Effective Business Writing

Course Description

The ability to write clearly and directly is highly prized in most organizations. Well-written emails and documents can help you earn respect among your peers. And poorly written emails and documents can detract from success at all levels. The ideas, techniques, and checklists in this introductory-level course apply to all forms of business writing: memos, reports, brochures, proposals, presentations, catalogs, and websites. This course will also teach how to revise for wordiness, unnecessary phrases, redundancy, and jargon, and the appropriate use of email in an organizational setting.

Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, the learner should be able to:

• Recognize the difference between ineffective and effective writing
• List and define the four major factors of effective writing (clarity, tone, organization, and delivery)
• Recognize the role of the audience in effective communication and the importance of understanding an audience's needs
• Employ formal and informal outlining techniques
• List and recognize techniques for overcoming writer's block
• Recognize the importance and dangers of writing quickly
• Revise for wordiness, unnecessary phrases, redundancy, and jargon
• Write more effective emails and recognize the appropriate use of email in an organizational setting
• Employ checklists for organizing, writing, and revising