Crystal Clear Communication

This training course is for people who wish to improve their business writing and who would like technology to help them achieve it. Its focus is on creating documents that conform to the standards recommended by the Plain English Campaign. It is the first step on the path to achieving the Crystal Mark on selected documents.
• Understand the basics of English grammar and punctuation
• Be a better speller
• Understand the key principles of writing in Plain English.
• Know about readability, how it is measured and why it is important.
• Understand and be able to us the Word tools to measure readability in any document.
• Be confident in their own ability to write in a clear and concise style.

Introduction and icebreaker

1. What we are going to cover today
2. What do I want from the day?

The basics of grammar for business

1. Reviewing the principles
2. Understanding these 'building blocks' of language
3. Tips for better spelling
4. Punctuation and how to use it properly, including the apostrophe

Getting the 'tone' right

1. Keeping it direct but avoiding becoming too abrupt
2. How to avoid using condescending language
3. Using empathy effectively and at the right time in your writing

The Plain English Campaign's Crystal Mark

1. What is it?
2. The guidelines

Readability

1. What it is
2. How it is measured

How Word helps with readability

1. The Flesch Reading Ease score
2. The Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level score
3. How Word "scores" your document
4. The match between the Plain English campaign and these measurements

Putting it into Practice

1. What are the "norms" for your employer's written communication?
2. How do I correct a document that falls below target?

Recap, action plan and conclusion

This course concentrates on practical application rather than theory. A significant part, therefore, is spent practising.