Training Course Syllabus:
Clear and Concise E-mail and Business Writing Seminar
You’ll learn …
- How to ensure every e-mail you write gets opened and read
- How to convey the tone you mean to convey in all your written communications
- How to use more of Outlook®’s features to be more productive
- How to write meaningful subject lines that get attention
- And much more!
Take a look at the e-mails in your inbox. How many contain rambling sentences, misleading subject lines, poor grammar, improper word usage and (yikes) typos? A lot? No surprise. Poorly written, ineffective e-mails are epidemic in today’s workplace. Why don’t people get to the point, for heaven’s sake, instead of sending out confusing dissertations that waste your precious time? And worse, generate e-mail after e-mail after e-mail to clarify.
Our feelings exactly! And that leads to the next question: How can you ensure every e-mail you send is a model of communication excellence that stands out for all the right reasons—even if writing doesn’t come naturally for you?
The answer: Attend our new “how-to-do-it” seminar, Clear and Concise E-mail and Business Writing. In one day, you’ll learn how to spend less time and effort writing … write more clearly, concisely and confidently … and make none of the embarrassing mistakes you see others make. With dozens of examples, this confidence-boosting seminar will show you how to easily and immediately improve everything you write from here on out—with a special emphasis on e-mail.
Program hours: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Clear and Concise E-mail and Business Writing Seminar
Agenda:
The new rules for improving e-mail results and productivity
- Dispelling common myths about e-mail
- Why striking the right tone in e-mail is so important—and so difficult
- In praise of bullets: Learn how to use them so your reader can zoom right in
- Subject lines: What works, what doesn’t … we’ll show you
- Semicolons don’t belong in e-mail! How to keep sentences short
- Don’t write a novel! Cutting excess words saves you and your reader time
- How to quickly answer every reader’s top question: “What’s the point?”
- Use the 1-to-1 formula to prevent your point from being buried
- Should you e-mail—or call? The “2X rule” makes that decision easy
- Three temptations of e-mail you have to resist—even if others don’t
- E-mail in the real world: Examples of the good, the bad and the ugly
- The biggest e-mail etiquette mistakes—are you guilty?
- Just because you can send e-mails at the speed of light doesn’t mean you should: How pausing before hitting “Send” will pay off
Strengthening your writing with business writing “how-to’s”
- Getting started—tackling the demons that cause you to procrastinate
- Why you can’t go wrong using plain and simple English—especially in e-mails
- Quick and painless grammar “how-to’s”
- In the hot seat … tips for writing under pressure
- Want to write faster? Do these four things first
- What you can learn from your newspaper’s home page about getting to the point
- How readable is your message? Grade yourself
- Presenting complex information without causing readers to wonder, “Huh?”
- Why, when and how to use transition words
- How to write for people who scan instead of read—in other words, everybody!
- Internal vs. external communication: How your tactics must change
- How to eliminate trite, clunky and cumbersome language and other signs of lazy writing
- The finishing touch: Simple proofreading techniques to ensure your piece passes the “pro” test
Why good communication matters—no matter what the channel
- The first lesson in business communication (it has nothing to do with “words”)
- How to avoid written communication breakdowns
- Do’s and don’ts when writing on the job—especially e-mails
- So communication isn’t one of your strengths? How you can change that—overnight
- How to hit the mark with everything you write: The secret is knowing your audience
- How to avoid turning people off with your e-mails
- Making a positive impression with everything you write
- Masterful ways to persuade colleagues, higher-ups, clients, vendors … anybody you write to
- Letting the “credible you” shine through
Maximizing the full capabilities of Outlook® to become a more productive e-mailer
- The secret to an empty inbox—deciding what to do with every single message
- Four cool ways Outlook will make you a more productive e-mailer
- Using Outlook’s advanced tools to shrink your inbox
- Ways to customize Outlook to meet your unique communication needs
- How Outlook is reinventing e-mail management to keep up with on-the-go business professionals—take advantage!
- What you need to know about Outlook’s “rules” to save time and stay organized
- Great ways Outlook helps you respond to e-mail faster
- How Outlook’s color-coding system will make your life so much easier
- Worried you’ll forget a message or a task? Let Outlook remind you!
- Do you waste too much time searching for past e-mails? Problem solved!
Credits:
6 CPE credits
Seminar Time:
Seminar Check-In: 8:30 AM Seminar Program: 9:00AM - 4:00PM |
SkillPath Seminars