CHAPTER 5 PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Introduction
Your careful planning of the message is most important for effective communication since your
goal is to gain desired reaction or action from the recipient. Thus, think and plan before you
communicate. This means, to determine what points to include in your message, and to
determine how to arrange those points for greatest effectiveness you need to analyze the
communication context by asking yourself what is the purpose of the message, what is your
reader’s point of view, and what is necessary to achieve the principles of effective
communication. Planning in communication requires applying the following steps:

1. Know the purpose of the message

Your reader appreciates knowing the purpose of your message. Hence, your first step
is making known the purpose of your message. Every message has two categories of
purpose:
a) Business objective (What of a message) - establishes the subject content- your
business objective is to obtain the information that will help your dealer help you.
Example: informing your reader that you are offering a new product or service or
persuading him to purchase the new product or service or informing him the delay
of the shipment. You may also inquire the availability of sufficient goods.
b) Human objective (How of a Message) - establishes the feeling content. Your human
objective is to establish empathy with the reader so that a spirit of cooperation will
prevail. This part of purpose is important to build goodwill.

Thus, be sure to keep both your business purpose (specific) and human purpose (general) in mind
as you plan every message.

2. Visualize your reader (Audience analysis)

The second step in planning communication is to understand your reader and your
reader’s point of view you should try to clarity your reader the best way you can.
Your reader can be a business or professional person or labor; superior, colleague or
subordinate; man or woman; young, middle aged, or elderly new or longtime
customer; and so on. The different people with whom you are communicating will not
have the same point of view. Visualizing that there is an individual difference, adapt
your message accordingly. Write your message with the individual reader in mind

3. Choose the ideas to include

The third step is to choose the ideas that the message is to include. Identifying the
purpose and the ideas that the purpose is to include is helpful to avoid irrelevant ideas
and overall wordiness. The ideas you will include in the writing depend upon the
type of message you are considering.

4. Get all the facts to support your ideas

Once you have determined the ideas, you must ensure that you have the necessary
figures, facts and quotations to support these ides. Be sure you know your company
policy, procedures and product details if this message requires them.

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 5. Organize your ideas
Before you write your message, outline your ideas in a sequence order so that the
flow of ideas can be smooth

6. Write, revise, and proofread

Write and revise your message carefully no matter your writing is routine short
communication or complex long communication you must read your draft
objectively, from the viewpoint of your reader. Make sure that your message meets
all principles of effective business writing. Finally, after your message is typewritten
(handwritten), it needs careful proofreading. Proofreading is essential to correct any
possible error; so that your message will reflect favorably on you and your business.

In communication, particularly written communication, how something is said is equally

important as what is said because it is the verbal language alone that we use.

THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION (7Cs)

The principles of communication used to achieve both specific and general objectives of a
message are collectively justified as the 7Cs. The commonly used principles are:

1. Completeness 5. Clarity
2. Conciseness 6. Courtesy
3. Consideration 7. Correctness
4. Concreteness

5.1. COMPLETENESS
Your business letter is “complete” when it contains all facts the reader needed for the reaction
you desire. To achieve both the specific purpose of your message and goodwill, examine your
messages to make sure that you have covered everything you intended to cover and that you have
provided sufficient detail for your reader to know what you expect of him or her. Complete letter
also minimizes the possible cost of additional letter. Make sure the reader knows who is to do
what as well as where, when and why he is to do it. Ask yourself the following questions.

1. Have I answered all my reader's questions?

2. Have I anticipated questions reader may have but forgot to ask?
3. Have I provided all the information necessary for my reader to make a logical decision?
4. Have I explicitly asked the reader to perform an action?
5. Is the subject content sufficiently clear to accomplish the business objective?
6. Is the feeling suitable to accomplish the human objective?

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5.2. CONCISENESS
Conciseness is one of the most important principles of effective communication; because a
wordy message requires more time and money to type and read. Conciseness is writing a
message in the fewest possible words without sacrificing completeness and courtesy.
Conciseness contributes to emphasis. By eliminating unnecessary words, you help make
important ideas stand out.
The following are suggestions that could help to achieve conciseness.
1. Eliminate wordy expressions
A. Use single-word substitutes instead of phrases whenever possible with out changing
meanings.

