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The 7 Cs of communication are seven principles for writing and speaking well at work. A message should be clear, concise, concrete, correct, coherent (also called considered), complete and courteous. Use them as a quick check before you send an email, write a report or give a briefing. BOTI’s communication and business writing courses help teams apply them every day.
Good business communication does two things. It gets your point across professionally, and it makes sure the other person understands it. That is not always plain sailing. Effective communication follows a few dependable principles, now widely known as the ‘7 C’s of communication’.
What are the 7 C’s of Communication?
The 7 C’s of communication are a set of principles to follow when you write or speak. They help the people you are communicating with understand your message accurately, the first time. The principles are:
- Clear
- Correct
- Complete
- Concrete
- Concise
- Considered
- Courteous
Each principle is explained below, with practical tips you can use at work.
Clear
A clear message cannot be misunderstood. The reader or listener should know what you mean and what you want without having to guess. Here are some tips to keep your communication clear:
- Use simple, plain language and emphasise the key points of your message.
- Avoid idioms, vague expressions and figures of speech, which can confuse people, especially in a multilingual workplace.
- Before you communicate anything, be clear in your own mind about why you are communicating and what you want the other person to understand or do.
- Keep to one main idea per email or per paragraph where you can.
Concise
Make each point briefly and directly. Use as few words as the message needs. Short sentences keep listeners and readers engaged. Concise communication saves time, avoids repetition and is easier for the audience to grasp.
In practice, cut filler phrases such as “I am writing to inform you that” and “at this point in time”. Remove anything you have already said once. Put the key request or decision in the first two lines, not at the end.
Concrete
A concrete message is specific and backed up by relevant facts, figures and examples. That is what makes it come across with confidence. Compare “sales were down a bit” with “sales were 8% below target in March”. The second statement gives people something they can act on.
Name dates, quantities, people and next steps. “Please send the report soon” is vague. “Please send the signed report to finance by Friday at 12:00” is concrete.
Correct
Being correct means choosing the right channel and the type of language that suits your message and audience. A formal letter, a Teams chat and a site briefing each need a different tone. Correctness also means accurate facts, and spelling and grammar free of typing errors. Check names, figures and dates before you send. One wrong number can undo the credibility of an otherwise good message.
Considered
Considered, or coherent, writing and conversation follow a logical order and make sense from start to finish. The order of your points matters. Each point should lead naturally to the next and be easy to follow. Considered communication should also be consistent in style and content across platforms, so your email, presentation and intranet notice all tell the same story.
Some versions of the 7 Cs call this principle “coherent”, and others call it “considerate”. Considerate means thinking about the audience’s point of view, knowledge and needs. The ideas overlap. A well-considered message is organised logically and written with the reader in mind.
Complete
Every message should give the audience enough information to understand the whole picture and act on it. A complete message answers the questions the reader is likely to ask: what, why, who, when and how. Ways to make a message complete include:
- Including a ‘call to action’, which states the response you want from your audience.
- Adding relevant hyperlinks or attachments to written content, so readers can find supporting information.
- Confirming deadlines, contact people and any decisions already made.
Courteous
Being polite and respectful towards your audience is vital to effective communication. A professional, friendly and considerate manner usually gets a better response. Courtesy also involves transparency, honesty and a willingness to discuss openly and answer questions. In difficult messages, such as a complaint response or a performance conversation, courtesy keeps the relationship intact while you deal with the issue.
The 7 Cs in practice: a before-and-after example
Before: “Hi all, just a reminder about the thing next week, please make sure everything is ready and let me know if there are any issues, thanks.”
After: “Good morning team. The quarterly client review is on Tuesday 14 May at 10:00 in Boardroom 2. Please send your updated project figures to me by Friday at 15:00. If you cannot meet this deadline, let me know by Thursday so we can plan around it. Thank you.”
The second version is clear about the event and the request. It is concise and concrete, with a date, time, place and deadline. It is complete because it covers what to do if there is a problem, and it stays courteous throughout.
A quick 7 Cs checklist before you hit send
- Clear: will the reader know exactly what I mean and what I want?
- Concise: can I remove any word, sentence or paragraph without losing meaning?
- Concrete: have I given specific facts, figures, dates and names?
- Correct: are the facts, spelling, grammar and tone right for this audience?
- Considered: do my points follow a logical order, and have I thought about the reader’s view?
- Complete: have I answered what, why, who, when and how, and stated the next step?
- Courteous: is the message respectful, honest and professional?
For more on putting these principles to work, read why business writing matters at work and how to write a report. BOTI’s Business Writing Skills for Function and Purpose and Email Etiquette Course focus on written messages. The online masterclass Effective Business Communication: Emails, Reports and Presentations That Land covers emails, reports and presentations in three hours.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 7 Cs of communication?
The 7 Cs of communication are seven principles for effective workplace writing and speaking. A message should be clear, concise, concrete, correct, coherent (also called considered), complete and courteous. Checking a message against them helps the audience understand it the first time and respond the way you intend.
Why are the 7 Cs of communication important in business?
Unclear or incomplete messages lead to mistakes, rework, missed deadlines and frustrated customers. The 7 Cs give everyone in a team the same simple standard for emails, reports, meetings and presentations. That saves time and reduces misunderstandings.
Is the seventh C considered, coherent or considerate?
Different versions of the model use different words for overlapping ideas. Coherent means the message is logical and consistent. Considerate means it is written with the audience’s needs and point of view in mind. This article uses considered to cover both.
Do the 7 Cs apply to customer service?
Yes. Customer service agents use the same principles when they answer calls, emails and complaints. A reply that is clear, complete, correct and courteous resolves the query faster and leaves the customer with a better impression of the organisation.
How can my team practise the 7 Cs of communication?
Use the seven-question checklist on everyday emails and reports, and review real messages together as a team. Structured training also helps, because delegates practise rewriting their own work with feedback. Ask BOTI to help you plan a session around your team’s typical messages.
To build these skills across your team, consider BOTI’s Business Communication Strategies: Verbal, Non-Verbal and Written course. It covers spoken, written and non-verbal communication at work. Training runs in-house at your premises, at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or live online. This course is not accredited. It is delivered as a professional skills programme, and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance. Call BOTI on 011 882 8853 or email [email protected], or request a quote.