Writing for Business Success Training in New Zealand

Who Should Attend?

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

• Apply English-language conventions (grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization)
• Assess an audience and identify communication needs
• Plan content to address audience needs and objectives
• Select an appropriate tone and level of formality, including approaches for persuasive writing
• Write clear, concise, well-organized emails
• Edit and proofread your own and others’ writing to improve effectiveness

1. Apply Best Practices for Business Writing
   
   • Business style: practical, not “pretty” (simple words, short sentences, thin paragraphs, effective use of bullets/graphics
   • Why business writing matters (time, clarity, accountability, impact of confusion
   • Core best practices:
     
     • Assess audience and purpose
     • Plan by outlining
     • Begin with the main point
     • Keep the message clear and simple
     • Be direct (“say what you mean”)
     • Format for clarity; keep it short; get names/titles right
     • Proofread, revise, proofread
   • The “6 Cs” quality check (introduced and revisited later)
   • Practice rewriting for clarity and brevity (guided example)
   • Exercise: Apply best practices and the 6 Cs to a peer review scenario
2. Assess the Audience
   
   • Define purpose using an objective lens (action, benefits, achievable, measurable)
   • Audience types and what to consider about them
   • Stakeholders: pressures, performance measures, details vs. high-level needs, comfort with language
   • Identifying stakeholder needs (and how unrelated needs still affect reception)
   • Executive audiences: how they’re similar/different (scope, volume, time constraints)
   • Exercise: Assess the audience (stakeholder scenario + audience analysis worksheet activity)
3. Plan the Content
   
   • The writing process (planning and structure before drafting
   • Organizing information in a logical order
   • Structuring a message to highlight purpose, link ideas, and clarify action
   • Business case email structure: IOCBLAA
     
     • State the problem/current state
     • Present the solution
     • Identify qualifications
     • List benefits (tangible then qualitative)
     • Address logistics (cost, timing, risks/mitigations, ownership)
     • Determine next steps
     • Add details via appendices; avoid info overload
4. Correct Language Convention Problems
   
   • Language conventions overview: grammar, punctuation, capitalization, spelling
   • Grammar essentials:
     
     • Subject–verb agreement
     • Parallel structure
     • Modifiers and misplaced modifier fixes
   • Punctuation: key professional writing reminders
   • Spelling: professionalism, spell-check strategy, homophones
   • Capitalization rules (names, places, titles, publications, sentence starts)
   • Practice corrections (sample sentences + solutions)
   • Exercise: Correct language convention problems (worksheet-based activity)
5. Build Effective Sentences and Paragraphs
   
   • Fix fragments and run-on sentences
   • Improve readability by placing verbs close to subjects
   • Transitions: connecting sentences and paragraphs with purpose
   • Word choice:
     
     • Usage rules (that/which, myself/me, who’s/whose, less/fewer)
     • Meaning & connotation and how words land with readers
     • Avoiding jargon/buzzwords/acronyms when audience context is uncertain
   • Active vs. passive voice (when each helps)
   • Bullets vs. numbering (when order matters)
   • Trim your writing (remove fluff; function first)
   • Exercise: Edit/rewrite a scenario to strengthen sentences, paragraphs, and organization
6. Write a Persuasive Business Case Email
   
   • Persuasion framework: KUBA (Know, Understand, Believe, Act)
   • Exercise: Write a short persuasive workplace email (2 paragraphs max) using KUBA
   • Formatting for persuasion:
     
     • Headings, inline emphasis, consistency patterns
7. Select Appropriate Tone & Level of Formality
   
   •  Formal vs. informal writing as a spectrum:
     
     • Word choice, conventions, sentence structure
   • Tone levers:
     
     • Punctuation, sentence length, positioning (positive vs. negative), asking vs. telling
   • Tone limitations in text vs. speech (context matters)
   • Delivering bad news:
     
     • Audience impact, questions, structure bad news up front, appropriate tone
     • Examples contrasting executive vs. team messaging
   • Exercise: Rewrite emails to match audience, tone, and formality expectations
8.  Summary & Action Plan
   
   • Recap of key concepts (including the 6 Cs revisit)
   • Exercise: Revisit and rewrite the baseline email using course tools
   • Final Action Planning: How to apply learning on the job; how to continue developing writing skills