Eye on Entrepreneur > 5 “C’s” of Communication

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Effective communication of any mission, vision, goal, pitch, and expectation involves a lot more than choosing the right words. The right words certainly help, but they are best served when used in conjunction within a well-established method. My suggestion is to strive to incorporate the following “C’s” of Communication into your verbal life. Of course there’s always room for exceptions, but these five concepts will provide a firm foundation from which to speak, write, or otherwise communicate your message.

I describe the 5 “C’s” of Communication as being: clear, concise, consistent, credible, and courteous

1. Clear. I believe in living life in full living color with no shades of gray. And that’s how I communicate. I speak in black-and-white terms with punctuations from the rainbow, but with no gray areas! “Yes” instead of “yeah.” “No” instead of “nah.” And to avoid assumptions, your directives, directions, instructions, regulations, and interpretations should be as clearly stated as those two words. Leave no stone unturned by asking the all-important question: “Do you have any questions?” And be sure to listen very carefully to the answer.

2. Concise. No one likes to listen to someone who rambles on and on and on and on and on – like a boring commencement speaker. You automatically shut them off. Consequently, any important message they might have conveyed tends to lose its impact amongst the clatter and the clutter. I’ve always kept my memos limited to one page, e-mails as concise as possible, and my sound bites positive and to the point. Don’t digress from the subject matter and waste your listener’s time.

Mark Twain told a story about a time he attended a prayer meeting where a missionary spoke about the misery and suffering of his native people. He spoke so passionately and eloquently that Twain mentally doubled the fifty cents he had intended to contribute when the donation plate was passed through the congregation.

As the preacher continued to vividly describe in detail the plight of his people, Twain gradually raised his intended contribution to five dollars, and eventually decided to donate a huge check. “Then he went on,” recounted Twain, “and on and on and on about the dreadful state of the natives, and I abandoned the idea of the check. And he went on, and I was back at a five-dollar donation. And he went on, and I got back to 4 dollars, then two dollars, then one dollar. And still he went on. And when the donation plate came around, I took ten cents out of it!”

3. Consistent. Avoid the yo-yo effect of changing your message to meet the moods of the day. Nothing frustrates people more than someone who gets swayed by the last person who whispered in his ear. Make up your mind, make a choice, and make the message consistent to all parties at all times. People like to follow someone who walks the talk time after time.

4. Credible. Make sure your message is real. As I’ve said, people have a nose for BS, and once your words fail their sniff test, everything else you do or say goes in one ear and out the other. Imagine the “discount factor” you apply to all that’s said to you; this will help you ensure that your word is true and credible.

5. Courteous. “Hello,” “Please,” “Thank you,” “May I,” “Excuse me,” and “I’m sorry” are all too forgotten once we stop watching Sesame Street. When, in fact, these words and phrases are probably some of the most important and effective in the English language. Not to mention simple. It doesn’t take much effort to be courteous and to demonstrate respect throughout the course of the day to everyone you encounter. It sets the right tone and attitude. -- PC