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Following the seven C’s of communication can improve the effectiveness and professionalism of your business communications. It applies to all forms of verbal, writing, visual, and nonverbal communication. The seven C’s of communication are:
Concise
Brief, well-written communications will have a greater impact on the audience and save them time. It is recommended to utilize as few words as possible to convey your message. Especially if the subject matter is unfamiliar, an audience’s ability to retain and recall information might be impaired by excessive detail. This is crucial for composing project proposals, memos, and research reports. A simple message is more engaging and intelligible to its target. Keep in mind the following when giving concise communication:
- Ensure that the subject matter is successfully delivered by emphasizing the main aspects.
- Eliminate anything that is unnecessary to the subject’s primary points.
- Avoid repeating sentences or points.
- Eliminate superfluous phrases and filler words such as “really” and “you know.”
- Assume the topic is unfamiliar to the audience.
- Your main message will be more powerful and memorable if it is brief.
Complete
Communication is only complete when the recipient is presented with all the necessary knowledge or facts to respond, react, or evaluate appropriately. Provide your audience with all the information they require to make an informed decision or act.
There is a greater possibility of misunderstanding in legal, educational, and business contexts where the subject matter is complex and employs technical language. In certain situations, it is preferable to be exhaustive over concise. Omitting specifics may alter your audience’s understanding of the situation. In addition, it reduces expenses because no vital information is omitted. This eliminates the possibility of incurring additional fees for sending an additional message.
Consider whether the absence of a certain detail might alter or alter your knowledge of the topic when deciding whether or not to include it in your writing. The easiest way to verify that your message is comprehensive is to have a few volunteers listen to your presentation in advance and then test them to see if they are aware of the most important facts. You can modify your message based on their response to make it more comprehensive.
Coherent
For effective communication, a message must have a logical structure. Your ideas should be cohesive and pertinent to the central argument. This is referred to as coherence. Organizing your message from the introduction to the conclusion logically will ensure that it is coherent. When the ideas in your communication flow smoothly from beginning to conclusion in a logical order, the total message is easier to comprehend and recall.
Whenever possible, consider customizing your speech and word selection to the audience’s experiences and way of life. When speaking to a group of interns at your organization, for instance, it is preferable to utilize simple, non-technical phrases. Similarly, audiences of various ages, origins, and environments may respond more positively to details that mirror their own experiences and lifestyles.
Clarity
Clarity in communication is avoiding superfluous, convoluted, or complex terminology and jargon. A clear message should preferably consist of brief, straightforward, and fluid lines. It involves caring for the audience and ensuring that they comprehend your communication. For instance, when training staff about complex new processes or procedures, it is crucial to communicate with clarity. Here are some strategies for enhancing clarity:
- Limit the use of idioms or eliminate them entirely
- Determine the aim of the communication and ensure that only the most important parts are highlighted
- Give priority to one idea at a time to minimize confusion
- Maintain simplicity by eliminating technical phrases and jargon unless they are appropriate for the intended audience
- Eliminate slang and abbreviations
- Use active voice and present tense
- Assume the information is new to your audience
- Ensure the sentences are brief to prevent audience confusion
- Avoid speaking quickly and mumbling when delivering a presentation. Speak more slowly so that your audience can comprehend you
Courteous
To convey a courteous message, you must consider the audience’s perspective. Always acknowledge your audience by being courteous and respectful. When interacting with a group of individuals, refrain from stereotypes and biases. Consider the following important aspects of respectful communication:
- Maintain eye contact when speaking
- Speak with courtesy and candor to your audience
- Do not assume anything about your audience
- Always demonstrate gratitude for your audience’s time and focus
- Use an approachable, conversational tone
- Ensure the message is upbeat and objective
- Employ an acceptable professional format, particularly for written correspondence
The most critical objective is audience acceptance. Create a strong interest in the topic by relating to the audience on their level. To command their attention without demanding it, you could captivate your audience with relatable humorous stories. However, it is crucial to keep your anecdotes relevant to the topic. A conversational tone encourages the audience to actively listen. Conversely, the use of concrete phrases and word selection tells the audience that this is a presentation and not a dialogue.
The goal is to comprehend your audience and adapt your message accordingly. For instance, you do not use specific technical phrases when addressing entry-level personnel, but you can when delivering an academic lecture.
Concrete
A message is tangible when it is supported by facts, numbers, and real-world examples. Communication that is concrete is not vague or generic, but rather real and pertinent. Your delivery will be more effective the more direct your speech is. This language specificity is essential for productive and professional communication. Here are some essential considerations to keep in mind while evaluating the concreteness of your message:
- Be exact in your presentation of facts and numbers.
- Utilize more aggressive voice than passive. For instance, “it is demonstrated by figures” can be replaced with “the figure demonstrates.”
- Use action verbs to clarify and strengthen your argument.
- Rather using generic adjectives and adverbs, use powerful image-building words. For instance, “sprint” is more definite than “fast run.”
Correct
It is crucial to ensure that your communication is accurate in terms of both facts and grammar. Ensure the accuracy of your communication by double-checking all facts and numbers. Consider the following:
- If feasible, it is good to have your written documents examined and edited by an expert proofreader
- Verify the precision and accuracy of the message’s facts and figures
- Use correct and acceptable wording in the communication
- Complete the rough copy from start to finish prior to altering its content
- Read your complete work from beginning to end to check that there are no errors
- Use internet tools such as a thesaurus and reverse dictionaries to give correct spelling and phrase usage. There are various free grammar and spellchecking applications available online
