Entrepreneurship

Key Unit Competency: To be able to maintain good relations with people at the

work place through effective communication.

Introduction

 Every person needs to interact and build relationships with others. Every day, people engage in interpersonal communication with family, friends, employers through face-to-face, phones, etc. Through personal contacts, people build connections and establish relationships to satisfy their social needs and realize their personal goals.

Communication is an essential aspect of human relations and interactions. It helps a person to live and cooperate with others. Communication is also very essential for business activities and operations. Businesses use communication to maintain good relationship with customers, to pass the relevant information to the staff and to advertise business products or services.

However, there are barriers which interfere with the communication process resulting in sending unclear message to the receiver, noise, distraction in the environment, etc. This unit is therefore designed to equip you with knowledge, and understanding about proper listening and speaking skills. It will also equip you with knowledge and skills as well as attitudes and values that will enable you to maintain good relations with people at the work place and in the society where you live through effective communication.

Introductory activity

Many people in the world and Rwanda in particular navigate their interpersonal

relationships through interpersonal communication. Even businesses use

communication in their daily activities and operations. Based on your

understanding, answer the following questions:

a. What is meant by interpersonal communication?

b. Identify various listening and speaking strategies and skills that are

essential for proper interpersonal communication.

c. The manager of KUNDUMURIMO Cooperative has called a meeting with

cooperative members. While he/she was communicating to members

about the performance of their cooperative and measures they have to

take in order to improve productivity, some people in the meeting were

loudly conversing. Around the meeting also dogs were barking.

i. Do you think the communication between the manager and the

cooperative members was effective? Give reasons to support your

answer.

ii. Suggest other barriers that might have hindered communication to

be effective between the manager and cooperative members.

e. Describe the importance of team building in any business.

f. Assume you have a business, what do you think would be the importance

of good customer care in your business?

7.1. Listening and speaking effectively

Activity 7.1

Analyze the photo below and answer the questions that follow.

a. Referring to the above photo, make a short comment on what is going

on between those two people?

b. i. What would happen if the speaker in the above photo had no good

speaking skills?

ii. Assume also that the listener in the above photo had no good

listening skills, what would happen?

c. In your understanding, what do you think is required on the part of the

speaker and listener to communicate effectively?

7.1.1. Effective listening skills/strategies

Listening skills refers to the ability to pay attention to and effectively interpret what

other people are saying. Listening is a skill that is highly valued in schools and at the

workplace.

For example, when you are seeking employment, interviewers will want to know if

the interviewee possesses adequate listening skills.

Effective listening skills/strategies include the following:

1. Listening to the speaker without interrupting.

2. Listening without thinking about how you are going to respond until the

person has finished speaking.

3. Ask questions for clarification when you do not understand something.

4. Use appropriate body language to show that you are listening (eye contact,

nod head, etc).

5. Avoid being distracted by noises, mobile phones (turn it off), what other

people are doing, etc.

6. Be aware of your own attitude and avoid being judgmental.

7. Avoid being distracted by the gestures, speaking style, clothing of the

person speaking, etc.

7.1.2. Effective speaking skills/strategies

Speaking refers to an act of making conversation or expressing one’s thoughts and

feelings in a spoken language. It is also an act of making vocal sounds.

Speaking skills refers to the ability that allows the speaker to convey his massage

in a passionate, thoughtful and convincing manner. It gives people the ability to ommunicate effectively and help to assure that one won’t be misunderstood by those who are listening.Below are some speaking skills that people should use to communicate effectively with others.

The effective speaking skills/strategies may include:

• Be polite/friendly.

• Be clear, brief, and concise to the point.

• Speak with confidence but not arrogance.

• Be honest.

• Be respectful.

• Use examples to get to the point.

• When you need to be direct, speak with respect.

• Be flexible i.e. check the mood and attitude of others and adjust

accordingly.

• Be aware of body language, your own and that of others.

Application activity 7.1

An English teacher in a Secondary school used loud speakers to teach listening

skills. The speaker on radio explained some vocabularies where he said that

creativity is the “ability to create something new”. After five minutes, the teacher

switched off loudspeakers and asked students about what they have heard

regarding the meaning of creativity. The first student answered in the following

way “creativity is the ability to perform well a given job”. The teacher asked the

second learnerand answered in the following way “creativity is the ability to over

business competitors”. Finally, he asked the third learnerwho answered in the

following way “creativity is the ability to create something new”

Referring to the above passage answer the following questions:

a. Do you think all learners had good listening skills?

b. Which learner(s) had poor listening skills amongst the three learners who

answered the question? Support your answer.

c. In your opinion, who had effective listening skills among the three

learners? Justify your answer.

d. Apart from the listening skills mentioned above, think of any other

five listening skills a business person should possess in order to

communicate with others effectively.

e. What speaking skills do you need to possess in order to interact with

others in the society where you live?

7.2. Cooperation and Teambuilding

Activity 7.2

Analyze the photo below and answer the questions that follow;

1. Differentiate between cooperation and team building.

2. Do you think is it important to work as a team as people represented in

the photo below? Justify your answer.

3. Explain the importanc

 of working as a team in business other than

working as an individual.

Meaning of cooperation

Cooperation means to work with other persons for a common purpose or benefit.

For business enterprises, cooperation occurs when two or more entities engage in a

mutual beneficial exchange instead of competing between themselves.

Meaning of Team building

Team building is the process of enabling and facilitating team members to meet

their goals. Team building is also defined as the various activities undertaken to motivate team members so as to increase team performance.

7.2.1. Characteristics of a good team

A team is a group of people working together towards attainment of a common

goal. Every group of people does not necessarily make a team, for a team to exist

such a group of people must have the same purpose, participate actively and share

the team rewards. There are teams which are strong while some others can be

considered as weak.

Below are some of the features of a good team;

The following characteristics make a good team:

• A team must have a common goal.

• Members must be committed to the common goal.

• There should be willingness by members to contribute resources, skills

and ideas to help achieve the common goal.

• Every member takes initiative to get things done.

• Team goals should be understood by every member.

• Each member should contribute and accept the decisions made.

• Team goals are given realistic time frames.

• Each teammate trusts the judgment of the others.

• There is plenty of communication between team members.

• Members are carefully listened to and receive thoughtful feedback.

• Everyone participates actively and positively in meetings and projects.

• The team is always ready and willing to take risks.

• Every member is focused on the ultimate goals of the business.

• Team decisions are made using organized and logical methods.

7.2.2. Behavior of an effective team member

Behavior refers to the way in which one acts or conducts him/her self especially

towards other people. The behaviors for team members are a mixture of different

qualities and values. For a team to be successful, team members must collaborate and

work well with their teammates. This helps a team to execute its work assignments

and to accomplish goals.

