Business Writing Courses

Better Business Writing
    September 10, 2010 Flyer
    Kirkland, Washington (near Seattle)
    Place: Computer Classrooms

Meeting Notes Made Easy—Live Online Class!
September 14, 2010 Flyer
Place: At your computer

Writing Tune-Up for Peak Performance—Live Online Class!
October 6 & 8, 2010 Flyer
Place: At your computer

Host a Public Class
Are you interested in hosting a public class at your organization? Hosts receive discounts and free registrations. Contact us for information.

Quote from Nicole Mazzola Ferrer - Who's Calling, Inc.

Use this assessment to score your company’s or
your team’s writing effectiveness. To assess your
own individual writing skills, click here.

0 = Never 1 = Rarely 2 = Sometimes
3 = Usually 4 = Always

Effective Business Writing: Recognizing and Achieving Goals
1.	We know what we are trying to accomplish in our writing.
2.	We know how to accomplish our goal in our writing.
3.	We effectively communicate requests and deadlines that move our readers to action.
4.	We know when to write and when to communicate face to face or by phone, and we choose the best method.
5.	We work toward the larger goal of building business relationships by communicating consistently, courteously, and professionally.

Effective Business Writing: Saving Time for Writers and Readers
6.	We plan, write, and edit quickly.
7.	We get our point across clearly and concisely.
8.	We organize our writing so that it is easy to follow.
9.	We format our writing so key points stand out and readers can skim for information.
10.	We include the right information for our readers, avoiding the need for time-wasting follow-up messages.
11.	We choose the right vocabulary for our readers, including customers.
12.	We save valuable company time by using email efficiently.
13.	We can confidently distribute the writing of managers, coworkers, and direct reports without needing to rewrite it or edit it heavily.

Effective Business Writing: Writing Correctly
14.	We understand and correctly apply the rules of writing (grammar, punctuation, etc.).
15.	When we have questions about writing correctly, we know how to find the answers.
16.	We can be proud of the writing we send to external and internal customers, knowing it is virtually error-free.

Effective Business Writing: Using Tools
17.	We can easily find excellent models of the kinds of documents we write.
18.	We use one or more quick planning methods to organize our writing.
19.	We use practical tools and methods to edit and proofread our documents.
20.	To write consistently across our team or business unit, we refer to our style guide.

Your Total (Click in Box for Final Total)

Total Score	Comments
70 - 80	Congratulations! Your team employs exceptionally strong writers, and uses tools to maintain consistent outstanding performance.
60 - 69	Your team includes very good writers. Review the assessment to identify any opportunities for even better written communication.
50 - 59	Your team is doing well. To take them to the next level, consider the guide Clarity, Conciseness, Zing, and More: 262 Ways to Take Business Writing Beyond the Basics. Refer to our Business Writing Tips and blog. Choose an item marked Never, Rarely, or Sometimes to work on today.
40 - 49	Your team is doing some things well. At a team meeting, talk about ways to improve writing, and pick an area to improve. Order Help Employees Write Better for 60 solutions to team and individual writing problems.
Below 40	Your team could be writing much more effectively. Contact us to discuss ways to improve writing at your organization.

To assess your individual writing skills, click here.

Review our Business Writing Tips, or see
Our Classes for a quiz in Grammar and Punctuation.

Email Syntax Training | Telephone 206 - 782 - 8410
7332 16th Ave. NW, Seattle, WA 98117, USA