Letters& reports are our ambassadors and provide a permanent record. Excellent relationships created face-to-face can be ruined by one poorly written letter.
Overview
Letters, reports, e-mails and memos are a vital element in customer communication and internal communication. Problems in relationships and costly errors are common. Written communication also provides a permanent record and may ‘haunt’ the organisation later. E-mails make it easier to make mistakes. Schools focus on writing styles applicable to literature not the modern commercial world. This course provides the essential skills needed in an interactive and stimulating way. Participants can focus on the correspondence they are involved with.
Course Objectives
 Participants will learn:
– how to ‘tune in’ to readers and avoid common errors
– effective formats for various purposes
– the key elements to ensure the document is interesting
– how to ensure their documents are understood
– how to make their documents ‘easy to read.’
Course Outline
– Introduction, aims, agenda
– The role of letters , reports and memoranda in internal/external relationships
– When not to use letters
– Profiling the readership
– Key factors in the profile of potential readers
– The issue of important secondary readers
– Common errors in preparation
– Letter & memorandum structure
– Different formats and structures
– How to gain the attention of the reader
– Putting forward benefits in letters
– Handling ‘complaints’
– Ensuring your letter & report are interesting
– Developing an effective personal style
– Key factors in creating an interesting document
– How to polish your document
– Ensuring your letter & report are understood
– ‘Rules’ guaranteed to reduce/remove potential misunderstandings
– Common errors
– Ensuring readability of your letter& reports
– What schools do not teach
– The structure of paragraphs
– How to improve readability
– Common errors that ‘turn off’ readers
– Discussion exercises & cases