Speech Structure

There are many different ways to communicate ideas, even in accounting! One of the ways to inform your audience would be to write an informative speech to show your data and your interpretation of your data.

There are certain things you need to include in an informative speech. The structure of the speech is very important.

Beginning

What to include:
· Title
· Topic (data analyzing)
· Specific Purpose

Structure
What to include:
· Introduction
· Body
· Conclusion

Introduction
What to include:
· Thesis statement
· Attention material
· Preview

Body
What to include:
· Supporting points
· Data and information
· Your analysis

Conclusion
What to include:
· Summary Statement
· Closing Remarks
· Your view on your analysis

"SPC 2023 - Speeches." Welcome to the Walch Family Website. 10 Apr. 2009

LISTEN!

You may or may not know, but being able to listen is a very sought after interpersonal skill for accountants. Remember, your client and their thoughts are very important! A good relationship must be maintained throughout the professional business.

-Philip

Putting Your Best Voice Forward

One on one conversations occur infinitely on a daily basis, not just in our professional life. Whether you are in cubicle talking to a co-worker, in front of the entire office giving a speech or more importantly meeting a prospective client, converasation must occur. Regardless of what other people say everyone judges one another on the way they present themselves. Especially when speaking. Even though the content is the most important we cant help but be critical of the context. ( The way you present yourself). I'm sure everyone can relate. Just visualize your last encounter in front of a large audience. Wouldn't it be great to be able to address the room as if you were addressing your best friend, with complete confidence. Here are some helpful hints towards making your voice the best communication asset you have.

• Pronounce all your words correctly-if you cant pronounce it don't use it at all
• Animate your voice-not to an extreme but avoid being boring
• Practice raising and lowering your pitch when you talk
• Be authentic-use appropriate words, their is never a need to use big words
• Avoid sending mixed messages- make sure your hand gesture and facial expressions match what you are saying.
• Read aloud daily-practice makes perfect
• Perfect your voice- tape yourselves and listen, weird but effective
• Practice slowing down- speaking too fast screams out nervousness
• Make eye contact- it assure your audience you are confident about your subject
• Be confident-avoid qualifiers before a sentence e.g: "i think, i believe"

Although you can't speak to your colleagues like you do your close friends, by practicing the above you can speak to anyone with the same confidence.

Communicating With Employees

Effective communication is key when speaking to employees.

Is that the kind of impression you want to leave on your employees? I doubt it. When speaking to employees directly, you must remember a few things:

• make eye contact
• keep your message clear and precise
• use professional knowledge to prove points
• be aware of your body language
• maintain a steady tone in your voice

When using these strategies, your employees will come to realize that you are a determined and knowledgeable manager who has their best interests in mind.

You should be communicating with your employees on a regular basis. Frequent encouragement from upper management will persuade employees to be more productive. Your employees need to feel valued and they must believe that their contributions are necessary.

The greatest leaders are the best communicators!

Improving Verbal Communication Skills

In any professional field mastering the art of verbal communication can be difficult at best and job-threatening at worst! We are all aware of coworkers who struggle to get their point across effectively, or maybe that coworker is you! Accounting is filled with financial details that can be confusing to your clients. Learning how to communicate well verbally can help put them at ease and strengthen your client relationships.

Communication Methods
According to experts the most effective verbal communication methods are words, tone of voice and non-verbal clues. You might be surprised to know that non-verbal clues are considered the most important, followed by tone of voice and last, our actual words! In other words what you say is not nearly as important as how you say it. What is your body language saying? Are your arms crossed, should you stand or sit, are you relaxed or tense? What is the emotion of the sender and receiver of the commication? Are you yelling your message? Are you enthusiastic when you deliver your message to your audience? You have to put thought and consideration into each aspect.

Communication Elements
There are two important sets of elements to be aware of and develop in order to create a connection between you and your clients.

Speaking Elements

• Body language
• Voice quality
• Eye contact
• Self-concept and concept of others
• Emotional content, energy, strength
• Clarity
• Purpose of communication
• Knowledge of subject matter

Listening Elements

• Attentiveness to speaker
• Eye contact
• Openess
• Feedback
• Body language
• Expectations

It is important to note that your verbal communication will be best received if you are both speaking well and listening well. Your clients not only want to hear what you have to say, but they also want to know that they have been heard! Finally, incorporate the "tactful rule" when your are using verbal communication:

T - Think before you speak

A - Apologize quickly when you blunder

C - Converse, don't compete

T - Time your comments

F - Focus on behavior, not on personality

U - Uncover hidden feelings

L - Listen for feedback

Helpful Guidelines for E-mails Writing in the Accounting Profession

In today's society the most common source of professional communication is sent via email. Letters are considered to be more business appropriate but emails are used in higher quantity because of the shorten delivery time. The accounting profession is no exception. Countless e-mails are sent on a regular basis, whether it be sent within an organization or to client a expecting a reply across seas.

