Writing Business Cases and Proposals
2-day course, in person or online
Why it matters
Let’s get your work moving!
The ability to write a killer proposal or business case can be the difference between success and closing the doors – between movement and remaining static.
Walk the tightrope of enthusiasm and evidence
Knowing how to write a compelling, persuasive proposal is both a skill and an art.
First of all, how do you keep them awake? How do you include evidence without seeming heavy or boring?
You don’t want to fall into the old trap of the cheesy sales pitch. But how do you appeal to people’s emotions in a fresh, genuine way?
Your course on persuasive writing
This workshop focuses on all aspects of writing a compelling bid, proposal, or business case.
Practical course using your documents
You’ll practice on your own documents. If the whole team is working on the same proposal, I’ll facilitate you through preparing a draft on the day.
What the training covers
Day 1
Reader-centric tools
Focus on the reader for success
Putting yourself in the readers’ shoes
What all readers want to know
Bottom line up front
Plain language
What is plain language?
Who uses it?
Why use it? (the benefits)
What makes a good business case or proposal?
The elements of a business case
The production process
Putting together the team
Preparation and research
Knowing your audience
Context and history
Researching options
Collecting supporting and opposing data
Day 2
The needs analysis
Describing the opportunity or problem
Presenting your options analysis
Making your solution pop
Risk mitigations
What’s in it for me?
The presentation of your thinking
What is voice and tone?
Persuasive language
The art of logic and rhetoric
Anchors, priming, and presuppositions
Structuring to persuade
Constructing your overall argument
Your argument in a nutshell at the start
Supported writing
Practise, practise, practise!
The specifics
Who’s it for?
Up to 14 people who do persuasive writing at work
How long?
2 full days at your venue
How much?
All trainings are $8,000 + gst per day plus travel
What format?
In person or online, but not a mix of both
Before the training
You can give me document samples to use in the training (optional)
To bring on the day
Laptops
Your own documents to work on
Download the full course outlines
Plus the ROI information you need to make a strong business case for this training
Quick descriptions of courses
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Why is it so hard to get documents signed off? Why is it always a track-changes, version-control nightmare?
You recognise good when you see it but aren’t sure how to help people get their half-assed writing up to standard - and still be their friend. If any of that sounds familiar, this training’s for you!
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You know, you really should know how to write a report. (Read that in a whiny, snarky voice for full effect.)
Ahhhhmm, no, you shouldn’t. Because every report is different. There is no one right way. But I can give you the tools and the confidence to figure out how to write the right report, every time.
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This course helps anyone who writes at work to do it better, faster, and more effectively. We cover emails, reports, and literally any kind of writing from content-writing to legally-binding documents. Increase your confidence, learn the latest best ways to write, and save some time and sanity!
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Tell me your goals for your team's writing.
Give me samples of their writing.
I'll give you the workshop your team never knew they always needed.
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People sometimes ask me how to sound more professional in their writing. How to pad it out. How to use big words. But they’re crazy and you’re not. So you want to know the NUMBER ONE thing I get asked: How do I make my writing more clear and concise? Here’s how.
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We spend SO MUCH time writing emails. What if I told you a simple email formula could get you faster replies? Less to-ing and fro-ing? Get people to do the things you ask and do them fast? Get you more YESes? This shit really is some kind of magic (well it’s actually neuroscience, but, you know…).
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What even is technical writing? Well, if you’re communicating complex information, you’re doing it. And most of us do technical writing without any guidance or qualification. Take a couple of days to find out what you should be doing. What’s current industry best practice? A few powerful tools will make all the difference!
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Although it would be nice to do a Jerry Maguire and scream SHOW ME THE MONEY at the top of your lungs, that doesn’t seem to get the best results in a business setting. So here’s a training to teach you the art and skill of persuading (so people will show you the money).
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If you want to write policies to tick a box and sit on a shelf, find another course! Our focus here is to write policies that both work for your business AND get used by the people who need them. We’ll cover all the good foundational stuff of clear, modern business writing, then we’ll focus on the requirements of policy and procedural writing at a specialist level.