English Business Report Writing Skills

PROGRAM : English Business Report Writing Skills - Reporting and Writing Accurately

INTRODUCTION

Information plays a vital role in the business world. An individual’s ability to capture information and report it accurately is a very valuable asset. This information is usually reported in a business report. A well-prepared business report will provide complete and accurate information about an aspect of a company’s operation. The format of a business report may vary from a brief informal report intended for an in-house use to a voluminous formal report intended for public distribution.
This programme English Business Report Writing Skills will help delegates develop good writing and reporting skills. Delegates will also be taught techniques on doing personal proofreading to eliminate errors in their writing.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the programme, delegates are expected to be able to:

Analyse their audience and tailor the content to the audience’s specific needs
Gather data efficiently and select the relevant information for their readers
Use best practice in structuring reports
Choose words that support the message and do not distract the reader
Assess the best places to use graphics, and choose the right image to support the content in the port
Select the appropriate format for reports
Improve and enhance further understanding on English language writing principles
Write clear and coherent paragraphs
Write succinctly and clearly
Edit draft report for maximum impact

PROGRAMME OUTLINE

DAY ONE

Module 1: Clarifying your purpose

Do you have what it takes? The skills needed to write reports
Why do you do it? What’s the purpose of a business report?
Why you would not get anywhere without a clear objective
Setting a clear objective

Module 2: Analysing Your Audience

Who are you writing for?
What do the readers want from your report?
Satisfying mixed readership with multiple requirements.

Module 3: Learning Grammar Without Pain

Subject and Verb Agreement
Verb Forms
Sentences, Fragments and Run-Ons
Sentence Completers

Module 4: Designing Your Structure

Structuring before you start writing
Using mind mapping: Outline View to sequence and structure your material
How to structure the beginning, middle and end of your report
Organising your content to achieve your purpose
How to give bad news
How to structure the Executive Summary
Ideas for structuring sections
Organising your content – are you trying to persuade, inform, explain or discuss?

Module 5: Selecting your information

Collecting and evaluating information – how to make it easy for people to help you
Deciding what information is relevant – the payoff for having a clear objective
Deciding the level of detail to include is easier when you have analysed your audience

DAY 2
Module 6: Developing your style

Crafting short, simple sentences to increase readability
Choosing familiar words that make your meaning clear
Getting rid of the waffle that bores readers
Putting action in your verbs for direct, concise writing
Writing in terms your reader can relate to

Module 7: Drafting and laying out your text

The importance of the right mindset – how to avoid getting sidetracked
The process – prepare, draft, relax, polish

Module 8: When and how to use graphics

Why use graphics?
When to use graphics – pictures, screen shots, diagrams, flow charts, tables, graphs, etc.
The best places for your graphics, in order of preference
Things to check when including graphics

Module 9. Editing and proofing your draft

A top-down approach to improving your text – see it the way your readers do
Ensuring that you achieve maximum impact – things to check when editing your draft
Removing commonly confused words, ‘poppycock’, poor punctuation and grammar
Getting the most out of the spelling and grammar checkers
Some common punctuation errors and how to avoid them
Hints on proofreading to help you avoid a red face
Report polishing checklist – that last once-over to save your sanity

TRAINING METHODOLOGY

A pre-test will be given at the beginning of the training and a post-test at the end of it. This training is filled with useful and applicable content. Delegates will be encouraged to participate for experiential learning to take place. There will be in-session review exercises at the end of every module for reinforcement of concepts and principles learned. All skills learned at the programme are transferable.

COURSE TRAINER

Mr. Philip Tan
Associate Trainer

Philip is a highly experienced academic, corporate trainer and consultant. He is also a public and international speaker where he speaks on a wide range of topics that include Call Centre Management, Selling, Leadership and Strategy, Good corporate governance, etc. In his career, he has held management portfolios such as head of a business school, director of post-graduate studies, dean for the faculty of business and economics, vice-president of a renowned private college, chief operating officer of an MSC status company and chief executive officer of an international NGO that promotes good corporate governance.

Philip has trained delegates from the government of Tanzania, government of Saudi Arabia, government of Oman, Ministry of Education, Malaysia, IOI Berhad, Malaysia Airports Holdings, SIEMENS, Cadbury, Premium Nutrients S/B, Motordata S/B, Masterskills University College of Health Sciences, etc

Philip has a Bachelor of Laws with Honours from the University of Wolverhampton, UK; a Master in Business Administration from the University of Hull, UK, a professional diploma in International Advertising from the International Advertising Association (IAA, New York), a Teacher’s Certificate in TESOL from Pantai Valley Teachers’ College, the Ministry of Education, Malaysia.

Among his participants, Philip is known for his ability to draw upon his diverse experience and expertise and to share them with his participants -- this has always made his training sessions very informative and enjoyable.

COURSE FEES

In-House Course Fee :	Call 6016-216 1383 (Mr. Jimmy Ong) or Fill in Inhouse Request Form	Inhouse Request Form
Public Course fee:	To Be Advised	Public Course Registration
Date/s :	TBA (2 Days Program)
Time :	9am – 5 pm daily
Venue :	In House/Hotel/TNI Centre