1.
Chapter
Seven Cs of Effective
Communication

2.
Introduction
• The message is said to be effective when the receiver
understands the same meaning that the sender was
intended to convey.
• For effective written/oral communication, certain
principles are required.
• Principles that provide guidelines for choice of
content and style of presentation, adapted according
to the purpose of the message and receiver are called
“7 Cs” of communication.

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

4.
Completeness
• A message is complete when it contains all the information needed
to get the desired reaction from the receiver – reader or listener
• It satisfies the readers fully and clears their doubts.
Completeness demands you yourself should answer those questions
which you think can arise the mind of the reader
• Assess the message through the eyes of the receiver
• Numerous benefits
a. Bring desired results
b. Build goodwill
c. Averts costly lawsuits

5.
Completeness cont’d
• Guidelines
1. Provide all necessary information
 Answer the 5 Ws: who, what, when,
where, why
2. Answer all questions asked
 While answering inquiries: stated and implied
 Omission casts suspicions

6.
Completeness cont’d
3. Give something extra, when desirable
 Use your good judgment in offering additional
material and information if the sender’s message
was incomplete
 Providing extra information or “something
extra” would be appreciated by the receiver and
help build goodwill with customers

7.
Bad Example
Hi everyone,
I just wanted to send you all a reminder about the meeting
we're having tomorrow!
See you then,
Chris
The message is not complete.
What meeting?
When is it?
Where is it?

8.
Good Example
Hi everyone,
I just wanted to remind you about tomorrow's
meeting on the new telecommuting policies. The
meeting will be at 10:00 a.m. in the second-level
conference room. Please let me know if you can't
attend.
See you then,
Chris

9.
Conciseness
• Saying what you have to say in the fewest possible words without
sacrificing the other C qualities
• Only provide the relevant information and do not keep repeating the
words and sentences.
• Complete message without being wordy
• Eliminate unnecessary words
• Benefits
a. Saves time & expense for both sender & receiver
b. Show respect for recipients by not cluttering their professional
lives with unnecessary information

10.
Conciseness cont’d
• Guidelines
1. Eliminate wordy expressions
 Use single words instead of phrases, e.g. at this time: Now
 Omit unnecessary expressions
 Replace wordy conventional statements with concise versions
 Avoid overusing empty phrases
 Omit “which” and “that” clauses whenever possible
 Eliminate unnecessary propositional phrases
 Limit use of passive voice

11.
2. Include only relevant material
 Stick to the purpose of message
 Delete irrelevant words & rambling sentences
 Omit information obvious to the receiver
 Avoid long introductions, unnecessary explanations, excessive
adjectives and prepositions
 Get to the important part tactfully and concisely
3. Avoid unnecessary information
 Use shorter name second or third time
 Use pronouns or initials rather than repeat long names
 Cut out needless repetition
 Combine two or more sentences by using subordinate clauses
or phrases

12.
Bad Example
Hi Matt,
I wanted to touch base with you about the email marketing campaign we
kind of sketched out last Thursday. I really think that our target market is
definitely going to want to see the company's philanthropic efforts. I think
that could make a big impact, and it would stay in their minds longer than a
sales pitch.
For instance, if we talk about the company's efforts to become sustainable,
as well as the charity work we're doing in local schools, then the people
that we want to attract are going to remember our message longer. The
impact will just be greater.
What do you think?
Jessica
This email is too long! There's repetition, and there's plenty of
"filler" taking up space.

13.
Good Example
Hi Matt,
I wanted to quickly discuss the email marketing campaign that we
analyzed last Thursday. Our target market will want to know about
the company's philanthropic efforts, especially our goals to become
sustainable and help local schools.
This would make a far greater impact, and it would stay in their minds
longer than a traditional sales pitch.
What do you think?
Jessica

14.
Consideration
• Preparing every message with the receiver in mind
• Be considerate
• Do not lose temper, accuse or charge without facts
• Be aware of their desires, problems, circumstances and
possible reactions
• “You-attitude”
• Empathy, human touch
▫ Focus on You instead of I
▫ Emphasize on positive and pleasant facts

15.
• Guidelines
1. Focus on “You” instead of “I” or “We”
 Focus on how receiver will benefit, what they will receive and
what they need
We: I am delighted to announce you will receive your package in
a week
You: You will receive your package in a week
 Using “you” does help project a you-attitude but overuse can
lead to a negative reaction
 The use of “you” in negative situations can be avoided by
employing the passive voice, depersonalization
Insensitive: You failed to enclose your check in envelope
Considerate: The check was not received (passive)
Considerate: The envelope we received didn’t have a check in it
(depersonalized)

