Business Writing and Communications

Business Writing and Communications

This course helps you communicate verbally and orally with more clarity, agility, and confidence. Good communication reduces errors and misunderstandings; it saves time and drives performance.

This course was designed by Sonia  Assomull, who is a native English speaker and a specialist in Soft Skills training and Business Writing.  Her clients include ENOC, HSBC, Meraas, Drake and Scull and Al Futtaim.

Participants will get real life examples and techniques to be more efficient and the ability to tailor communications that serve their team and company best.

Written and oral communications are a central part of the role of any manager or administrative personnel. Your proficiency level will greatly enhance your profile and efficiency in your role. Your ability to communicate professionally improves team dynamics as well as enhancing the brand of your company.

By attending you will acquire the following skills:

• Learn how to communicate professionally through the correct communication channels
• Formulate higher quality emails, shorter business documents and other written communication
• Improve communications and consequently time management, meeting efficiency and clarity for your team and company
• Improve your visibility and function in your organisation
• Gain confidence and agility for oral participation and presentation
• Create compelling content and learn how to present it
• Look and feel confident – practice your voice and body language

• Administration Managers, Executive Assistants, Office Managers
• Any functional Manager looking to improve their writing and communication skills
• Any directors or senior level staff with English as a second language

DAY 1
Corporate Writing and Documents

1. Understanding communication in the modern world

• Media & communication – Discuss and choose platform depending on desired outcome

2. Concepts for creating better written documents

• Shaping a message, what matters
• Audience (formality, style, amount of details)
• Medium
• Structure
• Be “SMART”
• Confidentiality

3. Creating higher quality emails, minutes, reports

• Systemic thinking
• The 3 Golden rules of professional writing
• Common wordy cliches
• Short business documents: general writing principles & examples

4. Emails: Norms, Form, Tone and Content

• Emails etiquette (template)
• Form – do’s and don’ts
• Tone and formality (passive aggressive VS assertive communication. Level of language)
• Content
  • Info hierarchy
  • Dos and don’ts
• Practical Exercise: submit 2/3 e-mails from inbox – point out what is right, what could have been done better. Rework.
• Practical Exercise: work in pairs,  process information, and write a report.

5. How to process the information received via email in a more professional and efficient way

• Acknowledgements
• Eisenhower matrix
• Productivity tips

6. Apps, software, and templates for improved writing

• Books
• Links
• Applications

Wrap Up: 7 C’s of good content

DAY 2
Public Speaking and Effective Presentation Skills

Gain the confidence to present ideas in meetings and speak effectively in public

1. Context set up: safe place, quality feedback

• Ice breaker
• Context variety discussion
• The challenges of oral communication
• Participants presents their communication issues and struggles.
• Feedback session

2. Oral Content: start with the end in mind

• Own your point
• Structure, Opening and closing key points & Organization
• Innovation VS expectation
• Transitions and the power of questions
• Words that matter
• Written VS spoken language & pronounceability
• Interactivity?
• Each participant presents their written report from day 1 – meeting role play situation.

3. Presentations and Visuals – content & form:

• Ted Talks Tips adapted to business meetings
• Dos and Don’ts

4. Form

• Body language
• Assertiveness
• Authenticity
• Voice prosody

Exercise  – Short presentation about key takeaways.
Exercise – presentation project

Sonia Assomull

Sonia Assomull is a Trainer and Professional Development Consultant with experience in delivering workshops ranging from
(but not limited to):

• Effective Business Communication & Presentation skills
• Customer Service & Customer Complaint Handling
• Management and Motivation
• Cultural Inclusion and Diversity – How to use it in the Workplace
• Time Management
• Leadership Skills
• Team building

She is a highly conscientious, energetic and articulate professional with a proven background in professional training of Business English and Soft Skills. Sonia has international training and teaching experience, having worked in London, Mumbai, New York and the UAE.  This has given her the ability to communicate effectively at all levels with people of all nationalities and cultures.

Clients include:

• ENOC
• Samsung
• The Iranian Hospital
• Westin Hotels
• The American Hospital
• Crowne Plaza Hotels
• Daman Healthcare
• Al Naboodah
• Arup Gulf Ltd
• LG
• Dragon Oil
• Chalhoub Media
• Dubai Petroleum
• Wasl Real Estate
• Lukoil
• Microsoft
• Siemens
• La Petite Maison
• Virtuezone
• Sesam Business Consultants

To mention just a few!

Sonia is skilled at delivering group workshops as well as doing 1:1 training sessions. Sonia has proven experience in devising relevant and results-driven activities and role plays to encourage experiential learning in her workshops. She is also experienced in teaching English as a foreign language and her proven international work experience enables her to create and deliver bespoke Business English courses for all levels of corporate staff.