Business Writing
Are your staff’s business documents—letters, e-mail messages, reports, proposals—so full of jargon and buzz-words that the meaning is lost forever? Are the documents so long or so unorganized that readers give up on the first page? Do these documents present your organization in the best possible light?
One of our most popular courses, this two-day workshop is designed for anyone who needs to get the main point across clearly and quickly. Participants learn practical, immediately useful techniques that help them write from the readers’ point of view, organize information clearly and logically, and present a professional image of themselves and their organization.
Our Approach: To ensure that our training meets the participants’ needs, we customize the curriculum after assessing writing samples and reviewing objectives.
- During training, we encourage active participation through discussion and practice.
- Participants apply concepts and techniques by evaluating, editing, planning and drafting job-related documents with one-to-one feedback from the instructor.
Depending on the needs of your group, participants will learn how to:
- Plan their writing to achieve a specific purpose.
- Look at any writing project from the reader’s point of view.
- Formulate a clear, concise statement that expresses the most important message.
- Express a main point clearly.
- Include the right information and organize it logically.
- Identify the questions an e-mail message or document needs to answer.
- Present information in a format that helps readers follow points and find details.
- Use lists and visuals to present and support information.
- Use headings and subheadings to give readers a “road map” through a document.
- Write e-mail subject lines that convey useful information.
- Use the right tone for the reader and the situation.
- Use clear, concise, active language and plain English that communicates clearly to specific readers.
- Identify and eliminate “clutter”—unnecessary words that can get in the way of the message.
- Proofread effectively for grammar and usage errors.
Book: Professional Writing Skills
Facilitator Kit: Business Writing
“Write It Well’s business writing class was terrific. We covered the basics as well as more sophisticated writing issues; there was something in it for everyone. The instructor was engaging and the exercises were job-relevant so the time moved quickly. I am going to schedule another class soon.”
–Clayton Monahan, Employee Development Leader, Granite Construction
