Real-Life Communication
The trading community is a relatively small contingent
of people who move vast amounts of money. Some companies handle transactions
worth billions of dollars every year.
At one time, the people in the
city you worked in were the only exposure you had to other traders. But with
the advent of electronic exchange trading, traders make cross-continental
and international connections. They use phones and e-mail to stay connected.
"Strong communication skills are necessary to clearly and succinctly
update all others on the trading floor of your trades, [to communicate] any
market changes and to present data and recommendations on any new trading
strategies," says Lucia Tomson, an energy trader.
One important aspect
of a trader's communication skills is good phone manners. Revise this short
script so that it is more polite. Remember you are talking to a colleague,
not goofing off with a close friend.
Hey man! How's it
goin'?!
Did you hear what's happened to the price of electricity in
California? It's gone absolutely crazy. We don't know what we're going to
do here. We have to bring some in from Canada, but we don't know how much
to give them for it. Those crazy Canadians think they can scam us, but we're
smarter than that. They can't scam us. We're going to do our best to get a
good deal, but really, they've got all the cards in this situation.
Hopefully
they don't try to gouge us. What do you think is a fair price to pay?
See
you later, man.
How can you make it better?