Example:

Wordy Concise

Above – captioned loan this loon Mr. Smith's loan

Enclosed please find enclosed is
Enclosed here with enclosed
It has come to my attention I have just learned
Please don’t hesitate to call upon us please write
Personate to your inquiry as you requested
B. Omit trite expressions – expressions usually longer than necessary and have become stiff,
formal and relatively meaningless because of overuse. They are stereotyped expressions
that should be removed from business letters, memos and reports.
Example:
Trite expressions Concise (original) expressions
Allow me to say Please be advised
Please find attached Attached is/are
Please find enclosed Enclosed is/are
C. Omit “which” and “that” clauses whenever possible
Example:
Wordy: She bought desks that are of the executive type.
Concise: She bought executive-type desks.

2. Avoid unnecessary repetition and wordy statements- Avoid unnecessary repetition even
though it is sometimes necessary for emphasis.
Here are some ways to eliminate unnecessary repetition

a) Use a short name after you have mentioned the longer one once: instead of the Inter-
Allied Johnson Manufacturing company, “use Johnson company”
b) Use pronouns rather than repeating long names: instead of “the East Coast fire insurance
company Inc.” again and again, use “it” or “they”
c) Omit unnecessary articles, relative pronouns prepositions, and conjunctions
Example:
Wordy Concise
Article: the evidence we have Evidence we have

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 Relative:
Pronoun: He said that he agreed he said he agreed

Prepositional:
Phrase: date of the policy policy date

3. - Include only relevant facts-with courtesy

- Include only those ideas that develop the purpose of the message. The extent of the
length of a message depends on the job it is expected to perform effectively.

The major causes of irrelevancy include:

a) Not sticking to the purpose of the message
b) Including information obvious to the reader.
c) Using big words to make an impression
d) Beating around the bush-not coming to the point
e) Being excessively polite, etc…

5.3. CONSIDERATION
The relationship of the message, sender and receiver profoundly affects communication
effectiveness. Consideration means that you prepare every message with the recipient in mind
and try to put yourself in his or her place. Try to visualize your readers (or listeners) – with their
desires, problems, circumstances, emotions and probable reactions to your request. Then handle
the matter from their point of view. This thoughtful consideration is also called “you - attitude,”
empathy, the human touch, and understanding of human nature. In all four specific ways you can
indicate you are considerate:
1. Focus on “you” instead of “I” and “we”
Your readers are usually more concerned about themselves than about you or the company
you represent. They are more likely to read your message when they see their name and the
pronoun “you” rather than “I, We, Us.”

Usually it is desirable to get your reader into the first paragraph, If psychologically
desirable, begin with “you” or “your,” and keep your reader in the message (tactfully) until
you finish. The opposite of the you –attitude is the we-attitude, in which the writer views
every matter from his or her own (or organization’s) standpoint rather than from the reader’s:
We – attitude You - attitude
I want to send my Congratulations… Congratulations to you on your….
We will ship the goods in your May 4 orders. You should receive the Apex
Screen you ordered may 4.
Evaluate the following example:

We – attitude: May I take this opportunity to express my thanks for the account
you recently opened with our store. We are pleased to furnish a
wide variety of products for the home or individual

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 You – attitude: Thank you for the account you recently opened at Bekinson’s.
Serving you with your needs for clothing and a home furnishing is
a pleasure.

As the foregoing example illustrates, a letter is likely to have better you – attitude when it
contains more “you’s” than “I’s.” However, in two kinds of situations it is advisable not
to use “you”
When the reader has made a mistake:
Poor: You failed to enclose your check in the envelope.
Better: The envelope we received did not have your check in it.
When the reader has expressed an opinion different from your own.
Poor: You are entirely wrong in your attitude.
Better: The proposed plan has three aspects which are extremely important
and which we need to explain now.

