Spearhead Training > Business Skills Open Courses > Business Writing Skills

The Art of Good Letter Writing
- Deciding When to Write
- Getting the Purpose Clear
Understanding Your Reader
- 8 important questions
- The Cues Used to Assess Your Written Communication
Creating Logic and Sequence
- The Basic Structure
- Better Subject Lines
- Good Openings and Effective Endings
- Building the Main Body
Choosing the Right Words
Punctuating Appropriately
The Importance of Style
- Creating the Right Impression
- Active and Passive "Voice"
- Clearing the "Fog"
Writing Difficult Letters
- How to Answer a Complaint

- Giving Bad News
E-mail
- The Special Problems with E-mail
- E-mail Etiquette – do’s and don’ts
Reports
- Getting Started
- Guidelines for Success
Practical Exercises
- Reviewing Examples of Written Communications

 

What you will get from this course:

• 1. A thorough understanding of the key principles and techniques for effective written business communication
• 2. Positive guidelines for writing business letters, e-mail, reports and proposals
• 3. Expert individual guidance on improving the effectiveness of your own written communications
• 4. A Certificate of Attendance
• 5. A CD of up to date self-development and reference materials to reinforce your learning
• 6. On going support via e-train, Spearhead’s scheduled e-communications of additional tips and advice to sustain your motivation and support your personal development when you are back at work
• 7. Access to the Spearhead telephone Help-line so you can get individual post-course support from your tutor when you want it



Description of Course:

Many, otherwise fluent, verbal communicators struggle when asked to communicate using the written word. Yet written communication, often in the form of email, dominates the business environment. Thus, whatever job you do, the ability to write well is more important than ever. Poor written communications waste time and money. Poor written communications reflect badly not only on the writer but also the writer’s organisation.

Effective business writing is very different to the type of creative writing many of us were taught at school or to the written assignments we completed at college or university. Common problems associated with business writing include how to get started, how to write both clearly and concisely and how to end. This one day practical and pragmatic workshop will show you how to master the written word so you can be more confident that your written business communications will be both effective and professional.

This course is not run like an English lesson – instead it systematically covers the key principles of effective business writing. Using both exercises and real life examples, delegates learn how to - and how not to - communicate a message in the written form. It is a fun and informative day covering letters, email, reports and proposals.

For effectiveness numbers on this course are strictly limited so that each delegate can receive individual support from the tutor. Delegates can bring examples of their own written communications to the course and receive individual guidance and advice from the tutor on how these could be improved. This support extends to after the course, when delegates can continue to contact their tutor using Spearheads dedicated post-course support help line. There are also excellent writing course support materials provided at the end of the course that form a valuable reference source for the future.

The course is run at regular intervals at our venues in London and Oxfordshire. Both training centres are easy to get to, and so most delegates will be able to attend the course without the need for an overnight stay. However, if accommodation is required there are suitable hotels local to both centres that you can book.

In summary, taking one day to attend this business writing course will be an excellent investment of your time because you will leave the course knowing how to make your written communications more effective – and that is good for you and for your organisation.

Spearhead Training > Business Skills Open Courses > Business Writing Skills