A recent survey revealed that 44% of managers view writing as the most commonly lacking skill among graduates. Business Writing For Busy People has been specifically created to fill this skills gap.
Business Writing For Busy People is a short, sharp course you can complete at your desk in under 2 hours. It’s designed to give busy professionals the ability to grab the attention of busy readers - by writing in a way that’s clear, concise and compelling.
Learn from a renowned 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 15,000 students how to communicate more effectively with the written word.
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.
What you’ll learn in this course
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.