E-mails are identical to letters, they follow same the format and structure, the same guidlines apply but nonetheless here are some pointers commonly overlooked

• Break the text into short but concise paragraphs
• Refrain from overwhelming reader with lenghty passages
• Be cautious when tables or diagrams within text, attachments are more appropriate
• Be considerate of receiver technical capabilities, use a commonly used writing format
• Put respond to email first, not at the bottom of a document
• Remember to always fill in subject appropriately

Remember these are just some of the most common mistakes the following post will contain a more detailed structure of a professional email using letter guidlines and it pertence to the accounting profession

Reports

Accounting isn’t all about number accuracy; there is a great need for good professional writing skills. An employee who can develop good reports analyzing the numbers they just did an awesome job computing is much for valuable to the employer than an employee who can only do the number portion.

Information on Reports
The most important writing an account would need to do is to write a report about their numbers. It usually includes an analysis of the problem and the accounting principles. There is no set length to a report of any kind. There are some basic requirements that are needed for a report:
· Write in simple language
· Use attractive layout
· Organize appropriately
· Address appropriate audience
· Use headings
· Keep narrative language brief

There are two kinds of reports, an informal (which for accountants would normally be a progress report) report and a formal report.

A formal report should include:
· Title page
· Abstract
· Table of contents
· List of figures
· List of tables
· Foreword
· Preface
· List of abbreviations and symbols
· Body paragraphs and conclusion
· Recommendations
· Works cited

An informal (progress) report should include:
· Paragraph stating status of project
· Paragraphs of detailed explanation of the status
· Rest of work schedule
· Headings to organize it
· Present routine and numerical data in graphs for table.
· For internal use, format the report as a memo or an e-mail message.


I hope this helps you write a more in depth letter for your accounting office!

-Nicole

Memos and E-mails, Reports, and Letters

Now that you have seen what types of writing skills are related to Accounting, here are some tips and strategies for writing Memos and E-mails, Reports, and Letters.

Memos: As you know, memos are used for communication within an organization. Memos may be of any length and may be less formal than letters written to people outside the organization. However, well-written memos should contain the same qualities as a good letter. These include clarity, coherence, consciousness and courtesy. Today, memos are written in the form of E-mails. Here are some things to consider while writing an E-mail:
-Address message carefully
-Create appropriate salutation, closing, and signature block
-Make your point clearly

Reports: A report usually invloves analysis of an accounting problem and application of some accounting principles. Reports vary in length, but all reports should meet the basic requirements:
-Accounting content should be accurate
-Organized ideas
-Report should be presented attractively
-Writing style should be simple and precise

Letters: Accountants would write letters to a number of different people during their careers. Some would include clients, government agencies, and fellow partners. They may write letters seeking information on a client's tax information or information needed for an audit. They may also write letters to communicate an accounting problem within the business. Good letters contain correct, complete information, and are written for a specific audience.

Hope these tips help, keep them in mind as you write!
-Philip

Writing In Accounting

Providing quality professional writing in the accounting field is as important as the accuracy of the numbers that you crunch! Consider how much more valuable you will be to your employer if you not only know how to calculate the value of their inventory, but you can also put together a well executed report to accompany the inventory spreadsheet outlining areas that may need improvement, and where the company is doing very well. Let's face it, often those that review your work don't completely understand what the numbers all mean. You have to communicate the message of your numerical findings in words so that your audience has a better picture of what action they need to take next.

What do accountants write?

You might not realize how much writing you are actually required to do, but a few examples would be:

• Memos and emails, both internal and external
• Letters to clients or governmental agencies
• Technical reports
• Narratives and notes to financial statements

Tips for effective communication in accounting

• Establish your purpose and your audience
• Use simple, concrete, direct language
• Be sure that the content is correct and complete
• Develop a style that is clear and readable, and choose your words carefully
• Construct the document so that it is coherent, organized and logical
• Emphasize reader benefits
• Don't forget to proof-read and revise

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