course | Effective Business Report Writing

Principles that ensure effective business writing
 

• Planning and establishing purpose 
• Meeting the reader’s needs and expectations
• How to use techniques for overcoming writer’s block

The three c’s – all writing should be clear, concise, and correct 
 

• Techniques for achieving clarity and precision in everyday business writing
• The role of word choice 
• How to construct sentences that are clear, concise, and direct

Advanced techniques for effective writing 
 

• Defining effective writing
• Characteristics of effective writers 
• Understanding the hallmarks of effective communicators 
• Elements of written communication
• Writing in a business context
• Understanding your audience 
• Setting a purpose for your writing 
• Understanding sources of miscommunication
• Tips for business writing

Writing purposeful paragraphs 
 

• What a paragraph should contain and how to order paragraphs 
• How to use linking words and phrases in sentences and paragraphs
• Active and passive voice and parallelism 
• How to employ various patterns of organizing information 
• Participants will also take a close look at the proper length of paragraphs

Grammar and writing mechanics 
 

• Seven easy ways to help participants simplify their writing and ensure their grammar is correct

Determining readability 
 

• How and when to use the readability test (also called the Gunning Fog Index) 
• Applying a readability test to their own work

Writing letters 
 

• Learn the essential guidelines for writing effective memos and letters
• Understanding the twelve important parts of a business letter, and choosing the best of several different styles 
• The importance of opening sentences 
• How and when to use persuasive, positive, and negative words 
• How to use an appropriate tone

Partner With Your Readers 
 

• Use a cordial tone
• Write a buffer before negative information 
• Use a tone and level of formality appropriate for the reader
• Focus on what's in it for the reader
• Write so you build partnerships and teams

Prepare Readers To Understand, Remember And Act
 

• Use a meaningful, informative subject line
• Open with the context 
• Write a clear statement of the contents 
• In the introduction, state the actions to be performed and the critical information 
• Write a conclusion if it will help you achieve your objectives 
• Include feedback loops to ensure that your message is successful
   

Dealing with specific requests – learn how to write special documents explicitly
 

• Write clear descriptions of problems and issues 
• Write direct, unambiguous requests
• Write clear procedures

E-mail etiquette 
 

• Email is a universal method of communication, but what about email etiquette, tone, and more?
• Identifying common email dilemmas – recommended solution 
• The guidelines for writing effective e-mail
• The importance of subject lines
   

Business documents
 

• How to write a: o business case o request for proposal o formal report 
• Where would you start? 
• Apply guidelines and checklists that keep the writing on track

Editing and proofreading the final version 
 

• How to recognize common proofreading errors 
• Techniques for effective editing and proofreading 
• Methods for revising the first draft 
• How to avoid sexist or offensive language
• Often confused words