Effective Written Communication
By the end of the workshop participants will be able to:
Achieve maximum reader impact
Produce clear, accurate and easy to read correspondence
Develop a crisp, concise and individual style
Workshop Overview
Aims and Objectives of the Correspondence
what type of communication are we using-letter/memo/e-mail?
who is it for and what do we know about them?
what are we trying to achieve?
Factors Contributing to Poor Correspondence
examples of good and bad correspondence
common mistakes and how to avoid them
norms, conventions and modern protocol
Preparation and Planning
evaluation checklist
how to make best use of time
how to make best use of time
selecting relevant information
adopting a strategy
Motivating the Reader
using AIDA to ensure that:
a) documents are interesting and compelling reading
b) action is taken – where appropriate
Balancing Personal Style, Company Culture and Customer Needs
ways of achieving a suitable compromise
Reader Appeal – general and specific
how to relate your ideas to the interests of the reader
Effective Use of Words, Grammar, Sentence Length and Punctuation
common pitfalls
how to avoid ambiguity
using appropriate language for your audience
Proof-Reading and Spellchecking
using the Snatch Test to check for: -ease of reading -ease of understanding-picking keypoints
Essential Rules and Guidelines
effective Business Writing tools