7 c’s of Business Letter

1. Be clear: have a definite purpose for writing and make sure it is clearly communicated up front.
Be bold and connect quickly. In the midst of the typhoon we needed to be clear on our commands or
risk adverse reactions to the sea.
2. Be complete: include all the necessary facts and background information to support the
message you are communicating. Partial instructions would not work if we were to survive. Our
captain had to make sure we saw the complete picture.
3. Be concise: keep in mind the reader's knowledge of the subject and their time constraints.
Convey the information as quickly and easily as possible. Keeping it concise (or short) was a life saver,
more so when you needed to react immediately to a changing sea or wind pattern.
4. Be creative: use different formats (vs. straight narrative) to communicate your message. Q & A
format, graphics, Idea lists, etc. Sometimes hand signals were needed when the wind and the sea
drowned out our ability to hear.
5. Be considerate: keep your reader's needs in mind as you write. Ask yourself, 'Why should my
reader spend time reading this?' Make it worthwhile for them to do so! We were motivated to survive,
to listen and to act. Keep in mind your audience or reader might not be as receptive.
6. Be correct: by checking all your information is accurate and timely. Double- check your spelling,
punctuation and grammar. Proof read it before you send it! We couldn't afford to make mistakes, our
lives depended on it!
7. Be credible: strive to present yourself from a position of reliability and competence. Write to
reinforce your message and make it more believable. We needed to trust that our captain, with his
experience in the US Coast Guard knew what he was doing and was telling us for our own good.

Step 1: Write what you think now that you want to communicate. Get all your thoughts on paper, where
you can view – and if not suddenly. Escape Do not worry, organize your thoughts.
I especially like this passage, because creativity is not hampered at all, and you can find a gem of an idea,
if you read what you wrote.
Step 2: Keeping these thoughts in a kind of logical order to give the message of a good structure.
Step 3: Polish. Here you can find would be good to check to make sure you have smooth transitions
between paragraphs, which are difficult to reach a reader can stop cold, and even eliminatesome
phrases that have no strength to your message. Read aloud, it will attract the attention of any obstacles.
(Yes, I do it even if you feel stupid.)
Step 4: call in your inner critic. But be careful editing, I'm looking for communication, not rules of
grammar. This letter should sound like a good conversation.
Now you can delete the solitude for a while 'for steps 5 and 6
Step 5: Please read the message it conveys clearly what youto say. Just do not take any criticism as
gospel, because everyone has their own opinion.
Three readers there may be three opinions. Listen to what they propose to consider and then accept or
reject a change based on your instincts.
This step is scary for a writer 'so – believe me I know! But consider this: Would you rather not hear
about a friend that a sentence is clear, as a customer turn your message files, because they have not
quite "get it?"
Step6: Get someone to ensure your work with the sole purpose, you do not correct a typographical
error to read. If you know what you've written too easy, a place where you could have written
something similar to be missed: 'It is too easy "in the sentence above. They also check abuse of words
like there and their, and your six. This can stop readers cold, as you try to decipher what my test.
Step 7: Back in the solitude – Relax, smile and think positive reactionsYour letter brings. E 'with the law
of attraction.

The Seven C's of Effective Communication is a method of business communication that gives the writer
authority by enabling the writer to present a clear concise letter, memo, or email that easily relays the
author's intent. The message should be written from the reader's point of view, simple and free from
buzz words or jargon, and include a call to action.

