Clear Writing™
With
John Sturtevant
15 Years of Praise
5 Features & 12 benefits
2 Day Training Agenda
Your American Facilitator
How’s it’s Different
When we write in business, we typically want convince others to do something. The fact is, people read only what is of interest to them – whether it’s a brochure, email, or report, or proposal. That’s why your writing needs to be active, relevant, and compelling to your reader. However, most business writing programs are passive & do not do this.
Based on a highly-acclaimed business writing course John taught at Harvard Business School for first-year MBA candidates. Clear Writing is today, a top-rated 2 day program that provides an uncomplicated and yet profoundly effective methodology, (not found in any other business writing course today), allowing you to quickly shed in-effective writing habits to communicate significantly better across every platform of business communication – even in face-to-face communication.
You will learn and practice insightful and practical methods for capturing your reader’s attention, and persuading people to actually take desired action toward your objectives
Features & Benefits
Clear Writing's 6 Unique Features
Gain a powerful and effective communications methodology that helps you discard tedious, time-consuming writing habits you’ve developed since childhood.
Obtain analytical thinking techniques developed at Harvard Business School that facilitate clear, citizen-focused communication.
Ask probing, insightful questions that will uncover your audience & stakeholder perceptions, empowering your writing to speak directly to the average Singaporean’s needs and wants.
Gain active-listening skills to let you focus on how your listener/reader interprets your words.
Learn of new ways to tap into your own experiences and perspective as a Singaporean to develop a unique voice that resonates with Singaporeans.
Take back a structured & logical writing template so dynamic, you can apply your new writing skills right-away and communicate clearly & effectively to any audience, in any scenario.
Clear Writing's 12 Key Benefits
Write with intention so your words don’t obscure your ideas.
Develop a compelling story that will engage your target citizens
Use persuasive writing techniques to produce sincere and empathetic campaigns, emails and more.
Articulate complex information clearly and concisely.
Think analytically about the benefits from the citizen’s point of view.
Develop active listening skills to identify the public citizens’ motivations
Read complex documents and recognize the highest value take-away.
Boost your creativity and insight through brainstorming.
Identify and avoid common logical fallacies
Leverage on powerful email subject lines that get your reader’s attention
Apply effective editing strategies to streamline your final documents
Know 10 pompous business words and phrases you should never use
Experience thought-provoking exercises that help you remember key writing techniques
2 Day Training Agenda
Training Day 1
Session 1 Clear Writing Essentials
The key to clear writing is to lose bad writing habits and embrace a new approach that focuses on the principles of Persuasive Writing. Participants read a business case study and begin the analytical thinking process.
Principles you’ll learn:
• How to read with purpose to uncover essential facts.
• Identify what is important and what to ignore.
• How to develop a clear, focused message for your reader
• The Clarity Principle. The single most important point in writing.
• Four ways to define a clear objective
– How to define expected outcome
• Identify four typical audience types
• How to write to each reader’s perspective
Session 2 Analytical Thinking
The most common mistake business people make is to begin writing without planning. In many companies, business focuses getting things done quickly, rather than getting things done effectively.
Unfortunately, this approach nearly always leads to poor communication & unproductive relationships between managers, staff, clients, and colleagues.
Workshop participants will learn how to examine their messages and topics, analyze options, choose a reader-focused strategy, organize their ideas, and communicate powerfully and persuasively.
You’ll learn to use these thinking tools:
• Plan, write, revise, edit – a 4-step process to help participants think clearly, organize their ideas, focus on their objectives, take less time writing.
• Analytical questions – 29 questions to help you look beyond the obvious.
• Brainstorming – Generate ideas and form logical connections.
• Outlining – Organize your ideas and structure a persuasive document.
Session 3 Analysis Exercises
Participants complete a series of exercises designed to help them examine a situation thoroughly, and ask insightful questions.
Techniques you will learn:
• A 4-step process that’s guaranteed to improve your efficiency.
• Why most writers struggle with writing—and how to avoid struggling.
• Ways to identify and answer your reader’s objections.
• How to tune into what every reader wants to know.
• Practical ways to uncover your real objectives for writing.
• How to keep your words from obscuring your ideas.
• How to address the 4 most common reader attitudes.
• Ways to avoid jargon, clichés and pompous language.
• How to motivate your reader through clear, persuasive writing.
Training Day 2
Session 4
Practical On-Site Assignment
Participants will read a given assignment and accompanying article. They will analyze a given scenario, develop ideas, and produce an effective outline.
Session 5 Persuasive Writing
Participants learn the essential skills of persuasive writing. These skills help them plan, structure, and write documents that achieve their desired outcome.
Skills you will learn:
• Four ways to position yourself in the reader’s mind.
• How to write for your reader’s perspective.
• Strategies for communicating complex information clearly and concisely.
• How to develop your own business writing style.
• Persuasive techniques for developing powerful writing• How to create an effective opening statement, purpose, and compelling closing statement.
Argument structure
Participants will learn how to structure an argument, introduce facts, support claims, and make clear recommendations – all essential to persuasive business writing. Argument Exercise
Participants analyze a given business situation and structure an outline for an effective argument.
Techniques you will learn:
• How to identify key issues and problems to be resolved.
• The 5 most common mistakes writers make – & how to avoid them.
• The step-by-step process that guarantees a convincing presentation.
• Insightful questions to help them think and write analytically.
Session 6 Grammar & Mechanics
Now that participants understand how to plan their writing, they’ll learn how to create clear, persuasive ideas and eliminate embarrassing and costly writing mistakes.
Sentences & Paragraphs
The Sentence – People use them every day, but don’t know what they are.
The Paragraph – The document’s rhythm section.
Quantity vs. Quality – How to know when enough is enough.
Style – How to set the right tone for your audience and purpose.
Clarity – What’s clear for the writer is often confusing for the reader
Revision exercises
We’ll look at good and bad examples of style, structure, word choice, and clarity, and we’ll practice transforming confusing writing into clear writing.
Session 7 Analysis Exercises
Each participant will determine purpose, audience, and expected outcome, and write a persuasive document with a clear recommendation. John will walk you through the writing process and help you apply what you learned.
Session 8
Professional Critiques & Q&A
We’ll read the papers and talk about how each participant approached the assignment. Participants will reinforce their skills and help each other through peer critiques
Your American Facilitator
Based in the United States, John Sturtevant developed a highly acclaimed Business Writing curriculum at Harvard Business School (HBS) where his course was a requirement for Harvard MBA Students. He also created an award recognized Communications Program as Professor of Business Communication at The European School of Economics in Rome, Italy.
For 30 years since, John has helped executives around the world learn to think analytically and communicate their ideas clearly and persuasively. He received an “International Association of Business Communicators Star Speaker” and is a top-rated facilitator of his Clear Writing Program for Public Officers in Singapore for 15 consecutive years.
The Trainer will be flown from the United States to Hong Kong for 2 Days in 2023 to deliver this class
15 Years Of Praise
“This course will benefit public officers who has to write or say anything to anyone“
“Valuable workshop to un-learn bad habits and re-learn skills
A very engaging session. Learn how to make your writing effective and relatable to any audience you are communicating with.
I can definitely recommend The Clear Writing Course to everyone as John Sturtevant made the skills needed in clear writing come alive!
“Everyone should at least attend this workshop once”
“John is Incredible! Attending this program will give you abilities you can use forever.”
“Great, Amazing, Beautiful!”
“I look forward to apply this back at work tomorrow.”