Effective Business Writing

Effective Business Writing Module 1
Craft of Business Writing

Unfortunately, most of us learn to write in school settings, where the numbers of words are more important than the quality of the words. Module 1 reviews the dichotomy between how we learn to write in school versus writing requirements in the business world. Business people don’t have time in their busy schedules to read reams of writing, so this module goes over simple layout ideas and basic sentence structures you can use to help readers see the essence of your communication at a glance. Module 1 explores strategies for beating back the evil procrastination bug and explores ways to approach business writing jobs like a reporter by first establishing the bottom line of what you’re trying to express.

• School Writing vs. The Real World
• Qualities of Effective Business Writing
• Tips for Beating the Procrastination Bug
• Writing Like a Reporter, or Starting with the Bottom Line
• Segmenting Your Writing
• Sentence Structure

Effective Business Writing Module 2
Mechanics of Business Writing

Wordiness kills business writing documents. Module 2 is all about eliminating words that hinder the message of your writing and selecting words that reveal an appropriate tone for your work. Lessons in this module review grammar issues such as parallel structure, subject-verb agreement, pronoun concerns and some of the more common grammatical errors found in business writing. With an emphasis on correcting the three primary problem areas, your business writing will come out a step above the rest, and there are many people out there who appreciate grammatically correct correspondence.

• The Theme or Focus
• Support Claims with Facts
• The Organizing Plan of Writing
• Determining Your Needs
• Search Strategies
• Using Source Information

Effective Business Writing Module 3
Spelling, Punctuation and Stages of the Writing Process

A major distraction for most business writers is fretting over just what to put down on paper or tap out on the computer screen. This module will provide you with strategies for following the best advice—quit thinking and simply start writing. Your ensuing chore will be to work this draft into a solid piece of writing. Correctly spelled words and punctuation is important to showing your readers that you care enough about your writing to give them the very best. Use the pointers provided in this section and you’re sure to express your business writing with correct spelling and the right punctuation. Deadlines are common in the business world so it stands to reason that writing is a job hit hard by deadlines for business professionals. By adopting the tactics in this course and with practice, you will be pumping out final drafts in a minimum of time, thereby allowing you to craft excellent business writing under any deadline imposed on you.

• Spelling & Punctuation
• Improving Bad Spelling
• Spelling Details
• Proper Punctuation
• Writing with Deadlines
• Initial Stages of Deadline Writing
• Editing Stages

Effective Business Writing Module 4
Typical Business Writing Projects and Technology Changes

Module 4 examines writing different kinds of business projects, such as letters, memorandums, reports, proposals, and speeches, taking into account that business writing in today’s world involves more than just words. Images and videos are also employed to communicate information alongside words crafted in business documents. American businesses should be quick to keep up with technology changes within their offices, and this module explores how to write emails, work with digital images, and review video basics. When you’re handed your next business writing assignment, use some finesse in your choice of wording and add professionalism that really gets noticed. Proofread your written creation so that it is second-to-none and realize that the next sales proposal or annual report writing assignment is a chance to stride ahead in the business world by showing your skills in crafting excellent written communication.

• Technology in the Business World
• E-mail Dos & Don’ts
• Images
• Videos
• Typical Business Writing Projects
• Letters & Memos
• Reports
• Proposals
• Writing Speaker Presentations