The following are behavioral traits of an effective team member:

1. Performs the assigned tasks to meet goals of the group.

2. Listens without interrupting.

3. Follows the rules, policies and procedures of the team.

4. Promotes positive relationships with teammates.

5. Offers ideas that help the group to achieve the common goal.

6. Interacts with others in courteous, respectful and honest way.

7. Respects and is tolerant of differences in opinions, culture, ethnicity, etc.

8. Negotiates and discusses ideas while being flexible to meet the goals of the

group.

9. Provides opinions and ideas and seeks the opinions and ideas of others.

10. Moves the group towards resolving conflict (if it exists) so that goals can be

met.

11. Is aware of own emotions, thoughts and feelings and keeps them under

control for the good of the group.

12. Has skills in understanding what’s going on in the group

13. Have the ability to admit when he/she is wrong: This is an admirable trait

for any team member. The inability to admit when he/she is wrong inhibits

personal growth and impedes the team’s ability to innovate. 

Note: As a team member, if you can’t say, “I was wrong,” then you’ll never get the

chance to say, “You were right.”

Team building in businesses

In business world, most business people highly value the positive results of team

building in their businesses. Big business enterprises, divide the workplace into

smaller units called departments and each department tries to fulfill its distinct role

towards the attainment of a common goal.

Importance of team building

The main purpose of team building is to improve productivity and motivation

among each other. Team building is very important in business since it helps to

improve the team performance.

Importance of team building include

• Helps to improve team productivity

• Helps to involve every member in goal setting.

• Helps to motivate team members.

• Helps to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and help each

accordingly.

• Helps to identify and effectively use the strengths of team members.

• Helps to make the workplace comfortable and attractive.

• Helps to improve communication among team members.

• Helps team members to learn about themselves.

• Leads to effective collaboration with team members.

• Facilitates cohesiveness and trust among team members.

• Improves the ability for problem solving.

Building an effective team

Teams are formed by gathering people together and then expecting that such

people will create a way of working together.

In business, there are some guidelines that can be used to build an effective team.

The guidelines/strategiesfor effective team building.

1. Set clear goals for the team: The goals for each team should be SMART that

is specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound. An example of

such goals can include “to increase the sales by 85% in one year”.

2. There must be trust among team members: All team members should

feel safe and supported.

3. Define a mechanism for clear communication among team members:

The clear communication is important for an effective team. Team members

can be communicated to through meetings, telephone, e-mail, notice

board, newsletters and using collaboration tools such as internet.

4. Define a procedure for team members to solve problems and make

decisions: Teams often encounters situations that require decision making

and problem solving. Effective teams should design procedure for problem

solving. For example, the procedure could state that if the consensus on a

problem is not reached within one day, then the voting is done and take

the decision of the majority or if voting is not concluded within one day

then the team leaders take decision. This means that there must be rules

and conditions that minimize time of making decision on a given problem.

5. Define staffing procedures: Effective teams know what skills and expertise

they need in the group. They recruit worker’sin accordance withthe expertise  they need.

6. To monitor the contribution and work of each team member: An

effective team should monitor the contribution and work of each team

member towards the common goal. When goals and plans change team

members should also adjust.

7. Assign team leaders: Each team should have a team leader who focuses

on team practices and procedures. He/she should insure that all members

are active in achieving the team goals.

8. To encourage people with different abilities and personalities to work

together.

9. Use positive feedback.

Application activity 7.2

Most learners at school join different clubs such as Anti-Sida club,

Entrepreneurship club, Red-Cross club, Scout club, Anti-drugs, etc. Assume you

belong to any of the clubs mentioned above; analyze any 5 characteristics that

can make your club a good team.

7.3. Effective communication

Activity 7.3

Read the following case study clearly and answer the question that follows;

Mr. Shyaka is the owner of Gold Industries Ltd dealing in the production of vegetable oil. The company’s owner is planning to increase business performance and the number of customers. To achieve this, Mr. Shyaka has contacted the manager and told him to prepare a meeting aiming at discussing on what should be done to increase sales as well as profits of the company. Another item on agenda during the meeting was to give performance targets /indicators to every department of the business. The manager informed the staff about the upcoming meeting three days before by use of different forms of communication. The meeting took place on Monday and it was attended by many staff members.

Required:

a. Basing on the above case study, suggest ways/forms the manager used

to pass the information to the staff regarding the upcoming meeting.

b. In your own understanding, do you think communication is important in

business? Give reasons to support your answer.

c. What do you think are major barriers to effective communication?

7.3.1. Meaning of communication and effective communication

Communication is the process by which information is transmitted from one

person to another through a defined medium. Communication is also the transfer of

information from one person to another. It involves the person sending the message

called the sender and the person who receives and acts on the information called

the receiver. The reply from a receiver of a message is called feedback (response).

Effective communication: It is a mutual exchange of messages between two or more persons and requires that people involved are satisfied with the interaction taking place. This occurs if the receiver of the message is able to understand it and give an appropriate feedback. For example, there will be effective communication between the buyer and the seller if the buyer correctly and precisely asks the seller information about the goods available for sale and the seller correctly gives a good reply.

i. The communication process

The communication process involves the sender of the message, medium and receiver who gives feedback. For example, Mugisha sends an e-mail to Mary.

Mugisha is the sender, the internet is the medium and Mary is the receiver. If one of these parties is missing, then the communication process is incomplete and communication cannot take place.

The communication process involves:

1. The Sender (Transmitter): This is theperson who starts the

communication process by sending a message. When sending a message,

the sender first encodes the message. Encoding refers to the process of

transforming the ideas or thoughts into a message that the receiver will

understand.

2. Message: This is a verbal, written or recorded communication from one

person to another. The idea in the mind of the sender is transformed into

words called a message that is sent to the receiver. The sender decides on

the length, style and tone of the message.

3. The Medium of communication: Refers tothe method by which a message

moves from a sender to a receiver. For example, the sender can use a letter,

telephone, memo, notice board, etc as a medium to send the message to

the receiver.

4. The Receiver: This is the person who receives a message. When a message

is received, the receiver decodes it. Decoding by the receiver means that

after receiving the message from the sender, the receiver attempt to

understand and interpret the message and give feedback. Decoding is

also the process of converting the language of message into thoughts. For

instance, the receiver, having received job application, reads the application

and understands the message conveyed by the applicant.

5. Feedback: This is a response (reply) from the receiver of a message that

is sent back to the sender. This ensures that a message has been received

and understood by the receiver who if necessary act on the message. The

response/feedback from the receiver may be positive, negative, or for

further enquiry.

This ensures that a message has been received and understood by a receiver and if necessary, acted upon.

7.3.2. Internal and external communication

The information flow in an enterprise may be internal or external.

