Turn everyday workplace communication into direct, effective documents that get results.
Good business writing starts with solid core skills. While AI tools can help generate quick drafts, relying on automated text without strong human judgment often results in wordy, generic documents that delay decisions and confuse readers.
This practical one-day workshop equips teams with essential writing skills to structure their thoughts, adapt their tone and present ideas clearly, whether in emails, proposals, reports – while showing them how to use AI responsibly as a drafting aid.
Who this course is for
- Operational staff and administrative professionals who regularly write emails, briefing notes, letters or proposals.
- Team leaders and coordinators who need fast sign-off on internal requests, business updates or stakeholder communications.
- Specialists and managers who want to strip out jargon, stop overcomplicating messages and improve writing standards across their department.
What delegates will learn
Through practical exercises and real document examples, participants will learn how to:
- Structure documents logicially: Match layout and flow to emails, proposals, reports or slide decks.
- Connect with the audience: Adapt tone and language to persuade readers and prompt swift action.
- Improve layout: Use headings, visual elements and formatting to make key points easy to digest.
- Master essential grammar: Spot common punctuation errors without worrying about outdated rules that no longer apply in modern business writing.
Course modules
Module 1: Business documents, purpose and structure
- Target audience analysis: Working out who you are writing for and what they care about.
- Writing objectives: Setting practical goals tied directly to workplace outcomes.
- Document frameworks: Choosing structural layouts that suit emails, proposals, reports and presentations.
Module 2: Writing tone and style
- Voice and tone selection: Striking the right balance between professional and accessible.
- Language clarity: Cutting through complexity by using plain, everyday business English.
- Concise writing: Removing fluff, corporate jargon and filler words to keep messages direct.
Module 3: Telling the story
- Executive messaging: Writing short, punchy summaries that highlight core takeaways immediately.
- Heading hierarchy: Using clear titles and subheadings to guide readers through longer documents.
- Scannable layouts: Formatting content so busy managers can find the information they need in seconds.
Module 4: Illustrations and layout
- Visual summaries: Using tables, charts and simple graphs to explain data quickly.
- Page design: Using spacing, bullet lists and clean typography to improve legibility.
- Professional presentation: Setting up documents so they look clean and modern.
Module 5: The rules that matter
- Core language mechanics: Fixing common mistakes in spelling, punctuation and sentence structure.
- Modern usage mythbusting: Dropping rigid grammar rules that slow down workplace communication.
- Drafting and editing tools: Quick editing techniques to polish final drafts before sending.
Delivery and formats
Workshops are interactive, hands-on and built around real workplace examples.
- In-house group training: Full-day or half-day interactive sessions at your workplace.
- Virtual live masterclasses: Online sessions via MS Teams or Zoom with practical group exercises.
- Customised team programmes: Content adapted to your organisation’s existing templates and style guidelines.
- Group size: Capped at 15 participants to ensure everyone gets direct feedback and guidance.
Strategic coaching and review add-ons (optional)
1. Individual 1-on-1 coaching for managers and team leads
Team training builds core skills, but lasting change requires support from above. Individual coaching sessions are available for department heads, team leaders or senior authors who want targeted feedback on high-stakes communications.
2. Editorial review and document refining
For high-profile publications like major proposals, board papers or public-facing documents, direct editing support is available to sharpen text and check details before publication.
About your trainer
Jakki Bendell, MBA, ACC is an ICF-accredited executive coach, professional editor and business consultant with over 15 years’ experience working across the corporate and public sectors. With an MBA and CIPD training credentials, she brings a practical business perspective to communication coaching, helping people write with clarity and conviction.
Ready to improve your team’s business writing?
Get in touch today to discuss a tailored workshop or coaching package for your organisation.
“I would have no hesitancy recommending Jakki to write and deliver a training programme outlining the importance of good writing, English and grammar for any sector she is professional, punctual but above all extremely personable and easy to work with.” – Jessica Weaver, Product Development Manager, NEC Contracts