Chapter #5

7C’S OF COMMUNICATION
Business Communication-BC
BBA- Spring 2021
Lecturer: Habibullah Saleemi
 The 7 C’s of Effective Communication: 7 Principles

Communication Principles that we should apply to compose effective written and

oral messages.

1. Completeness
2. Conciseness
3. Consideration
4. Concreteness
5. Clarity
6. Courtesy
7. Correctness

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 1. Completeness

A message is said to be complete if it contains all the facts that

the receiver needs to respond you. It should convey all facts
required by the audience

How to ensure Completeness?

Three facts should be kept in mind for making a complete
message.
I. Provide all necessary information. (who, what ,where, when, why)
ii. Answer all questions asked (e.g. in case of inquiry)
iii. Give something extra information when desirable
 2. Conciseness

What you have to say in the fewest possible words. A concise message is
complete without being wordy.
Suggestions for achieving conciseness:
1. Eliminate Wordy Expressions
2. Include only Relevant Materials
3. Avoid unnecessary repetition: short form (2nd time), use Pronouns
4. Avoid gushing politeness
 How to make a message concise?
A). Use one-word substitutions for phrase
For example

• Soon Instead of In near future

• Now Instead of at this time
• Because Instead of Due to the fact that
 b). Omit unnecessary Expressions

For example
• Your name please! Instead of
• If you would like to let me know your name please!
 Avoid Unnecessary Repetition
• Use a shorter name after you have mentioned the long one once.
– Instead of “North Central Company” North Central
ii. Use pronouns or initials rather than repeat long names.
– Instead of American “Association of Technical Analysts” again and again,
use “it” or “they” or “AATA”
iii. Cut out all needless repetition of phrases and sentences.
 C) Omit unnecessary prepositions
For examples,
• The policy of company
Pre
The company policy

• The teacher of Finance

Finance Teacher
 3. Consideration: “The You Attitude”

Effective communication must take the audience into consideration, i.e., the
audience’s view points, background, mind-set, education level, etc.

Guidelines:
• Show Audience Benefit or Interest
• Emphasize on “you” approach instead of “I” and “We”
• Emphasize on “what is possible” rather than “what is impossible”
• Apply integrity and ethics

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 Consideration:
• Preparing the message with message receivers in mind.
• Try to put yourself in their place.
• Don’t lose temper.
• Don’t accuse
• Don’t charge without facts.
• Guidelines to indicate consideration:
• Focus on “You” instead of “I” and “we”.
• Show Audience Benefit or Interest
• Emphasize positive, pleasant facts.

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 Focus on “You” instead of “I” and “we”

• We-attitude: I am delighted to announce that we will be extending our hours

to make our shopping more convenient.
• You-attitude: You will be able to shop evenings with extended hours.
ii. Show Audience Benefit or Interest in the Receiver
• Show how your receivers will benefit from whatever the message announces or asks.
• Readers may react positively when benefits are shown to them.
 Example
Dear Mr Naeem

We have been pleased to sell fine furniture items for more than two decades.
We supply the finest products to customers from all over the country. 
We are proud to be the only dealer in this area.
Our record shows at least a ten percent increase in sales every year since
Classic furniture was founded in 2002.
iii. Emphasize Positive and Pleasant Facts.
Negative --- Unpleasant

We don’t refund of the returned items soiled and unsalable.

Positive ---- Pleasant

We refund when the returned item is clean and resalable.

 Example to present facts in a
positive, pleasant way.
Dear Mr Tariq

I'm sorry that we are presently out of stock of Black Hand 
bags and will be unable to fill your order at this time.
An order has been placed with the manufacturer in
the color you want, we will receive shipment
after ten days.

I trust this delay will not inconvenience you.

Yours very sincerely
 Don’t use negative expressions, use positive expressions So
that you would not hurt someone’s feelings.

Ex:

We can not open account for you providing that you are not having
identity card.

SAY------------As soon as you get the identity card, you can open your
account.
4. Concreteness
Concrete communication implies being particular and clear rather than vague and general.
Concreteness strengthens the confidence.
• Means that a massage is specific, definite and exactly related to the point.
• If a massage lacks these qualities , it will be vague and general.
• When your message is concrete, then your audience has a clear picture of what you're
telling them.

