Beginning with organizing thoughts, participants will practice the art of crafting communication with audience in mind. Understanding that the means is the message, they’ll be shown a number of effective practices that work into the proper use of English that communicate clearly, effectively, and with impact as appropriate. Participants will view examples and non-examples of each document type to be produced: proposals, contracts, email correspondence, agenda, memoranda, minutes, reports, and formal business letters. In addition to numerous practice opportunities, they’ll learn the rules for clear message formatting, proofreading, “netiquette”, use of fonts and other features in Microsoft Word to avoid some of the common mistakes authors make with print and electronic communications. All participants will leave with multiple takeaways that include access to free resources for on-going support in English grammar conventions and writing technique, as well as tools and templates to continue to properly format specific written correspondence.
Objectives:
- Participants will identify, plan, and communicate key messages for business correspondence to include emails, agenda, memoranda, meeting minutes, proposals, reports, contracts, and formal business letters.
- Participants will determine the audience for each written correspondence and write appropriately and specifically for that audience by determining structure, language, and key points to be covered.
- Participants will refresh and refine overall usage skills for readability, grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence, and paragraph construction.
- Participants will learn to properly structure proposals, basic contracts, emails, letters, reports, other written business correspondence.
- Participants will write letters and other pertinent business correspondence for impact through an introduction to, and practice with, a number of protocols for effective print and electronic communications to include netiquette.
- Participants will practice with and employ effective proofreading strategies.
- Participants will learn and practice with strategies to overcome writer’s block
- Participants will be introduced to, and access, a range of resources for on-going support in writing, written expression, articulation, grammar and punctuation.