7C’s Of Effective

Communication

By: Shelva Shareen

 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

By the end of this session, students will be able to:

1. Write a complete message adding necessary

information
2. Use concise and correct words for communication
3. Apply a courteous tone in their messages
4. Compose a purposeful and tactful message
 7C’s of Effective Communication

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

6-3
 1. Completeness

• Your message is complete when it contains all the facts readers

or listeners need for the reaction you desire.
• Provide all necessary information

Who • What • When • Where • Why

 1. Completeness

• Answer all questions asked

• Give something extra, only when desired
• Complete messages are more likely to bring the desired
results.
 1. Completeness
Rewrite this email completing the necessary information.

Activity: Below is a copy of an e-mail that

Hajira sent to Laila:

Send a copy of the report when convenient.

Regards

Hajira
 1. Completeness
A more appropriate message might have been:

Dear Laila,

Please could you email a soft-copy pdf of last month’s

sales report to Sobia (cc’d in this message). Thanks.
Sobia needs the report by the end of tomorrow so she can
prepare an updated cash-flow forecast for her meeting
with the bank next Monday.

Kind regards
 1. Completeness
Write a complete answer to this message.

Activity: You are the president of a community welfare

center, and receive the following message.

“I'm new to the city and would like to consider

joining your welfare center. As I will be
visiting the center within the next month,
would you please tell me where the next
meeting will be held?”
 2. Conciseness

• Conciseness means communicating what you want to convey

in least possible words.

• Eliminate wordy expressions.

 2. Conciseness

• Use single-word substitutes instead of phrases

Wordy: At this time Concise: Now
Wordy: Due to the fact that Concise: because
Wordy: have need for Concise: Need
Wordy: In due course Concise: Soon
 2. Conciseness

• Omit unnecessary expressions

Wordy: Please be advised that your admission statement has

been received.
 2. Conciseness

Omit unnecessary expressions

Wordy: Please be advised that your admission statement has

been received.

Concise: Your admission statement has been received.

 2. Conciseness

• Replace wordy conventional statements with concise ones

Wordy: Please find the list you requested is attached.

Concise: The list you requested is attached.

 2. Conciseness

• Avoid overusing empty phrases

Wordy: There are four rules that should be observed.

Concise: Four rules must be observed.

 2. Conciseness

• Omit “which” and “that” clause wherever possible

Wordy: She bought desks that are of the executive type.

Concise: She bought executive type desks.

 2. Conciseness

• Eliminate unnecessary prepositional phrase

Wordy: The issue of most relevance is teamwork.

Concise: The most relevant issue is teamwork.

 2. Conciseness

• Include only relevant material

Avoid long introductions, unnecessary explanations and pompous words.
Example
We hereby wish to let you know that our
company is pleased with the confidence you have
reposed in us.

We appreciate your confidence.

 2. Conciseness
• Avoid unnecessary repetition
1. Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital,
2. ‘Shaukat Khanum’ or simply the Hospital

• Use initials instead of repeating long names.

1. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)
2. PIA
 2. Conciseness
Activity

“Will you ship us some time, anytime during the month of

October would be fine, or even November if you are
rushed (November would suit us just as well, in fact a little
bit better) 300 of the regular Dell Computers.
Thank you in advance for sending these along in parcel
post, and not in express, as express is too expensive.”
 2. Conciseness

Concise Version of the Letter

Please ship parcel post, 300 Dell Computers before the end of
November.
 3. Consideration

• Consideration implies “stepping into the shoes of others‟.

• Consideration ensures that the self respect of the
audience is maintained and their emotions are not
harmed.
 3. Consideration

• Not lose your temper

• Not accuse
• Not charge them without facts
 3. Consideration

• Focus on ‘you’ Instead of ‘I’ or ‘we’.

Example
We-attitude: I am delighted to announce that we have extended
our office hours to make shopping more convenient.
You-attitude: You will be able to shop evenings with the
extended office hours.

