Detailed Course Outline
Course benefits:
We all recognise well-written business communications, but their creation is not a matter of chance. The author must understand the purpose of the communication and the intended audience. They must consider how best to structure and express the content for maximum readability and comprehension.
Good writing communicates. It is easy to read quickly, precise in its use of language, concise in its expression, and unambiguous. A good writer needs to be adept with words but must also consider when communication can be improved by using other devices, such as tables or lists.
This course provides the nervous author with a set of easy steps to improve the effectiveness of their business writing. Exercises afford practice in approaches that are usable immediately in the working environment.
This course is suitable for anyone who must communicate successfully through the written word, and who originates documents in their role as a member of a team.
No prior experience is required. Some exposure to the written word is a bonus.
On successful completion of the course, attendees will be able to
- Apply a step-by-step approach
- Lay out work to achieve best comprehension by the reader
- Use appropriate language and structures
- Write letters, memos, e-mail and reports and be able to apply correct styles
- Getting Started - How to make writing easier and less painful than it is now; why write and what to write; knowing your reader and understanding what they need to know; understanding when something will be read, and where; what to include and what to exclude; steps in writing and standards; the importance of drafting and editing
- Appearance and Layout - Design and Layout; exercise in design and layout; the importance of appearance; the use of Charts and Diagrams; sentences and paragraphs; exercises in punctuation; exercise in applying standards for appearance and layout
- Word Use and Abuse - Basic Principles; the Active Voice; readability; exercise to calculate the readability of sample texts; word choice and meaning; spelling; exercises on word choice, word meanings and spelling; on being Politically Correct; exercise; differentiation
- Letters, Memos and E-mail - Business letters and how to write them; outline for a letter; how to write persuasively and to sell; letter writing exercise; when to use memos; how to write a memo; exercise to write a memo to inform; the use and abuse of electronic mail; exercises in writing e-mail messages
- Report Writing - Reasons for writing a report; generic outlines for reports; steps in report writing; getting over the introduction; presenting complex ideas; using charts and diagrams
The course includes discussion and many exercises. Attendees take away examples of their own work for printing and reference.