Business and Report Writing:
A Comprehensive Hands-On Introduction

What is this course about?

This course provides a solid foundation in business writing skills and the production of typical business management documents. Participants are given the tools to write better contract proposals, business plans, executive summaries, recommendation reports and internal business communications, such as e-mail.

The course provides a complete process for planning, writing and revising documents, focusing on audience needs and perspectives. Development of a persuasive writing style is a particular focus of the course.

Who will benefit from this course?

This course is valuable for anyone who wants to improve their business writing skills, including managers at all levels or management track professionals.

Policy writers, program directors, project managers, change managers, contracting officers and editors are just some of the business professionals who will benefit from this course.

What background knowledge do I need?

A strong proficiency in the English language as well as a basic knowledge of English grammar is needed for participation in this course. Experience with Microsoft Word is helpful.

Do I need basic business-level proficiency in English communication and sentence construction?

Yes. The course is not meant for those studying English as a second language (ESL). Business-level English speaking and writing skills are essential.

Is this a grammar course?

The course includes several short success builders, which provide refreshers on fundamental grammar and mechanics tools. These tools are then applied throughout the course, with the goal of writing persuasive documents for business planning and management.

Why do I need business writing skills?

Strong business writing skills allow you toconvey your message with clarity and credibility. Professionally composed documents project a quality business image.

What types of documents does this course cover?

One of the main goals of the course is to give you the tools to write several types of business documents with skill and precision. The course covers such business documents as proposals, business plans, e-mail and formal reports. The persuasive writing style that you develop in this course can be applied to a wide variety of business documents.

While the course touches on letter and memo writing as stepping stones to other more significant document production, the main emphasis of the course is on learning to use well written business communication to drive your organization.

How is business writing different from other types of writing?

The element of persuasion is what sets business writing apart from other forms of writing. Professional business writing convinces your audience to do what you want, even though there may be initial resistance.

How does business writing differ from technical writing?

One of the main differences between business writing and technical writing is the segmented nature of technical writing versus the more cohesive nature of business writing. Users of technical documents typically read selected portions of the document as needed. Business writing is focused on persuasion and communication of a particular idea from start to finish.

Participants interested in technical writing should take Course 319, Technical Writing: A Comprehensive Hands-On Introduction.

What tools and techniques for persuasive writing are covered in this course?

Persuasive writing is about assessing your customers' needs and responding directly to those needs. Audience analysis, brainstorming, outlining, establishing credibility, stating credentials, avoiding logical fallacies and appealing to intelligence are persuasive writing tools and techniques that are explored in this course.

How much time is spent on each topic?

How much time in this course is devoted to hands-on exercises?

Approximately 55 percent of course time is spent performing hands-on exercises that provide practice in building solid business writing skills. Exercises include:

• Identifying your audience
• Drafting for clarity and revising for conciseness
• Constructing successful e-mail communication
• Mapping out the seven steps of proposal generation
• Writing an effective Executive Summary
• Producing a report using an end-to-end writing process

As someone who already produces business documents, how will this course help me write more effectively?

This course provides a standard writing process that helps you organize yourself, your time and your work. Implementation of this process helps you avoid eleventh hour crises and meet deadlines with ease.

Does this course provide any writing materials or toolkits?

Yes. You receive a CD of templates, checklists and job aids to help you get your documents started.

Is this course applicable toward a Project Management Institute (PMI) certification?

Yes. Though this course is not designed as preparation for an exam, it is beneficial to anyone working toward, or maintaining, a PMI certification. Most PMI certifications require a specific number of PDUs in order to obtain and maintain the credential. Completion of this course provides 17 professional development units (PDUs).

Learning Tree offers several courses that help you prepare for PMI certifications, including Course 276, Preparing for the Project Management Professional (PMP)^® Exam, which prepares you for PMI's most popular certification. For more details on these courses and PMI certifications, please see the Learning Tree PMI Registered Education Provider Q&A.

How does this course relate to other Learning Tree courses?

The courses that most closely relate to this course are:

• 319, Technical Writing: A Comprehensive Hands-On Introduction , gives participants the skills to assess the needs of your users and create a variety of technical documents for paper, online and web-based environments.
• 284, Critical Thinking and Creative Problem Solving , provides you with the skills to leverage your personal thinking preferences, and those of your colleagues, using tools and techniques based on cutting-edge, whole-brain technologies.
• 297, Personal Skills for Professional Excellence  provides the skills you need to handle the multiple demands of today's pressured working environment.
• 315, Developing User Requirements: The Key to Project Success,  provides real-world techniques to elicit, analyze, specify, validate and manage the requirements that create a framework for project success.
• 211, Introduction to Business Analysis: Defining Successful Projects is valuable for those who need to apply the knowledge and skills of the business analyst role within their organization.