2. Show interest (benefit) in reader

Whenever possible and true, show how your readers will benefit from whatever the message
asks or announces. They will be more likely to react favorably and do what you suggest if
you show that benefits are worth the effort and cost. Even a simple request gets better
response when a reader-benefit plug accompanies it.

For example, an insurance company that wanted to up-date its address files sent to one-half
of its policyholders a double post card with this message:

Since we haven’t written you in some time, please help us bring our records up-to-
date by filling in and returning the other half of this card. Only 3 percent of these cards
came back.
To the remaining half of its policyholders the firm sent the same request-reworded to
show reader benefit:

So that divided checks, premium notices, and other messages of importance may
reach you promptly, please fill out and return the other half of this card. This request
brought 90 percent of the cards back in a few days.

Reader-benefit appeals help collect payments on bills, soften the blow in a turndown and
sell products. They are desirable also in job applications, favor requests, and
announcements to your customers, prospective buyers, stockholders and employees.

If your company provides employee benefits-such as health insurance and various

retirement plans-management should make every effort to assure that all employees
understand and appreciate those benefits. To inform employees effectively, management
can use such media as memos, employee manuals, bulletins, reports, etc.

3. Emphasize the pleasant, positive facts

A third way to show consideration for your reader (or listener) is to accent the positive.

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 This means,
(1) stressing on what can be done instead of what can not be done and
(2) Focusing on ideas your reader can view favorably.

The reader wants to know what you can do for him or her. For most, people negative
words like no, won’t, cannot, never, impossible, trigger unpleasant emotional reactions.
By making clear what you can or will do, you (by implication) often make clear what you
cannot do, without using a single negative word.
Negative-Unpleasant Positive-Pleasant
It is impossible to open an As soon as your signature card
account for you today. reaches us, we will gladly open an…..

When a customer closes an account, try to begin your follow-up letter to the former
customer with a favorable positive paragraph. A negative opening emphasizes ideas you
would rather not have the reader think about. Consider the following example.
Negative opening:
We regret that, since you closed your account, your name will be missing from
our long list of satisfied customers. We sincerely…..
Better opening:
It was a pleasure to have had you as a member of federal savings. Thank you for
giving us the opportunity to serve you. We noticed recently that you closed your
account with us. Perhaps….
4. Apply integrity to your messages
To be truly considerate, you need also to apply integrity-high moral standards, personal
honor, truthfulness, sincerity-to your messages. In our day-to-day living, in our jobs, in
business transactions, in everything we do, integrity is indispensable. Without it business
communications would prove worthless and our confidence in people would be shattered.

Because you are an agent of your company, always remember that your messages
help build your company’s image. And to make this image one of integrity requires
consistently fair treatment of customers and emphasis on basic honest instead of
insincerity and bluffing. “Honesty is the best policy”.

A sentence like the following adapted from a sales message is misleading and
exaggerated:
“Nationwide, three out of four people prefer this amazing new XYZ widget”
(Actually, the product was not nationally known, and only three persons in each of four
states were surveyed!)
Consideration involves the golden rule-showing to others the same fairness and honesty
we expect for ourselves. Remember both your own integrity and that of your company
are revealed in the business message you write.

5.4. CONCRETENESS
Communicating concretely means being specific, definite, and vivid rather than vague and
general. The following guidelines should help you write concretely:

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1) Use specific facts and figures
Whenever you can substitute an exact fact or a figure for a general word to make your
message more concrete and convincing do so.
Vague, general, indefinite. Concrete and convincing

Our product has won several (Name) product has won first prize
prizes. in four national contests within the
past three years.
Please send your check for the please send your check for $500
full amount soon. on or before June 5.
A quick shave. A three-minute shave.

Often vague, general words are opinion words; they may have different meanings to the
sender and the receiver. For instance how fast is fast? How large is large? The list that
follows gives words, which can lead to uncertainty, misunderstanding, or confusion.

A few more short

High most slow
Large nice small
Low quick soon
Many several tall

Using plenty of examples, prefixed by phrases like “for instance,” “for example,” “such
as,” also helps make your writing concrete as well as clear.

