Essentials of Good Business Communication — The Seven C's

6. Essentials of Good Business Communication — The Seven C's

Effective business communication is generally judged against seven qualities, popularly remembered as the Seven C's of Communication:

1. Clarity. The message must convey a single, clear meaning, using simple and familiar words, so the receiver understands exactly what the sender intends — with no scope for confusion or multiple interpretations.
2. Completeness. The message must contain all the facts the receiver needs to understand it and act on it correctly — an incomplete letter or instruction forces the receiver to guess at, or separately ask for, missing information.
3. Conciseness. The message should convey the necessary information in as few words as possible, without padding it with unnecessary repetition or irrelevant detail — concise does not mean incomplete; it means nothing unnecessary is included.
4. Correctness. The information, facts, figures, grammar, and language used must all be accurate — a factually or grammatically incorrect message damages both the immediate transaction and the sender's credibility.
5. Courtesy. The message should be polite, respectful, and considerate in tone, even where it conveys an unwelcome decision (a rejection, a complaint reply) — courtesy builds goodwill, while a curt or rude tone can damage a business relationship regardless of how correct the content is.
6. Consideration. The message should be planned keeping the receiver's position, interests, and likely reaction in mind (sometimes called the 'You-attitude') — written from the receiver's point of view rather than purely the sender's own.
7. Concreteness. The message should be specific and definite rather than vague or general — using precise facts and figures rather than broad, unsupported statements wherever possible.