Business Writing
Training Courses and Workshops

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Business Writing Training Solutions

Thinking First, Writing Second

Strong writing is the end product of clear thinking. Before anyone can write a report worth reading, they have to know what it's arguing and what belongs in it. Our programs address the thinking behind the document, not just the words on the page.

Depth Across Every Major Document Type

When a group needs to get better at a specific document, we build the program around that document, not a repurposed version of something else. Report writing, policies and procedures, proposals, technical writing, knowledge-base articles, and more.

Writing at the Intersection of Other Skills

Some writing challenges live at the intersection of communication and another function entirely. We offer programs such as email etiquette, customer-centric writing, and writing for sales and account management for teams where the quality of written communication directly affects the customer relationship.

Three Approaches to Practice

Depending on the program, participants work inside an immersive scenario we build around a fictional organization, work through case studies designed to mirror the writing challenges inside their business, or bring their own documents and work directly on those. We match the practice model to the group's goals.

Help Establishing a Style Standard

Some groups need more than writing skills. They need to agree on how their organization writes. We help teams establish style standards, choose a style guide, and build shared language around quality so everyone on the team is working from the same definition of good.

Programs for Government and Military Writers

We offer programs for government writers working under the Plain Writing Act, military personnel following the seven style rules of military writing, Army writers working under AR 25-50, and teams producing documents that must meet GPO Style Manual standards.

Traditional and AI-Assisted Delivery

We deliver every program in a traditional format or an AI-assisted version incorporating tools such as Microsoft Copilot. We accommodate groups with AI restrictions, groups building foundational skills, and groups already using AI tools. The choice stays with the client.

Facilitators Who Are Working Writers

Our facilitators are published authors and working editors with more than 25 years of experience across corporate, government, military, and nonprofit environments. When requested, clients can connect with the facilitator before the program to align on the group's needs. That conversation shapes the session before it starts.

Business Writing Program Catalog

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Business Writing Training Solutions

Business Writing Tools

We teach a consistent toolkit built around a simple idea: better thinking produces better writing. Our tools help writers analyze their readers, find their main point, build sound structure, and cut what doesn’t belong. Depending on the course, the toolkit may include:

Audience and Reader Tools

READER Model: Guides writers through a structured analysis of their reader before drafting begins.

WIIFT/WIIFM Approach: Surfaces what matters to each reader alongside what matters to the writer, so content decisions reflect both perspectives.

Reader Profile Worksheet: Maps primary and secondary readers across knowledge level, tone, expectations, blind spots, and likely questions.

Scope of Work Framework: Establishes the boundaries of a document before writing starts.

RECORDS Model: Helps listeners decide in real time what information is worth capturing during meetings and presentations.
Planning and Structure Tools

Seven-Step Writing Process: Moves writers from initial questions through planning, drafting, and revision in a repeatable sequence.

Bottom-Line Sentence: Captures the document’s main point in a single tight statement that drives structure and keeps writing on track.

Four Methods to Find the Bottom Line: Offers writers four approaches for isolating the main idea depending on their situation and timeline.

Questions List: Generates document structure by anticipating the questions a reader will bring to the page.

Headings Bank: Builds a working outline by identifying likely document sections before drafting begins.

Sentence Ladder: Ensures every sentence in a paragraph does a specific job in service of the paragraph’s main point.
Document-Specific Tools

Why/What/When Formula: Structures email subject lines around purpose, content, and timing.

Five-Part Email Template: Organizes email messages into a complete, professional sequence.

Report Readiness Standard: Evaluates a report against the standards readers and organizations expect before submission.

Policy Blueprint: Guides writers through a structured sequence for building a policy from initial need to final document.

Policy Field Check: Stress-tests a draft policy against a defined set of questions before release.
Editing and Revision Tools

Three Levels of Editing: Distinguishes structural, line, and copy editing so writers know what to look for at each stage of revision.

Must/Should/May Changes: Helps editors prioritize corrections by separating non-negotiable fixes from recommended improvements from style preferences.

Reverse Outlining: Tests whether a finished draft holds together structurally by working backward from the text.

Clarity Stand: Checks a document’s readability statistics against defined targets before submission.

Passive Voice Checker: Identifies passive constructions so writers can evaluate whether active voice would serve the reader better.

Word Audit: Surfaces redundant, wordy, and inflated language for removal.

AI Humanizer: Identifies and removes AI-generated patterns so documents retain the writer’s own voice.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is business writing training different from a grammar or English class?

Most business writing problems are not grammar problems. They are thinking problems. A sentence can be grammatically correct and still fail to communicate because the writer has not decided what the point is, who needs to hear it, or what the reader is supposed to do with the information. Our courses address both the thinking behind the writing and the mechanics that carry it. We work on how to organize an argument, how to lead with what matters, and how to make a document do its job before we address sentence structure and word choice. Grammar matters. It is rarely where the real problem lives.

Do participants work on their own writing during the session?

Yes, and in most cases we encourage them to bring actual documents from their work. Practicing on real writing produces better results than working through exercises built around generic scenarios. Participants can see immediately how the concepts apply to the documents they produce every day. If your team works with classified, sensitive, or proprietary content that cannot be shared in a training setting, we work around that. There are good alternatives, and we will discuss the options with you before the session.

Our team is not made up of poor writers. Can experienced writers still benefit from this training?

Often the most experienced writers get the most from this training, because they are capable enough to apply what they learn immediately. The issues we address with strong writers are rarely about basic competence. They tend to be about consistency, efficiency, and the thinking that happens before the writing starts. Experienced writers frequently have habits that slow them down or undercut their credibility without their realizing it. They also tend to be the people in an organization whose writing others model. Improving their work has a multiplying effect.

We use AI tools for writing. Does that make business writing training less relevant?

It makes it more relevant. AI tools generate text. They do not think through the problem, identify the audience, determine what the document needs to accomplish, or evaluate whether the output actually does that. Those are human judgments, and they require the same skills this training develops. An employee who cannot construct a clear argument, organize information logically, or evaluate whether a document is doing its job will not catch it when AI produces writing that fails on those same dimensions. The output improves when the person reviewing it knows what good looks like.

How does BTW's business writing training address AI-generated content?

We address it directly rather than ignoring it or treating it as a threat. AI belongs in the conversation because most participants are already using it. Our courses help participants understand where AI adds value in the writing process and where human judgment has to take over. We focus on the skills that AI cannot replicate: identifying the real purpose of a document, organizing thinking before drafting begins, evaluating whether a piece of writing accomplishes what it set out to do, and editing with a critical eye. Those skills make someone a better writer whether they are working from scratch or working from an AI draft.

Can business writing training be customized for a specific document type or department?

Yes, and this is often the most effective approach. A team that primarily writes technical reports has different needs than a group focused on client proposals, executive summaries, or internal policy documents. When we know the specific formats your team works with, we build the session around those documents. Participants practice on the kinds of writing they actually produce, which shortens the distance between the training and the work. We discuss format and audience before every engagement so the content is relevant from the first hour.

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