2) Put action in your verbs

Strong verbs can activate other words and help made your sentences definite. To write strong
sentences, you should :
1. use active rather than passive verbs, and
2. put action in your verbs instead of in nouns and infinitives.

Generally, you should use active rather than passive verbs, because active verbs help
make your sentences more:
1. Specific
“The board of directors decided” is more explicit than “A decision has been made.”
2. Personal
“You will note,” is both personal and specific; “It will be noted” is impersonal.
3. Concise
The passive requires more words and thus, slows both the writing and reading.
Compare:
“Figures show” with “It is shown by figures.”
4. Emphatic
Passive verbs dull action. Compare
“The child run a mile” with “A mile was run by the child.
Action must also be put in verbs, not in nouns and infinitives. Notice the following
examples:

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 Action hiding in a Noun Action in the verb
The function of this office is the This office collects accounts
Collection of accounts and the and compiles statements.
Compilation of statements.
Mr. Jones will give consideration Mr. Jones will consider the report.
to the report.
Action hiding in Infinitive Action in the verb
The duty of a stenographer is A stenographer checks and
to check all incoming mail and records all incoming mail.
to record it.
3) Choose vivid, image-building words
Among the devices you can use to make your messages forceful, vivid, and specific are
comparisons, figurative language, concrete instead of abstract nouns, and well chosen
adjectives and adverbs.

5.5. CLARITY
Clarity is the transfer of messages with out being misunderstood. A misunderstood message is
worse than no message at all. A message that is not clear to a receiver cannot possibly
communicate the sender’s intentions. Thus, clarity is the sender’s first responsibility. Here are
some specific ways to help your messages clear:
1. Choose short and simple words rather than long and complicated words
In general short, familiar, everyday words communicate more effectively than longer, less
well-known words. Therefore, use short and familiar words if your reader is to
understand your message.
Example:
Complicated word simple word
Interrogate ask
Subsequent to after
Give consideration to consider
Under date of on
As of this writing now
Ameliorate improve
Cognizant aware
In addition, when you select words you should make sure that the words you have
selected will mean the same thing to your audience as they do to you. Words have both
denotations (dictionary meaning) and connotations (associated, personal meanings). For
instance, the words inexpensive and cheap can denote the same thing. But their
connotations are decidedly different. For most people, inexpensive simply means low in
cost while cheap means poorly made or a poor value.

Whenever possible, avoid technical jargons when you talk or write to a person who is not
familiar with such words. If you must use technical words, define them briefly and
clearly, other wise you will confuse, embarrass, or irritate your reader, and perhaps be
forced to explain later.

Example:

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 Technical jargon Expressions familiar to layperson
Annual premium annual payment
Assessed valuation value of property for tax purpose
Charge to your principal increase the balance of your loan
Maturity date final payment date
Per diem daily
2. Construct effective sentences and paragraphs
Clear writing depends on logical structure. A clear message requires a definite
beginning, middle and end. In addition to the logical structure, the writer also needs
to consider unity, coherence, and emphasis.
Unity, to express main ideas
In a sentence, unity means you have one idea, and any other ideas in the sentence
must be closely related to it.
A unified message has continuity of thought and singleness of purpose. Unity and
structure requires planning. You should group related ideas together and then
arrange the groups into a logical sentence. Eliminate ideas that do not pertain to
either your subject content or your feeling content. So that your reader will always
know where your message has been and where it is going as you move from idea to
idea, provide your reader with a clear, specific reference to the preceding idea or
anticipate your next idea with an explicit statement of direction.
Example:
The manager of the firm-X is Abraha and Alemu won a gold medal in the maraton, game.
This two ideas do not related, the second idea is irrelevant to the first ideas.

Coherence, for clear meaning

Sentences and paragraphs should have logical sequence showing the reader the relationship
between them. The use of linking words is important in this case.

Emphasis, for forceful, clear expression

As you move from sentence to sentence repeat key words or ideas or use pronouns to
stand for key words and concepts, but avoid unnecessary repetition.