 Internal communication

Internal communication occurs when information is shared by people within the same business enterprise. The sender and the receiver of the information are within the same business enterprise. Examples, the general manager sends a memo to all staff within the company, Secretary sends an e-mail to the marketing manager, etc. Internal communication in a business may be horizontal or vertical depending on the position of the sender and that of the receiver in the organizational hierarchy.

a. Horizontal communication occurs when the sender and the receiver of the

message are at the same level in the organizational hierarchy. For example,

when a cashier communicates to another cashier in the same bank, when a

teacher communicates to another teacher in the same school.

b. Vertical communication occurs when information moves from a senior to a

junior staff and vice versa. For example, when an accountant communicates

to the general manager in the same company. Vertical communication is

said to be downward communication if the information is moving from a

senior to a junior staff in the organization. For example, when a manager of

the bank sends a message to the cashier.

Vertical communication is said also to be upward communication if the information originates from a junior to a senior staff in the company. For example, when a secretary sends a message to the manager in the enterprise.

External communication

External communication is the transmission of information between a business

and an external entity or person. For example, when a customer care officer calls a

customer reminding him/her about the date of payment for goods taken on credit,

when a sales manager sends an invoice to a customer or when a customer calls the

customer care department to complain about undelivered goods.

7.3.3 Essentials/features of effective of communication

For effective communication to exist between the sender of the message and the

receiver, one should consider the following features/principles:

1. Concrete: The message should be based on facts and the sender should be

able to provide evidence of such facts.

2. Clear: The message should be clear and easy to understand. The sender

should use the language that the receiver understands. If the message

is ambiguous and is not understood by the receiver, then that is not an

effective communication.

3. Complete: The message should be complete by including all details that

the receiver needs to understand the message.

4. Courteous: The sender should communicate to the receiver in a respectful

way. The sender should avoid hurting the receiver but he /she should not

be shy from addressing the issue under concern.

5. Concise: The message should be as brief as possible and contains all the

information that is required. If the message contains useless and irrelevant

details, it may confuse the receiver.

6. Considerate: The sender should consider the receiver’s feelings, religious

and cultural beliefs, age, sex, status, etc. When communicating to someone

else positive words and language are better to be used than negative ones.

If the message is not considerate, it may not generate the required response.

7. Correct: The information should be correct and accurate.

8. Timing: The message should be communicated at the right time when the

receiver is able to listen and to receive it.

9. Media: The sender must use a media that the target recipient (receiver)

uses. For example, a radio is more efficient than newspapers when

communicating to the village population.

Note: For effective communication to take place, the message communicated

should be fully understood as expected by the sender. 

7.3.4. Forms of communication

There are three forms of communication namely: Verbal communication, written

communication and visual communication.

1. Verbal (Oral) communication: This is the use of spoken words to

communicate. It involves direct communication by word of mouth either

face to face or by telephone. Because the sender is in direct contact with the

receiver, he/she can demand direct feedback and the receiver can demand

for clarification where the message is not clear.

The following media can be used for verbal communication:

i. Face to face talking.

ii. Telephone.

iii. Radio.

iv. Sounds (drums, gun shots).

v. Meetings.

vi. Voice over internet.

2. Written communication: This involves the use of written text to

communicate.

The following media can be used for written communication:

3. Audio -Visual communication: This involves the use of eyes to receive

information. In some cases, this communication combines the use of sound

and sight hence the name audio-visual communication.

The following media can be used for Audio -Visual communication:

• Television.

• Photographs, Films, Maps.

• Charts, Billboards.

• Signposts, Sign and gestures.

• Power point presentation.

7.3.5. Choosing a communication channel

 Generally, there is no single communication channel that is suitable for all circumstances. Different channels are suitable for particular cases while unsuitable for others. The sender of the message should consider the benefits and disadvantages of the various communication channels to determine the best cannel he/she can use. Below are factors that should be considered when choosing the appropriate medium of communication.

Factors considered when choosing a communication channel are:

1. Distance between the sender and the receiver: The distance between

the sender and the receiver determines the choice of the communication

channel. Some channels like e-mail, fax and telephone cover long distance

while word of mouth covers a shorter distance.

2. Speed: Some channels are faster than others. For a message that is urgent,

the speediest channel should be used. For instance, written communication

may delay an urgent announcement.

3. The cost of medium: This refers to the amount of money spent on using

the channel of communication. For example, a television advert is very

expensive compared to radio announcement. The most cost effective

channel should be used.

4. The nature of the message: Some messages are best sent through specific

mediums than others. For example, a message to demand for payment is

best sent through written documents than over the phone.

5. The accuracy of the channel: Some channels are more accurate and

more suitable for certain kinds of messages. For example, you cannot use telephone to explain the accounts of a business. This would not be suitable

and accurate instead, a fax or e-mail would be more suitable.

6. The reliability of the channel: The channel of communication should be

reliable so that messages are not interrupted, lost, distorted or delayed.

7. The confidentiality of the message: If the message is private, then the

most confidential channel must be selected. For example, e-mail requires a

password to open and so only the rightful receiver can access the message.

Radio, notice boards and newspapers are not confidential.

8. The nature of the receiver: It is very important to consider the nature of

the person receiving the message. The receiver may be able to understand

one channel of communication and not another. For example, writing a

letter to a blind person may not be effective communication channel. The

personal characteristics of the receiver should be considered.

9. The legal consequence of themessage: Some forms of communication

may not be legally binding and will therefore not be suitable for certain

information. For example, when appointing someone to a job, the

information should be communicated in writing in form of an appointment

letter so that at a later date, one can be able to prove it.

7.3.6. Importance of effective communication 

In business, entrepreneurs and managers communicate with different people on daily basis. They call suppliers to make orders of goods or services using mobile phones, write letters to their debtors demanding payment, read newspapers and use internet to get information about tenders and prices, get information from Rwanda Revenue Authority about their tax obligations, etc

Communication is important in a business in the following ways:

1. Helps the entrepreneur to maintain a good relationship with the customers.

2. It helps to increase the sales of the business. For example, through

advertising.

3. It helps an entrepreneur in building the company brand image.

4. It helps in advertising job vacancies for the business. For example, publishing

job vacancies on radios, TVs, in newspapers, etc.

5. It helps to pass the relevant information to the staff of the business.

6. It links entrepreneurs and the suppliers.

7. Helps the enterprise to pass information to customers, government and the

public.

8. It helps in cultivating new customers. For example, through advertising and

word of mouth.

9. It helps to coordinate operations in different business departments.

10. Helps the entrepreneur in negotiating with customers so as to get the best

deals.

11. It reduces the costs of production in an enterprise.

12. Helps an entrepreneur in making decisions basing on informed basis.

13. It promotes good relationship between the employees and the entrepreneur.

14. Helps the entrepreneur to implement his policies by giving instructions to

employees or their supervisors.

15. Helps the general public to have knowledge about the existence of the

business and its operations.

16. It helps to know when, how and where to meet customers.

7.3.7. Barriers to effective communication

A barrier is an obstacle or a hindrance. A communication barrier is any hindrance

that stops the receiver from getting the message in the way and sense it was sent

by the sender.

