Business Communication

1. PRINCIPLES OF
BUSINESS WRITING

3. 7 Cs of Business Communication
7 Cs Shorter Explanations
Clarity Be clearer in Delivering
Correctness Write Perfectly, Mistakes Free
Conciseness Be Short, but Complete
Courtesy Be Soft & Gentle
Concreteness Be Specific
Consideration Focus on Receiver
Completeness Complete the Message

4. CLARITY
■ Use common and simple language.
■ Construct effective sentences and short paragraphs.
■ Use concrete words instead of abstract words.
■ Avoid unnecessary information.

5. Bad example:
Dear James,
I would like to talk to you about the new client’s project which the engineering team had
discussed yesterday. I might need the help of John from your team.
Regards,
Kevin
There are innumerable things that are wrong in this email. James might not even know who
the new client is or what the project is about. He probably was not part of the meeting with
the engineering team. Furthermore, there might be more than one John in James’ big team.
Kevin also mentions that he wants to talk. However, he hasn’t mentioned what time he would
like to talk, neither has he asked James if he would be free at any of the time slots available.
Here’s how this email could be made clearer.

6. Good example:
Dear James,
As you may know we have signed up XYZ as our new client. I had a meeting with the
engineering team yesterday and had discussed the campaign requirements for this project.
John Redden from your team had done a pretty good job last time doing the social media
campaign for ABC and so I would like him to work on the XYZ campaign too. Would you be
available sometime tomorrow to discuss this further?
Regards
Kevin

7. CORRECTNESS
■ Check the accuracy of facts and figures.
■ Check mistakes in punctuation, grammar, and capitalization.
■ Check misspelled words.
■ Use the right level of language.

8. CONCISENESS
■ Remove the wordy expressions.
■ Include only relevant material.
■ Avoid unnecessary repetition.

9. COURTESY
■ Be sincere.
■ Use expressions that show respect.
■ Be thoughtful and appreciative of the receiver’s point of view.
■ Avoid humor.
■ Avoid discriminatory language i.e., race, color, gender, creed etc.

10. CONCRETENESS
■ Use clear and image building words.
■ Use specific facts and figures.
■ Use active voice than passive voice.

11. CONSIDERATION
■ Focus on “you” instead of” we” e.g.,
■ We are delighted to inform _ _ _ _
■ You will be glad to know _ _ _ _
■ Be sure about the benefits of the receiver.
■ Consider the needs and problems of the receiver.

12. COMPLETENESS
■ Remember the five W’s (what, when, where, why, who) and how.
■ Provide all the necessary information.
■ Answer all the questions asked.
■ Include additional information, if desired.

13. Principles of Business Writing
1. Know Your Audience
“In organizations today, writers think they are writing for readers. But business readers
don’t read—they retrieve information. To reach their goal, writers must write for
retrievers.”
- Lynn Gaertner-Johnston
■ Writing in a business environment requires the ability to tailor your document to a
variety of different audiences

14. Principles of Business Writing
2. Be Concise
■ As the chart above demonstrates, the most influential decision-makers spend the
least amount of time with your document.
■ Your writing should take this into account.
■ Avoid unnecessary embellishments and get straight to the point.

15. Example
The purpose of this document is to provide the reader with a detailed
explanation of the primary business writing principles. In order to
provide an introduction to this process for new business writers, we have
prepared an overview, which describes the highlights of the business
writing process in just three pages. This detailed document describes
several tips and techniques that writers are able to follow in their path
towards improving their business writing skills.

16. Concise Example
This document explains business writing principles in detail. A three-
page overview has been prepared to introduce this process to new
business writers. The included techniques can be utilized to further
develop your writing skills.

17. Principles of Business Writing
3. Write to Inform, Persuade, or Promote
■ Most business documents are written to disseminate information, persuade an
audience, or promote a product or service.
– Establish a Need.
– Stress Benefits before Features. Readers are looking for direct benefits when
reviewing and approving documents.
– Use Facts and Statistics: provide trustworthy supporting evidence
– Provide a Call to Action: establish a clear deadline and plan next steps