How to Be a Better Writer: Business Writing & Communications

You must fully understand your audience – what they want and need to know – and define what you want your writing to achieve, including the obstacles your writing will need to overcome so you can achieve your goal.

You know what you want to accomplish, but what’s the most persuasive way to deliver your message? You have many options to consider – what’s the best one?

How to strike a tone that is bold and dynamic, plus the importance of using active instead of passive voice in your messaging.

Download the practice activity worksheet to apply what you have learned. Rewrite the passive voice sentences in active voice. Our suggested answers are on the second page.

See the words you should include to inspire and persuade your audience that they need to take action now.

Learn the words you must avoid using so you don’t lose your audience before they decide to act.

Learn the common mistakes many writers make, so you can show a firm grasp of language rules and impress your readers.

When are the right moments to include specific punctuation, and how to avoid mistakes that will make you look unprofessional.

The right (and correctly spelled) words can persuade your audience. Learn how to expand your vocabulary to influence others.

Writing shorter messages shows a firm grasp of language and lets readers know you respect their time and intelligence.

Don’t fill your writing with useless words and phrases. How to spot waste words and eliminate them from your work.

Download the Practice Activity spreadsheet and apply your learnings to improve sentences.

Every message -- no matter how simple -- should have a defined goal, make its case quickly, and convince the reader to take a desired action. This could change how you view every email you send.

As a practice activity, download the worksheet which goes through the key steps of writing an effective email.

You may not write them often (or ever) but in some specific cases, a formal letter can show your reader your message is serious and too important for a simple email. Learn what those use cases are and how to write the best letter possible.

As a practice activity, download the worksheet which goes through the key steps of writing an effective letter.

Also, download and review these example letters, which will help guide you when you need to write one.

If your leader asks you to write a report, be sure you follow these steps to deliver a report that meets and exceeds all expectations.

As a practice activity, download the worksheet which goes through the key steps of writing an effective report.

You may be asked to write a proposal convincing customers to do business with you. Learn what clients expect to see and how to convince them to partner with you.

As a practice activity, download the worksheet which goes through the key steps of writing an effective proposal.

Slide decks don’t have to be dull and put audiences to sleep. Learn how to add excitement and get your audience involved in your presentation.

As a practice activity, download the worksheet which goes through the key planning steps of preparing an effective slide deck.

Learn how to deliver a core message in a limited space. Effective fact sheets can educate and excite readers if you follow these key steps.

As a practice activity, download the worksheet which goes through the key steps of writing an effective fact sheet.

A customer flyer is a sales pitch on a page. We’ll cover the best ways to present your prospects with the major benefits of your product or service to convince them to buy.

As a practice activity, download the worksheet which goes through the key steps of writing an effective customer flyer.

If you’re asked to write copy for digital, print or other advertising, where do you start? Follow this formula and your ad could practically write itself.

As a practice activity, download the worksheet which goes through the key steps of writing effective ad copy.

A great speech in front of leaders or peers can boost your reputation, but only if your writing is tight, insightful and entertaining. Follow these vital steps to meet the goals for your next speech.

As a practice activity, download the worksheet which goes through the key steps of planning to write an effective speech.

Let’s go over the proofing checklist included in the course book to ensure your writing follows everything covered in the course and can lead you to success.

You’ve made it! Let’s review everything you’ve learned in the course and can now put to use to be a more powerful, efficient, confident and persuasive writer.