Some of the barriers to effective communication include the following:

1. Unclear message: For example, if the sender, sending unclear message to

the receiver.

2. Using inappropriate channel of communication: For example,

communicating through radio when you are targeting deaf people

(hearing-impaired), communicating through Television when you target

blind people, etc.

3. Noise in the environment.

4. Distraction in the environment.

5. Using of funny language.

6. Message being too long: For example, too many details may confuse the

receiver.

7. Message sent at wrong (bad) time: For example, sending a message at

night.

8. Message being incomplete: For example, someone writes, ‘please supply

as soon as possible’.

9. Message getting lost: For example, if the message does not reach the receiver.

10. Language barrier: i.e if you communicate in English to people who

understand French only.

11. Emotional blocks: e.g if the receiver disagrees with the sender on some

sent ideas.

Application activity 7.3

a. Discuss the role of effective communication within and outside the

organization.

b. People communicate with their friends, employers, etc on daily basis, in

your views, what forms of communication do they use?

c. Mr. Mahoro is businessman who has a shop in BUGESERA District.

Sometimes he gives goods on credit to well-known and honest customers.

Last Christmas, he gave goods on credit to Byiringiro who promised to

payback in 5 days to come. On the promised payment day, Byiringiro did

not pay as agreed and did not tell Mahoro why he did not pay. On the

6th day, Mahoro called Byiringiro using negative language and insulting

words asking him to pay. The customer responded that he will pay soon

in the next few days.

Questions

1. Referring to the above text, think and comment about the language

used by Mahoro in communicating to the customer. If you were Mahoro,

how would you have communicated to Byiringiro?

2. Explain if the language used fulfills the features/principles of effective

communication.

3. Suppose you become an entrepreneur, explain briefly the features of

effective communication you would use in your business.

4. Discuss the elements (factors) that constitute the process of

communication.

7.4. Public relations/Customer care

Activity 7.4

Uwamahoro went to the shop to buy different items. When she entered in the

shop, she asked the shop owner to give her the items she wanted to buy but

the trader was busy conversing with his friends on phone. The shop owner

continued to be busy until a time where Uwamahoro decided to move to the

next shop to buy the items she wanted and was treated with care as compared

to the first shop.

Questions

a. Did Uwamahoro get good customer service or not? Justify your answer?

b. Why did Uwamahoro decide to move to the other shop?

c. What do you think the business owner would have done to offer quality

service to Uwamahoro?

d. Suppose you have a business of selling clothes at Nyabugogo near the

taxi park, do you think is it important for you to provide good customer

care? Give reasons to justify your answer. 

7.4.1. Public relations 

Public relations refer to the management function that establishes and maintains mutual relationships between an organization and the public on whom its success or failure depends. It is also the process of maintaining good relations with the public. Every day, business enterprises deal with the public. Businesses deal with customers, employees, suppliers, etc.

7.4.2. The public in business include the following:

Customers, employees, suppliers, shareholder, government, service providers,

contractors, neighbors to the business, etc.

Functions of public relations

In a business organization, the public relations department performs various

functions which include;

1. Educating the public: The public relations department educates the public

about how they can improve their welfare and make income generating activities. For example, some TVs and newspapers may educate the public

about how they can create and manage small businesses to earn money.

2. Mitigating the negative publicity against the business: The public

relations department has the responsibility to identify any negative

publicity against the business and products and make efforts to correct

such negativity.

3. Monitoring the media: The public relations department monitors the

media for any comments that is issued about the company and its products.

4. It manages crisis periods: The public relations department monitors and

manages crisis periods and ensures that problems of crisis do not adversely

affect the business and its products.

5. Provide accurate information: The public relations department provides

accurate information about the performance of the business, product

failure, etc.

6. Enforce community relation: Public relations department creates

community relations programs to build business reputation.

7. Ensures that employees have a good image about the business: the

public relations department ensures also that employees have a good

image about a business so as to maximize productivity and increase their

job security.

Tools of public relations

In performing their duties, there are various tools which may be used by public

relations practitioners.

Some of the tools of public relations include:

1. Brochures: A brochure is a booklet published by an organization that

contains information about the organization, its vision, mission, ethics, past

and present achievements, etc. This printed paper document is largely used

to inform the public about the company’s products or services.

2. Press release: A press release is a document produced by a business

enterprise and circulated to the press. The press then uses the information

to communicate through stories and articles. These documents provide a

brief but thorough description or explanation of an event or situation.

3. Photographs: These are used to communicate about an event or situation.

Companies use a photograph of a person or a photograph of an activity

that has been done by the company. For example, the photograph of a

manager (possibly wearing a T-shirt) giving a cow to poor people under

Girinka Munyarwanda Program may be used to create the image that the

company cares for the community.

4. Advertorial: These are a combination of advertisements and an editorial.

An advert is accompanied by some write up that explains text about a

product or event. The company has control over the content and costs.

5. Conferences: The most common of this type are press conferences where

representatives of various media houses (the press) are called upon and

acknowledgeable member of the organization explains the required

information.

6. Interview with journalists: This is a meeting with journalists who ask

questions and you provide the answer. Your answers may be interpreted

differently by different journalists. There is a limited control over the final

message when the interview tool is used.

7. Print media: The print media, particularly the newspapers are the most

common tools of public relations. Companies can use print media because

newspapers are widely circulated and readily available to a wide audience.

8. Newsletters and publications: These are internal publications in which

information about the company, its values, achievements, profits and

other information is produced. Newsletters can be used to advertise or

communicate new ideas and events to the public. It is given to customers,

new employees, stakeholders, journalists and members of the society

through printed and digital newsletters.

9. Letters to editors of newspapers: These are letters written to editors of

newspapers, journals and magazines often in response to a news article or

other published letters and opinions. Letters are free and are not heavily

edited and so there is some degree of control over what message the public

gets.

10. Internet: The internet is a powerful tool of public relations. Notices may

be placed on the company website, e-mail sent to the public and social

networking websites like Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Twitter are

used to communicate. Blogs can also be used as a public relations tool.

Application Activity 7.4

a. Explain briefly the functions of public relations.

b. Discuss the tools of public relations.

7.5. Customer relations

Activity 7.5

Suppose you have a shop that is full of items like rice, cooking oil, sugar, etc in

Huye town:

a. Give an example of a poor service you can avoid in your business so

that your business doesn’t fall in bankruptcy.

b. Give also an example of an exceptional service which can enable you to

over compete your competitors.

c. What do you think customers need/expect from sellers?

d. What can you do to manage customer care with your customers?

A customer relation is the relationship between the entrepreneur and customers and how customers are treated. Without customers no business can exist. When the business has customers, it expands. Customers are like water. They flow to where it is easier. Customers go where they can get better service. Customer service is how we meet the needs of people who use our services.

