Business Writing Remote Delivery - Course Modules

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 25 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 55 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To encourage participants to think about how they communicate, and what unintentional messages they might be conveying to customers, colleagues and others.
• To demonstrate how words are just the tip of the communication iceberg, and how what lies beneath the service can have a serious, and lasting impact on how others perceive us, and the organisations we work for.
• To demonstrate how brand is affected by every piece of communication leaving the organisation.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 12 participants. It’s not suitable for 1-1 training.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
• The Activity Link in Trainers’ Library.
• Your Activity Link PIN from the My Account section of the member homepage.

Notes:
This is a powerful exercise that really gets participants to think about the way organisations communicate. It’s a useful addition to any customer service training, but particularly useful with groups that are responsible for brand and the way the organisation portrays itself to the outside world. This could be managers within the marketing department, branch managers, recruitment managers, etc.

It’s suitable for all types of organisation, including public and charitable bodies.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
Remote Delivery requires a system that as an absolute minimum provides the following functionality:
• Face-to-face discussion.
• Share screen.
• Chat.
• Share files.

In addition, we strongly recommend using a system that provides for:
• Breakout Rooms (required).

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 15 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 40 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To build an understanding of where apostrophes are required and where they are not.
• To build an understanding of where to place the apostrophe when the possessive noun is a plural.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 12 participants. It’s also suitable for 1-1 training.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
• Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
This module is suitable for staff at all levels. Misuse of apostrophes is one of the most common errors in business writing. This module makes apostrophe use clear and simple to understand.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
Remote Delivery requires a system that as an absolute minimum provides the following functionality:
• Face-to-face discussion.
• Share screen.
• Chat.
• Share files.

In addition, we strongly recommend using a system that provides for:
• Breakout Rooms (required).

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 25 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 50 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To test participant’s attention to detail and accuracy skills.
• To identify the kinds of mistakes that are commonly made when writing or checking documents, and how to avoid them.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 12 participants. It’s not suitable for 1-1 training.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
• Nothing other than the materials provided.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
Remote Delivery requires a system that as an absolute minimum provides the following functionality:
• Face-to-face discussion.
• Share screen.
• Chat.
• Share files.

In addition, we strongly recommend using a system that provides for:
• Polls/Quizzes (not required).
• Breakout Rooms (required).

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 30 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 60 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To encourage participants to think about the importance of written complaints.
• To provide a simple model for drafting an appropriate written response to a complaint.
• To provide an opportunity for participants to practise writing responses to customer complaints.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 12 participants. It’s also suitable for 1-1 training.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels and in particular, supervisors, team leaders or those responding to customer complaints.

You'll Need:
• Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
We have provided 4 fictional written complaints, which can be used if real examples can't be made available, (together with a suggested response for each) but the exercise will probably be of more benefit if participants can draft responses to complaints that are relevant to their team/department/organisation.

We recommend therefore that for the practical element of this module, you gather some examples of written complaints received by your organisation (try to have a mix of letters, emails or social media postings). You should pre-prepare these by removing any information that identifies the customer and/or a particular member of staff.

Before running this module, please familiarise yourself with the handout and make sure you understand the structure used. The suggested responses to our fictional written complaints will help in your preparation.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
Remote Delivery requires a system that as an absolute minimum provides the following functionality:
• Face-to-face discussion.
• Share screen.
• Chat.
• Share files.

In addition, we strongly recommend using a system that provides for:
• Polls/Quizzes.
• Breakout Rooms.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 45 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 105 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To help participants identify what is wrong with a real example of a ‘customer service’ email.
• To encourage participants to think about the key messages the company intended to deliver to its customers.
• To recognise the impact that poor grammar and punctuation has on a writer’s credibility.
• To rewrite the email, delivering the key messages in an appropriate, effective manner.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 12 participants. It’s also suitable for 1-1 training.

Useful For:
Supervisors and above.

You'll Need:
• Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
This is a long module for remote delivery, so we strongly recommend running it as two one-hour sessions with a break between, as described in the notes. This means running it either side of a decent (minimum 20 minute) break or over two days.

This module is based upon a genuine email, which was distributed to an internet hosting company’s customers. It contains important lessons about culture, customer service, and writing skills. It can also be used to prompt discussion about the damaging effects of poor communication.

For the purposes of this exercise we’ve shortened the original email by removing a few of the more technical paragraphs.

If using this module to train an individual, run the first exercise as a 1:1 discussion, but leave them to attempt the second activity alone, either in the session or as a work-based activity between coaching sessions.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
Remote Delivery requires a system that as an absolute minimum provides the following functionality:
• Face-to-face discussion.
• Share screen.
• Chat.
• Share files.

In addition, we strongly recommend using a system that provides for:
• Breakout Rooms (required).

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 30 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 60 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To help participants identify what is wrong with a (real example) of a ‘customer service’ letter.
• To encourage participants to think about the key messages the company intended to deliver to its customer.
• To recognise how one badly constructed letter can lose a customer.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 12 participants. It’s not suitable for 1-1 training.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels, and especially people working in finance and/or customer services.

You'll Need:
• Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
This module is suitable for staff at all levels; especially those involved in financial and/or customer services. The example shows a letter that is confusing and pretentious, both in its layout and in its content. The writer of this letter should be aiming to regain – even increase – business from this customer. In the letter's current format, it is highly unlikely that this will be achieved.

This exercise would also be useful to develop a conversation in an organisation about its standard letters, which are often carelessly written and should be regularly examined and revised.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
Remote Delivery requires a system that as an absolute minimum provides the following functionality:
• Face-to-face discussion.
• Share screen.
• Chat.
• Share files.

In addition, we strongly recommend using a system that provides for:
• Breakout Rooms (required).