STUDENTS' CORNER - 195

Successful communication ensures proper understanding between the two.

In our previous sessions, we have dealt with the 7Cs of Communication skills in detail and also we briefly recollected those points; we have seen the first three Cs in brief and now we shall also look into the rest of the Cs shortly for the sake of continuity. The Cs we have to consider are Concrete, Concise, Consideration and Courteousness.

We have to remember that all these 7Cs are inter-related and all go into the making of the communication skills. Possibly, there might arise occasions wherein you may have to lay emphasis on any one or two of the Cs depending upon the receiver of your message. Emphasis does not suggest excluding any C in favour of some other Cs; it only implies addition of one or two sentences or illustrations. Supposing you are writing to one of your dear friends or even your permanent customer for years, there consideration will naturally creep in your language without any effort. To a customer who is figure-sensitive, you may have to give some more facts and illustrations. In short,  all the Cs do need to be given space in your letter and of course, not in the same order we have discussed. The context and content will decide the tone and the order of the Cs with emphasis somewhere.

Now we will move on to the other four Cs and begin with Concrete. The message you send to your partner or the receiver must be lucid so that there is no room for another interpretation or for misrepresentation. It says facts and nothing but facts directly not couched in an unwanted difficult language. Say, you are releasing an ad for your warehouse facility; then, it must furnish clear-cut details; how many feet long and how many feet wide and how tall; everything. Use of words like ‘very large’ ‘adequate to your need’ ‘ample space’ ‘updated technological devices’ ‘plenty of racks’. These words actually do not convey exact details. Not only that; a sensitive reader will be forced to dub you as incompetent. Ambiguity irks the reader and negatively impacts on him with regard to the image he may build for you.

Concise means to be short and to the point. Pl remember your reader possibly does not have much time at his disposal; with a tight schedule or even without one, nobody likes to spend much time for a business correspondence beyond need. What can be said in five or six words, using 15 for 20 words to convey the same fact is a waste of time and energy. How odd you would look if you put on a shirt which is larger than the usual size, say 40 for 36 of a brand shirt; same effect will be there if you have used unnecessary number of words.

Consideration and Courteousness manifest a very important fact about you to the reader: you know the strength and the weakness of your partner, your reader; also, they also impress upon the reader that you are attentive to the feelings of the reader and you are very careful not to hurt or wound the feelings of the reader though he might have earlier committed some silly or serious lapses. These two human factors tend to bind the reader emotionally with the sender. The relationship does not get a hit easily; on the other hand, it suffers lapses of the other in a good spirit. The relationship turns into a source of faith and confidence that you will do good to the other in all ways, business or no business, ; at least the other partner remains convinced that you would not jump to decide to harm the other. After all, this mutual understanding and confidence in one another’s good nature renders the very living a source of encouragement.  You not only earns money but also human beings. Is it not worth living?

OK. We have done with the Communication skills and we shall move on to some aspect in logistics.