INTRODUCTION

The 7 Cs of Communication is a checklist to ensure effective communication. We communicate
with people every day, both at work and in our personal life. We communicate using a number of different methods – face-to-face, telephone, email, instant messenger, letters, reports, meetings,presentations and more.
In order to ensure you get the right result when you communicate, you need to ensure that
your communication is effective and clear; this is where the 7 Cs of Communication can help.


The 7 Cs of Communication

The 7 Cs is a checklist for ensuring your emails, meetings, calls, reports, presentations and other
methods you use to communicate are clear and that the recipient gets the message.




The 7 Cs of Communication are:
 đź‘‰Clear
 đź‘‰Concise
 đź‘‰Concrete
 đź‘‰Correct
 đź‘‰Coherent
 đź‘‰Complete
 đź‘‰Courteous

Clear
(Clarity) Be clear about the goal of your message and the purpose of the message. Present one
idea at a time making it easier for the recipient to understand. Don’t leave them guessing what
the message is about and having to fill in the gaps themselves.
Set a goal or outcome for what you want to communicate and work towards that.

Concise

(Conciseness) Keep to the point and keep it short and simple. Don’t use unnecessary words (use
two words where one will do or 6 sentences when 3 will do). Don’t repeat the same point in
different ways.
This will also make any communication more engaging and easier to understand.

Concrete

(Concreteness) Be clear, not fuzzy. Ensure there is enough detail to get the message across but
not too much so that the recipient will be lost and that the message is factual.
Adding too much ‘noise’ around your main points can mean these are missed. Make sure your
main points and any conclusions are clear to the recipient.

Correct

(Correctness) Ensure the information you provide is accurate and, in written communication, free
from grammatical and spelling errors. Check that the person receiving the information
understands the technical parts of your content.
Preparation will help here to make sure you can be sure about what you are communicating or a
chance to read what you have written.

Coherent

Make sure your message flows well and is laid out logically. The points you make should all be
linked to the main topic and should help you to deliver the objective you originally set out to
achieve. Make sure the tone of the message is the same throughout.
Consider using a structure for your communication to help here.

Complete

(Completeness) Ensure the recipient has everything they need to understand your message and
take action if needed. If action is needed, ensure your message includes a ‘call to action’. Also,

ensure that any specific details are clear and included. Don’t leave the recipient with lots of
questions to ask.
Think about how you will check for understanding. For example, you could ask questions to
check their understanding.

Courteous

(Courtesy) Your message should be polite, friendly, professional, open and honest. Think about
your message from the recipient’s point of view, and you are empathetic towards their needs.
This will help you to deliver the message in a way that’s easy to understand and buy into.
Also, communicating to or writing for the reader can make your communication more engaging.
Following the 7 Cs of communication, you should find that the messages you deliver are much
more effective.