compliment, but a man can always be disarmed.
He who thinks clearly speaks clearly. The more intelligible and understandable your interlocutor is, the more likely it is that you will find a common language. The ability to listen and speak makes the communication process easier.
Listening skills
“Learn to listen, and you will be able to benefit even from those who say stupid things” (Plutarch). If people are inattentive or do not understand the intentions and desires of their interlocutor, then they not only waste free time, but also irritate their partner, complicating the communication process. Then the debate turns into an angry conversation. There are rules for listening : a) if someone addresses you with a speech, you must stop and listen to what he is saying. The etiquette is to prioritize listening over all activities; b) have tact and patience to listen carefully to the end. As a last resort, tactfully reschedule the conversation or ask him to contact another employee; c) never interrupt your interlocutor, even if you have a brilliant solution to a question or a wonderful idea, do not interrupt or get distracted if the monologue drags on; d) if the speaker does not express his thoughts clearly enough, you can say: “What do you mean?” “Unfortunately, I did not understand you.” "Would you please repeat that"; e) interest is emphasized by gaze, facial expressions, and gestures; f) during the hearing, you must decide (whether you agree or not) and be prepared to give an answer. Mistakes of listeners: they use intervals of speech for side thoughts and lose the thread of presentation; they focus all their efforts on remembering the first points, leaving subsequent information unattended (if there are a lot of points, they are written down in a notebook); they “turn off” when the interlocutor speaks “abstrusely.”
Ability to speak
A conversation is a theater of two actors, and, in addition to conversational, it must be energetic, i.e. it is necessary to feel the biocurrents of the interlocutor. There are rules for the speaker: a) avoid direct negative assessments of the interlocutor’s personality; b) remove categoricalness in speech; c) do not put in, do not impose your own opinions and assessments; d) be able to take the partner’s point of view; e) look at the listener, increasing his level of interest; f) start the conversation with a light topic, establishing the desired contact, and think through the transition to the main issue; g) follow the logic. It’s not for nothing that people say: “I started for health, and ended for peace”; h) use pauses, because concentration of attention: from 45 seconds to 1.5 minutes; i) proceed from the fact that the interlocutor is not an opponent in a dispute, not an opponent, but a partner. Cicero's advice: you should not take possession of the conversation as a fief from which you have the right to survive the other; on the contrary, try to let everyone have their turn in conversation, as in everything else.
Decision-making
At the phase of discussion and decision-making, it is very important to focus on the partner, including him in the discussion, therefore, “the ability to listen and the ability to speak” must be fully demonstrated. To achieve success in a business discussion, it is important to find points of support and develop unity of positions. Even the most difficult conversation can be brought to a positive outcome if it is sincere and does not cause a feeling of awkwardness. The wise say: with agreement, small things grow, with disagreement, the greatest ones perish (Gaius Sallust Cresi). If you find out your partner’s behavior style and type before the start of negotiations, this will greatly facilitate the development of communication tactics.
Styles and types of interlocutors
Factual: While remaining neutral, people of this style know all the details of the negotiation. Their motto: the facts speak for themselves. When working with people of this style, be precise in presenting the facts, refer to the stages passed. “What has been done...” “What experience shows...”, etc. Document everything said. Intuitive: People look at the problem as a whole and use creativity in their work. When communicating with such people, encourage your partner to be creative, jump from one idea to another, monitor his reaction, and boldly plan for the future. Normative: people of this type are most inclined to evaluate facts using categories such as “right”, “wrong”, “profitable”, “unprofitable”. Their principle is to search for deals. With them, you need to establish clear positions of the contracting parties and demonstrate interest in what your partner is saying. Analytical: people of this style establish reasons, make logical conclusions and conclusions, and only on the basis of an analytical approach come to a solution to any problem. When working with them, look for causes and consequences, use logic, analyze relationships, and be especially patient. Of course, these types rarely appear in their pure form. As a rule, during the conversation some individual aspects of the named behavioral styles are revealed, but in any case it makes sense to find out which style dominates in order to psychologically adapt to the interlocutor. It is necessary to consider what type of interlocutor your partner is. Experts believe that there is: - an absurd person, a nihilist - he is impatient, unrestrained, and most often excited. He defines his position in such a way that people do not agree with him. You need to behave with him like this: a) discuss and justify controversial issues, if they are known before the conversation begins; b) always remain cool and competent; c) ensure that decisions made are formulated in his words; d) if possible, allow other participants in the conversation to refute his statements, and then reject them; e) by all means to attract him to your side; f) without waiting for a negative decision, move the conversation to another topic or insist that the business conversation be suspended, and then, during the break, find out face to face the true reasons for his negative position; - a positive person is the most pleasant type, good-natured, hardworking, he allows you to sum up the results together and have a calm discussion. With him, it is best to: a) find out and complete the consideration of individual cases together; b) in difficult and dead-end cases, seek support and help from an interlocutor of this type; - know-it-all - such an interlocutor believes that he knows everything or almost everything better than others. In relation to him, you need to do the following: a) sit him next to the one who is conducting the conversation; b) remind him that others also want to speak out; c) invite him to formulate intermediate conclusions; d) sometimes ask him complex special questions, which, if necessary, can be answered by the one conducting the conversation;
