The Importance of Business Writing

Written communication is perhaps the most important form of communication in business.  When we want to inform, persuade or motivate, and the message we want to send is important, we use written documents. This applies whether we are communicating internally with staff or externally with customers. From “the quick email” to the formal proposal, businesses succeed or fail based on the quality of their writing skills.

Program Information
This course outlines the principles of effective written communication and how to tailor your writing to specific business purposes. From these principles, you will also have the opportunity to practice planning, writing and editing your work to achieve the professional standards required in business.  The course covers all the major forms of traditional business writing including emails, letters, reports, proposals, memos as well as some of the newer “computer-mediated” forms such as blogs and Facebook posts. It also highlights the importance of impression management and ethics in business writing.

Program Content
The Elements of Effective Communication

• Understand a basic communication model

• Identify the channels of communication available in business

• Identify the “noises” that can interfere with effective communication

The Origins and Nature of Written Language

• Understand the differences between written and spoken language

• Understand and apply key technical skills

• Apply the 80:20 rule to eliminate common technical errors.

Business Writing Conventions

• Understand when to write and the decision-making criteria around different forms of communication (face-to-face, telephone and written communication)

• Understand the appropriate use of etiquette, tone, voice, vocabulary and jargon

• Manage impressions and apply ethics

The Format, Design and Structure of Business Writing

• Understand the different purposes and formats available in business writing

• Understand the role of design in written communication

• Identify the different structural elements of a written document – format, paragraph, sentence

Planning and Drafting your Document

• Identify your audience

• identify your goal

• identify your content

• Use mind mapping for complexity

Editing your Document

• Editing for content

• Editing for technical Issues

• Editing for layout

• Editing practice tips

Practicing Different Formats & Applications

• Business Letters

• Persuasive Letters

• Letters of Complaint

• Responding to Complaints

• Memos

• Reports

• Proposals

• Blogs

• Facebook posts
   

Course outline:

Business Writing

The Importance of Providing Exceptional Customer Service

Good customer care is vital for your organisation's reputation. We know that in an increasingly competitive business environment, you need to work even harder to retain customers and win new ones. In order to achieve these goals, excellent customer service needs to be at the heart of your business model. Good customer care is sometimes the only way a business can differentiate itself from its competitors.

Program Information
Through this interactive program, we will encourage you to think about your own experiences of good and bad service, understand why your role has such an impact on your customers’ experience, and learn vital communication skills that will set you up for success. Our customer service programme will give you the skills and knowledge to deliver excellent customer service that will give your business a great reputation. The program is designed to help you handle difficult customers and situations and to make the most of every customer contact. The course will give you the skills to develop customer loyalty and will teach you how to take care of yourself and feel confident in any customer situation.

Program Content
Customer Service Foundations    

• Calculating the cost of poor customer service    

• Understanding your customers’ values, needs and wants    

• Understanding attitudes to myself, my customer, my product and my company    

• Taking ownership – “don’t point fingers”

Create Rapport, Build Trust and Establish Credibility    

• Establishing rapport quickly and conversing easily with new people    

• Making a positive first impression    

• "Breaking the ice" and get a good conversation going    

• Increasing the level of trust, cooperation and support from your co-workers, employees and your boss    

• How to avoid sending contradictory or confusing signals about yourself

Clear and Assertive Communication    

• Relating with others more meaningfully    

• Understanding the power of active listening and practicing the core attentive listening skills    

• Asking relevant questions to better understand and validate the wants and needs of others    

• Making an impact, speaking with confidence and influencing people

• Delivering constructive feedback     

• Controlling your body language, tone of voice and how others perceive you    

• Taking charge of your emotions

Dealing with Difficult, Rude or Indifferent Customers    

• Understanding how to handle inquiries and/or complaints in ways that create improved, lasting relationships with your customers or clients.    

