Communication, Employability and Entrepreneurship Skills
Communication carries every retail transaction, and employability skills decide whether a candidate keeps the job. This domain tests the communication process, the 7Cs, listening and business writing, plus résumé, interview and basic entrepreneurship numeracy.
Communication essentials
- Process: sender → encoding → channel → message → decoding → receiver → feedback, with noise at every stage. Feedback confirms understanding; without it you have only transmitted.
- 7Cs: clear, concise, concrete, correct, coherent, complete, courteous.
- Non-verbal (posture, eye contact, gestures, grooming) and paraverbal (tone, pace, volume) often carry more than the words themselves.
- Active listening: face the speaker, do not interrupt, paraphrase back ('so you need delivery by Saturday'), ask clarifying questions.
- Business writing: subject line stating the purpose, short paragraphs, one clear action, correct spelling, no all-caps, no slang; reply within a working day. On the telephone, answer within three rings, name the store and yourself, and ask before putting a caller on hold.
Employability and enterprise
- Résumé: one page, reverse-chronological, achievements with numbers, no false claims. Interview: STAR answers (situation, task, action, result) and a prepared question about the role.
- Digital literacy expected: email, spreadsheets, POS reports, and safe handling of customer data.
- Enterprise basics: market survey, business plan, break-even = fixed cost ÷ contribution per unit, funding routes such as Mudra loans and Startup India recognition.
Worked example
A small store has fixed costs of ₹1,20,000 a month, sells at ₹300 and incurs ₹180 variable cost per unit. Contribution = ₹120, so break-even = 1,20,000 ÷ 120 = 1,000 units a month. At 35 units a day for 26 days = 910 units, the shop loses money; it must raise price, cut variable cost or add volume.
Traps that cost marks
- Defining communication as speaking only, with no feedback.
- Writing a résumé with unverifiable claims that fail at reference check.
- Sending long emails with no subject line or requested action.
- Calling break-even the profit point.