Business Writing

Objectives
Write a business letter, a circular, and an email message, each of which fully satisfies a writing quality check. Be confident in choosing an appropriate email writing style and structure emails effectively for maximum impact. Observe email etiquette and implement company policy on written communications. Avoid redundant phrases, unnecessary jargon, clichés and bias. Use sentences and paragraphs correctly.


Course Content
Effective Business Writing:
identifying the characteristics of business writing that works
ensuring clarity and brevity.

Structuring a Letter:
addressing business letters
planning, sequencing and structuring the content
layout and presentation
writing a letter from brief instructions.

Inter-office Written Communication:
identifying basic rules for electronic messages
communicating through email
why email? messages.

Advantages and Disadvantages of email:
plain English
the legal implications
risks to the organisation
personal risk.

Content and Quality in Emails:
what should and should not be in an email
emails for different audiences
confidentiality
'ideal' emails
personal writing style
managing emotion
responses to irate or aggressive emails
the 'overnight' pause.

Business and Organisational emails:
business style - clarity and brevity
readability
eliminating ambiguity
choosing formats
a respectful approach based on established etiquette.

Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar:
developing skills and techniques to improve spelling
avoiding common pitfalls in punctuation and grammar.

The Hit List and House Style:
eliminating redundant phrases, clichés and unnecessary jargon
avoiding biased language and inferences
preferences of the organisation
the image of the organisation.

Legal Implications:
identifying when written confirmation is essential
deciding when a fax needs to be supported by a hard copy in the mail
avoiding potential legal problems
editing a letter of confirmation.

Skills and Spills:
a portfolio of challenging exercises to check and emphasise what has been learned.

Action Plan:
participants plan and discuss what they will do on return to work.