‘
 3. Consideration

The use of ‘you’ in negative situations can be avoided by

employing passive voice, making the receiver part of the group.

You failed to enclose your cheque in the envelope.

The cheque was not enclosed

‘
 3. Consideration

• Show audience benefit or interest in the receiver.

 3. Consideration

• Emphasize positive & pleasant facts.

Negative: It is impossible to open an account for today.

Positive: As soon as your signature card reaches us, we will
gladly open an account ....
 4. Concreteness

Communicating concretely means being specific, definite, and

vivid rather than vague and general. Often it means using
denotative (direct, explicit, often dictionary-based) rather than
connotative words.
 4. Concreteness

• Use specific facts and figures.

Vague: Please send us the following items by the end

of this month.

Clear: The following items should reach us on or before

21 August.
 4. Concreteness

• Put action in your verbs.

Professor H. will give consideration to the report

Professor H. will consider the report.

 5. Clarity

Getting the meaning from your head accurately to the reader is

the purpose of clarity.
 5. Clarity

WAYS TO INDICATE CLARITY

 Choose precise, concrete and familiar words.
 Construct effective sentences and paragraphs.

6-31
 5. Clarity

1. CHOOSE PRECISE, CONCRETE AND FAMILIAR WORDS

• Balance between precise language and familiar words.

• Selecting exactly the right word to convey meaning.
• Familiar language
 5. Clarity
Use familiar instead of unfamiliar words

Pay Remuneration
Bill/ invoice Statement of payment
 5. Clarity

Use familiar instead of unfamiliar words

Unfamiliar Assessed Valuation

Familiar Property value for tax purpose

6-34
 5. Clarity
Example:

Unfamiliar:
After our perusal of pertinent
data, the conclusion is that a
lucrative market exists for the subject property.

6-35
 5. Clarity
Example:

Familiar:
The data we studied show
that your property is profitable
and in high demand.

6-36
 5. Clarity

USE BUSINESS JARGON

• Use in professional situations.

• Avoid when communicating to a Lay person
• If you must use the terms, explain briefly and clearly
 5. Clarity

USE BUSINESS JARGON

• Boil the ocean.

• Brain dump.
• Brick and mortar.
 5. Clarity

Conversational Words
• Acknowledge receipt of thank you for
• are in receipt of have
• as per our conversation as we discussed
 5. Clarity

• At the earliest possible date

• As soon as (you) can
• At the present writing
• Now
• At your earliest convenience
• As soon as you can
or
• when you are ready
 5. Clarity

USE EFFECTIVE SENTENCES AND PARAGRAPHS

• At the core of clarity is the sentence.
• Grammatical statement when clearly expressed moves
thoughts within a paragraph.
 5. Clarity

Use Effective Sentences and Paragraphs

• Important characteristics to
consider while making effective
sentences and paragraphs are;
• Length
• Unity
• Coherence
• Emphasis
 5. Clarity

Construct Effective Sentences and Paragraphs

A. Length
The suggested length is 17 to 20.. Rewrite a sentence of more
than 40 words. Sentences under 10 words are overly simple.
 5. Clarity

Construct Effective Sentences and Paragraphs

B. Unity
It means that you have one main idea whether you use a simple,
compound or complex sentence.
‘I like Sohail and Eiffel Tower is in Paris’
 5. Clarity

C. Coherence
Coherence brings clarity. In it words are correctly arranged so
that ideas are clearly expressed.
 5. Clarity

C. Coherence

Vague: Being the chief executive, we can expect help from you.
Clear: Being the chief executive, you can surely help us.
 5. Clarity

D. Emphasis
The quality that gives force to important parts of sentences and
paragraphs is emphasis.
 5. Clarity

Example
Little Emphasis: “The order was received
and the manager started preparing for it”.
Better Emphasis: “As the letter was
received, the manager started preparing for
it”.
 Summary
• Choose precise or as concrete a word
as possible.
• Select words that have a high sense of
appropriateness for the reader.
• Go for the familiar words.
• Limit average length of a sentence is
17- 20 words.
 Summary
• Insert no more than one main idea in a
sentence.
• Arrange words so that the main idea
occurs early in a sentence
 Activity
1 of 2

“The airplane finally approached the speed

of sound, and it became very difficult to
control”.
“ Being an excellent lawyer, I am sure that
you can help us.”
 Activity
“As it approached the speed of sound, the
airplane became very difficult to control”.