3. Achieve appropriate readability

Readability contributes to clarity. A clear message is readable. Although readability is a
broad term, using short paragraphs, placing key ideas in short sentences and using
specific language contribute to its function. You should understand that readers
appreciate receiving messages that the can read quickly, easily and with out
misunderstanding.

4. Include examples, illustrations, and other visual Aids, when desirable

Visual aids- such as headings, tabulations, itemizations, pictures, charts- are definite
aids to clarity and easy reading.

5.6. COURTESY
Courteous messages help to strengthen present business friendship, as well as make new friends.
Courtesy stems from sincere you-attitude. It is not merely politeness with mechanical insertions

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of “pleases” and “thank-you’s”. To be courteous, the consideration communicator should follow
the following suggestions regarding tone and promptness of messages.
1. Be sincerely Tactful, Thoughtful, and Appreciative
A truly courteous person sincerely likes people, is thoughtful of their feelings, and tries
honestly to help them. The courteous communicator tries to make messages tactful
instead of blunt, and shows thoughtful appreciation in special messages as well as in
every day communication.

Tactless; blunt Tactful.

Your letter is not clear at all: If I understand your letter
I can’t understand it. correctly…..

Apparently you have already As mentioned in my May 15, 2005 letter

forgotten what I wrote you (or memo) to you , (continue with the facts)…
two weeks ago.

In letters to customers, you usually avoid a one-sentence body because it sounds blunt.
Instead you need to add a few tactful words. But in a memo to someone within your
organization (a fellow employee), you can omit the public relations pitch.

When a reader has had sorrow, bereavement, or hardship the writer should be especially
considerate of feelings and emotions. Words which send cordial, courteous messages of
deserved congratulations and appreciation (to persons both inside and outside the
organization) help build goodwill.

2. Omit Expressions that Irritate, Hurt, or Belittle

The thought-full business communicator should avoid expressions that might offend the receiver.
Therefore, in order to keep you letter courteous you have to avoid:
- Irritating expressions such as:
“Contrary to your inference”
“I do not agree with you”
- Questionably humorous statements
Before you try to be funny, be sure your humor is good-natured and appropriate
for the situation.
- Belittling statements
Talking down or undermining a reader is another form of discourtesy that can
have a profoundly unfavorable effect.
3. Grant and Apologize Good-naturedly
Whenever you have occasion to comply with a customer’s request, begin your letter with the
best news first and inject a courteous, ungrudging tone. Notice the difference in tone of the
following two paragraphs:
Grudging:
Your request causes a great deal of extra paper work to change monthly payments.
However, in compliance with your request, we…
Good-natured:

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 As you requested, we will reduce the monthly interest and principal payments
called for in your note to….

4. Answer your mail promptly

For courtesy as well as better results one should answer a business inquiry promptly - in
two or three days if possible. Even a reply on the bottom of the inquiry or a hand written
note one a postcard is usually better than a late (or no!) reply. If you need time to gather
information, or have a stack of other urgent work, before you can answer a request,
sending a short note like the following distinguishes you as a courteous person:

I will gladly send you the information you need. It may take a few days to assemble the
facts. You will hear from me by….

5.7. CORRECTNESS
In its broadest sense, the term correctness, as applied to a business letter or report means the
communicator should apply the following guidelines in his/her communication.
a) Use the correct level of language
There are three overlapping levels of language – formal, informal, and substandard. The
formal and informal languages are both correct but they are quite different from one
another, have different uses, and should not be interchanged. The former is used for
writing scholarly dissertations, a legal document, or other material for which formality is
expected; while the latter refers to the language of business – for letters, reports, and
other business communications. In other words, the expressions used in formal level of
language are often long, unconversational, and impersonal – just what the term formal
implies. In contrast, the informal level uses short, well-known, and conversational words
instead of formal words.
The third level of language – substandard – is, however, the one you want to avoid
because people generally do not accept it.

b) Include only accurate facts, words, and figures

It is obvious that without correct figures and statements, accurate communication
is impossible. One erroneous digit can make a difference of thousands of money.
Even small errors of a few cents can be annoying to customers and undermine
goodwill.
To be sure of the accuracy of your facts, you should verify all statements before
writing and again before you sign approve the message. You also need to be up-
to-date on lows that affect your organization.

