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Clare Lynch

Business Writing For Busy People is a short, sharp course you can complete at your desk in under 2 hours.

Completely updated for 2022, the course shows you how to grab the attention of busy readers - by writing in a way that’s clear, concise and compelling.

 

What you’ll learn in Business Writing for Busy People

Business Writing For Busy People, covers the key things you need to know if you want to get better results from your business writing.

Read more

Business Writing For Busy People is a short, sharp course you can complete at your desk in under 2 hours.

Completely updated for 2022, the course shows you how to grab the attention of busy readers - by writing in a way that’s clear, concise and compelling.

 

What you’ll learn in Business Writing for Busy People

Business Writing For Busy People, covers the key things you need to know if you want to get better results from your business writing.

This course is perfect for anyone who has to write anything at work. Whether you’re a new graduate who needs to adapt your writing style for the workplace. Or an experienced executive who wants to brush up your business writing skills.

By the end of this course, you’ll be armed with a slew of techniques for crafting more effective business documents, from day-to-day emails to persuasive pitches and proposals.

You’ll start by learning to identify the features of a ‘professional’ writing style. You’ll be introduced to a series of powerful (and free. ) online writing tools you can use to analyse your own work. Tools that have been tried, tested and given the whole-hearted thumbs up by my own clients.

You’ll also learn about the cultural factors that can affect the degree of impact your writing will have - essential knowledge if English isn’t your first language or if you’re working as part of a global team.

Good writing isn’t primarily about the words you use - it’s about figuring out what you’re trying to say and why it matters.

So early on in the course, you’ll learn how to quickly identify your key message before you even sit down to write. And how to present your ideas effectively - in a way that meets the needs of busy readers.

Specifically, you'll learn more about the reading strategies people use to seek out the information that matters most to them - and how to adapt your writing accordingly.

The techniques you’ll learn for getting your ideas down on paper quickly and clearly will save you time as a writer - and save your audience time as readers.

You’ll also learn how to craft sentences that are clear, concise and jargon-free - so you can communicate your expertise without losing your reader. And how to add warmth to your words so you forge a deeper connection with people everytime you write.

Finally, you’ll learn simple techniques for proofing and polishing your work - so you can weed out embarrassing errors that could undermine your credibility as a writer.

 

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

  • Identify and adopt the features of a ‘professional’ style

  • Save time when writing anything - from day-to-day emails to persuasive pitches

  • Delight your audience - by saving them time when reading your work

  • Quickly identify what you want to say - and how to say it

  • Structure your writing for maximum impact

  • Present your ideas so readers can instantly home in on your most important points

  • Apply a proven formula for crafting pitches and proposals that persuade

  • Communicate your expertise clearly and compellingly

  • Rid your writing of confusing tech talk and off-putting corpspeak

  • Engage your readers by making your writing warmer and more human

  • Establish credibility by proofing and polishing your work effectively

 

Hands-on practice

The only way to improve your writing is to roll up your sleeves and get writing. That’s why I’ve designed Business Writing For Busy People to be a highly practical course.

Throughout the course, you’ll get opportunities to put theory into practice with exercises and assignments drawn from real-life examples of business writing.

You’ll also be encouraged to reflect on your own business writing. You’ll find the course particularly useful if you’ve got an existing writing sample you’d like to critique and improve on - or a crucial upcoming writing project to complete.

 

Course resources

Business Writing For Busy People gives you a wealth of resources for crafting clearer, punchier, more persuasive business documents, including:

  • links to free online tools for analysing and improving your writing

  • 51-page downloadable course workbook featuring course exercises and assignments - including model answers - and summaries of the key points of each lecture

  • downloadable copy of instructor's e-book 'Catch Every Error: A Guide To Polishing Your Document Like A Pro - Complete With A Proofreading Checklist'

  • links to useful articles and other online sources to help you produce better business writing

 

Is Business Writing For Busy People the right course for you?

Business Writing For Busy People has been designed for time-pressed professionals who want to get maximum results from their writing - in minimum time.

If you’re looking for a more comprehensive course that will take you from business writing beginner to the level of a copywriting pro, you might prefer to enrol in one of my other courses, Writing With Confidence.

Business Writing For Busy People covers some of the same ground as Writing With Confidence - albeit with all-new exercises.

However, Business Writing For Busy People focuses on just the most important writing techniques you need to get fast results.

Learn from an award-winning teacher and expert in business writing

I’m Dr Clare Lynch of Doris and Bertie, a London-based consultancy that works with anyone who needs to write as part of their job.

In my decades-long writing career, I’ve taught business writing skills to executives at global companies and international MBA students at the University of Cambridge.

So I know exactly what it takes to help professionals write well in the workplace. Especially if you’re a smart, educated graduate who is having to adapt from an academic style to a new way of writing.

