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Fundamentals of Business Laws and Business Communication · Process of Communication

Objectives and Principles of Business Communication: the 7 Cs

Updated 10 October 2026 · Fact-checked

Business communication has set purposes: to inform, persuade, instruct, build goodwill, and support decisions and records. It is effective when it follows the 7 Cs: Clarity, Conciseness, Concreteness, Correctness, Consideration, Courtesy and Completeness. In MCQs, match the situation described to the right C or objective.

Understand Objectives and Principles of Communication

Business communication is the exchange of information, ideas and messages within and outside an organisation to get work done. It is never done for its own sake. Every message has a purpose, and that purpose is its objective.

The common objectives are:
- To inform: share facts, such as a notice of a holiday or a price list.
- To persuade: change a view or action, such as a sales letter.
- To instruct: tell people what to do and how, such as a manager's work order.
- To build goodwill: create a good image with customers, staff and suppliers.
- To support decisions and records: give managers data to decide, and keep proof for later.
- To motivate and coordinate: align employees and departments toward common goals.

A message can have the purpose right and still fail because it is badly made. Principles of effective communication are the rules that make a message work. The best known set is the 7 Cs.

The 7 Cs: Clarity means one clear idea the reader cannot misread. Conciseness means saying it in the fewest words without losing meaning. Concreteness means using specific facts and figures, not vague words. Correctness means right facts, grammar and tone for the reader. Consideration means writing from the receiver's point of view (the 'you' attitude). Courtesy means being polite, respectful and sincere. Completeness means giving all the facts the reader needs to act.

To remember them, think of the phrase: the message must be Clear, Concise and Concrete, then Correct, then Considerate, Courteous and Complete. Group them as 3 + 1 + 3. Some books add other principles, such as candour or credibility, or use fewer Cs. If the question says 7 Cs, use the seven above.

Key formulas to remember

The 7 Cs
Clarity, Conciseness, Concreteness, Correctness, Consideration, Courtesy, Completeness
Learn all seven in this order. Questions often ask which one is NOT part of the 7 Cs.
Objectives of business communication
Inform, Persuade, Instruct, Build goodwill, Support decisions and records, Motivate and coordinate
Wording varies between books. Focus on the idea behind each objective.
Consideration (you-attitude)
Write from the receiver's viewpoint: stress 'you', benefits and needs of the reader
This is the most commonly tested C because it is easy to confuse with courtesy.
Concise vs complete
Conciseness = fewer words, same meaning; Completeness = all needed facts present
Being short must never mean leaving out facts the reader needs.

How to solve Objectives and Principles of Communication questions

Most questions on this topic either define a C or objective, or give a short situation and ask you to name the principle being followed or broken. Use this method.

  1. 1Read the question and decide whether it asks about an objective or a principle.
  2. 2If a situation is given, find the key clue: vague words, long wording, missing details, rude tone, errors or reader focus.
  3. 3Match the clue to one C: vague points to Concreteness or Clarity, wordy to Conciseness, missing details to Completeness, wrong facts or grammar to Correctness, reader focus to Consideration, politeness to Courtesy.
  4. 4Check the options and cancel any that belong to a different C.
  5. 5If two options seem close, ask which one the clue fits most directly.
  6. 6For 'not part of' questions, run through the seven and pick the odd one out.
  7. 7Mark the answer. Do not spend more than a minute, since there is no negative marking.

Quickest way: Clue-word matching for the 7 Cs

When to use it: Use it for any situational or definition MCQ on the 7 Cs, when you have under a minute per question.

  1. Spot the clue word in the question.
  2. Link it: unclear = Clarity, wordy = Conciseness, specific facts and figures = Concreteness, error = Correctness, reader's needs = Consideration, polite = Courtesy, all details = Completeness.
  3. Eliminate options that are not one of the seven.
  4. Pick the closest match and move on. Guess if unsure, as there is no negative marking.

Common mistakes in Objectives and Principles of Communication

  • Confusing Consideration with Courtesy

    Both sound like being nice to the reader.

    Fix: Consideration is about the reader's needs and viewpoint. Courtesy is about polite, respectful words and manners.

  • Treating Conciseness as 'as short as possible'

    Students think shorter always scores better.

    Fix: Conciseness removes unnecessary words only. If facts are missing, the message fails on Completeness.

  • Mixing up Clarity and Concreteness

    Both deal with avoiding confusion.

    Fix: Clarity is about clear, simple expression of one idea. Concreteness is about specific facts, figures and examples instead of vague words.

  • Confusing the objectives with the principles

    Both are lists of words about good communication.

    Fix: Objectives are why you communicate (inform, persuade). Principles are how you make the message effective (the 7 Cs).

  • Forgetting one of the Cs or adding a wrong one such as 'Clearness' or 'Control'

    Memorising the list loosely without a pattern.

    Fix: Use the 3 + 1 + 3 grouping and recite it in order several times before the exam.

Worked examples

Example 1

A manager sends a message saying: 'Send the report soon.' It does not mention which report or the deadline. Which principle of communication is mainly violated?

A) Courtesy
B) Concreteness
C) Correctness
D) Consideration

Show the solution
  1. The clue is the words 'soon' and 'the report'. They are vague and have no specific details.
  2. Vague words with no specific facts or dates point to Concreteness, which asks for specific facts, figures and time.
  3. Courtesy is about politeness and nothing in the message is rude. Correctness is about errors, and there are none. Consideration is about the reader's viewpoint, which is not the main issue.
  4. So the best answer is Concreteness.

Answer: B) Concreteness

Example 2

Which of the following is NOT one of the 7 Cs of effective communication?

A) Completeness
B) Courtesy
C) Control
D) Conciseness

Show the solution
  1. List the 7 Cs: Clarity, Conciseness, Concreteness, Correctness, Consideration, Courtesy, Completeness.
  2. Check each option. Completeness, Courtesy and Conciseness are all on the list.
  3. Control is not on the list.
  4. So Control is the odd one out.

Answer: C) Control

Exam tips

  • Learn the 7 Cs by heart in order and know one-line meanings. Most MCQs reduce to matching a clue to a C.
  • Practise telling Consideration from Courtesy and Conciseness from Completeness, as these pairs are the usual traps.
  • For objectives, remember the purpose words: inform, persuade, instruct, goodwill, decisions and records.
  • Do not leave any question blank. There is no negative marking, so always mark an option.
  • If a question says a different number of principles, such as 5 or 8 Cs, answer in line with the list in the question or your study material.

Practice questions from Process of Communication

Objectives and Principles of Communication: frequently asked questions

What are the 7 Cs of communication?

They are Clarity, Conciseness, Concreteness, Correctness, Consideration, Courtesy and Completeness. Together they describe a message that is easy to understand and act on.

How do I remember the 7 Cs easily?

Group them as 3 + 1 + 3. First Clear, Concise, Concrete, then Correct, then Considerate, Courteous, Complete. Say them aloud in that order a few times.

What are the main objectives of business communication?

They are to inform, persuade, instruct, build goodwill, support decisions and records, and motivate and coordinate people. A single message can serve more than one objective.

What is the difference between consideration and courtesy?

Consideration means thinking about the reader's needs and writing from their viewpoint. Courtesy means being polite, respectful and sincere in tone and words.