• Handling complaints with empathy and efficiency    

• Saying no constructively without invoking negative emotions    

• Reducing the occurrence of anger and frustration in potential conflict scenarios, thereby avoiding conflict in the first instance    

• Delivering bad news

Course outline:

Customer Service

The Importance of Assertive Communication

An important aspect of being an effective communicator is the ability to be assertive in your approach to others. This means being able to express your thoughts, feelings, opinions and stand up for your personal rights without being overly rude or aggressive. Those using assertive behaviour confront problems, disagreements, or personal discomforts head-on, and their intent is unmistakable to others.

Program Information
This course is intended to help you express yourself in a way that will earn people's respect without alienating or hurting them. We begin with a self-assessment that enables you to understand your personality. We delve into your strengths, weaknesses and stress areas to help you to understand what makes you and others “tick.” By understanding the needs of other communication styles, you will learn how to express your opinion and stand up for your interests regardless of who you are dealing with. We then turn our focus to the important interpersonal skills which enable you to communicate the message more skilfully and listen effectively.  

Program Content
Comparison of Assertive, Passive and Aggressive Styles    

• Distinguishing communication styles and related behaviours - are they working for or against you?    

• Identifying your personal style and associated strengths and weaknesses    

• Analysing and adopting the assertive communication model which is based on respect and increasing mutually beneficial relationships    

• Building self esteem and increasing confidence

Developing Empathic Skills     

• Relating with others more meaningfully    

• Understanding the power of active listening and practicing the core attentive listening skills    

• Asking relevant questions to better understand and validate the wants and needs of others

Assertively Making and Denying Requests    

• Clarifying needs and firming up commitment to the agreed action    

• Denying requests in a manner that validates the other and preserves the relationship    

• Saying no constructively and without invoking negative emotions    

• Dealing with nerves and fear

Managing Sensitive and Emotional Circumstances    

• Minimising possible conflict and frustration by taking on an affirming and non-defensive stance    

• Affirming the needs of others whilst staying true to yourself and expressing your needs    

• Reducing the occurrence of anger and frustration in potential conflict scenarios, thereby avoiding conflict in the first instance    

• Dealing with difficult people and handling criticism

Mirroring with Sincerity and Integrity for Increased Rapport    

• Matching words, tone and body language to reinforce assertiveness    

• Controlling your body language and how others perceive you    

• Decoding nonverbal signals and predicting people’s behaviour

Eradicating Obstacles to Assertive Behaviour    

• Minimising anxiety and stress   

• Exploring the concept of self image in relation to becoming an assertive person    

• Knowing when to ‘pick your battles’     

• Avoiding the blame game

Course outline:

Assertiveness

The Importance of Team Building

A team is any group of people that comes together to achieve a goal.  Although this sounds easy, anyone who has tried to work in a group knows that problems can easily arise, sometimes with negative and long-term effects on the individual, the group and the larger organisation to which they belong.  All business are made up of skill groups who have to work together every day to achieve corporate goals.  If those groups do not excel, the organisation’s performance will suffer. Understanding group behaviour and how to get the best out of your team is an essential management tool.

Program Information

This program offers exciting new tools to understand group processes and behaviours.  A range of tools is used but one new approach popular in Europe (but new to Australia) focuses on understanding the drives behind people’s ways of thinking and behaving in business.  It is a very powerful tool that will help your business build harmonious and effective groups – whether those groups are the Board of Directors, a project team or an accounting department.  

Program Content

The Characteristics of Teams

• Knowing the difference between Groups and Teams

• Learning about the different types of teams

• Knowing what teams have in common

Undertaking a Team Challenge

• Experiencing the process

• Analysing the process

Why Teams Have Developed

• Understanding human instincts or necessities

• Understanding the advantages of teams

• Learning the characteristics of high performing teams

What Goes Wrong in Teams

• Learning from your experience

• Finding out what the experts say

• Undertaking root cause analysis

The Team Building Process

• understanding the four stages of group development

Interpersonal Behaviour in Groups

• Differentiating between formal and informal roles

• Identifying dysfunctional roles

• Group inventory

• Identifying personal drives

• Identifying group drives

Tips for Positive Group Behaviour

• Learning tips for Leaders

• Learning tips for group members

• Understanbding the role of effective Listening

• Applying integrity

Course outline:

Team Building

The Importance of Being a Competent Communicator

Good communication is an essential tool in achieving productivity and maintaining strong working relationships at all levels of an organisation. Poor communication in the workplace will predictably lead to conflict and unmotivated staff who may begin to question their confidence in their abilities and, inevitably, in the organisation. Employers who invest time and energy into delivering clear lines of communication will rapidly build levels of trust amongst employees, leading to increases in productivity and morale.

