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Effective business communication is crucial for success in any organization. Whether you are a seasoned professional or just starting out in your career, mastering the 7 C’s of Effective Business Communication is essential. In this blog post, we will explore these 7 C’s in detail and provide valuable insights on how to enhance your communication skills in the workplace. So, let’s dive in and discover the key principles that will help you become a more effective communicator.
The message is said to be effective when the receiver understands the same meaning that the sender was intended to convey. For any communication in business, in order to be effective, it must have seven qualities. These seven attributes are called seven C’s of effective business communication. (All these attribute starts with the alphabet “C” so are called 7 C’s).
7 C’s of Effective Business Communication
- Correctness
- Clarity
- Conciseness
- Completeness
- Consideration
- Concreteness
- Courtesy
1. Correctness
Correctness in communication implies that there are no grammatical errors incommunication. Correct communication has following features:
- The message is exact, correct and well-timed.
- If the communication is correct, it boosts up the confidence level.
- Correct message has greater impact on the audience/ readers.
- It checks for the precision and accurateness of facts and figures used in the message.
- It makes use of appropriate and correct language in the message.
- Correctness in message helps in building confidence.
Guidelines
- Right level of language, and
- Accuracy of facts, figures and words.
2. Clarity
Clarity makes comprehension easier.
Clarity demands the use of simple language and easy sentence structure in composing the message. When there is clarity in presenting ideas, it’s easy for the receiver/decoder to grasp the meaning being conveyed by the sender/encoder.
- Clarity means getting your message across so the receiver will understand what you are trying to convey.
- You want that person to interpret your words with the same meaning you have in mind.
- Accomplishing that goal is difficult because, as you know, individual experiences are never identical, and words have different meanings to different persons.
Here are some specific ways to help make your messages clear:
- Choose short, familiar, conversational words.
- Construct effective sentences and paragraphs.
- Achieve appropriate readability (and listenability).
- Include examples, illustrations, and other visual aids, when desirable.
Guidelines
- Chose precise, concrete and familiar simple words
- Construct effective sentences and paragraphs
Example:
| Familiar | Next familiar words |
|---|---|
| after | subsequent |
| home | domicile |
| for example | e.g. |
| pay | remuneration |
| invoice | statement for payments |
3. Conciseness
“Brief and minimum words”
“Conciseness is the prerequisite to effective business communication.” As you know that all businessmen have very short time .
Concise message save the time and expenses for both the parties.
A concise message saves time of both the sender and the receiver. Conciseness, in a business message, can be achieved by avoiding wordy expressions and repetition. Using brief and to the point sentences, including relevant material makes the message concise. Achieving conciseness does not mean to loose completeness of message.
In business communication, you should be brief and be able to say whatever you have to say in fewest possible words without sacrificing the other C qualities. Conciseness is desired because of the following benefits:
- 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.
- When combined with a “you-view”, concise messages are inherently more interesting to recipients as they avoid unnecessary information.
Conciseness saves time.
Example:
Instead of “at this time” you can just use only a concise word “NOW” ,Always try to use “ To the point Approach” in business scenario perspective.
Guidelines
- Avoid wordy expression. E.g. in the city of Kanpur (in Kanpur)
- Include only relevant material
- Avoid unnecessary repetition
- Organize your message well
4. Completeness
By completeness means the message must bear all the necessary information to bring the response you desire. The sender should answer all the questions and with facts and figures and when desirable, go for extra details.
- 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.
Example
When factory supervisor instructs workers to produce, he must specify the exact size, shape, quality and cost of the product. Any assumptions behind the messages should also beclarified. While answering a letter, all the questions raised in the letter must be replied.
- Completeness brings the desired response.
Example
Suppose you are working with multinational company who is engaging with engineering goods , like A.C. Now let say one of your major customer wants some technical information regarding “thermostat” (because he wants to convey the same to the end users ). In this case you have to provide him complete information in a short span of time. If possible, provide him some extra information which he does not know,.
In this way you can maintain a good business relation with him, otherwise he may switch to an other company.
- More likely to bring desired results without the expense of additional message.
- Can do a better job in building goodwill.
- Can help avert costly lawsuits that may result in important message is missing.
- Communication seems unimportant can be important if information is complete and effective
Guidelines
- Provide all necessary information
- Answer all questions asked
- Give some thing extra when desirable.
5. Consideration
“Keep receiver in mind”
Consideration demands to put oneself in the place of receiver while composing a message. It refers to the use of “You” attitude, emphases positive pleasant facts, visualizing readers problems, desires, emotions and his response.
Guidelines
- Focus on ‘you’ instead of ‘I’ & ‘We’.
- Show audience benefit or interest in receiver.
- Emphasize positive, pleasant facts.
- Show empathy, ask how would you feel if you were to receive this message. Avoid gender bias – sir/madam, chairperson (chairman)
- Consideration means understanding of human nature.
Always write a message in such a way how audience should be benefited from it.
Example:
I am delighted to announce that we will extend to make shopping more.
6.Concreteness
“ Specific, not vague”
Being definite, vivid and specific rather than vague, obscure and general leads toconcreteness of the message. Facts and figures being presented in the message should be specific.
• Communicating concretely means being specific, definite, and vivid rather than vague and general.
Guidelines
- Use concrete expression
- Use specific facts & figures
- Put action in your words (do not use passive voice)
- Choose vivid, image-building words.
Concreteness reinforces confidence.
Example:
- He is very intelligent student of class and stood first in the class.
- Ali’s GPA in B.Sc Electrical Engineering 2021-22 session was 3.95/4.0, he stood first in his class.
- Always write on a very solid ground. It should definitely create good image as well.
7. Courtesy
“Courtesy or politeness stems from a sincere you-attitude”
- Courteous messages help to strengthen present business friendships, as well as make new friends.
- Courtesy stems from sincere you-attitude.
- It is not merely politeness with mechanical insertions of “please’s” and “thank-you’d.”
To be courteous, considerate communicators should follow these suggestions regarding tone of the communications.
- Be sincerely tactful, thoughtful, and appreciative.
- Omit expressions that irritate, hurt, or belittle.
- Grant and apologize good-naturedly.
In business, almost everything starts and ends in courtesy. Courtesy means not only thinking about receiver but also valuing his feelings. Much can be achieved by using polite words and gestures, being appreciative, thoughtful, tactful, and showing respect to the receiver.
Courtesy builds goodwill.
| TACTLESS, BLUNT | MORE TACTFUL |
| Stupid letter; I cant understand | I should understand it, as there is no confusing word in this letter, could you please explain it once again ..? |
| Its your fault, you did not properly read my latest FAX | Sometimes my wording is not precise; let me try again |
Thoughtfulness and Appreciation
Writers who send cordial, courteous messages of deserved congratulations and appreciation (to a person inside & outside) help to build goodwill. The value of goodwill or public esteem for the firm may be worth thousands of dollars.
