This document outlines the seven Cs of effective business communication: Completeness, Conciseness, Consideration, Concreteness, Clarity, Courtesy, and Correctness. Each C is defined with examples provided. Completeness means providing all relevant information to answer questions. Conciseness eliminates unnecessary words and repetition. Consideration focuses on the reader through word choice and framing benefits to them. Concreteness uses specific facts, active verbs, and vivid language. Clarity chooses precise familiar words and constructs effective sentences and paragraphs. Courtesy is tactful, thoughtful, and appreciative. Correctness ensures accurate language, facts, and mechanics.

1. THE CS
Dr. Najeeb us Saqlain
Associate Professor
NEDUET

2. SEVEN CS
• Completeness
• Conciseness
• Consideration
• Concreteness
• Clarity
• Courtesy
• Correctness

3. COMPLETENESS
• Provide all necessary information
• Answer all the Ws clearly
• Who, what, when, where, why
• Answer all questions asked
• Give something extra, when desirable.

4. EXAMPLES OF COMPLETENESS
• How come my request for an interview letter did not
receive a response?
• When was the letter sent? Who sent it? To whom it
was sent too?
• In return, please send me the departures in
Singapore to Hong Kong on the 8th
• Give something extra like the day, time etc…

5. CONCISENESS
• Eliminate wordy expressions
• Use single words in place of phrases
• Include relevant material only
• Avoid unnecessary information repetition
• Repetition of same word or idea creates dullness

6. EXAMPLES OF CONCISENSS
• We hereby wish to let you know that our company is
pleased with the confidence you have reposed in us
• We appreciate your confidence
• Allow me to say how helpful your response was
• Your last response was helpful
• In due course
• Soon

7. CONSIDERATION
• Focus on YOU instead if I and WE
• Using YOU does help project YOU ATTITUDE but
overuse can lead to a negative reaction
• Show benefit or interest
• Readers may react positively when benefits are
shown to them
• Emphasize positive, pleasant facts
• Readers’ reaction also depends on the choice of
words so use positive words

8. EXAMPLES OF CONIDERATION
• WE ATTITUDE
• I am delighted to announce that we will be extending
our hours to make shopping more convenient
• YOU ATTITUDE
• You will be able to shop evening with the extended
hour.

9. CONCRETENESS
• Use specific facts and figures
• Be precise and concrete in both written and oral
business communication
• Put action in your verbs
• Verbs propel thoughts; they move ideas in place
of slower-moving nouns
• Choose vivid, image building words
• Use active voice to put the verb up front.

10. EXAMPLES OF CONCRETENESS
• Students GMAT scores are higher
• In 2010, the GAT score percentage averaged 65%;
by 2011 it had risen to 70%
• ACTION VERBS
• The professor will give consideration to the report
• The professor will consider the report
• The proposal has requirements for….
• The proposal requires….

11. CLARITY
• Choose precise, concrete and familiar words
• When in doubt, use more familiar words;
audiences will understand them better
• Construct effective sentences and paragraphs
• Try for an average sentence length of between 17
and 20 words
• Insert no more than one main idea into a sentence

12. EXAMPLE OF CLARITY
• 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

13. COURTESY
• Be tactful, thoughtful and appreciative
• Stupid letter; I can’t understand a word in it
• It’s my understanding that….
• Use expressions that show respect
• Avoid expressions with YOU or YOUR
• Choose nondiscriminatory expressions
• Give the impression that you are interested in
business

14. EXAMPLES OF COURTESY
• Clearly, you did not read my latest email
• Sometimes my wording is not precise; let me try
again
• Stupid letter; I can’t understand any of it
• It’s my understanding that….

15. CORRECTNESS
• Use the right level of language
• Informal writing is more characteristic of business
writing
• Check accuracy of figures, facts and words
• It acts as a comment on the validity of the material
• Maintain acceptable writing mechanics

16. EXAMPLE OF CORRECTNESS
• Try to learn grammatical rules and write
with accuracy

17. THE END
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