There are three levels of customer service;

• Poor service: Under this type, those giving service do not seem to care;

do not make efforts to please customers. For example, a server in a

restaurant who does not bring the menu, does not tell you when food is

not available, does not ask if you need anything.

• Mediocre service: Under this type, service provided is good. Those

providing service care about customers but might not be able to provide

customers with their needs. For example, a server in a restaurant who is

polite but cannot give information about the food.

• Exceptional service: At this level, the quality of service is always

excellent, customer always feels happy and recommends the service to

other people he/she knows. For example, a sever in a restaurant who

shows up on the table with the menu, explains what is available, gives

recommendations, explains why food is late, etc.

Note: More customers stop buying from the company due to rudeness or

indifference. You strive for exceptional service.

Key areas of customer relations

a. What a customer wants from the business

Today most customers are smarter buyers. Customers also have more choices than ever before and therefore rely on their service experience to weigh the quality of product or service the business provides. 

A customer wants/needs the following from any business;

• Quality of goods or services: Most customers expect from the business

to buy quality goods or services at reasonable price.

• Respect: A customer needs to be respected.

• Customers want to feel appreciated: This means their presence and

concern need to be appreciated.

• Customer care: Customers are happy when they are better served and

cared for. When this happens they recommend you to others and this

also builds a positive image of the business.

• Business that keeps promises: Customers trust organizations that

keep promises with them. When promises are broken, it may affect the

relationship between a business and customers.

• To feel in charge: To feel that they are in control and not being

manipulated.

• Fairness: Customers do not like a trader who takes advantage of

them. A trader who cheats customers by using wrong weights and

measures, charging high prices because for example other shops in the

neighborhood are closed, etc.

• Friendliness: Customers need to be treated as humans.

• Knowledge: Customers need to be fully informed about prices, quality,

etc. for example; they need to be informed about price changes in the

business.

• Customers want to be satisfied: with your products and/or services.

b. How to manage customer care

Customer care is how the business treats its customers and meet their needs to ensure their satisfaction. Customer care management plays a crucial role for the success and survival of the business in today’s competitive market.

The business can manage customer care in the following ways:

1. Being transparent and honest:Transparency is absolutely crucial to

managing customer service expectations effectively and will affect clients’

ability to trust a company. Businesses can ensure clients remain confident

in their providers and have a positive experience by remaining honest in

every possible situation.

2. Openly discussing solutions:Businesses that have highly knowledgeable ustomer support teams should be well-versed in the solutions to every

potential problem and be able to speak to those possibilities quickly. One

important way businesses can manage customer service expectations is by

openly discussing possible solutions to a problem with the client.

3. Providing clear timelines: Glitches, errors, and bugs in business can be

irritating and costly to customers. However, clients will become angrier if

they look forward to their problem being solved in a week, and instead wait

a week and a half. Businesses can manage customer service expectations

by clearly stating how long any particular task will take from the moment

the client gets on a call until the resolution is in progress.

4. Remaining optimistic, but realistic:  While optimism is an important part

of a positive business experience, managers, customer care officers and

other public relations officermust be realistic about solutions they give to

customers. For a business enterprise, it is more important to tell the truth to

the customer than set expectations that can’t be met.

5. Following  up regularly:Finally, support teams can manage customer

service expectations by following up after each stage of the resolution

process. 

c. Dealing with customer complaints

In business, complaints are inevitable. However, if mismanaged or ignored, complaints can become bad for business. If  you don’t adequately address and resolve customer’s complaints, it can negatively impact customer retention, loyalty and brand awareness. Most complaints/ conflicts can be resolved in their earliest stages. This helps the business to avoid and resolve complaints in their early stages before they interfere with the relationship between the business and customers. Below there are ways you can use to resolve customer’s complaints.

The business can deal with customer complaints in the following ways:

1. Stay calm and listen: Think before you talk and control yourself.

2. Allow customers to talk: Allow angry customers to talk and express their

feelings until they release their frustration and calm down.

3. Use the correct tone: Don’t smile, laugh or mock upset customers. Convey

empathy with a soft tone.

4. Be neutral: Do not offer your opinion, agree or disagree with customers.

Offer empathetic support and work to solve their problems effectively.

5. Don’t react: Never respond to angry comments. Allow the customer to

voice their opinion and interject with helpful redirection when appropriate.

6. Focus: When a customer is tangential, redirects the conversation back to the

important issues and focuses his/her attention on constructive solutions.

7. Use verbal softeners: Use words like “likely”, “typically”, “perhaps”,

“sometime”, “possibly” or “occasionally” with customers who might not

respond well to categorical words like “always” or “never”.

8. Make angry conversations private: Avoid talking with angry

customers within earshot of employees or other customers.

9. Agree: Find something to agree with the customer about. An agreement

will result in collaboration and cooperation.

10. Use silences: When customers talk, listen and wait for a silence. When your

customer has stopped talking, then summarize their main point and work

together on a solution.

11. Use timeouts: If customers are frustrated, annoyed, or are not capable

of engaging in a productive conversation, allow them the opportunity to

think by themselves for short periods of time. Then, address their concerns

effectively.

12. Set limits: When customers refuse to act constructively and alternative

methods have been exhausted, set limits and end the interaction.

d. Ways to treat customers better

A customer is person who buys business products or services. Acustomeris also defined as a person or organization that purchases goods and services from a seller. Customers are very important in business because without them the business cannot survive, it will collapse. For this reason, customers must be treated well and highly respected.

Some ways of treating customers well are:

1. Providing good customer care to them: This involves offering high quality

service to the customers as a way of attracting them.

2. Providing quality products or services: This involves offering quality

products or services to customers in order to satisfy their needs.

3. Giving discounts to customers: A discount refers to a reduction on the

price of a commodity or service.

4. Giving gifts to customers: This involves giving them some gifts like sweets,

T-shirts, caps, etc. This pleases customers and makes them come back.

5. Giving them credit facilities: Giving products on credit to customers is

another way of treating them well. This helps the customers who have not

enough money. When giving products on credit you have to make sure you

know well the customers.

6. Accepting returned goods in case they have defects: Some time goods

may be returned by customers due to some reasons like damaged goods,

bad quality products, expired products, etc. In this case, when the customer

returns goods due to those reasons you have to accept them.

7. Deliver goods on time.

8. Giving them goods which are not expired.

9. Offer transport facilities to customers. This is application is some

exceptional cases not all the time and it is done upon agreement with

customers.

Importance of treating customers well

• Helps to increase sales.

• For good reputation.

• They will be able to pay you promptly.

• It is a basis for business growth and success.

• Security of the business resources.

Application activity 7.5

Answer the following questions:

a. It is normally said that “a customer is a king. Do you agree with this

statement? Give reasons to support your response.

b. Suppose you create a business after your studies, how can you ensure

good customer relations in your business?