- chatterbox - knowledge overwhelms him, but bad manners and lack of restraint interfere with the flow of the conversation, because he often interrupts it for no apparent reason. You need to do this with him: a) seat him closer to the one who is conducting the conversation or to another authoritative person; b) when he interrupts or begins to deviate from the topic, he must be stopped with maximum tact; c) make sure that he does not turn problems “upside down”; - coward - this type is characterized by a lack of confidence; he is often silent, afraid of looking funny or stupid. You need to deal with such people very delicately: a) ask him very easy questions first; b) help him formulate thoughts; c) encourage him after making a statement or remark; d) avoid irony or ridicule; e) thank him for any contribution to the conversation; - a cold-blooded, unapproachable interlocutor - he is closed. When communicating with him, you need to: a) identify his interests; b) construct questions affecting his work experience; c) ask: “You don’t seem to completely agree with what was said?” “We are all interested in knowing why”; - “important bird” - this interlocutor cannot stand criticism - neither direct nor indirect. When having a conversation with him, you need to: a) create an environment where he would feel not like a master, but an equal partner; b) do not allow him to criticize; c) begin your answer with the words: “yes..., but...”.
Leaving contact
For the success of a conversation, the completion stage is very important. The final part should be vivid, reasoned, and specific. All misunderstandings must be resolved through discussion. All questions must have specific answers. Forms of polite refusal sound like this: “We will certainly return to this issue”; “I need to think about everything thoroughly again”; “We will look at this issue in perspective.” It is recommended to write down or learn a few concluding sentences, but sometimes you have to adjust the “home” forms of ending a conversation. The meeting has reached its final phase if: the conversation is directed towards the desired goal; the main arguments in favor of the proposals put forward are given; good contact has been established; a favorable atmosphere has been created to complete the conversation. In this case, both direct and indirect acceleration are used: a) direct: “So, let’s make a decision...” or “Let’s sum it up...” b) indirect - the interlocutor is gradually brought to the proposed decision.
Conditional decision
“In case…” “Suppose that...” “If you are interested in our proposals...” Thus, the interlocutor is faced with the need to make a decision, but in a softer form than with direct acceleration. Step-by-step solutions (according to deadlines). Alternative solutions: “Which is more convenient for you? (cash or non-cash payment). “High note” of farewell: a major note, regardless of the results and course of the conversation. Escort your partner to the exit. If you haven’t come to a common decision, still say: “I believe that a lot has already been done.” “I know that I understand you and you understand me too, let this be the basis of our next conversation.” "I'm sure... we'll find a way..."
Talking on the phone
A phone call often resembles an uninvited guest, whose visit causes a lot of inconvenience. They disrupt the normal work schedule, interfere with the resolution of important issues, distract you from work, and disturb your colleagues. Life has been made somewhat easier by answering machines and pop-up numbers that are calling you. When talking on the phone, you are deprived of nonverbal means of communication (facial expressions, gestures, eye expression, posture, etc.), but all speech deficiencies are exacerbated. Now the tone, timbre of the voice, and intonation acquire special importance. Pay attention not only to what the interlocutor says, but also to how he says it, in order to understand what psychological state he is in. The telephone is one of the most powerful psychological irritants at work. And the point here is not even in this or that news, but in the tension of the nervous system (either waiting for a call, or an unexpected call). It’s better to pick up the phone right away: firstly, there are shy people who are afraid of being annoying; secondly, the call will not disturb your colleagues. To reduce conversation time, you should always have paper, pen, documents, a calendar, data that you may need to refer to, telephone numbers and addresses of organizations and individuals on hand. If you are waiting for a call, then the preparation is the same as for a meeting-conversation. Questions written down in advance will help you return to the desired topic and not miss anything important. Repeated calls (I forgot to say ask) do not characterize the caller very well as a business partner). It is not accepted to call the home telephone. After picking up the phone, the employee must introduce himself immediately, introducing himself (if it is a personal phone) or the company. Make a good impression: the tone should be friendly, the timbre pleasant, the rhythm of speech unhurried. The caller should say hello, introduce himself and state the essence of the question. Perhaps an intriguing promise - benefit, profit: “We have an interesting offer for you...”; “We would like to make you a mutually beneficial offer...” Then you need to ask whether the person being called has time to talk or if it is better to call back and when it is better to do this at a time convenient for him. If they are not calling you and you cannot help resolve the issue, you must leave a note with the contact details of the caller, with a