The Seven C’s of Effective Communication:

1. Completeness: Provide all necessary information. 1. Who?

2. What?
1. Answer all questions. 3. When?
a. stated questions from questioner 4. Where?
b. implied questions from questioner. 5. Why?
2. Give something extra when desirable.
&
EXAMPLE: A software distributor, when replying to How?
a dealer’s letter, answered only four of seven
questions:

Activity:
1. Write an announcement for a concert.

2.“I’m new to the city and would like to consider

joining your club. As I will be visiting your
club within the month, will your please tell me
where the next meeting will be held?”

In your reply to this letter include a welcome plus such needed details
as directions for reaching the building, parking facilities, day, date and
time of meeting, and perhaps also the programme for the next
meeting.
Your message will then have the ‘something extra’ that a reader really
appreciates.

2. Conciseness: What is really relevant?

1. Use one word in place of phrases. Wordy Concise

At this time Now
2. Omit outdated trite expressions. Due to the fact that Because
Have need for Need
In due course Soon
3. Look for unnecessary repetitions: Please find attached the list The list you
Does the same word or idea appear you requested requested is
too often? attached
Allow me to say how Your response
helpful your response was was helpful

BBA 1
Business Communication I
HA Fall 10
3. Consideration: Your attitude, empathy, the human touch,
understanding of human nature.

1. See your material from the reader’s point of view.

2. “You” is more desirable that “I” or “We” in most instances.
3. Readers like to see benefits. Be sure benefits are prominent part of the
message.
4. Consciously use positive words: Readers will react more favourably.

EXAMPLES:
I am delighted to announce that we will be
extending our hours to make shopping more
convenient.
You will be able to shop evenings with the extended hours.

You failed to enclose your check in the envelope.

The check was not enclosed. (Passive voice)
OR the envelope we received did not have a check in it.
(Depersonalized)

It is impossible to open an account for you today.

As soon as your signature card reaches us we will gladly
open an …

Activity:
1. Write a sentence to show you are considerate.

CREDIBILITY OF YOUR COMMUNICATION

Competence: Does the sender of the message know his or her message?
Character: Does the audience perceive the message sender as
communicating honestly?
Composure: Does the ender give the impression of being calm and
collected, particularly in a stressful situation?
Sociability: Does the sender come across as a likeable individual?
Extroversion: Does the source exhibit outgoing tendencies rather than
timidity:

McCroskey, J. C., Holridge, W. & Toomb, J. K. (1974) An instrument for measuring the source of basic
speech communication instructors.
4. Concreteness: Being specific, definite and vivid.
BBA 2
Business Communication I
HA Fall 10
1. Be precise in using facts and figures wherever possible.
2. Prefer active voice over passive.
3. Put action in verbs and not in nouns.
a. The subject does not do the acting in a sentence.
b. The verb consists of two or more words, one of which
is in some form of ‘to be’ (is, is being, am, are, was,
were, will be, etc.)
c. The word ‘by’ is expressed or implied (by whom or
what)

The tests were administered by the professors.

Professors administered the tests.

Active verbs help make your sentences more helpful,

personal, concise and emphatic.

EXAMPLES:
The function of this office is the collection of
payments.
This office collects payments.

Eastern Europe is making progress in obtaining

investments.

In 1990 investments in Eastern Europe were about $30

million; today that figure has increased by 12%.

Grades of students will be sent to you by the

university.
The university will send students’ grades.

Sometimes words lead to uncertainty

Slightly small soon early high almost

Most a few slow about several very
5. Clarity: Using precise, concrete and familiar words.

BBA 3
Business Communication I
HA Fall 10
After our perusal of pertinent data, the conclusion
is that a lucrative market exists for the subject
property.
The data we studied show that your property is profitable
and in high demand.

1. Choose as precise or as concrete a word as possible.

2. Opt for the familiar word, the one that is not pretentious.
3. Limit average sentences length to 17-20 words.
4. Insert no more that one main idea into a sentence.
5. Arrange words so that the main idea occurs early in a sentence.

EXAMPLES:
His report was about managers, broken down by age
and gender.
His report focused on age and gender of managers.

The airplane finally approached the speed of sound

and it became very difficult to control.
As it finally approached the speed of sound, the airplane
became very difficult to control.
Being an excellent lawyer, I am sure you can help
us.
Being an excellent lawyer, you can surely help us.
As you are an excellent lawyer, I am sure you ….

Unity in a sentence – whether simple, compound or complex – means you

have one main idea, and any other ideas in the sentence must be closely
related to it. For example, I like Jim and Eiffel Tower is in Paris, is not a
unified sentence.
Coherent sentences have words correctly arranged so that the ideas clearly
express intended meaning.
Emphasize on important ideas and parts of the sentences and paragraphs.
Visuals like headings, bullet points, numbering, etc., clarify your message.

BBA 4
Business Communication I
HA Fall 10
6. Courtesy: Being sincere, thoughtful and appreciative
Ask yourself:
• Does the communication have a sincere attitude?
• Is it tactful?

• Be cautious in using humour.