16.
2. Show audience benefit or interest in the receiver
 Readers react positively when benefits are shown to
them
 Benefits must meet recipients’ needs, address their
concerns, etc.
 Personalize the reader benefits instead of stating
them in a general way
 Benefits that are realistic, inherent and tailored to
individuals may get positive or desired reactions

17.
3. Emphasize positive, pleasant facts
 Stressing on what can be done rather than on what can’t be
done
 Focus on words the recipient will consider favorable
 Positive words: benefits, cordial, happy, generous, pleasure,
thoughtful
 Negative words: complaint, failed, fault, negligence, regret,
reject, trouble, unfair
Negative/Unpleasant
“It’s impossible to open an account for you today”
Positive/Pleasant
“As soon as your signature card reaches us we will gladly
open your account.”

18.
Concreteness
• Being specific, definite and vivid rather than vague
and general
• Use denotative words (dictionary based) rather than
connotative words (ideas or notions)
• Benefits
a. Receiver knows exactly what is required and
desired
b. Increases likelihood of message being interpreted
the way you intended

19.
• Guidelines
1. Use specific facts and figures
 Use exact precise statement in place of general word
 Words that may cause confusion: slightly, small, soon, a few,
high, almost, early, very, about, several, etc.
2. Put action in your verbs
 Use dynamic sentences
 Use active rather than passive verbs
 Put actions in your verbs rather than in nouns and infinitives
 Active verbs help make sentences:
a. Specific
b. Personal
c. Concise
d. Emphatic

20.
 Use Action in verbs – not nouns
 Verbs to avoid: be, give, have, hold, make, put, take.
 Example:
Professor will give consideration to the report
Instead
Professor will consider the report
 Use action in verbs – not in infinitive
 Example:
The duty of a secretary is to check all incoming mail and to record it
instead
A secretary checks and records all incoming mail

21.
3. Choose vivid, image building words
 Sensory appeal:
 It appeals to one or more of the five senses
 Uses descriptive language
 Comparisons:
 Analogies or comparisons make unclear ideas clear, e.g.
Bland: This is a long letter
Vivid: The letter is three times as long as you said it would be
 Figurative language:
Literal: Some women were stopped in promotions
Vivid: Many women face “glass-ceiling” in their company

22.
Clarity
• Getting the meaning or idea from your head into the
head of your reader, accurately – clarity
• What is the purpose of your communication? If
you’re not clear, the audience will be confused as
well
• To be clear try to minimize the number of ideas in
each sentence
• People shouldn’t have to “read between the lines”
and make assumptions on your own

23.
• Guidelines
1. Choose precise, concrete & familiar words
 Balance between precise language & familiar language
 To choose between long & short word, always use the short
& familiar word
 Use synonyms instead of Latin terms, e.g.
Unfamiliar: After perusal of pertinent data, the conclusion is
that a lucrative market exists for the subject property
Familiar: The data we studied show that your property is
profitable and in high demand
 While using email abbreviations, make sure they are
commonly used and familiar to the receiver as well

24.
2. Construct effective sentences & paragraphs
 Length
Average sentence length of between 17 – 20 words
Short sentences are preferred
 Unity
One main idea and any other idea must be closely related to the main
idea.
 Coherence
Words are correctly arranged so that the intended meaning is clearly
expressed; e.g.
Unclear: His report was about managers, broken down by
age & gender
Clear: His report focused on age & gender of managers

25.
 Emphasis
 Choose correct sentence structure based on what needs emphasis
 For complex sentence, place main idea in the main clause
 Computer software (MS Word) allow several ways to visually add
emphasis to words; e.g.
o Headings
o Tabulations
o Underlines
o Italics
o Colored letters
o Colored italics

26.
Bad Example
Hi John,
I wanted to write you a quick note about Daniel,
who's working in your department. He's a great
asset, and I'd like to talk to you more about him
when you have time.
Best,
Mark

27.
Good Example
Hi John,
I wanted to write you a quick note about Daniel Kadar, who's
working in your department. In recent weeks, he's helped the IT
department through several pressing deadlines on his own time.
We've got a tough upgrade project due to run over the next three
months, and his knowledge and skills would prove
invaluable. Could we please have him help with this work?
I'd appreciate speaking with you about this. When is it best to call
you to discuss this further?
Best wishes,
Mark
This second message is much clearer, because the
reader has the information he needs to take action.