question and indicate the time of the call. If you put the phone down to invite someone to the phone, try not to forget about it. If you need to pick up literature or make inquiries, be sure to warn your interlocutor how long he will have to wait; perhaps it would be more convenient for him to call back later. If an incorrect connection occurs, remember that you were disturbed unintentionally, you can immediately clarify which number he is dialing. Perhaps the issue is not a technical problem, but an incorrectly recorded number. So, if you are calling . — Check if you got where you wanted. — Introduce yourself and briefly state the reason for the call. The art is to communicate everything you wanted and get the information you need in a minimum amount of time. Researchers say that a person makes a decision to continue a conversation in the first 4 seconds. — If your answer is confusing, ask leading questions: “Is it necessary?” "Whether there is a?". Remember that long questions and complex sentences are difficult to comprehend by ear. Speak clearly, slowly, and quietly. If they speak quietly at one end of the line, then they will also answer in a low voice, and if they speak loudly, then the answer will be given in a raised tone. Pronounce numbers, proper names, and consonants especially clearly. Slang words like “good”, “goes”, “okay”, “okay” create the impression of a partner’s frivolity, his frivolous attitude to the matter. - If you call the person who asked you to call, but he was not there or he cannot answer the phone, tell him to call you back. It’s a serious violation of etiquette to make you wait by the phone; it’s rude to not call you back. If you have a visitor, then you must answer the call, making sure to apologize. - Please note that with prolonged phone calls. Tensions may arise in communication. Do not neglect the law of “satiation.” Signs: increased unreasonable dissatisfaction with the partner, irritability, touchiness. — When ending a conversation, try to leave a good impression of yourself in any case. The phrase: “I hope that our contacts will be useful...” will leave a pleasant impression. — According to etiquette, the conversation is completed by the initiator. But if you feel that the conversation is wasting time or the dialogue has turned into a monologue, try to make it clear to the interlocutor: “I think we have figured out the main details...”.
If they call you
1. Introduce yourself on behalf of the organization. 2. If you were not introduced and the reason was not given, clarify this information in the correct form: “Excuse me, please introduce yourself.” 3. You cannot ask the caller: “Who am I talking to... or what do you need...”. 4. Demonstrate attention to the words of the interlocutor with the remarks “yes”, “I understand”, “absolutely right”. 5. Don't say: I don't know; We can't do this; You must…; Just a second; We are not interested in this, etc. Better to say: I need to clarify; Currently this is quite difficult; It makes sense for you to have a better...; It will take me 3-4 minutes to find these materials; Now we are engaged in activities of a different profile.
Rules of conduct in the virtual world
The Internet is the first communication medium in the history of civilization, the order of which is maintained by the users themselves. To do this, they have developed certain rules of online behavior - virtual etiquette, which are largely determined by practice. In the virtual world, the rules of politeness are somewhat different than in the real world. Most of the rules of virtual etiquette concern email. To do this, you need to: a) regularly check the contents of your mailbox; b) promptly respond to every letter addressed directly to you. Keep it concise; sometimes a few words are enough. Not responding is the same as ignoring a greeting, refusing to shake an outstretched hand, or turning your back on your interlocutor; c) an email message should always indicate its main subject. This rule did not appear immediately; it was developed gradually, resulting from certain practical requirements. Please note that letters that do not have a clearly formulated subject may be ignored; d) when sending a letter to an unfamiliar addressee, use a regular text code, otherwise it is possible that he simply will not be able to receive it, and communication services will cost less; e) at the end of each email message, you must indicate your name, surname, position and place of work, your email number, as well as telephone number and regular postal address, this information should not exceed four lines; f) do not overload the email message with additional materials (photos, drawings, etc.); g) choose the text format correctly (text format will take up a hundred times less space than a document in any application); h) send a large volume of additions only with the consent or at the request of the addressee. Check whether his mailbox has restrictions on the information received; i) messages with attached executable files (exe, com), as well as Microsoft Office documents, may carry computer viruses, which, as a rule, destroy the contents of the recipient’s computer; j) to quickly respond to an email, just use the “Reply” button to receive a letter ready to be sent; k) when responding to a letter, you should not repeat the entire correspondence; it is enough to reproduce only those fragments of it that you want to refer to (such quoting is not at all necessary, but is a certain gesture of politeness towards your virtual correspondent, who might have forgotten the essence your message or individual arguments in the discussion); l) each electronic message from one correspondent to another is private, therefore, each user must comply with the rule of confidentiality of correspondence (i.e., before transmitting its content to other persons, it is necessary to obtain the permission of the author); m) you should not respond to correspondence that is not addressed to you personally and not from the author of the message; most often, unnecessary commercial information is imposed on you. So, on the Internet, try as much as possible not to take up time from others and do not allow anyone to take it away from you, and then communication in the virtual world will be fruitful and joyful.