Being an excellent lawyer, you can surely

help us.
6. Courtesy
 6. Courtesy

Courtesy means being polite, kind,

judicious, enthusiastic and convincing
 6. Courtesy

• Be sincerely tactful, thoughtful and

appreciative.
• Use expressions that show respect.
• Choose nondiscriminatory expressions.
 6. Courtesy
1)Be sincerely tactful, thoughtful and
appreciative.

 Be tactful keeping in mind audience

 Avoid being blunt or abrupt
 6. Courtesy

Thoughtfulness and Appreciation

• Be polite and courteous
• Achieve goodwill
 6. Courtesy
Tactless , Blunt
“Stupid letter; I can’t understand any of
it.”
More Tactful
“It’s my understanding that I did not get
what u mean.”
 6. Courtesy
Tactless , Blunt
“I rewrote that letter three times; the
point was clear”
More Tactful
“I’m sorry the point was not clear; here
is another version.”
 6. Courtesy
2) Use expressions that show
respect

• No reader wants to receive messages

that offends.
• Expressions like, ‘irresponsible’ or ‘I do
not agree with’ etc., are annoying.
 6. Courtesy
Omit irritating expressions
Contrary to your inferences
I am sure; you must realize
That you did not tell us
Why have you ignored
.
 6. Courtesy
EXAMPLE
OFFENSIVE:
Hey man, what’s this I hear about your
wedding?
You didn’t tell any of us about it.
Give my regards to the lady and wish her
the best.
 6. Courtesy
COURTEOUS:
Warm congratulations on your wedding!
Well, you certainly took us by surprise. In
fact, just a few of us suspected you were
taking off to get married. But even though
we didn’t hear about it until later. We wish
you the best.
 6. Courtesy
3)Choose Non-discriminatory
Expressions

Everybody, somebody, The patient,

The journalist
 6. Courtesy
Businessman Business worker
Manpower Worker, employee
Newsman Newscaster or reporter
or journalist
Salesman Representative, agent
Man made Manufactured,
constructed, built
 6. Courtesy
Summary

• Communication should have you-

attitude.
• Have someone review your
statement to avoid disrespect.
• Be careful in using language. Be
aware of gender, race, color, creed etc.
 7. Correctness
• Use of proper grammar, punctuation and spellings.
• Some message though grammatically and mechanically
complete and perfect may insult or lose a customer .
 7. Correctness

Ways:
Accuracy of Grammar
Accuracy of Punctuation
Accuracy of Spelling
Using figures and facts
 7. Correctness

• Verify your statistical data

• Double-check your totals
• Avoid guessing of laws that have an impact on sender or
receiver
• Determine whether a fact have changed over a time
 Activity
Hi Drew,
I really do not appreciate how your IT team ignores the
requests of my team alone. My team is an important
function in this organization too and we have our own
IT requirement. Can you ensure that your team
responds promptly to my team’s requests hereon?
Regards
Stanley
 Class Assignment

Dear David,
Further to our conservation today, I am attaching the plan for
the first stage of the project. Hope the one weak deadline is
okay with you and your team.
Regards
Sally
 Class Assignment

"Need ur help with project ASAP. Thx."

 Class Assignment

• Lacks 7 C's:
• Clarity: Ambiguous request, lacks details or context.
• Conciseness: Extremely brief, lacking essential information.
• Concreteness: Doesn’t specify the nature of help required.
• Correctness: Informal language might not be appropriate.
• Coherence: Disjointed, lacks structure or a clear sequence.
• Courtesy: Casual tone might not be suitable for the context.
• Completeness: Insufficient information provided for understanding the request.