Business Writing That Works
We all know what good writing is. It’s the novel we can’t put down, the poem we never forgot, and the speech that changes the way we look at the world. Good writing is the memo that gets action and the letter that says what a phone call can’t.
In business writing, the language is concrete, the point of view is clear, and the points are well expressed. Good writing is hard work, and even the best writers get discouraged. However, with practice you can feel more confident about your own writing. This two-day workshop will give participants the tools to become better writers.
Learning Objectives
Specific learning objectives include:
- The value of good written communication.
- How to write and proofread your work so it is clear, concise, complete, and correct.
- How to apply these skills in real world situations.
- Understanding the proper format for memos, letters, and e-mails.
You will spend the first part of the day getting to know participants and discussing what will take place during the workshop. Students will also have an opportunity to identify their personal learning objectives.
Why Write?
Many people feel that writing is a burden or something they should be able to delegate. This session will help participants identify the value of writing.
The Four C’s
During the morning of Day One, you will discuss four of the C’s of writing with participants: clear, concise, complete, and correct. Participants will practice each C through writing exercises.
Word Agreement
During this session, participants will explore word agreement through a brief lecture and a writing exercise.
Active and Passive Voice
Most people prefer to read writing that is in the active voice. We will discuss and practice both voices during this session.
Sentences and Sentence Types
This session will discuss the structure of sentences and paragraphs. Then, participants will apply this knowledge to a writing exercise.
Readability Index
The Gunning Fog Index, also called the readability index, determines the difficulty level of a written piece. Participants will apply the index to a sample and to their own work.
Manners and Courtesy
Courtesy is an important principle of good business writing. During this session, participants will examine and rank several business letters, helping them explore their own style and preference.
Practical Language
It is important to use words that best reflect what you are trying to say. In this session, we will examine some common dilemmas (such as fewer vs. less) and suggested solutions.
Inclusive Language
Another key part of writing is political correctness. Participants will have an opportunity to re-write some exclusive terms to make them inclusive.
Sentence Construction
The two basic rules for constructing sentences are: use construction that makes meaning clear and keep construction parallel. Participants will re-write sentences that don’t follow these rules.
Punctuation
During this session, participants will work in teams to develop a series of test questions for other teams. We have included some key points that you can use to debrief the test.
Writing Business Letters
This session begins with three lectures on the steps for writing a business letter, types of letters, and the parts of a business letter. Participants will then examine samples of business letters to determine the type and the parts of each letter.
Writing Effective E-mails
Virtually everyone today uses e-mail to communicate at work and at home. This session will give participants some tips on writing effective e-mails and managing mail.
Spelling and Proofreading
Proofreading carelessly can spoil a writer’s best efforts. This session will help participants identify common spelling errors and practice their proofreading skills.
Writing Memos
Memos are another challenge that many writers face. We will examine memos through a brief lecture and a fun exercise.
Reviewing Your Writing
In this session, participants will customize a checklist to help them ensure that each document is the best that they can do.
Writing Challenges
To wrap up the workshop, participants will work in small groups to identify some possible solutions to the ten most common writing challenges.
Workshop Wrap-Up
At the end of the workshop, students will have an opportunity to ask questions and fill out an action plan.
Your Satisfaction
is our Success!
OUR GUARANTEE:
Our high impact and interactive training programs have been skillfully researched and are designed to provide each participant with powerful, specific tools and knowledge. If any participant feels that they did not receive great value, effective tools or skills, they are asked to contact our customer satisfaction department. We will honour a 70% refund to the individual who has expressed (in writing) the reason for their dissatisfaction. We believe that if you have not received what we have promised to deliver, then you are entitled to a refund.
SELF-PACED
ONLINE LEARNING
Learning at your convenience.
If time, geography, or just about any thing else is standing between you and the learning your want or need; our Online Learning may be the perfect solution. Designed for convenience and impact, we have broken down our training topics into simple sessions and sections that provide you the opportunity to start, stop and resume your learning -from anywhere, at any time. Now you get to decide where and when the right time is to expand your knowledge and skills.
$279.00 USD
IN-PERSON
LIVE TRAINING
Delivering a traditional training experience -in-person or virtually!
Hands down Live Training is our most popular and requested format, whether on-site, virtual classroom, or as a lunch & learn. Participants are engaged in an interactive experience with the trainer and other participating team members. Live training sessions range from a single day to a multi-part or ongoing training series. Whichever your choice, Mainstream will craft and tailor your experience to ensure it is specific, relevant and unique to your team.Something you certainly will Not receive is a pre-formatted, pre-scripted, one-size fits all training experience. We know that every team has unique learning needs and situations, therefore your training should be too. Our free program customization service aims to meet unique or custom training needs.Why settle for a program that gives you almost what you need; our team thrives on giving you Exactly what you need.
In Person Training
The traditional classroom style of training remains our Most Popular and Most Requested format. On-site training provides participants with an in-person facilitator who will work directly with the team, whether for a single training session or a training series. The Mainstream team will craft and tailor your experience to ensure that your training session is specific, relevant and unique to your audience while meeting your learning objectives. Why settle for ‘pre-formatted, pre-scripted, one-size fits all’ training programs, when our team is able to customize a program that is just right for you? We know that every team has unique learning needs, situations and that they come from a variety of industries, each having unique customer needs and demands. Our programs can be scaled to accommodate time restraints, unique learning needs and even industry or company nuances and barriers.
Don’t settle for a program that gives you almost what you need; our team wants to give you Exactly what you need.
Virtual Room
Delivering traditional onsite training results …virtually!
We’ve officially changed the rules and redefined what is possible in the world of soft skills learning. Our unique technology, accompanied by honed delivery methodology, have successfully replicated the traditional classroom-style training environment, allowing it to exist online.
Most online training solutions limit participants’ responses to keystrokes or to single person conversations because -with inferior technology- group discussions become distorted and confusing to follow. Our Virtual Room has eliminated those barriers and encourages learning through meaningful instructor feedback, skills modelling and engaging group discussion, without visual or audio distortion
The Virtual Room is for any organization seeking a flexible substitute to traditional onsite training; whether to lower costs, eliminate unnecessary travel or to simply ease the burden of demanding work schedules.
Lunch & Learn
A Lunch and Learn session is an onsite or virtual learning program with a facilitator-led session sharing valuable information and skills on an area of identified learning interest. It’s a great break away from a traditional training program, allowing your team the opportunity to learn while enjoying their lunch. Due to the limited time, the program focuses on specific learning concepts and skills. It is an interactive session that quickly targets and reveals learning objectives that are predetermined by the training organizer. Lunch & Learn sessions are also great as a training series, providing progressive learning programs for developing skills in a ‘bite-sized’ format.
INTERACTIVE
WORKSHOPS & WEBINARS
Quality interactive and engaging training professionally presented.
In today’s workplace, trying to coordinate a single day or location for a group can be a challenge and at times costly. We understand that the needs of our clients are varied so we have made accessing interactive learning as convenient as a click of a button. From single to multi-person registrations this option has provided convenience for many; a live webinar or prescheduled workshop may offer the perfect solution.
Start a Conversation
Contact our team of experts and we will guide you to the perfect training solution for your needs!
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