SEVEN Cs of EFFECTIVE

COMMUNICATION
 Seven Cs
• For transmitting effective written or oral
message, certain principles must be followed.
The principles advocated by Francis J. Bergin
provide guidelines for choice of content and
style of presentation adapted to the purpose
the receiver of the message. They are also
called the “Seven Cs” of effective
communication.
Seven Cs of Effective Communication
1. COMPLETENESS
2. CONCISENESS
3. CLARITY
4. CORRECTNESS
5. CONCRETENESS
6. CONSIDERATION
7. COURTESY
 1. COMPLETENESS
• Every communication must be complete and
adequate. Incomplete messages keep the receiver
guessing, create misunderstanding and delay actions.
Every person should, therefore, be provided with all
the required facts and figures. For example, when the
factory supervisor instructs workers to produce, he
must specify the exact size, shape, quality and cost of
the product. Any assumptions behind the message
should be clarified. While answering a letter, all the
questions raised in the letter must be replied.
 2.CONCISENESS
• In business communication, you should be brief and be able to
say whatever you have to say in fewest words without
sacrificing the completeness, clarity, correctness, concreteness,
consideration and courtesy.
• A concise message saves time and expense for both sender and
receiver.
• Conciseness contributes to emphasis; by eliminating
unnecessary words, you let important ideas stand out.
• Concise messages are inherently more interesting to recipients
as they avoid unnecessary information.
• There is no hard and fast rule for the length of the letter. There
are two questions to ascertain whether a letter is too long.
“does it say more than need to be said?”
“does it take too many words for what it must say?”
• Conciseness in business communications can be activated by
observing the following guidelines:
1. Avoid using a lot of words where lesser number of words can
suffice
2. Include only relevant material
3. Avoid unnecessary repetition
4. Organize your message well
Too many words Concise
At this point of time Now
Due to the fact that Because
In due course Soon
In considerable number of Often
cases
In close proximity to Nearby
In the city of Delhi In Delhi
 3. CLARITY
• The message must be put in simple terms to ensure clarity.
Words must mean the same to the receiver as they do to the
sender.
• In order to ensure clarity in oral communications, you should
use accurate and familiar words with proper intonation,
stresses and pauses. Your language should consist of simple
words and short sentences. Thoughts should be clear and well
organized.
• Select your words carefully in order to make sense and sound
appropriate to the reader. Do not use complex or high-
sounding and pretentious words which may be unfamiliar to
the reader. Use paragraphs to state your views clearly. Each
paragraph should convey one thought and should also be
linked to the next paragraph by means of a common thread of
thought.
 4. CORRECTNESS
• The term ‘correctness’ as applied to business messages means right level of
language and accuracy of facts, figures and words. If the information is not
correctly conveyed, the sender will lose credibility. Transmission of
incorrect information to superiors will vitiate decision making process.
Transmission of incorrect information to outsiders will spoil the public
image of the firm.
• To convey correct messages, grammatical errors should also be avoided.
Thus you should be sure that you are transmitting correct facts in correct
language.
• If you are not sure, you should immediately verify it from an authentic
source like encyclopedia, an office file, a colleague, a dictionary or even a
grammar book.
• All messages must be transmitted and responded to at the most
appropriate time. Outdated information is useless. Since communication is
an expensive process, transmitting outdated information involves wastage
of time, money and human resources.
 5. CONCRETENESS
• It means being specific, definite and vivid
rather than vague and general. In oral
communication, we can’t draw tables,
diagrams, or graphs to make our statements
vivid, but we can choose precise words to
convey the correct message and support it by
relevant facts and figures. If the message is
specific, there would be increased likelihood
that the message is interpreted by the
receiver as intended by the sender.
 6. CONSIDERATION
• Consideration means preparing the message with the
intended receiver in mind. In order to communicate
effectively, the sender should think and look from the
receiver’s angle. He should adopt a humane approach
and understand the emotions and sentiments of the
receiver. He should understand and focus on the
needs of the receiver. The socio-psychological
background of the receiver must be understood. The
golden rule “First understand then be understood”
should be followed.
 7. COURTESY
• Courtesy or politeness stems from a sincere and genuine place
of respect. It is not merely politeness with mechanical
insertions of “please” and “thank you”, although applying
socially accepted manners is a form of courtesy. Rather, it is
politeness that grows out of respect and concern for others. In
business discussions, one has to be assertive without being
rude. It is necessary that you respect the other person by
listening to him patiently.
• Business communication usually requires a moderate or highly
formal style. Begin with a salutation suitable to the status of
the reader and end similarly. Be tactful, thoughtful, respectful.
Use non-discriminatory expressions that reflect equal
treatment of people regardless of gender, race, color, ethnic
origin and physical features. Cordial and courteous messages
build up goodwill and esteem for the firm. Cordial and
courteous messages buildup goodwill and esteem for the firm.