7.6. Supplier Relations

Activity 7.6 i

Observe the picture above and answer the questions below:

1. What does the above figure mean to you?

2. Explain the strategies that you will use to become a successful

salesperson

7.6.1. Who is a successful sales person? 

A salesperson is an individual who sells goods and services to customers on behalf of company. Salesperson can be a company owner or an employer. The successfulness of salespersons is usually measured by the amount of sales he or she is able to make during a given period and how good that person is in persuading individuals to make a purchase. If a salesperson is employed by a company, in some cases compensation can be decreased or increased based on the amount of goods or services sold.

7.6.2. Ways of becoming an effective salesperson

1. Being a Critical Thinker: The best salespeople don’t simply rely on a

script that dictates every step of how they should sell a product or service,

but rather they adapt or alter their sales pitches in accordance with the

prospective customer, time and place. This also means having the ability to think outside the box in challenging their existing sales pitches and

processes to reach higher levels.

2. Being Resourceful: A successful sales representative needs to be

resourceful, which is especially important for reaching out and targeting

potential customers. This means going above and beyond and using every

resource or asset at his or her fingertips to close the deal. Sometimes,

figuring out how to be a better salesman requires thinking outside the box

of traditional sales methods and processes.

3. Being Honest: Sales representatives have to be honest about the product

or service they’re trying to sell. Feeding potential customers lies or

undeliverable promises is not the pathway to success - disingenuous sales

reps are what give the profession a bad name in the first place.

4. Being Competitive: The most successful sales representatives are

extremely competitive by nature and are constantly striving to be the top

salespeople within their company and the industry. They set the bar as high

as possible, giving themselves lofty targets to shoot for - even if they miss

their ambitious targets, they will still be well-positioned to achieve great

things.

5. Being Communicative: Naturally, one of the most important attributes

for any top salesperson is to be an effective communicator. If you aren’t

capable of articulating your thoughts in an easily comprehensible manner,

even your best sales pitches will ultimately fall on deaf ears. Be clear and

concise in what you are communicating.

6. Being Confident: Confidence is a subset of charisma. The best and most

charismatic salespeople believe fervently in themselves, their company

and their product or service. Confident salespeople act fearlessly and are

willing to take risks without worrying about hearing a “no” from a customer

or losing out on a potential opportunity.

7. Being Knowledgeable: The best sales representatives are well-informed,

not only about their own company and product but also about the

prospective customer’s company and specific pain points. Conducting

extensive research into a prospective customer to find triggers before you

make your pitch can be the difference between tremendous success and

sure-fire failure.

8. Being strongly motivated: Any sales person to become successful, has to

be highly motivated to his work as well to his prospectus customers.

9. Preparing ahead of time: An effective salesperson prepares a head of

time. This means they do research on their customer and gather all the

information before a big customer meeting. This way, they anticipate

challenges or questions and prepare an effective response to avoid losing the sale.

10. They don’t think in terms of sales but rather in terms of building a

business: Great sales people are building a business, not just trying to make

a sale. When you think beyond a sale, you’re going to get other people’s

attention much more easily. They’re going to be more interested in what

you have to say. You want something that’s going to survive beyond one

sale.

11. They listen more than they speak, getting an understanding of the

customer’s needs and then finding a solution: Great sales people always

ask their clients why they want something done. In listening more than

talking, you can better accommodate what they are looking for.

12. They are always seeking new, better and faster ways to increase

their sales efforts: Be really concerned about time. Great sales people

consistently work on improving themselves and look for faster ways to

close transactions.

13. They see problems as opportunities: When a problem comes along, a

successful salesperson should see it as an opportunity. 

Application Activity 7.6 

Read the following case study

Muhire is salesperson in a life insurance Company, a relationship builder. He connects with people everywhere he goes not only in the working environment but also in other places using different ways such as exchanging of business cards” but in a genuine and human way that makes people want to talk to him again. He always looks for potential customers in different ceremonies, parties, different working places where he connects to many people and discuss with them business related issues.

After reading the following passage, answer the following question:

a. What characterizes Muhire as a successful salesperson in his company.

b. Assume you are a salesperson in business organization, explain

strategies you will use for making good relationship with your

customers. 

7.7. Writing skills

Activity 7.7

After observing the above illustration, answer the following questions:

a. What are the different business documents found in the illustrations?

b. Mention the different business communication documents that are

found in offices.

c. Explain how the documents identified above facilitate business

communication.

7.7.1 Business documents

a. Standard letters

A letter is a written message from one person to another, or from one organization to another. Letters are the most important means of written communication, the most numerous and the most personal. Letters are widely used for external communication. In certain situations, a direct letter may be used internally like for confirming an oral briefing, to remind employees about the previous arrangement, etc. They are also very important for any organization or individual for the purpose of giving or seeking information. However, letters must be kept brief, clear and should have all the necessary details.

Features of an effective letter

1. Simplicity: This means that a business letter should be simple to read and

understand the information therein

2. Clarity of Goal: Both in thought and expression we have to be clear in our correspondence. Every letter is a reflection of the writer’s mind. He/

she should be therefore clear about what information he/she is seeking or

wishing to give. All facts and figures must be stated in the simplest possible

language.

3. Public Relation Aspect: Besides aiming at the immediate goal, business

correspondence is also deeply concerned with the image of the company

in the eyes of the public. People form images about companies from many

sources, and correspondence is a major factor among them. All effective

correspondence has the broad objective of enhancing the company’s

public relations.

4. Attitude: The most effective business letters are those that show the writer’s

interest in the receiver. It means that the writer has to view things from the

reader’s point of view so as to get a favorable response from him or her.

5. Persuasion: Persuasion is the main function of business communication.

It is most evident in effective business letters. The basic purpose of an

effective letter is to influence, or to sell an idea to the reader(s).

6. Sincerity: Sincerity means that our readers must believe what we say.

They must be convinced that we are genuinely in mutual profit sharing

and well-being. Words of exaggeration like ‘extraordinary’, ‘sensational’, and

‘revolutionary’, ‘greatest’, ‘amazing’ etc. must be avoided in letters.

7. Positive Language: A wise communicator tries, as far as possible, to

use positive language. Use of positive language becomes all the more

important in a business letter, the primary aim of which is to build up the

best of human relations and to earn business. Positive words stir up positive

feelings. That is why it is advisable to avoid using negative words.

8. Coherence: Effective letters present information in logical order by careful

use of linking devices, use of pronouns that are reference words, and

repetition of key words. Linking devices like ‘besides’, ‘therefore’, give a

logical progression to the thought content of the writer. Repetition of key

words gives the content of the letter a forceful thrust. A skillful writer knows

which words to repeat.

9. Care for Culture: In international correspondence we have to be especially

careful in the choice of words so as not to offend the receiver who may

be having a very different cultural background. We should avoid use of

culturally derived words, slang, colloquialisms and as far as possible, even

idioms and phrases. Therefore, it better to a letter in a simple, and in general

service list words that are universally understood and acceptable. 