28.
Courtesy
• Courteous communication is friendly, open, honest, by being
empathetic towards the viewpoint & feelings of the receiver
• Stems from sincere ‘you-attitude’
• It involves being aware not only of perspective of others but
also their feelings.
• If you don’t agree to a point, discuss it in a positive way
• Guidelines
1. Be tactful, thoughtful & appreciative
 Tact
o Don’t be intentionally blunt or abrupt, in the name of
conciseness
o Sometimes due to negative experience or from not knowing
the culture of a country or even a group of people

29.
 Thoughtfulness & appreciation
o Sending cordial, courteous congratulatory and
appreciative messages (inside & outside) organization
help build goodwill
o Be specifically thoughtful & courteous while
communicating with Asian cultures
2. Use expressions that show respect
 Omit irritating expressions
 Omit questionable humor
o Each person has a different sense of humor
o When in doubt, be more formal

30.
3. Choose nondiscriminatory expressions
 Sexist terms: “Man” words
Examples:
o Freshman: first-year student
o Manpower: workers, employees
o Man-made: manufactured
 Singular pronouns
Emphasis on gender neutrality is more common in US than other
countries
 Names
When using names, treat each gender with respect
Undesirable: Ted Aprill & Ruth
Desirable: Ted & Ruth Aprill

31.
Bad Example
Jeff,
I wanted to let you know that I don't appreciate how your team always
monopolizes the discussion at our weekly meetings. I have a lot of
projects, and I really need time to get my team's progress discussed
as well. So far, thanks to your department, I haven't been able to do
that. Can you make sure they make time for me and my team next
week?
Thanks,
Phil
Well, that's hardly courteous! Messages like this can
potentially start office-wide fights. And this email does
nothing but create bad feelings, and lower productivity
and morale. A little bit of courtesy, even in difficult
situations, can go a long way.

32.
Good Example
Hi Jeff,
I wanted to write you a quick note to ask a favor. During our
weekly meetings, your team does an excellent job of
highlighting their progress. But this uses some of the time
available for my team to highlight theirs. I'd really
appreciate it if you could give my team a little extra time
each week to fully cover their progress reports.
Thanks so much, and please let me know if there's
anything I can do for you!
Best,
Phil
What a difference! This email is courteous and
friendly, and it has little chance of spreading bad
feelings around the office.

33.
Correctness
• Proper grammar, punctuation and spelling
▫ Follow the language rules
▫ Accuracy of facts and figures
▫ Vocabulary
• Guidelines
1. Use right level of language
 Formal:
o Scholarly writing, dissertations, articles, legal documents,
agreements, etc.
o Uncoversational, impersonal, contain long & involved sentences
 Informal
o Business writing

34.
 Substandard language
Incorrect words, grammar, faulty pronunciation; e.g. ain’t (isn’t,
aren’t), can’t hardly (can hardly), irregardless (regardless), should
of (should have), etc.
2. Check accuracy of figures, facts & words
 Verify statistical data
 Double check your totals
 Avoid guessing at laws that have impact on message receiver
 Check if the “fact” has changed over time
 Be careful while using words that confuse; e.g.
o accept, except
o Between, among
o Effect, affect
o Principal, principle

35.
3. Maintain acceptable writing mechanism
 Various packages available for computers
o Grammar-checks
o Spell-checks
Bad Example
Hi Daniel,
Thanks so much for meeting me at lunch today! I enjoyed our
conservation, and I'm looking forward to moving ahead on our
project. I'm sure that the two-weak deadline won't be an issue.
Thanks again, and I'll speak to you soon!
Best,
Jack Miller

36.
Creativity
• How you impress your listener is directly proportional to
how creative you are
• Pick and include such elements in your presentation that
stir the audience; e.g. poem, phrase, anecdote, short
story, etc.
• “Wise men speak because they have something to say;
fools speak because they have to say something.”
Plato

37.
Common Sense
• You must understand
What to speak
When to speak
Where to speak
Whom to speak
Why to speak
How to speak

38.
Complication free language
• Complication factor refers to the usage of
complicated, uncommon, and tough words in
conversation and public speaking.
• You don’t become great by using rare dictionary
words in front of the common people, your
efforts will be wasted because they won’t
understand you.