Effective Business Writing

The one-day workshop

This is small-group learning at its most practical. The program identifies the main barriers to communication and provides techniques to eliminate them.

The three units of writing

The day begins with a written exercise, which is then held for later discussion. We then go on to examine word choice, sentence and paragraph structure. In considering these three units of writing (the word, the sentence and the paragraph) as well as overall message structure, the emphasis is always on writing as a tool to communicate business messages.

Reports, or letter and memos: your choice

The afternoon begins with a module either on structuring reports or letters and memos, whichever the client prefers. We then look briefly at an easily remembered, non-technical approach to punctuation and some commonly confused words.

Group editing exercise

The last segment of the workshop is a group editing exercise, in which we use a sample of each participant's writing (brought with them for this purpose) to practise the art of editing. Past participants have found this to be an extremely useful exercise, as it clearly illustrates the process of editing, as well as the increased impact of clear, concise business writing.

Unique follow-up sequence

This effective business writing workshop includes a unique follow-up program, consisting of a series of e-mail messages sent directly to each participant over the course of a year following the event. This helps them stay on track with the new learning and avoid backsliding into their old ways, and represents significant value added to the program.

Limited group size

Because of its interactive, hands-on nature, the one-day Effective Business Writing workshop is limited to ten participants.

Helen's first writing program, Effective Business Writing continues to be one of her most requested workshops today.