As a Udemy instructor since March 2015, I’ve taught over 145,000 students how to communicate more effectively with the written word. What's more, in October 2019, Udemy bestowed their Student Success award on me for my dedication to my Udemy students.

As a writer myself, I understand the importance of grabbing your audience’s attention - and keeping things to the point. And, as you’ll discover, as an instructor, I practise what I preach. The words students use most often in reviews of my Udemy courses  are ‘clear’, ‘concise’ and ‘engaging’.

My goal with Business Writing For Busy People is to show you the writing techniques that will win you similar plaudits for your work.

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Work out what you want to say quickly and painlessly
  • Craft clear, concise, compelling business documents - from emails to reports
  • Grab and keep your readers' attention with powerful messages
  • Structure your writing for maximum impact
  • Achieve a professional tone of voice in your writing
  • Identify and eliminate tech talk and off-putting business jargon

Syllabus

Know the best style to adopt to impress a professional readership. Understand the impact of different cultural attitudes to writing on style.
Read more

A quick overview of what to expect from Business Writing For Busy People.

To be seen as professional, it's important your business writing has the right tone of voice - this lecture shows you how to achieve that.

A vivid example of the difference tone of voice can make to a reader's impression of a piece of writing.

English not your first language? Working in a global organisation? This lecture will help you understand the different cultural attitudes about what constitutes 'good' writing.

A quick overview of what you've learned so far.

Establish the 'point' of any document - before you sit down to write. Structure you document to make life easy for your readers.

Why it's so important to identify your key message - and foreground it in any piece of business writing.

How to identify your key message by asking three essential questions before you start writing: Who? What? Why?

A simple formula for structuring your work when writing pitches, proposals and other persuasive pieces.

How readers read - and what to do about it.

A quick overview of what you've learned in this section on identifying and foregrounding your key message.

Trim the fat and boost your readability

Win your reader over by leaving out the stuff that doesn't matter to them.

Tips for keeping your readers reading - by making your sentences short and simple.

How to make your writing clearer and more concise at the level of the phrase and the level of the word.

How to keep your reader with you - by pitching your writing at the right level.

A quick overview of what you've learned in this section on writing clearly and concisely.

How to build a relationship with your reader by making your writing more human, down-to-earth and honest.

Understand the difference between active and passive sentences - and why avoiding the passive can make you appear more trustworthy.

Know the little words that will help you establish a human connection with your reader.

Why using cliched corpspeak could be preventing you from standing out from your competitors.

Final thoughts

Proofreading processes to maximise your chances of catching embarrassing errors.

How to speed up the writing process.

Here's how to get hold of your course certificate.

Get discounts on our other courses

Got the writing bug and want to dig deeper into the topic? Check out our other courses.

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Business Writing For Busy People with these activities:
Review Grammar Fundamentals
Strengthen your understanding of grammar rules to improve clarity and credibility in your business writing.
Show steps
  • Review basic grammar rules online.
  • Complete practice quizzes on grammar websites.
  • Identify common grammar errors in your past writing.
Read 'Everybody Writes' by Ann Handley
Learn practical techniques for writing engaging and effective business content.
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of 'Everybody Writes'.
  • Read the book, taking notes on key concepts.
  • Apply the book's principles to your writing.
Rewrite Passive Sentences
Improve your writing by actively rewriting passive sentences into active voice, making your writing more direct and engaging.
Show steps
  • Find examples of passive voice in your writing.
  • Rewrite each sentence in the active voice.
  • Compare the impact of both versions.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Write a Sample Business Email
Practice writing a clear and concise business email to reinforce the course's principles of effective communication.
Show steps
  • Choose a common business email scenario.
  • Draft an email using the course's guidelines.
  • Revise the email for clarity and conciseness.
Read 'On Writing Well' by William Zinsser
Refine your writing style by learning to write clearly and concisely.
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of 'On Writing Well'.
  • Read the book, highlighting key takeaways.
  • Apply Zinsser's principles to your writing projects.
Analyze and Revise a Past Report
Apply the course's techniques to improve a previously written business report, focusing on clarity, conciseness, and impact.
Show steps
  • Select a business report you've written.
  • Analyze the report for areas of improvement.
  • Revise the report based on course principles.
Create a Style Guide for Your Team
Develop a style guide to ensure consistent and professional writing across your team, reinforcing your understanding of business writing principles.
Show steps
  • Research existing style guides for inspiration.
  • Define your team's writing standards.
  • Document the style guide and share it with your team.

Career center

Learners who complete Business Writing For Busy People will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Business Writing For Busy People.
Comprehensive guide to writing better content, covering everything from grammar and style to storytelling and marketing. It emphasizes creating engaging and valuable content for your audience. It is particularly useful for those looking to improve their overall writing skills and create content that resonates with readers, adding breadth to the course's focus on efficiency.

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