Business writing courses
Practical and lively, this training shows how to make professional writing as clear and effective as possible. It also covers how (and how not) to use AI.
Make your writing persuasive: whether it’s for reports, briefs, proposals or emails
Taught by a former Sydney Morning Herald editor with extensive business writing experience (spanning everything from board papers to ministerial briefs), this course explains how to:
- write with the audience in mind
- apply the right tone of voice and style
- use plain English without dumbing your writing down
- craft short and snappy sentences
- use strong verbs
- write in the active voice (and know when to use the passive)
- 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.
The course also covers what AI can and can’t do well, providing tips on how and when to use it while ensuring your writing is meaningful and has the human touch.
Business writing course options:
Customised staff training
I run writing courses for a wide range of organisations, from government departments and corporates to not for profits and councils.
The training 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 own writing so participants can clearly see how the techniques I teach apply to 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, with lots of exercises. Participants are encouraged to ask questions 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 from 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 practise 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.
Will this course show participants how they can use AI to write?
These days we’re all seeing writing that sounds the same and says less than it ought to.
This is because AI can only work well when it complements, rather than replaces, skills. 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 it's produced.
They also 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 it often does).
This course provides tips, prompts and, most importantly, an understanding of what does and doesn’t work well when using AI, with a focus on how to make writing as meaningful and useful for the reader as possible. It's suitable regardless of what kind of AI people use, from ChatGPT and Claude to Copilot.
Who’s teaching this course?
I’m a former Sydney Morning Herald editor and UTS lecturer with over 30 years of professional 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 20 years I’ve taught plain English business writing courses to everyone from government departments and councils to universities, financial firms and real estate companies.
How long does the business writing course run for?
The training usually runs for half a day.
However, if you want a custom course that ensures your staff are equipped to write as effectively as possible, a full-day session is recommended as it allows me to provide longer, more in-depth exercises based on the kind of documents they need to write at work.
On the other hand, a two-hour session can still work well for time-poor leaders and those who need a refresher (and even a short course is better than nothing).
The custom courses can focus on any kind of document, including:
- reports
- briefs
- memos
- business emails
- tenders
- grant applications
- legal writing.
Having said that, even my general public courses will provide skills and techniques that can be applied to almost any kind of writing.
This course is suitable for everyone, regardless of whether they’re in admin, HR, customer service, management, research or sales.
It also works for all skill levels, with even experienced writers getting a lot out of it.
Want more information about business writing training?
Let me know if you have any questions or would like a quote.