Our business writing course helps you improve your skills by giving you ideas on how to develop at every step. This training is ideal for you if your role requires you to write clearly and concisely, because our writing approach works by giving you simple tools. In the training you learn our simple approach and apply it to your work, which means your learning is retained. We have delivered this business writing course to clients in a variety of markets and roles, therefore you can be sure the approach we have developed can work for your organisation. See how participants review our training.
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Our business writing course is tailored to your specific needs in three ways. Firstly we review the content and agenda to agree which elements are the most relevant to you, a bit like choosing from a menu. Secondly, we use or create writing examples of both good and bad practice from your world, which can include redacted emails, documents or whatever are relevant to your situation. Lastly, in the training session itself we engage with the participants and discuss their challenges and tailor our tools and approach to these. This means you get the training your organisation and the participants need.
Business writing course content
The following headings outline the structure of the training which are adapted to suit your needs. Through a zoom or telephone call we discuss the objectives of the training for you and design the structure based on this.
Start with your objective
Although we might think that starting with an objective is a given, it isn’t. Many people just start writing. They have something to write, which could be an email, a promotional piece, a blog, or any other document, and they just start. Considering and deciding on your objective can have a huge impact on your piece, so it is always a good place to start. In the training we discuss this impact on each participant’s work, which definetly makes a difference and gets us off to a good start.
Define your structure
The second step to improve your overall approach to writing is to review your structure. This means planning before you start, which includes; firstly deciding on how do you want the piece to end. Secondly you are asked to map out the steps or stages in your piece. Thirdly you look at how the piece builds and continues as a story. And lastly you share your structure to see if it makes sense to your colleagues in the training.
Clear writing
One of the most popular elements of our businesss writing course is the section on clear writing. Having clarity is a very important goal as it means helping your audience grasp what you are saying. Writing clearly basically means using simple words and avoiding complex ones. If you’re in a technical world this is especially important when communicating to a non technical audience. Our tips on things to avoid is also very useful because it gives a checklist to assess your wrting against, both during and after the training. In conclusion we have exercises which test your clarity where you gain feedback from other participants.
Sentence structure
Structuring your sentences in a simple format is essential to ensure your audience understands you. Too often we hear of sentences which are so long the audience is lost along the way. Our tips on structure include starting with a clear objective for each point to ensure you stay on track. Next we look at simple structure options using examples from your organisation. Using our structure guidelines means you can improve your impact straight away.
Grammar that matters
Whilst this is not a business writing course purely on grammar we do cover the key elements of grammar that really matter. This means we take grammatical guidelines and apply them to modern thinking. For example, the Oxford comma, is it necessary or not? Other examples, like apostrophes are always popular points for debate, because some of us get so wound up about them.
How to check your business writing
Once you have writen your piece an essential skill is the process of checking it. This is often driven by our personality and we use our work style model to inform you of your natural approach to checking work. Read more here.
Examples from your world
To help make our business writing course very relevant we use examples from your world, specifcaly these include emails, letters, promotional materials, internal and external communications, blog posts and adverts. We look at both good and bad examples. You are encouraged to bring examples of your own work, or those you have noticed, into the workshop. We discuss and assess their merits, suggest ways to improve and define what first class communication would look like.
Client example of our business writing course
We have delivered our business writing course with a wide variety of clients; here is one example to illustrate our approach.
IAM Roadsmart was called the Institute of Advanced Motorists and is the body responsible for training advanced motoring skills, aiming to improve the quality of driving.
We delivered a series of half day sessions for most of the teams in all departments.
The feedback speeks for itself.
Martin ran tailored workshops for us for staff at all levels including the CEO about impactful writing skills and why it is so important to get it right. The sessions were informative, highly engaging and practical, even with a hint of fun! The workshops really got people thinking, everyone took something away – very enjoyable, thank you Martin!
Head of HR, IAM RoadSmart
Contact us to see how our business writing course unique approach could help your organisation
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