An example of a Lay-Out of a Business Letter

1. Heading: The heading, also called “letterhead”, contains the name of the

firm/company and its address. It is usually given at the top center or the top

right side of the paper. It is also usual to give the telephone, fax and email

address of the writer.

2. Date: Place the date at least two spaces below the letterhead. The line may

be flush left or right, or centered below the letterhead.

3. Inside Address: It contains the name and address of the organization or the

individual to whom the organization is being sent. It should be complete.

This is always on the left margin.

4. Reference: “Reference lines” assist with filing or routing correspondence.

A reference line can refer to your files and/or your reader’s files. Place your

reference line first. Our reference: Project #234. Your reference: Invoice #3444 RE Order #4558

5. Attention line: Use an “attention line” whenever you want to direct your

letter to a specific person or department within a company. Place the

attention line two lines below the inside address. Use a colon after Attention

6. Salutation: Always try to greet your reader by name rather than by title. If

you don’t have a name, you may use one of the following:

Dear committee members, Dear colleagues, To whom it may concern, Dear

Madam or Sir, Dear Kim Krause (if you know the name) etc.

7. Subject: In internal communications, subject line informs the reader as to

the content or subject of the letter. The more information you give in the

“subject line”, the better. For example;

RE: Management Development,

RE: Request for Approval on the August 10th Management Development

Seminar.

Place a subject line two lines below the salutation because it is part of the

body of the letter. Either use all capitals or underline the complete subject

line.

8. Body: the body of the letter carries its message or content. It is generally

divided into three or four paragraphs, each having its own function. The first

or opening paragraph links up the correspondence and establishes rapport

with the reader. The second paragraph may be called the main paragraph

that contains the subject proper. If need be, the point made in the second

or main paragraph is elaborated or further developed upon in the third

paragraph. The fourth or final paragraph brings the letter to a goodwill

ending, leaving the door open for further business.

Formal Close: The closing should match the tone of the letter. Listed below

are closings that range from the very formal to the informal. Very formal

like; Yours respectfully, Yours truly, Less formal like Sincerely yours, Cordially

yours, and Informal like; Regards, Thanks etc. Any of these can be used

depending on who the letter is addressed to.

9. Signature: Always sign your letters in ink and by hand.

Enclosure: The “enclosure notation” goes flush left two lines below the

signature block or the typist’s initials, if they’re included. Identify each and

every enclosure that is being sent so that the reader will know if something is missing from the packet. As an option, you may list the name of each

document you are including in the envelope. For instance, if you have

included many documents and need to ensure that the recipient is aware of

each document, it may be a good idea to list the names.

Some examples of opening and closing sentences

Opening Sentences: e.g. Please let us know your lowest rate as early as possible for

the supply of nation or product name

Closing Sentences: We look forward to hearing from you soon. If your quotation is

suitable, we shall be happy to buy our requirements this season from you.

Example of a business letter

Closing Sentences: We look forward to hearing from you soon. If your quotation is

suitable, we shall be happy to buy our requirements this season from you.

Example of a business letter

b. Simple reports 

Business report is an impartial, objective, planned presentation of facts to one or more persons for a specific, significant business purpose. Reports travel upwards to supervisors and management/policy-makers, downward and horizontally to those who carry out the work and policies, and outward (outside the firm) to stockholders, customers, the general public and government officials.

The report facts may be pertained to events, conditions, qualities, progress, results, investigations, or interpretations. They may help the receiver(s) understand a significant business situation, carry out operational or technical assignments, and / or plan procedures, solve problems and make executive decisions

Functions of Business Report: A business report is very much useful for the management and also for the others. . A business report performs the following roles:

• Provides Facts pertaining to events, conditions, qualities, progress,

results investigations or interpretations.

• Measures Progress of employees, departments, and companies.

• Points Causes of problems e.g., low margins, high rate of staff turnover,

accidents in factory etc.

• Suggests measures to overcome the business problems.

• Assists Managers in carrying out operational or technical assignments,

planning procedures, solving problems and making decisions.

• Provide recommendations for future action.

• Helps in applying business and management theory to a practical

situation.

Parts of formal report:

Parts of a formal report may be grouped into prefatory parts, body parts, and

supplemental parts

• Prefatory parts: Cover; title fly; title page; letter of authorization; letter of

acceptance; letter of approval; letter of transmittal, acknowledgements;

table of contents; table of tables; synopsis; abstract or summary.

• Body Parts: Introduction; text; terminal section conclusion and

recommendations.

• Supplemental parts: Appendix, bibliography, index.

Example of a business report

b. Advertisement

Advertisement is a mass communicating of information intended to persuade

buyers to buy products with a view of maximizing a company’s profits. The elements

of advertising are:

• It is a mass communication reaching a large group of consumers.

• It makes mass production possible.

• It is non-personal communication, for it is not delivered by an actual

person, nor is it addressed to a specific person.

• It is a commercial communication because it is used to help assure the

advertiser of a long business life with profitable sales.

• Advertising can be economical, for it reaches large groups of people.

This keeps the cost per message low.

• The communication is speedy, permitting an advertiser to speak to

millions of buyers in a matter of a few hours.

• Advertising is identified communication. The advertiser signs his/her

name to his/her advertisement for the purpose of publicizing his /her

identy. 

Advertising messages come through the following forms;

• Newspapers and magazines;

• On radio and television broadcasts;

• Circular of all kinds, (whether distributed by mail, by person, thorough

tradesmen, or by inserts in packages);

• Dealer help materials,

• Window display and counter-display materials and efforts;

• Store signs, motion pictures used for advertising;

• Novelties bearing advertising messages and Signature of the advertiser,

• Label stags and other literature accompanying the merchandise.

c. Notices

Notices are intra or inter-departmental written communication. The various components of notice are: Date, time, and place of meeting, purpose/subject matter of the business to the transacted. The tone of notice is always in the form of a request instead of command.

Example of a Notice

Instructions are different points given as conditions or rules and regulations for performing a task. Business instructions can be those conditions given by the business organizations for performing a business. Instructions can also be those related to products and services whereby the business organizations or manufacturing industries can put in place instructions for using certain conditions for using a product. For example, on Juice bottle it is written on, ‘to shake it before use’. Another example is when hiring office, there are some conditions set by the landlord to follow when using the hired office.

e. Memos,

 A memorandum (known as ‘memo’ in short form) is by definition, “a written statement that you prepare specially for a person or committee in order to give them information about a particular matter”. In an organization it takes the form of “a short official note that you write to a person or to several people, especially people who you work with.” It has been derived from the Latin word ‘memorare’ changed to ‘memorandus’ (notable), and means literally ‘to mention’ or ‘tell’. To achieve its purpose a memo is written in easy-to-understand language. Its style is like that of reports: objective, matter-of-fact, and coherent. No attempt is made to make an emotional appeal to the reader or to create a psychological impact on him/her. Plain and direct statements of facts are all that is required. A memo plays a very useful role in an organization as follows;

• It ensures quick and smooth flow of information in all directions.