Guidelines:
I. Use Specific Facts and Figures
ii. Choose Vivid, image building words- avoid figurative words
 Concreteness:

1. Use specific facts and figures

Always use specific facts and figures in your massage.
For example:
• Vague, general, indefinite:
• Eastern Europe is making progress in obtaining investments.
• Concrete, Precise:
• In 1999, investments in Eastern Europe were about $ 30 million ; today that
figure has increased by 12 percent
 Prefer the concrete to the abstract

• Abstract
• We have found that this technique is successful.
• Your department may hire some new employees.
• Concrete
• Our research shows that 87 percent of those using this technique are successful.
• Your department may hire three new stock clerks.
2. Put active verbs in a sentence:
For example:
Passive: The proposal was approved.
Active: The general manager approved the proposal.

He paid me the check.

Active verbs also make sentences specific , personal and concise.

1. Specific . “ The chief executive decided” is more explicit than “ A decision

has been made.”
2. Personal: “ You will note “ is both specific and personal;” it will be noted “
is impersonal.
3. Concise :The passive requires more words and there far slow both writing
and reading . Now compare them.
“ Figures show” with “it is shown by figures.”
 5. Clarity

Clarity implies emphasizing on a specific message or goal at a time. Clarity is difficult because
we all carry around our own interpretations, ideas, experiences associated with words.
Guidelines:
i. Choose Precise, Concrete and Familiar Words
ii. Construct Effective Sentences and Paragraphs (length, unity, coherence)
iii. Include examples illustrations and visual aids.

• Means conveying the message clearly so that the receiver will understand what you are trying to convey.
• Getting the meaning from your head to the head of your reader (accurately) is the purpose of clarity.

• So choose precise, concrete and familiar words.

• Clarity is achieved if you use familiar and conversational words.

How to make a message clear?
A) Use simple words

For example

Simple Complex
Pay Remuneration
Fire Conflagration
Many people A large segment of the population
 b). Use effective sentences

Effective sentence means a sentence the meaning of which is clear on the

first reading.
• For example

• He is not an illiterate person. (Non-effective sentence)

• He is a literate person. (Effective sentence)
 Prefer the short, familiar word to the long, unfamiliar word.

Accomplish : do
Approximately : about
Ascertain : find out
Commence : start
Considerable : much

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 6. Courtesy

• Show respect the receiver. Sender should be sincerely polite, reflective and enthusiastic.
Courtesy involves being aware not only of the perspective of others, but also their
feelings.
• Courtesy means keeping polite behavior during communication. Courtesy also means
replying promptly to all letters.
• Courteous communication is friendly, open, and honest. There are no hidden insults. You
keep your reader's viewpoint in mind.

Guidelines:
i.Be sincerely tactful, thoughtful, and appreciative.
ii.Use expressions that show respect- avoid expressions that offend, hurt, irritate
iii.Choose non-discriminatory expressions
How to get courtesy in the message?

a). Be tactful:
Tact means the ability to do or say something right without causing anyone to be hurt or angry.
For example
I told you three times but you didn’t understand. (Tactless)
Let me tell you once again for your clear understanding. (Tactful)

b). Be appreciative
For example
You tried many times but failed.
Try again and again till you succeed.
 C). Choose nondiscriminatory expressions
Instead of these gender-specific words. Choose these Bias Free words

Businessman Business person or business worker

Chairman Chair, chairperson, worker, employee

Manpower Worker, employee

Newsman Newscaster or reporter or journalist

Salesman Salesperson, sales, representative, agent

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 7. Correctness

Implies that there are no grammatical, spelling, typos, punctuation, capitalization…

errors / mistakes in communication.

• Correct communication is also error-free communication.

• When you communicate with others, the correctness of your approach can determine
your effectiveness.

Suggestions:
1. Use the right level of language
2. Check all facts for correctness.
3. Check for spelling, grammar, punctuation and capitalization
The correctness principles is more than proper grammar, punctuation and spelling.
Mistakes are never intentional , however they can spoil our image.

Errors in the massages fall in the following categories.

Mistakes in names, figures, facts and words
Mistakes in Punctuation and capitalization
Mistakes in names, figures, facts and words

Any mistakes in names figures, facts, etc, can make your massage unclear.
Such mistakes can create problems for you .
Imagine if you write 2000 where you were supposed to write 200.

2. Maintain acceptable writing mechanism

Grammar check
Spell check
Check Accuracy of Figures, Facts, and Words.

• Check and double-check to ensure that the figures, facts and words.
• Verify your statistical data
• Double- check your totals
• Have some one else read your message
• Determine whether a fact has changed over time.
Try to use more formal instead of less formal/informal
language
More Formal Less Formal

Participate Join

Interrogate question

Endeavor Try

Procure Get

Utilize Use