Program Information

The aim of interpersonal skills training is to provide individuals with the skills and knowledge to communicate more confidently and effectively. This course provides participants with the opportunity to work on personal and work situations in order to become more skilled and assertive communicators. You will be equipped with effective skills and strategies for achieving more harmonious and successful relationships as well as significantly improving your ability to influence others while maintaining integrity.

Program Content

Comparing Communication Styles

• Distinguishing communication styles and related behaviours - are they working for or against you?

• Identifying your personal style and associated strengths and weaknesses

• Learning how to be immediately accepted into any group of people even if you seem to have nothing in common

Create Rapport, Build Trust and Establish Credibility

• Establishing rapport quickly and conversing easily with new people

• Making a positive first impression

• Learning how to "break the ice" and get a good conversation going

• Increasing the level of trust, cooperation and support from your co-workers, employees and your boss

• Learning how to avoid sending contradictory or confusing signals about yourself

Clear and Assertive Communication Skills

• Relating with others more meaningfully

• Understanding the power of active listening and practicing the core attentive listening skills

• Asking relevant questions to better understand and validate the wants and needs of others

• Making an impact, speaking with confidence and influencing people

• Developing techniques for delivering constructive feedback 

• Controlling your body language, tone of voice and how others perceive you

• Taking charge of your emotions

Communicating with Difficult People and Tough Situations

• Understanding and working with the 5 conflict management styles

• Minimising possible conflict and frustration by taking on an affirming and non-defensive stance

• Affirming the needs of others whilst staying true to and expressing your needs

• Reducing the occurrence of anger and frustration in potential conflict scenarios, thereby avoiding conflict in the first instance

• Dealing with your feelings of anger and helplessness when confronted by unreasonable behaviour

Course outline:

Interpersonal Skills

The Importance of Being a Competent Presenter

Presentations are a fact of life in business. Like them or loathe them, everyone has to do them - and most people loathe them. Think of the last presentation you attended; is it easy to recall the main points? Unfortunately, many presentations are unremarkable and do not serve their primary purpose of persuading others to act or simply communicating a memorable message. Being able to deliver an effective presentation is often a key component of business and personal success.

Program Information

Your most memorable presentations do not happen as a result of performance or acting training, but from having a proven and winning formula that provides structure, clarity, impact and allows you to deliver your message in an authentic and memorable manner. We simply cannot persuade or inspire if our audience feels we are acting. Our goal is to develop your inherent talent and personality to deliver clear and compelling presentations that will inspire and motivate your audience. There will be at least three opportunities to present on the one-day program and six opportunities on the two-day program. Individualised feedback will be given during the training and a recorded copy of the first and last presentation will be available for each participant to review.

Program Content

The Fundamentals of Delivering an Effective Presentation

• Understanding the common myths about presenting

• Understanding the importance of preparation, clarity and focus to create certainty

• Learning how to reduce nerves and fear

Honing the Message

• Clarifying the audience’s values and motivations 

• Developing a targeted message and reduce unnecessary content to achieve focus and clarity

• Building confidence and reducing nerves

Structuring the Presentation

• Learning to use a proven template that speeds up preparation time and fits conveniently on one page

• Developing key points, a clear agenda and understanding chunk theory

• Minimising detail - basing it only on your agenda and key points

• Minimising the use of notes and fully engaging the audience

Bringing the Presentation to Life

• Setting the scene, developing an imaginative opening and creating a compelling subject

• Witnessing the power of pausing

• Learning how and when to directly or indirectly involve the audience

• Using visualisation techniques and analogies

• Managing questions and difficult people

• Motivating the audience based on their needs and wants

• Applying body language basics

Course outline:

Presentation Skills