• Be careful in using discriminatory language: treat each gender
with respect.

EXAMPLES:
Stupid letter, I can’t understand any of it.
It’s my understanding …

Clearly, you did not ready my latest fax.

Sometimes my wording is not precise; let us try again

I rewrote that letter three times; the point was clear.

I’m sorry the point was not clear; here is another version.

Official correspondence within an organization will vary from that which is

outside the organization. Look at the following emails:

Kami, give us a call at 3452 and give me the number of the report
you’re sending along to the VP.

A fax or letter to a foreign company would not be blunt or short; instead

would have a few more tactful words:

It was kind of you to write and extend holiday greetings. Here in

Pakistan, the Eid season is a high point of the year. Thank you for your
regards.

Because your company receives many reports from China and your
company, we need the number of the report you sent us in October.
We need this in order that our electronic files can easily find it in the
system. We then wish to send the report along to our Vice President of
Marketing.

Compare the two emails above.

BBA 5
Business Communication I
HA Fall 10
No reader wants to receive Omit Irritating Expressions
messages that offend. They
are referred to as irritating • Contrary to your inference…
expressions or questionable • You are probably ignorant of
humour. the fact…
Always use expressions that • You claim that…
show respect. • You did not tell us…
• You failed to…
Laughter to one person is • You forgot to…
disgust for another person as • You have to…
each of us has a different • You leave us no choice…
sense of humour. A flippant • We don’t believe…
attitude can be poor in taste. • We expect you to…
When in doubt be more • We find it difficult to believe
formal – leave out the that…
humour.

Compare the following two notes. Both are informal, but one is also
courteous.
Questionable humour!
Note 1

Hey man, what’s this I hear about the good news. You sure pulled a fast one
this past weekend – and then didn’t tell any of us about it.
Give my regards to the little lady. And wish her the best; she will need it.

Note 2

Warm congratulations on your wedding!

Well, you certainly took us by surprise. In fact, just a few of us even

suspected you were taking off to get married. But even though we didn’t
hear about it until later, we-my wife and I-wish you the best.

Give our warm regards to your new partner.

Activity:
Write a note as an instructor to your students intimating that they have
submitted an assignment late.
BBA 6
Business Communication I
HA Fall 10
7. Correctness: the right level of language, accuracy, and
acceptable mechanics

• Select the right level of language for your communication either

formal or informal.
• Realize that formal language is most often used in business
communication.
• Check for correct figures, facts, and words.
• Apply the principles of accepted mechanics to your writing.

There are three levels of language: formal, informal, substandard.

Formal writing is often associated More Formal Less Formal

with scholarly writing, doctoral Participate Join
dissertations, scholarly articles, Procure Get
legal documents, etc. Endeavour Try
Informal writing is often more Ascertain Try
characteristic of business writing – Deem Find out
even more so if that writing occurs Edifice Think (believe)
in an email message. Utilize Use
Interrogate Question

The list of Less Formal has words that are short, well-known, and
conversational.

Avoid substandard language. Substandard Standard

Using incorrect words, incorrect Ain’t Isn’t, aren’t
grammar, faulty pronunciation all Can’t hardly Can hardly
suggests inability to use good Aim at proving Aim to prove
English. Desirous to Desirous of
Irregardless Regardless
Stoled Stolen
Brung Brought
Should of Should have

BBA 7
Business Communication I
HA Fall 10
How correct are your facts and figures?
Some useful tips:
• Verify your statistical data.
• Double-check on the totals
• Avoid guessing as they impact the message, the sender and the
receiver.
• Have someone else check on your especially if it involves data.
• Determine whether a fact has changed over time.

Avoid using words that confuse.

Languages change constantly. However, dictionaries are still a major source
for locating correct words and their intended meaning and usage.

Find out if you confuse the following:

A, an Use a before consonants and consonant sounds or a long ‘u’
sound. Use an before vowels or a silent h
Accept, Accept is a verb that means to receive. Except is a verb or a
except preposition and relates to omitting or leaving out.
Anxious, Anxious implies worry, eager conveys keen desire
eager
Between, Between involves two people or two groups, among three or
among more.
Continual, Continual means ‘recurring regularly’; continuous means
continuous without stopping
Counsel, Counsel means (as a verb) ‘to advise’ and (as a noun) ‘lawyer’.
council Council is a noun in an advisory or governing group.
Effect, In business usage only ‘effect’ is a noun, it means ‘result’,
affect ‘condition’ or ‘influence’. Both words are verbs – to effect is
‘to bring about’; to affect is ‘to influence’.
Farther. Farther is more used to express distance in space; further for
Further distance in time, quality or degree.
Imply, Imply means ‘to institute’ or ‘suggest’; infer means ‘to
infer conclude’. A writer implies a reader infers.
Lay, laid, A person or a sheet lies (rests) on the bed, but a person lays the
lie, lay, lain book on the table or lays himself or herself on the bed. If you
can substitute place(s) and answer what? use the proper tense
of lay.

BBA 8
Business Communication I
HA Fall 10