• It also enables officers to maintain good business relationships.

• A memo will come to your aid when you wish to avoid coming into

personal contact with certain colleague.

• Another useful function of a memo is to establish accountability.

• Since it is a record of facts and decisions, you can return to it in future if

there is a need to find out who went wrong and at what stage.

The following essential items of information must be given in a memo:

• The title of the receiver,

• The title of the sender,

• Date,

• Subject.

Example of memo

Messages, (using appropriate format, style and tone)

 The idea in the mind of a sender is transformed into words that is called a message. The sender decides on the length, style, organization and tone of the message. The message may be presented in many ways, depending on the subject, purpose, audience, personal style, mood and cultural background. A message should be drafted on paper. A routine short communication may be written easily with little or no revising. But complex and longer letters and reports should be revised and edited properly before they are sent out.

Appropriate message format

 A message is any textual information presented to the user. A message could be an error message, or the instructions in an alert box, or the label on a button or other item. A lot of messages are straightforward text which can simply be stored in a resource bundle and used as is by the program. These messages are simple text messages used directly from a resource. The message format is different according to the purpose of the message.

The following guidelines should be kept in mind while writing a message

• Be courteous and sincere.

• Use appropriate emphasis.

• Avoid discrimination.

• Consider the reader’s perspective.

• Write appropriately for your audience.

7.7.2. Proof reading

a. Identifying errors (spelling, punctuation, figures, presentation and

layout)

Proofreading means examining your text carefully to find and correct typographical errors and mistakes in grammar, style, and spelling. When proofreading there are some different elements and errors that are considered such as spelling, punctuation, figures, presentation and general layout of type of the text message 

Steps used in proofreading

• Be sure you’ve revised the larger aspects of your text.  Don’t make

corrections at the sentence and word level if you still need to work on the

focus, organization, and development of the whole paper, of sections, or

of paragraphs.

• Set your text aside for a while (15 minutes, a day, a week) between writing

and proofing. Some distance from the text will help you see mistakes

more easily.

• Eliminate unnecessary words before looking for mistakes. See the writing

center handout how to write clear, concise, direct sentences.

• Know what to look for. From the comments of your teachers or a writing

center instructor on past papers, make a list of mistakes you need to

watch for.

Points to consider when proofreading

• Work from a printout, not the computer screen.  (But see below for

computer functions that can help you find some kinds of mistakes.)

• Use a blank sheet of paper to cover up the lines below the one you’re

reading.  This technique keeps you from skipping ahead of possible

mistakes.

• Proof reading for everything at once is hard to do. A better practice is

to proof read separately for :

Context: Does the statement mean what the writer meant to say? Does

the message possess all the qualities of effective communication?

Accuracy: Is the language free from errors of spelling, punctuation,

grammar, capitalization? Are figures, diagrams and other marks accurate?

Form and Appearance: Is the layout correct? Does it look good? All

these have to be put into consideration while proofreading.

Application Activity 7.7

Proof read and correct errors about the business document below and answer

the questions that follows.

XWZ Ltd

Huye District

P.o.Box……..

Huye

Tel:1278936045

Date 19/03/2018

ABC Ltd

Gasabo

Kigali City

P.o.Box:……..

Yours Sincerely,

To day, unfortunately, on opening the carton we found three sets of

“Entrpreneurship”, part I, II and III incomplet? The last chapter of each of these

books is missing. We are convinced it is not your fault. May be at some stage

the books were not properly chked.Anyway, we request you to kindly replace

them immediately so that we culd send them to the text-book where they yare

urgently needed. 

We must first of all thank you for your prompt delivery of the books we had

ordered only last week on tele4ne. For the last so many years of our contact we

have ben highly satisfied with your prompt and courteous service.

RE: Incomplete parts of Entrepreneurship Books

Dear Sir,

Director Managing

Muhire Anthony

Answer the following questions:

What type of business document is indicated above?

Proof read again the above business document and identify errors of

Answer the following questions:

1. What type of business document is indicated above?

2. Proof read again the above business document and identify errors of

i. Spelling

ii. Punctuation

iii. Presentation and layout

iv. Re-write the business document correctly.

3. After proofreading the above document, write a letter that can be the

response of the above document

Skills Lab Activity 7.8.

You are planning to start a business in your sector and one of the requirements

is to write a business letter seeking permission to operate in the area.

Required;

Write a letter to the Executive Sectary of the sector seeking for permission of a

business you intend to start in your community.

End of Unit 7 assessment

1. Analyze the photo below and answer questions that follows:

Questions

a. What does the photo above show? Is it possible for only one person to

make a football team and mark goals with other teams?

b. Suppose employees of company B are not operating as a team where

some workers fight against themselves in their offices. What do you

think will happen to this company?

2. Kamaliza is busy charting on WhatsApp when two customers enter in

her alimentation. She sees the customers but continues charting. The

customers make eye contact and ask if there is fresh milk and cake.

Kamaliza acts as if she has not seen them. Missing someone to serve

them, customers go somewhere else in the other alimentation to buy

what they need.

i. Comment on the behavior of Kamaliza. How would have Kamaliza

conducted herself towards the customer? If you were Kamaliza would

you have done this?

ii. In your own understating, what can be the negative effects of giving

bad customer service in business?

iii. In a group of four, use a role play and present the above scenario in

classroom.

3. According to you, how can you treatyour customers well if you have a

business?

4. It is said that “Customers are lifeblood and backbone of a business”. Do

you agree with this statement? Justify your answer.

1. Case Study: AMAHORO Hotel

Kampire is a manager of AMAHORO Hotel. In previous two years, the hotel had a big number of customers because of the employees who worked with courage because of being motivated through paying them the extra time money, bonus, etc. Nowadays, the net income of the hotel is promptly decreasing because the employees are not motivated. The motivating acts were cut by the manager, and the customers go to the neighboring hotel for the good service found there. Kanyange who is the chairperson of the Board of that hotel, does not know the cause of that income decrease and she decided to hire external market research officer to find the reasons for income decreasing and to suggest the way forward.

After reading the above case study of AMAHORO Hotel and based on the

knowledge of interpersonal communication, answer the following questions:

1. Explain the mistakes done by the manager of that hotel.

2. Why did the clients of Amahoro Hotel decide to change to another Hotel?

3. Explain the strategies of effective communication that the waitresses of

the Hotel should use in order to keep the clients.

4. Explain the ways of treating customers better and developing customer

loyalty in AMAHORO Hotel.

5. As the market research officer hired by the owner of the hotel, write a

comprehensive report about the research done for identifying reasons

for decreasedincome in the Hotel and suggest the ways forward.

6. Compose a letter of termination of the job offer/appointment addressed

to the Manager Ms. Kampire.