Effective Business Writing

Participants increase their writing competence and confidence in this lively, hands-on 1 day instructor-led seminar as they review and practice strategies for producing clear, well-organized, reader-friendly e-mail, memos, letters, and reports. Topics include how to (1) eliminate wordiness; (2) reduce writing and rewriting time; (3) organize, begin and end documents effectively; (4) present ideas strategically and diplomatically; and (5) recognize and correct the 10 most common errors in business documents. Examples and exercises provide hands-on practice. Participants are invited to send samples of their on-the-job writing for confidential feedback and receive The Writing Center`s manual, A Desk Guide to Business Writing.

At course completion, participants will be able to:

• Use five strategies to eliminate wordiness and make writing clear, active, and precise.
• Communicate precisely, delineate responsibility, emphasize key ideas, and call for action.
• Improve flow and make valuable information easily and immediately accessible.
• Streamline the writing process with a powerful, efficient four-step approach to writing.
• Begin and end documents effectively. Organize documents effectively. Call for action.
• Write for management, technical, lay and mixed audiences with varying levels of expertise and experience. Anticipate reader`s questions to ensure complete information.
• Win the reader`s acceptance and cooperation with positive, reader-centered wording.
• Identify and correct the 10 most common errors in business documents. Apply essential punctuation, usage, and grammar rules.

How do you ensure that your sentences are clear and have the meaning you intended? When should active voice be used? Is it ever OK to use acronyms and jargon?

Gain the answers to those questions as you review and practice applying five strategies for clear, direct wording.

How do you eliminate a choppy style—improve flow?

Review and practice using four transitional devices to move the reader smoothly through your documents and show the logical relationship of ideas.

How do you write more efficiently—cut writing and rewriting time? How should email and other documents begin and end? How do you organize information in a document?

Review and practice four time-saving steps for efficient writing. Learn ways to begin and end documents and ensure complete content. Apply patterns for organizing documents logically and persuasively.

How do you win readers` acceptance and cooperation? How do you improve tone, especially in quickly written e-mail?

Review and practice tips for positive, reader-centered wording. Learn how to adjust writing for different audiences. Review current conventions and standards for email etiquette.

How do you make documents more reader friendly and professional? How do you ensure that no ideas are overlooked?

Learn how effective formatting can be used to make information more accessible and to emphasize important information. Learn how to recognize and correct the 10 most common errors in e-mail, letters and reports.

Anyone who is interested in increasing their writing competence and confidence resulting in production of succinct, focused e-mail, memos, letters and reports.