Business writing workshops
Improving work-related writing skills

Almost everyone in business needs to communicate with customers, staff, sponsors, supporters or other groups in writing.

Many people are expected to write minutes of meetings, reports for senior management, leaflets and flyers for customers or staff, without having had any specific training. Some people think because you studied English at school you don't need training.

It's not true. Writing for business purposes is quite specific. In the real world, people need to understand what you are writing, as quickly and easily as possible.

Some of the most important factors in good business writing are:

•  What you write has to meet the standards and values of your organisation

•  It must be targeted at the specific audience

•  It must be accurately aimed at meeting your purpose

•  And it must be clear and to the point

Do you know that no more than one in five people can easily understand a written sentence of more than 27 words?

There are techniques to improve writing, some of them very simple. For example, the readability index that almost everyone has on their computer, but almost nobody uses.

Sometimes an outsider can see things and describe them in simpler, clearer and more effective ways than someone who is very close to the subject or material. I drafted the annual report for one charity, building up the structure from newsletters and management and board minutes for the year. Afterwards the chief executive said she was amazed I had constructed a coherent story they didn't know they had.

And a colleague in another organisation said of the newsletter I wrote reporting on their annual conference that it was more interesting than the conference itself!

I conduct workshops for individuals or groups of people, helping them to improve their writing for their own audiences – to make sure it is effective in doing the job they want it to do.

To discuss your needs and to see how we might help, email: