Better Business Writing // Skills Programs
Learning Objectives
This hands-on one day program is designed to help participants write in a clear, concise and comprehensive manner on a consistent basis. Participants will learn how some of the world’s best business writers construct their summaries, reports and email messages effectively and efficiently.
By the end of this workshop participants will be able to:
- Manage the impressions others have of them based on their writing
- Improve the clarity of their writing by using language and structure effectively
- Construct their messages to evoke desired responses from their readers
- Gain their readers’ attention and peak their interest in your messages
- Manage the tone of their messages so that readers understand the true intentions of their communication
- Modify the approach to their writing to meet the varying needs of different readers
- Construct their messages so that readers know exactly what is required and/or expected of them
- Structure their writing to best meet the informational and business needs of their readers
PROGRAM FLOW
KEY CONTENT AREAS
Welcome
- Introduction
- Learning objectives
- Understanding today’s business readers
- Importance of effective business writing
Structuring Reports + Summaries Effectively
- Organizing ideas before communicating
- Inductive vs. deductive logic
- Clarifying the main message
- Mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive groupings
Gaining your Readers’ Attention
- Context of communication
- Identifying readers’ needs
- Writing highly condensed summaries
- Using headings engagingly
Communicating Clearly
- Clarifying writing purpose
- Main message clearly stated
- Statements of what is required
- Using language effectively
- Writing in clear English
- Avoiding unnecessary words and phrases
Clarity of Meaning
- Meanings are in people
- Balancing tone with brevity
- What is s/he really saying?
Effective Use of Email
- Email structure
- Email etiquette