As a provider of call systems we talk a lot about the art of communication. Some may say that it is THE key element in any business. You write emails, facilitate meetings, participate in conference calls, create reports, devise presentations, debate with your colleagues… the list goes on. Indeed, there’s a way to communicate right here, right now!
So how do you go about ensuring that your communication skills are as effective as possible? Using the 7 Cs checklist is a good way to start.
According to the 7 Cs, communication needs to be –
- Clear
- Concise
- Concrete
- Correct
- Coherent
- Complete
- Courteous
Taking each element individually –
- Clear – When writing or speaking to someone, be clear about your goal or message. What is your purpose in communicating with this person? If you’re not sure, then they won’t be sure either. Try to minimise the number of statements in each sentence, making it easier for the reader or listener to understand the message. People shouldn’t have to “read between the lines” and make assumptions on their own to understand what you’re trying to say.
- Concise – When you’re concise in your communication, you stick to the point and keep it brief. Your audience doesn’t want to read six sentences when you could communicate your message in three. Check that you’re not using adjectives or filler words that could be deleted, such as “definitely”, “literally” and “basically”. Remove any unnecessary sentences that are not directly related to the point and make sure that you haven’t repeated the specific subject matter several times in different ways.
- Concrete – When your message is concrete, then your audience has a clear picture of what you’re telling them. Stick vehemently to the details and vivid facts, and there’s laser-like focus. Your message is solid.
- Correct – It might sound obvious but when your communication is correct, it fits your audience. And correct communication is also error-free communication. Things to check include making sure that any technical terms makes sense and are used in context, eradicating any grammatical errors and that all names and titles are spelt correctly.
- Coherent – Coherent communication is logical communication. Make sure that all points are connected and relevant to the main topic, and the tone and flow of the text is consistent.
- Complete – In a complete message, the reader or listener has everything they need to be informed and, if applicable, take action. Including a “call to action,” so that your audience clearly knows what you want them to do is a good move, as well being sure to include all relevant information – contact names, dates, times, locations, and so on.
- Courteous – Courtesy costs nothing and courteous communication is friendly, open, and honest. There are no hidden insults or passive-aggressive tones. You keep your audience’s viewpoint in mind, and you’re empathetic to their needs.
In addition to the 7Cs there are people who add another two to the list. Ensuring your message has credibility is particularly important if you’re communication with someone who doesn’t know much about you and communicating creatively helps to keep people engaged.
Taking time to think about how you communicate and the message that you want to convey can be the difference between meeting your goals and not. Applying the rules of the 7Cs will help to cover most bases when looking to communicate effectively. Never underestimate the importance that your ability to communicate can bring to your dealings. And, of course, should you want to monitor how effective your business is at adhering to the rules of the 7Cs, we have a few tools that will help!
If you’d like to find out more about call recording or call logging software please don’t hesitate to give us a call; we’d be happy to tell you everything we know – which happens to be rather a lot! Drop us a line on 0333 0022 440, or contact us. We’re here ready to help.