Business writing course | Plain English staff training

Make your business writing clear, effective and persuasive

If we spoke to our friends the way most people write at work, we wouldn’t have friends for long.

After all, most people are so scared of dumbing their writing down and not looking professional they end up using long-winded words and fancy sentences that would sound ridiculous if said out loud. The problem is they’re just as ridiculous when written down.

That’s why a key focus of this course is to get people to rethink their approach to writing.

We’ve all seen briefs that are anything but brief, memos that need to be read several times to be understood, and reports that fail to get across key information effectively – but it doesn’t have to be that way.

This practical course explains how to make writing easy to read, smart and useful – all by using plain English.

I offer customised staff training (taught in person or online), a self-paced online course and one-on-one sessions.

Staff training customised for your team

I provide business and plain English writing courses for a wide range of organisations – from law firms and councils to government departments and financial corporations. The training works for staff of all skill levels, whether they’re in sales, admin, HR, customer service, management or marketing.

I can tailor the course to suit you and 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 own writing.

The training sessions are highly interactive. Participants are encouraged to ask questions, throw themselves into the exercises and discuss their own challenges and situations. This is a lively course that most participants (usually to their surprise) actually find enjoyable.

Learn at your own pace with an online business writing course

Study whenever and wherever you want.

This self-paced 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 to make your business writing clear, concise and persuasive – from making your sentences shorter and sharper to understanding how to write different kinds of documents for different audiences.

There are plenty of exercises threaded throughout the course: every time you learn a technique, you’ll then be given an exercise that allows you to 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 so you can repeat it as many times as you want.

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: $US140

What does this business writing course cover?

This is a comprehensive course that covers all the key skills and techniques you need to improve your writing. It will show you how to:

• write with the audience in mind
• plan and clarify your writing
• 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
• use the power of three to make your writing more persuasive
• avoid common grammatical and punctuation mistakes
• proofread your own work.

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.

Who’s teaching this business writing course?

I’m a former Sydney Morning Herald editor and UTS lecturer with over 25 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 then started working 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 decade I’ve taught business writing courses to everyone from government departments and councils to universities, financial firms and real estate companies.

A business writing course that focuses on plain language

Most organisations are required, often legally, to use plain language. Some people use the phrase plain English rather than plain language – with the difference being that plain English is about making writing clear, whereas plain language is about both clarity and effectiveness.

Writing in plain language is at the core of this course, with almost all the techniques explaining how you can make your writing as clear, simple and effective as possible. However, I still call it a plain English business writing course because that’s the phrase most people use.

Business writing webinars for the public

I occasionally run live business writing webinars. Only eight spots are available in each course.

Register your interest and I’ll let you know when the next business writing webinar will be.