What Are the 7 C’s of Communication?
The 7 Cs of Communication are a checklist for effective communication developed by
Bernard Lasswell and later refined by Irving Janis and others. These principles help
ensure clarity, accuracy, and effectiveness in communication
1. Conciseness
2. Clarity
3. Courtesy
4. Consideration
5. Completeness
6. Concreteness
7. Correctness
1. Conciseness
First, you should try to get to the point of your message in as few words as possible,
instead of sharing unnecessary information.Your message’s recipient may be shortage
for time.Therefore, while interacting with someone, try saying exactly what you want to
say, using short sentences.
For example, when writing outreach emails, you must be skilled conveying the crux of
your message briefly.
This prevents the recipient from getting bored or annoyed since you are not taking up
1. Conciseness
Follow these rules to be concise:
Use action verbs.
Remove unnecessary or excessive words or phrases.
Highlight the key points of your message.
Avoid repetitive points or sentences.
So, the more concise your message, the more memorable and
effective it becomes.
For example: Positives: "We must make cost reductions by 10% this
quarter by improving competence and task mechanization."
Why it's good: The message is direct, throwing light on the important
goal (cost reduction) and how to accomplish it (effectiveness and
automation).
Negatives: "We should think about reducing costs, maybe by
improving effectiveness, or perhaps we could make things self-
operating, but without overlooking other areas."
Why it's bad: The above statement is way too long and without
proper intent, giving rise to confusion among the team about
2. Clarity
When you are able to transfer your thoughts and opinions into the
recipient’s mind, you will know effective communication has
served its purpose.
You do not want the recipient to assume or have a foggy idea of
what you are saying. If they do so, they will not be able to take the
action you want them to take, such as subscribing to your
newsletter or downloading an eBook.
They can take the desired action only when they clearly
understand your message. It can happen when you use simple
and easy words to convey your message to the recipient.
For example, there must be clarity in your communication with
your employees, so they understand the company’s new complex
procedures. If you know what you are talking about, your
audience will get your key message, too.
3. Courtesy
Each of us is entitled to have our own opinions on the same topic of
discussion. Naturally, such opinions are bound to differ - and it is critical
to understand this fact.
You should try to comprehend the audience’s mentality and feelings
towards your message. In case of difference of opinion among
communicating people or organisations, try to look at the matter from
different perspectives.
This will help you to be polite and to respect people’s differences.
Here are some key points to consider for sending a courteous message:
✓ Maintain a friendly and neutral tone.
✓ Avoid jumping to conclusions or assuming about your audience.
✓ Make your message about the recipient, not about yourself.
✓ Consider and understand the feelings and viewpoints of the recipients
of the message.
✓ Do not make offensive remarks about anyone.
✓ Once your message comes to an end, thank your audience for their
time and attention.
4. Consideration
Another of the 7 c’s of effective communication is a
consideration.
As I have mentioned before, it is important to consider the feelings
of your audience. Plus, their background, education level, lifestyle,
experiences, and mindset should also be taken into account.
Some points to keep in mind for maintaining consideration in your
communication are:
✓ Show that you are interested in the audience.
✓ Empathise with their emotions, problems, and requirements.
✓ Make the words in your message suit the audience’s needs.
✓ Do not try to harm their emotions or self-respect.
✓ Try producing a message that your audience will relate to, given
their backgrounds, age groups, lifestyles, and so on.
5. Completeness
When delivering a message to your audience, ensure you are
sending the whole message, and not just a portion of it.
Leaving out parts of a message may make it difficult for the
audience to understand what your message is getting at. It is only
when the message is complete that the audience can find it
relevant to their needs or problems.
Completeness of a message also includes answering queries.
After pitching or presenting to a potential client or your employees,
try to have a quick question-and-answer session. Your audience
may want to ask questions to be able to see the bigger picture.
As an effective business communicator, your job is to furnish the
audience with complete information and answer their relevant
queries.
This helps them get all the crucial information, thereby
encouraging them to make better decisions related to taking the
desired action.
6. Concreteness
Simply conveying your message with statements and questions
will not keep your audience focused. Supporting your statements
with relevant facts, figures, and statistics does the trick.
Otherwise, how is your audience supposed to know for sure
whether your message is authentic or not?
People can relate to your message more when they come across
real-life examples or anecdotes about what you are saying.
To ensure concrete professional communication, you must be
relevant and factual, rather than being generic and unclear. The
more concrete your message, the higher your confidence level
can soar.
7. Correctness
Are you using the correct words when conveying your message to
other people or organisations? The correctness or factual
accuracy of information is significant in both verbal and non-verbal
communication.
You need to select the right words at the right time while ensuring
the information is coming from a reliable source. Nor can you
afford to have any grammatical errors in communication.
Keep in mind these rules to ensure correctness for effective
communication:
✓ Double-check all the facts, statistics, or figures used in the
message to make sure those are correct and accurate.
✓ Use correct and appropriate language in your message.
✓ Get your written message or document reviewed and corrected
by a subject matter expert.
✓ Utilise online content writing tools that can help with spellcheck
and grammar.
