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Effective Writing to Colleagues and Customers
VERSION: 1.0
Business writers often ask, "What makes good writing?" Instead, they should ask, "What makes powerful writing?" This class combines the principles and guidelines of writing general documents in Plain Talk (Plain Language) with the details of writing, some editing, and designing of specific business formats. Note: A more comprehensive, 3-day version of this course is also available that includes editing and punctuation.
Key Benefits
Learn to:
- Apply Plain Talk guidelines.
- Make pages clean and clear.
- Talk directly to the customer.
- Use fewer, shorter words and paragraphs to get to the point.
- Determine the best business format.
- Use tools to determine a doument's readability.
Style of Instruction
Onsite: Taught by one of our instructors in a training room, using audio/visual presentations and in-class exercises.
Online: You will download text materials and instructional movies to view. You will view the materials and complete assignments at your own pace, then submit them by direct file transfer (FTP) to your instructor. You may opt to meet your instructor at regular intervals in a live audio/video conference room to discuss your work.
Who Should Take this Course?
Anyone who wants to write messages their colleagues and customers can plainly understand and easily act upon should attend. All managers, editors, and employees who must write readable memos, letters, reports, manuals, and regulatory documents should attend.
Objective
Upon completion of the course, participants should be able to:
- Use the seven guidelines to "plain talk" any document.
- Design clear pages of text for hardcopy and the Web.
- Meet and greet their real customer.
- Write plainly to any customer on any subject.
- Use shorter words to get to the point.
- Write and edit active sentences.
- Write and edit shorter sentences that stick to the point.
- Write and edit concise paragraphs that speak to the customer.
- Write so the customer can easily scan any document.
- Choose and present the best format for business documents.
- Stay away from addictive writing danger zones.
- Use the Flesch Readability Index and writing teams to benefit you and your customers.
- Empower your writing by applying customer "power lists" to all writing projects.
Course Contents
- The Seven Plain Talk Writing Guidelines
- The Creative Customer Focus Tool
- Choosing Words that Work Best to State Key Messages
- Making Sentences Stick to the Point
- Writing Effective Paragraphs
- Learning the Best Business Formats for the Workplace
- Fleeing the Addictive "Danger Zones"
- Writing Lab
- Review "Power Lists" for Effective Writing
Text
Participants receive two manuals: Writing Documents in Plain Talk and Business Writing in Plain Talk, by Dr. Sharon Bridwell and Charlotte Cline. These materials include several activities, quizzes, 11 short writing/editing exercises, and up to 4 letter rewrites. Onsite clients will work in writing teams and present their rewrites for critique. Online clients will work independently with their instructor.
Prerequisites
To profit from this course you need to:
- Write documents in understandable English.
- Slowly review the material and complete all exercises and assignments without the help of others.
- Navigate a Web site using hypertext links (online course only).
- Send and reply to e-mail messages (online course only).
What we require of you
For the onsite class, you must show up for class on time and remain until it is completed (approximately 7-8 hours each day). You will interact with other learners, complete writing exercises, and ask questions when confused.
For the online class, you will take this course at your own pace. Although we estimate you can complete this course in 14 hours, you have up to ten weeks. If you are new to self-directed learning, you may find this style of learning fresh—and a bit frightening. You learn by doing. You alone are responsible for your own learning. That means you must have the drive and discipline to see the course through.
Before you start
- Review your own schedule to make sure you have the time to give to this learning process.
- For the onsite class you have no pre-class readings or activities.
- For the online class you need to review this document, the terms and conditions, and technical requirements to make sure that you meet all of them (see links below).
- After reading this entire description, proceed to the Register page when you are ready to sign up.
Instructor
Write Words, American Writing Services provides all instructors. For more information on our instructors, click here.
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