Are you tasked with organising – and rallying the troops – for a business writing workshop at your workplace? If so, chances are you may get some resistance from one or two of your less obliging team members. Especially if they were told rather than volunteered to be there.
And their resistance could be for any number of reasons.
So, read on to meet the three most likely objectors you’ll encounter – along with our advice on how to win them over ahead of the workshop!
Busy Barry
Busy Barry, a salesperson, thinks he doesn’t have time for this workshop. He has far too many important things to do!
A new prospect needs a proposal by yesterday. A major contract to finalise by Friday. And a dozen targets to tick before the month’s up.
So, is this course worth Busy Barry’s time? Six whole hours of his time?
You bet Barry’s bottom dollar it is!
Because we know that Barry writes a bucketload of client emails and sales proposals every day. And chances are, he’d love to be able to churn them out a lot more quickly, right?
So let Barry know this workshop will teach him a tried and tested writing process that will turn him into a more efficient writer – immediately. Would Barry like to save at least half an hour a day thanks to speedier writing? I suspect so!
But more than that, the course will teach Barry how to:
- Write clearly and concisely for his time-poor prospects
- Replace his jargon and buzzwords for plain English
- Put himself in his customer’s shoes and write from their point of view
And you know what that means for Barry?
More engaged prospects. Higher conversion rates. Fatter commissions!
Know-it-all Narelle
Narelle is a master of her craft. In fact, before entering the corporate world, she was an English teacher. So she knows the grammar rules like the back of her hand, thank you very much.
Oh, and she loves to correct her colleague’s writing. She’ll gladly lecture everyone about the ‘proper’ way to use a semicolon.
But see, there’s a problem…
Her formal, ‘sophisticated’ writing style is just not connecting with her readers. All her those long paragraphs, fancy words and complex sentences are a burden to read.
And dear Narelle (bless her) has no idea this is the reason her emails and reports simply DO NOT get read!
So, how do we tell Know-it-all Narelle it’s time to shift her thinking – and her writing habits?
Truthfully, it’ll be the wake-up call she didn’t want or expect. But within the first hour of the day, Narelle will begin to understand why this training will help her break through the clutter – increasing response rates in the process.
She’ll learn why an active, conversational voice will make her writing clearer and more concise. And how replacing flamboyant vocabulary with simple, everyday words will help her connect with the modern-day, time-poor reader more effectively.
So, perhaps tell Narelle that after this workshop she won’t need to send quite so many emails with this opening sentence: ‘Just a reminder to reply to my email below!’.
Because, thanks to her newly-discovered simple and accessible writing style, her colleagues and clients will have already responded!
Insecure Ingrid
Ingrid is a numbers girl. Data analysis and spreadsheets are her happy place.
But English? Not so much. In fact, she still has nightmares about cranky old Mr Cromwell – her high school English teacher who convinced her she couldn’t even write a coherent shopping list.
It’s no wonder the very words ‘business writing workshop’ has Ingrid running for the hills.
But here’s some encouraging news for Ingrid…
Business Writing Essentials is nothing like Mr Cromwell’s lessons. As facilitators, we go to great lengths to create a comfortable, safe learning environment for every individual. Just the way they are.
And Ingrid will be relieved when she hears one of the first lightbulb moments of the day: That when it comes to writing, perfection is an illusion. Instead, our focus is continuous practice and progress.
She’ll also be happy to know that good writing is not always about following strict rules. It’s about making decisions – with confidence and clarity.
Learn more about Business Writing Essentials for teams today. Or feel free to explore our other team courses!