You’ll learn ...
 
 
The "pre-writing" technique that´ll have the words flowing effortlessly!
 
How to know if your paragraphs are in a confusing, illogical order ... and the best way to fix the problem
 
How to avoid the trap of wordy opening paragraphs that leave the readers wondering "Huh?"
 
The 12 most damaging blunders in business writing–-sidestep these at all costs
 
And much more!
Gain dozens of field-tested strategies relied on by today´s most effective business writers. Learn how to present your ideas clearly and persuasively ... select words that fit your meaning ... spot misused verbs ... pronouns and punctuation ... avoid communication misfires ... and much, much more.
 

WORKSHOP AGENDA
Day One: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
 
Getting started: Transforming a blank page into a bold message
 Freewriting: What it is and how to use it to produce a great first draft in half the time
 Are your paragraphs in a confusing, illogical order? Here´s how to tell and how to fix the problem
 Great words and phrases for linking paragraphs together so your readers don´t have to stumble through your document
 How to guard against the deadly mistake of leaving important points out because you´re so focused on the little stuff
 

Understanding the ground rules
 Take the confidential Writer´s Discovery Analysis to identify areas you want to polish
 Understand how business writing is uniquely different from other types of writing
 Discover your natural style—it´s the key to reader-friendly, interesting writing
 How to "do your homework"—you´ll be amazed at how effortlessly the words flow after that
 Put the "Know Thy Reader" commandment into practice and double the impact of your message
 

Perfecting your grammar and usage skills
 The most troublesome words in business and how to erase any uncertainty about using them
 When a personal, casual style is important—never underestimate the power of contractions
 A concise refresher on how to correctly use verb tenses, subject-verb patterns and pronouns and
 The "best-of-the-best" desktop references you´ll want at your fingertips for quick answers
 Ensure or insure? Affect or effect? Making the right choice between confusing words like these just became a whole lot easier!
 When it´s okay to bend the "rules" to make your point clearly
 Are abbreviations and acronyms really proper in business writing? This insight will shed light on the issue
 The unwritten rules about the appropriate and inappropriate use of jargon
 BONUS: A handy reference list of conjugations for 120 irregular verbs!
 

Avoiding embarrassing mistakes
 Can´t remember if the punctuation goes inside or outside the quotation marks? Here´s how to avoid
 Follow this widely accepted guideline for when to spell out numbers and when to use figures
 Avoid these blunders when using apostrophes—they scream "Rookie!"
 When adding hyphens, dashes and other marks for emphasis ... know when you´ve gone overboard
 To capitalize or not to capitalize? These tips will eliminate any question
 A refreshing overview of how to use punctuation marks correctly every time
 Your guide to international correspondence—follow this to the letter to ensure you put your best
 

Spelling every word correctly every time
 An intriguing spelling technique that many national spelling champs secretly rely on
 How to stop having to look up the same word in the dictionary over and over
 Prefixes and suffixes made easy
 How to take the confusion out of pluralizing letters, abbreviations and numbers
 DANGER: If you think your spell-checker takes the place of the human eye, you´re asking for trouble
Day Two: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
 
 

Grabbing your reader´s attention with powerful openings and closings
 The "bible" on how to write openings that reel readers in
 How to construct a closing so action-oriented it´s like a shot of adrenaline to your reader
 Real-world insight into humor and when—if ever—it should be used in business
 How to avoid the trap of wordy opening paragraphs that leave the reader wondering "Huh?"
 Tough but necessary questions to ask yourself after you´ve written the opening paragraph
 

Persuading, influencing and convincing for results
 Super techniques that give you powerful psychological leverage over your reader
 The proven connection between the use of personal pronouns and the results your business writing gets
 Undeniably effective tips for winning the reader over to your way of thinking
 How to make a strong and logical written argument without coming across like a bulldozer
 Stop! If you want to avoid a negative reaction from the reader, take this precautionary step
 The 12 most damaging blunders in business writing—sidestep these at all costs
 How to curb the use of worn-out business clichés and what to say instead
 Hard-and-fast rules when working with a team on a writing project
 How to develop a sixth sense for damaging, biased and sexist language so you can make absolutely sure your writing is "clean"
 Get a firm grip on how to deliver bad news in writing—without a doubt, you will need this someday
 

Expanding your professional skills
 EXCLUSIVE: How to choose a style manual that works for your organization
 Just released! The latest, most professional business writing formats ... for letters, memos, proposals, reports and more
 A crash course in building winning business proposals
 How to write memos and e-mail that today´s busy professional can digest in 60 seconds or less
 Field-tested letter-writing techniques that pay off in three big ways
 Don´t miss a single one of these six elements when writing a report ... they´re all essential!
 Straight from the mouths of direct mail pros: Creating sales letters that bring in the orders
 How to write a press release that gets glowing coverage your company president will thank you for
 The art of writing crisp, clear instructions
 

Editing and proofreading like the pros
 Four amazing proofreading secrets that will automatically push your accuracy rate to 99%—or higher
 Editing and proofreading symbols the pros use to simplify and speed up the revision process
 Relax ... this team approach takes the fear out of proofing technical or financial data
 How to proofread quickly and accurately under pressure
 How to shut out phones, voices and other distractions when proofing in a busy office (It´s like sitting in an airtight bubble!)

 Catching typographical errors—yes, it´s tricky, but these tips will help shine the spotlight on them
 Keep your sanity with this proofreader´s checklist that ensures perfection down to the very last detail
 Proofreading a foreign language? Here are helpful rules that will calm your nerves
 How to do a final "sanity check" before your document goes out the door so you can sleep like a baby that night
 Editing techniques that will work miracles on your document