7 C’s of communication - your communication should always be:

Think about the 7 Cs every time you need to communicate something and you'll
always know you're delivering the clearest message possible.

Think of how often you communicate with people during your day.

You write emails, facilitate meetings, participate in conference calls, create reports,
devise presentations, debate with your colleagues… the list goes on.

We can spend almost our entire day communicating. So, how can we provide a huge
boost to our productivity? We can make sure that we communicate in the clearest,
most effective way possible.

When writing or speaking to someone, be clear about your goal or message. What is
your purpose in communicating with this person? If you're not sure, then your
audience won't be sure either.

1. Clear: Make the goal of your message clear to your recipient. Ask yourself
what the purpose of your communication is.

2. Concise: Your message should also be brief and to the point. Why
communicate your message in six sentences when you can do it in three?

3. Concrete: Ensure your message has important details and facts, but that
nothing deters the focus of your message.

4. Correct: Make sure what you're writing or saying is accurate. Bad

information doesn't help anybody. Also make sure that your message is typo
free.

5. Coherent: Does your message make sense? Check to see that all of your
points are relevant and that everything is consistent with the tone and flow or
your text.

6. Complete: Your message is complete when all relevant information is

included in an understandable manner and there is a clear "call to action".
Does your audience know what you want them to do?

7. Courteous: Ensure that your communication is friendly, open, and honest,

regardless of what the message is about. Be empathetic and avoid passive-
aggressive tones.
Clear

To be clear, try to minimize the number of ideas in each sentence. Make sure that it's
easy for your reader to understand your meaning. People shouldn't have to "read
between the lines" and make assumptions on their own to understand what you're
trying to say.

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,

Skip

What is this email about? Well, we're not sure. First, if there are multiple Daniels in
John's department, John won't know who Skip is talking about.

Next, what is Daniel doing, specifically, that's so great? We don't know that either.
It's so vague that John will definitely have to write back for more information.

Last, what is the purpose of this email? Does Skip simply want to have an idle chat
about Daniel, or is there some more specific goal here? There's no sense of purpose
to this message, so it's a bit confusing.

Good Example
Hi John,

I wanted to write you a quick note about Daniel Kedar, 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 his 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,

Skip

This second message is much clearer, because the reader has the information he
needs to take action.
2. Concise

When you're concise in your communication, you stick to the point and keep it brief.
Your audience doesn't want to read six sentences when you could communicate your
message in three.

 Are there any adjectives or "filler words" that you can delete? You can often
eliminate words like "for instance," "you see," "definitely," "kind of," "literally,"
"basically," or "I mean."

 Are there any unnecessary sentences?

 Have you repeated the point several times, in different ways?

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.

Good Example
Watch what happens when we're concise and take out the filler words:

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
3. Concrete

When your message is concrete, then your audience has a clear picture of what you're
telling them. There are details (but not too many!) and vivid facts, and there's laser-
like focus. Your message is solid.

Bad Example
Consider this advertising copy:

The Lunchbox Wizard will save you time every day.

A statement like this probably won't sell many of these products. There's no passion,
no vivid detail, nothing that creates emotion, and nothing that tells people in the
audience why they should care. This message isn't concrete enough to make a
difference.

Good Example
How much time do you spend every day packing your kids' lunches? No more! Just
take a complete Lunchbox Wizard from your refrigerator each day to give your kids a
healthy lunch and have more time to play or read with them!
This copy is better because there are vivid images. The audience can picture spending
quality time with their kids – and what parent could argue with that? And
mentioning that the product is stored in the refrigerator explains how the idea is
practical. The message has come alive through these details.
4. Correct

When your communication is correct, it fits your audience. And correct

communication is also error-free communication.

 Do the technical terms you use fit your audience's level of education or
knowledge?

 Have you checked your writing for grammatical errors? Remember, spell
checkers won't catch everything.
 Are all names and titles spelled correctly?
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

If you read that example fast, then you might not have caught any errors. But on
closer inspection, you'll find two. Can you see them?

The first error is that the writer accidentally typed conservation instead of
conversation. This common error can happen when you're typing too fast. The other
error is using weak instead of week.

Again, spell checkers won't catch word errors like this, which is why it's so important
to proofread everything!
5. Coherent

When your communication is coherent, it's logical. All points are connected and
relevant to the main topic, and the tone and flow of the text is consistent.

Bad Example
Traci,

I wanted to write you a quick note about the report you finished last week. I gave it to
Michelle to proof, and she wanted to make sure you knew about the department
meeting we're having this Friday. We'll be creating an outline for the new employee
handbook.

Thanks,

Michelle

As you can see, this email doesn't communicate its point very well. Where is
Michelle's feedback on Traci's report? She started to mention it, but then she
changed the topic to Friday's meeting.

Good Example
Hi Traci,

I wanted to write you a quick note about the report you finished last week. I gave it to
Michelle to proof, and she let me know that there are a few changes that you'll need
to make. She'll email you her detailed comments later this afternoon.

Thanks,

Michelle

Notice that in the good example, Michelle does not mention Friday's meeting. This is
because the meeting reminder should be an entirely separate email. This way, Traci
can delete the report feedback email after she makes her changes, but save the email
about the meeting as her reminder to attend. Each email has only one main topic.
6. Complete

In a complete message, the audience has everything they need to be informed and, if
applicable, take action.

 Does your message include a "call to action," so that your audience clearly knows
what you want them to do?

 Have you included all relevant information – contact names, dates, times,
locations, and so on?
Bad Example
Hi everyone,

I just wanted to send you all a reminder about the meeting we're having tomorrow!

See you then,

Chris

This message is not complete, for obvious reasons. What meeting? When is it?
Where? Chris has left his team without the necessary information.

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
7. Courteous

Courteous communication is friendly, open, and honest. There are no hidden insults
or passive-aggressive tones. You keep your reader's viewpoint in mind, and you're
empathetic to their needs.

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.

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