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.

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 course explains how to make your writing easy to read, engaging and useful – all by using plain English.

Public business writing course – live half-day webinar

The next courses will run from 9.30am to 12.45pm AEST on:

• 28 May (SOLD OUT)
• 31 July.

Only 8 places are available to ensure everyone can feel comfortable enough to participate and receive feedback. Tickets cost $240 (plus GST).

Digital handbooks and certificates will be given, in addition to a recording of the webinar.

Staff training – customised business writing courses for your organisation

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.

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.

Online business writing course – learn at your own pace

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, 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 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 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

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.