Guessing or assuming that you are right can be costly. Just because a certain fact
was true about a customer last year- or even last month- does not assure it is true
now. You should also realize that, like most things in life, language is alive and
ever changing. This is to say that language is in a continuous development. New
words emerge; old words die. The change in words may result confusion in
usage:

Example:

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 Advice - noun: opinion; information
Advice - verb: to give an opinion; announce
All ready - entirely ready
Already- previously
Complement – noun which makes something complete
Compliment - greetings
Council – noun: group of persons appointed, elected, or chosen to give
advice, make rule, etc.
Counsel – noun: advice or consultation

c) Maintain acceptable writing mechanics

Acceptable writing mechanics include correct punctuation, capitalization, syllabication,
and spelling-plus correct sentence and paragraph structure, already mentioned under
clarity.
1. Spelling
Misspelled words are the single most common error in business letters. The
following words are examples students frequently misspell:
Accommodate Congratulate
Convenience Definite
Embarrass Occurrence
Opportunity Maintenance
Mileage Envelope
Fulfill Loose (lose) questionnaire

2. Punctuation
- Review the rules for using commas, semicolons, and quotation marks.
- Use colon before a list of items, Example: Use the first five English alphabets:
A, B, C, D, and E.
- Use commas to separate items in a series.
- Use quotation- example. for direct quotations when said, “I will go to USA”
3. Subject -verb agreement
. Subjects and verbs must agree in number and in person.
Example: The manager (singular) is (singular) quite young.
4. Pronoun - antecedent agreement.
Pronouns and their antecedents must agree in person, number and gender.
Example: Abraham (singular, masculine, third person) is pushing his (singular,
masculine, third person) product.
5. Tense progression.
Use the simple tenses (past, present, and future) whenever possible. Make sure that
the verbs used for each event accurately depict the time appropriate for that event.
6. Parallel construction.
Like ideas should be expressed in like grammatical structures. Pay particular
attention to series, lists, appositives, and ideas proceeded by correlative
conjunctions (either--- or, neither--- nor, not only--- but also).
a, As he should either quit his job or learn to operate the machine.
b, Neither his supervisor no his assistant filed the paper

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 c, The manager prepared not only the reports but also the tapes.

7. Correct placement of modifiers

To avoid misplaced and dangling modifiers, place modifiers close to the word or idea
that it modifies.

Example:
Dangling: by working hard, the report will be finished soon
Correct: by working hard, I will finish the report soon.
Misplaced: I know a man who sells filing cabinet named smith,
Correct: I know a man named smith who sells filling cabinets.

d) Choose nondiscriminatory expressions

Another important requirement for correctness is “equal treatment of the sexes” and non-bias
to ward people of different races, ethnics, and physical features.

e) Apply all other pertinent “C” qualities

Finally, you remember to proofread, when correspondence has your nonce on if, it represents
the best work you are able to do. If your secretary can’t type a decent letter or memo, that is
still you responsibility, and your business associates will judge you rather than your secretary,
by the material you sign.
Summary
All business writing situations can be analyzed according to the foregoing method. And as
infinitely varied as the possibilities are, all business messages should answer the same general
questions and contain the same basic elements. Cheek every message you write for answer to the
following questions:
 Is the message structured to emphasize its main purpose?
 What is its business purpose?
 What is its human purpose?
 Does the message have secondary purpose?
 Does the message take the reader’s point of view into account?
 What does the reader already know?
 What does the reader want to know?
 What is the reader hoping to hear?
 Does the message contain enough information to be clear?
 Does the message maintain a courteous tone throughout?
 Is it concise?
 Is it grammatically, mechanically, and factually correct?
 Does it express confidence in the reader and the message without being overconfident?
 Does it have a pleasant, conversational tone?
 Does the message specify how the reader will benefit out of it

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