 Clear
When writing a letter, memo or email, establish a definite purpose immediately. Use your words to
command attention so that the listener knows that your message is relevant and applies to him.
 Complete
Establish the facts and background of your message. You want to provide the reader with supporting
material that is relevant to the subject material of your message. Provide the reader with the necessary
information that will help him make an educated decision.
 Concise
Your message should be conveyed in a short, concise manner presenting the relevant information to the
reader. Present to the reader only the necessary information that will make it easier for the him to
understand the material.
 Creative
Using the narrative format to convey your message may leave your material flat and unimaginative. Use
various formats (such as charts, graphs and statistics) to convey your message in a more effective way
and capture the attention of your audience.
 Considerate
The reader's needs should always be kept in mind when you write. The "you attitude" refers to looking
at your writing from the reader's point of view, emphasizing exactly what the reader wants to know, and
respecting the intelligence and protecting the ego of the reader. Refer to the reader's request
specifically and keep your own emotions out of your writing--unless your feelings are specifically
solicited by the reader.
 Correct
Your writing should be free from grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors. Double check the
accuracy of your writing, ensuring all information is accurate and timely. The message in your writing
must be clear in order to be effective. You want your reader to understand and recall your message.
 Credible
Present your message from a position of reliability and authority. Reinforce your message and be
consistent. Repetition of your message enables the reader to understand new concepts and ideas, learn
a new behavior, and mentally rehearse how to react to the content within your message. 
Your objective is to have an effective piece that includes a call to action compelling the reader to act. A
call to action encourages, inspires and motivates the reader to attempt a new behavior and make
difficult decisions that he otherwise may have never made before he read your message.

If you follow these 7 guidelines of business letter writing, then it will help convey your message.
Be Direct
The first thing you must keep in your mind while writing a business letter, is to ensure that the time of
the reader is not wasted because of a long letter. Keep in mind the following two questions to ensure
yourself this, ‘why are you writing’ and ‘what do you want to accomplish’. The answer to these
questions will enable you to write the letter in a straightforward manner. If you take these two
questions under consideration before you start writing, your letter will be short and will convey your
message to the reader in a better way.
Types of Business Letters
Business letters vary with one common purpose or a common format. People handle different types of
businesses, so business letters are written in different ways to achieve different purposes. The answer to
coming up with an efficient letter is to be aware of the type of business letter you wish to write. The
various types of business letters are adjustment, complaint, order, acknowledgement, and response and
inquiry letter.
Adjustment Letter:The adjustment letter is a letter that is to be written as a reply to a complaint letter
against something or someone. It serves the purpose of informing its reader that suitable measures are
being implemented against the previously specified wrong doing. Besides this, the adjustment letter also
operates as an official document to acknowledge the complaint.
Complaint Letter: This letter is quite similar to the adjustment letter. The only difference is that it is not
essentially written in response to a wrong doing. Its purpose is to notify its reader about some error that
had been detected and requires immediate attention and correction. This letter too acts as an official
document informing its reader that actions are being taken to solve the problem.
Order Letter: As the name suggests, an order letter is written for ordering materials that are in short
supply and hence, will be required soon. Order letters are commonly also known as POs (Purchase
Orders). Once again, this is an official document specifying the transaction between the vendor and the
business organization.
Acknowledgement Letter: Main aim of an acknowledgement letter is to show gratitude to its reader for
something s/he had done for you in office. It could be simply expressing your thankfulness with respect
to some help that had been rendered by its reader or with regards to something you had received from
the reader. Although acknowledge letters are not mandatory in a business setting, they are appreciated.
Response Letter: Again, the name ‘Response letter’ is quite self-explanatory. This letter is written as a
reply to some other letter that was received by the person. The main idea of writing such a letter is to
perform adequate actions in response to a favor that was asked for by the person receiving the letter.
Inquiry Letter: This is a letter written with the objective of conveying a certain request to its reader or as
a reply to the request made by its reader in his/her initial letter. Thus, the main purpose of inquiry
letters is to get across your request for a certain material or object to the reader.
Business Letter Writing Checklist
Once the business letter you are writing is over, check it with the checklist to ensure that your letter has
accomplished the rules set in the checklist. The main fundamental use of the checklist is to ensure that
the business letter is: simple, strong, sincere and the most important rule ‘short’. After finishing the
letter if you find out that your business letter is at par to all such qualities then congratulate your self for
having accomplished just the ideal business letter.