Writing Business Reports
COURSE DURATION
Face to face: 3 days
COURSE OBJECTIVE
This three (3) day course covers the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to prepare and write clear, concise, structured and accurate business reports.
This course will provide participants with the tools and techniques for developing strong writing habits, and writing effective business reports.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Develop strong writing habits
- Learn and Utilize tools and tactics for writing success
- Have an understanding of the various business report and written communication types
- Effectively plan and structure business reports
- Write clear and organized business reports
- Produce easy-to-read business reports
- Getting your key messages across
- Analyse business data and statistical information and present the results effectively
- Prepare and present data using various graphical techniques
BENEFITS
- You will learn tools and tactics for writing success
- You will learn how to distil complicated input into vital information
- You will learn how to prepare and confidently write clear, concise and accurate business reports
- Gain editing skills for the modern business environment
- Learn how to structure a report in a manner that will be easily understood
- Gain a clearer understanding on how to identify, analyse and use relevant information to make logical conclusions and derive specific recommendations
TOPICS
- Purpose of business reports
- The seven ‘C’s of business report writing
- Types of business reports
- Methodology, tools and techniques
- Deriving recommendations
- Types of Business Reports such as proposals, financial and others (research, executive summaries, business cases)
- Communicate effectively to a wide range of stakeholders
- Business writing process
- Sections of the report
- Preparing and writing the report (basic structure, key elements)
PROGRAM OUTLINE
Day 1
Develop strong business report writing habits
- Business communication types and importance
- Writing skills analysis and goal setting
- Understanding the habits that make a strong writer
- The writing cycle
- The 7 C’s
- Questions analysis
- Distilling information - Practice
- Breakout sessions throughout the day
Day 2
Tools for writing business reports
- Taking notes
- Idea mapping
- Outlining skills
- Using plain English/Being direct
- Drafting
- Proper citation
- Modern editing techniques for tone and style
- Grammar and punctuation
- Using graphics
- Persuasion, bad news, and positive language
- Breakout sessions throughout the day
Day 3
Common report types, templates, and writing strategies
- Common forms of business reports
- Formats and templates
- Stakeholder analysis
- Elements and structure of a business report
- Writing an executive summary
- Breakout sessions throughout the day
