Business writing courses
Writing needs to be clear, concise and compelling to be effective. This lively and practical training shows you how to achieve that (whether or not you use AI).
Make your writing persuasive: whether it’s for reports, briefs, proposals or emails
Anyone can become a better writer.
My customised staff training, public courses and one-on-one sessions explain how to:
- write with the audience in mind
- apply the right tone of voice and style
- use plain English without dumbing your writing down (even when explaining complex issues)
- craft short, sharp and snappy sentences
- use strong verbs
- write in the active voice (and know when to use the passive)
- use positive phrasing
- format your writing to make it easier to read
- structure different kinds of writing
- show, not tell
- make your writing more persuasive
- avoid common grammatical and punctuation mistakes
- proofread your own writing.
Half my clients want me to cover how to use AI to write ... and the other half are horrified by the idea. I can make this training work regardless of which camp you fall into, explaining the pros and cons of using AI and what it can and can’t do well.
Business writing course options:
Customised staff training
I provide business and plain English writing courses for a wide range of organisations, from government departments and corporates to not for profits and councils. The training works for staff of all skill levels, whether they’re in sales, admin, HR, customer service, management or marketing.
The course can be tailored to suit whatever kind of writing you want to focus on, whether it’s grants, proposals, ministerial briefs or reports.
I can also base exercises and examples on your organisation's writing. For example, if you want me focus on planning reports, I can create exercises from past reports so participants can clearly see how various writing techniques directly apply to them and their work. This also helps them rethink how they need to approach their writing and what their specific readers need to know.
The training is interactive and lively. Participants are encouraged to ask questions, throw themselves into the exercises and discuss their own challenges and situations.
One-on-one business writing training
Personalised one-on-one sessions are also available, allowing me to focus on the specific writing skills you want to build – and the type of content you need to write.
I can also provide feedback on your writing.
The sessions can be taught online over Zoom or in person.
Online business writing skills course
Study whenever and wherever you want. This online business writing masterclass is equivalent to a full-day course, with six video sessions that each take between 45 minutes to an hour and a half.
It covers all the key skills and techniques you need for business writing: from making sentences easier to read and more effective to how to write different kinds of documents for different audiences.
There are plenty of exercises throughout the course – every time you learn a technique, you’ll then be given an exercise so you can practice it.
You will receive:
- a handbook that covers essential writing tips and techniques (given as a PDF)
- a certificate of completion (given as a PDF)
- unlimited access to the course for up to five years.
If you’d like personalised feedback – or to workshop your own writing – we can also arrange an optional one-on-one Zoom session for an additional fee.
Price: US$95
Public live half-day webinar
I occasionally run public courses over Zoom, as well as in-person courses in Melbourne and Sydney.
Who’s teaching this course?
I’m a former Sydney Morning Herald editor and UTS lecturer with over 30 years of writing experience. At the paper I covered almost every industry, from health and science to business and IT.
When I left journalism I worked with a wide range of organisations, where I had to write and edit almost everything from proposals, annual reports and board papers to tenders, briefs and website copy.
Over the past 15 years I’ve taught plain English business writing courses to everyone from government departments and councils to universities, financial firms and real estate companies.
These courses usually run for either half a day or a full day, depending on what the client needs.
Do people who write with AI need this course?
AI works best when it complements, rather than replaces, skills – and that’s certainly the case when it comes to writing.
If people don’t understand what good writing looks like, and how it works, AI can’t help them. They won’t be able to guide it or evaluate what AI has produced. They won’t be able to edit what AI writes – and if they use AI to edit their writing, they won’t know when it’s done a bad job (which, quite frankly, it often does).
AI can only be used for writing and editing when people already have a strong understanding of how to write and edit in the first place. We’re all increasingly seeing writing that sounds the same, says less than it ought to, and isn’t as effective as it ought to be – but this course will ensure your business writing stands out and has the human touch.
Who is this business writing course for?
This course is suitable for all skill levels, across all industries.
The skills you will learn in this course can be applied to:
- reports
- briefs
- memos
- business emails
- tenders
- grant applications
- legal writing
- general writing.
Having said that, this business writing course will work for anyone who wants to make their writing clearer and more effective.
Want more information about business writing training?
Let me know if you have any questions or would like a quote.