Business Writing for Technical Professionals

In the Business Writing for Technical Professionals workshop, you will learn specific techniques to improve your style. We emphasize organization and appropriate choice of language for letters, reports, memos, emails, proposals, manuals, procedures, and other communications. This workshop will help you write clearly and concisely and develop the skills for offering a constructive critique about materials written by others.

Teams should bring writing samples for workshop critique. Training content focuses on discussion, practice, and evaluation. Follow-up reinforcement occurs one month after the workshop.

Custom Program Benefits

Your team will learn to:

• Collect thoughts quickly and efficiently
• Profile your audience
• Eliminate "page fright"
• Match message format to purpose
• Structure idea flow with clear, concise sentences and paragraphs
• Compose and revise rough drafts
• Organize your key points by Content Mapping©
• Choose the appropriate tone and language style
• Reduce editing time
• Make writing more interesting and informative
• Control communication costs
• Self-check the finished product

Topics

Precomposition - How to Get Started Writing

• Will it be an action or information only message?
• Capturing ideas by outlining
• Profiling critical readers/reviewers
• Thinking through your message structure

Establishing Tone & Interest - Message Mechanics

• Choosing appropriate vocabulary
• Overcoming wordiness
• Tailoring via active versus passive expressions
• How to compose short, loose sentences
• Three key pointers on writing clearer sentences
• Variety: the "spice" of effective communicating

How to Compose Effective Openings

• Where—and where not—to begin
• Two types of opening categories
• How to make the introduction provide a pathway into your message
• Opening lines that work

Organizing the Body of Business Communications

• Matching document format to communication purpose
• How to map the idea flow
• Structuring reader-friendly paragraphs
• Using headings and lists effectively
• How to add reader incentive
• Using 15 effective transitions to link your thoughts

Wrapping Up in the Closing

• How to reinforce/summarize important points
• The conclusion: final point of message impact
• How to build in a response generator
• Writing a direct, suggestive, or provocative closing
• Ten-step self-editing checklist
• How to avoid 25 common grammar culprits
• Before and after examples

Who should attend

Executives, project managers, project leads, team leaders, proposal managers, engineers, sales personnel, and anyone who wants to improve their writing skills.