Business Writing Skills

Report writing, business proposals, sales letters, recruitment advertisements, brochures...today's manager needs the ability to communicate clearly for countless business needs.  

The importance of good communication skills is even more essential when communicating across cultures.  English may be the common language of business, but for many it is a second or third language.  Native speakers need to be particularly aware of this when communicating, as it can be easy to inadvertently alienate listeners and readers for whom English is a foreign language.

We offer both public and tailor made courses in writing for business.  All courses are designed and run by two professional writers with many years' experience of business writing.  Ian Smith is the author of several published research reports; he is currently writing a biography on the Victorian mountaineer, Edward Whymper which is due to be published later this year.  Eleanor Halsall is the co-author of a series of Business English text books for the German publisher, Langenscheidt. She has also produced work for PricewaterhouseCoopers and the Department of Trade and Industry. Her publications are listed here.

Open courses 

Communicating effectively through writing

This one day workshop deals with grammar and sentence construction without assuming that everyone studied grammar at school or that everyone has English as a first language. Working with the essentials of grammar and spelling is followed by a wider look at document styles, effective presentation and reaching different audiences. Interactive exercises include a fun look at the current use of jargon and clichés.

Topics for the day include:

• Spelling – developing confidence in your words
• Commas, apostrophes and the essential tools of punctuation
• Who or whom? – correct word forms
• Clarity and effect – getting the best sentence structure
• Clichés and jargon – how to be fresh and original
• Hackneyed phrases – adverbs and adjectives that make a difference
• English or American? – spelling and the appropriate writing style
• The right word (and only the right word) – plain English
• The long and the short of it – looking at readability
• Know what you want to say - planning

At the end of the workshop participants will be able to:

• Select a writing style appropriate to the reader and medium used
• Have confidence in their own style of writing
• Understand the demands of different documents – emails, letters, reports
• Communicate clearly and effectively, knowing the correct principles of presentation and layout
• Challenge and question their own use of language in written documents

London, 10th July 2008 and 16th October 2008

We also offer two half day courses.  

Business writing

Good written communication is essential for business.  Perhaps never before has precision and clarity been of greater importance than now, in the 21st century.  With a growing amount of written information being produced and distributed daily, it’s more important than ever to get the right message across!

Who is it for?

This course is suitable for anyone who has responsibility for writing and producing business documentation, from emails to reports. 

Course objectives

At the end of the workshop participants should feel confident in

• The use of plain English 
• Correct punctuation and grammar
• Accuracy, brevity and clarity 
• Style and tone
• Document presentation 
• Planning and structuring documents from letters to reports
• Defining the purpose of written communication
• Knowing what is to be communicated and understanding the target audience

This workshop runs as a half day programme for a maximum of 10 participants.  It can be combined with report writing as a one day programme.  The course can also be tailored to run in house at a location of your choice. 

Report writing

The ideal report contains a logical structure, is clear and concise and aids decisions making.  This workshop covers both the style and content of report writing and the presentation of information. The use of styles, table of contents, fonts, page layout and other features of standard packages such as Microsoft WORD, illustrate basic rules of document layout.

Who is it for?

Anyone who needs to write reports or other business presentations.

Course objectives

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to

• Use standard word processing packages quicker, more effectively and more productively
• Design and write a report, whether long or short
• Appreciate plain English, avoid jargon and cliché
• Write economically and concisely

This workshop can be run as a one day or half day programme for a maximum of 10 participants or could be combined with business writing.  

For more information about the courses, please contact us.

Tailor made courses 

We can also tailor courses to match your organisation's particular style.  These can run in house at a location of your choice.  Contact us for a proposal or download a training needs analysis form here tna_checklist.doc to complete and send to us for a proposal without obligation.

Click here for workshops on cross-cultural communication and management training.