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?