7 C's; Format; Rules of Drafting

1. Business Communication Principles:
The 7 C’s
--Dr. Debaleena Dutta

2. Principles of Business Communication
Business communication means building rapport
with the target audience.
With this rapport, we can convince our client to
choose us [our products or services] over our
competitors.
The steps to build this rapport are called
Principles of Business Communication.

3. Principles: 7 C’s of Business Comm.
Conciseness
Clarity
Concreteness
Correctness
Completeness
Courtesy
Consideration

4. Conciseness = Brevity

5. Conciseness
Conciseness means Brevity.
We have to say things in as short way as possible.
Steps to achieve conciseness:
 Use key words.
 Important information first
 Delete over-polite phrases.
 Delete repetitions.
 Cross out redundancies.
 Cut out lengthy phrases
The same as Brevity in
‘Approaches to Technical
Writing’

6. Clarity = No Confusion

7. Clarity [Same as Clarity in Approaches]
Clarity means clear sending of message to the
customer. No scope of confusion or double
meaning.

8. Steps to Achieve Clarity
1. Use glossary for technical terms.
2. This means defining Acronyms and
Abbreviations.
2. Follow one-idea in one-sentence rule.
3. Focus on answering the WH-questions:
what, whom, when, where, how, how many.
4. Use discourse-markers to indicate logical flow.
5. Use Active voice.
6. Use examples from daily life.
7. Use pictures and info-graphics.

9. Concreteness

10. Concreteness
• Concreteness means giving numerical
information rather than adjectives and
adverbs.
Eg.:
We need a bigger office space soon.
A lot of customers filed return-and-refund for our
products today.
approx 10, 000 sq. ft. by end of November
Twenty

11. Correctness

12. Correctness
This means no error in:
Grammar
Spelling
Punctuation

14. Completeness

15. Completeness
This means Complete product information:
• Manufacturing date
• Expiry date
• Batch No.
• Location of the Manufacturing Unit
• Warnings
• Instruction Booklet with pictures, etc.

18. Warn Customers about dangers of the product as well

19. Consideration

20. Consideration
This means putting yourself in client’s shoes.
Consideration is necessary when we are in
customer-service section, and attending
customer’s complaints.
This includes apologizing for an inconvenience;
asking whether it is the right time to talk [in
case you are tele-calling for survey], etc.

21. Courtesy
• This includes showing respect to the person
you are talking to.
• It is done through:
1. Formal greetings to open and close a
conversation.
2. Using words that do not hurt the receiver.

22. 1. Formal Greetings
If replying to a complaint via email, start with
Thanks:
“Thank you for bringing this to our notice.”
If on live chat, start the conversation with
Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening.
Close the conversation with a:
thanks/ promise to solve the problem soon.

23. 2. Use words that do not hurt the
receiver.
This includes using:
1. Gender-neutral words.
Every employee is supposed to bring his I-card
to the office.
2. Using Euphemisms.
Eg.: We need to build a ramp at the entrance for our
physically handicapped employees.
physically challenged
his/her

24. Courtesy
Consideration

25. Purpose of Business Letters
• To Inform [Sales letter; Annual Performance Report]
• To Enquire [Letter of enquiry]
• To Order [Order letter]
• To make request for Credit [Credit letter]
• To complain [Claim letter]
• To adjust the issue of complaint [Adjustment l.]
• To apply for a job [Cover letter]
• To congratulate [colleague or subordinate]

26. Formats of Business Letter
There are 4 formats of writing letters:
• Block Layout
• Modified Block Layout
• Semi-Block Layout
• Simplified Layout
We generally use Block format to write Business
letters. Everything is left-aligned in Block Format.
Easy to check whether we have missed anything.

36. Rules of Drafting
• Drafting means preparing the Write-up in three
stages:
First Draft—roughly noting down all the points
you want to say.
Second Draft—contains your revisions; edit
grammatical errors, Punctuation and spelling
errors. Also, try to order the ideas better.
Third Draft—contains revisions done after other’s
suggestions. Contains adjustment of tone, so that
the reader acts accordingly.

37. Let’s see this applied..

38. First Draft: Ideas written down
Sir:
I regret to inform you that I will not be able to
join the college on 24th. I could not get train
reversation because of rush that happens after
Dussehra in the Howrah-Delhi rout.
Please grant me leave for 24th. I would join the
college on 25th of October.

39. Second Draft: Spelling Revision
Sir:
This is to inform you that I I will not be able to
join the college on 24th. I could not get train
reservation because of rush that happens after
Dussehra in the Howrah-Delhi route.
Please grant me leave for 24th. I would join the
college on 25th of October.

40. Third Draft: Correcting the Tone
Sir:
This is to inform you that I would be able to join the
college on 25th. Due to the post-Dussehra rush, I could not
get a return ticket for 24th. The same reason has driven up
the flight-fares beyond my affordable range.
I understand that the team will face inconvenience. I
deeply regret the situation. I will be available on phone
for any coordination of my duties.
Please consider the emergency nature of the situation,
and grant me a leave extension for one day.

41. Third Draft: Correcting the Tone
Sir:
This is to inform you that I would be able to join the
college on 25th. Due to the post-Dussehra rush, I could not
get a return ticket for 24th. The same reason has driven up
the flight-fares beyond my affordable range.
I understand that the team will face inconvenience. I
deeply regret the situation. I will be available on phone
for any coordination of my duties.
Please consider the emergency nature of the situation,
and grant me a leave extension for one day.
Give Valid
Reasons
Show consideration. Offer to help.
Highlight
Emergency