Chapter 1 - Communication Skills Flashcards
People remember
10% of what they hear
20% of what they read
30% of what they see, and
50% of what they hear and see
Speakers (senders) remember:
70% what they say, and
90% of what they say and do
To be effective, the presenter should:
dress appropriately for the situation
maintain good personal hygiene
speak clearly and at a moderate pace
avoid speaking very softly or very loudly
pause between sentences and points
avoid space fillers such as “um” or “okay”
avoid excessive hand gestures
maintain eye contact with the audience
keep message short and on topic
avoid presenting too much or extra information that may distract the audience from the message being presented
When listening, a person should:
make eye contact with the speaker; maintain good, attentive body posture by not slouching, rocking, or leaning back in the seat
turn off, close, and/or silence electronic devices;
listen objectively with the intent to understand the speakers perspective
hold questions until the speaker finishes speaking
to remain effective when communicating by telephone:
speak clearly and at a moderate pace;
avoid speaking very softly or very loudly
minimize background noise
avoid using speakerphones in loud, noisy, and easily interrupted areas and where the conversations can be easily overheard;
keep conversations short and on topic
a cover letter that accompanies other documents
letter of transmittal
what should a letter of transmittal include?
the senders name and address recipients name and address, the project name and number description of the items sent number of copies of the items, notes or directions concerning the items
Used as formal correspondence to request information or action, respond to a request, state a position, or present an explanation
business letter
what should a business letter include?
company's name and address date of the letter recipients name and address subject salutation (greetings) content or body complimentary closing senders signature senders name and title a list of any enclosures carbon copies (cc in an email)
a less formal type of written correspondence used to notify or advise the reader about a subject
memorandum or memo
what should a memo include?
the date of the memo, the recipients, the senders, subject, content or body, and carbon copies
what is a memo used for?
internally to notify or provide clarification to employees about policy changes, procedures, or disciplinary issues
externally, to notify or remind subcontractors about important information or upcoming deadlines or meetings
what is a business letter used for?
reserved for issues of great importance. Should be specific to a single project and address a single issue
a method to quickly and securely send physical copies of documents through this machine
facsimiles or faxes
what should a fax include
the date of the fax the recipients name and fax number the senders name and fax number subject number of pages being sent description of items sent and/or message
a versatile electronic message commonly used for personal and business correspondence
what is the main benefit of email?
to transmit a wide range of documents via attatchments
an informal form of written communication sent electronically between mobile phones
texting
accounts used to promote a company or a business
social media
a formal type of written correspondence used by contractors to seek out and document clarification of items in the project documents that may be unclear, missing, or require further information
RFI or Request for Information
what should an RFI include?
the senders name and address
recipients name and adress
project name and number
clearly state what information is being requested and what type of response is needed
present a potential solution to the problem
