Practical writing workshops tailored to your team
Clear communication saves time, reduces misunderstandings and helps organisations build trust. Our practical workshops give your teams the skills and confidence to write clearly, concisely and effectively.
Training is tailored around your objectives, audiences and real communications, so participants can apply what they learn immediately.
Practical writing workshops tailored to your team
Clear communication saves time, reduces misunderstandings and helps organisations build trust. Our practical workshops give your teams the skills and confidence to write clearly, concisely and effectively.
Training is tailored around your objectives, audiences and real communications, so participants can apply what they learn immediately.
Plain English essentials
Write clear, accessible and user-focused communications.
Business writing skills
Build confidence in reports and everyday business writing.
Industry-specific training
Training tailored to your sector, audience and goals.
How we work with you
See how we tailor practical training around your team.
Training that makes an immediate difference
Our workshops are practical, interactive and tailored to the people taking part. We use authentic workplace communications wherever possible, so participants can apply the learning immediately.
Choose a workshop below, or talk to us about combining topics into a tailored training programme.
Plain English workshops
Write clearly for the people who need your information
Plain English helps people understand information the first time they read it. Our workshops show teams how to create clear, concise, accessible and user-focused communications for different audiences and channels.
Plain English for the public sector
Practical training to help your teams write clear, accessible communications
People want to be able to understand your communications the first time they read. They need everything you write to be clear, concise, accessible and user-focused. Using plain English reduces queries and complaints and can help to build trust.
We show your teams how to apply plain English guidelines to create content that the public can easily read, understand and use.
Who is it for?
- Organisations that need to comply with the Government's plain English guidelines and universal design toolkits
- Anyone writing for the public at any level of seniority, including county councils, State agencies, Government departments and regulatory bodies
- Managers who want their teams to have practical, tailored in-house training
Practical skills participants will take away
Understand the need for plain English
- Identify the benefits of using plain English
- Assess the clarity of your current communications
- Use simple readability scores to test and improve your text
Plan to create clear writing
- Create objectives and user profiles before writing
- Structure complex information into simple skeleton outlines
- Match your core messages directly to what readers need
Write and edit for clarity
- Cut out jargon, waffle and unnecessary details
- Use everyday language and an accessible tone of voice
- Capture users' attention with clean layout and frontloading key content
- Create short sentences and use strong active verbs
We’ve delivered this training for many organisations, including:
Public Affairs Ireland, HPRA, CCPC, HSE, Charities Regulator, Housing Agency, City of Dublin ETB, Dublin City Council, Department of Children, BIM, European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education, NSSO and Charities Commission NI.
Interested in this workshop?
Plain English for financial services
Practical training to simplify complex information, meet CPC standards and protect customer relationships
Tailored training addresses the challenges financial services companies face when explaining complex information to the public. It also supports firms to comply with the Consumer Protection Code (CPC), which requires them to use plain, accessible English and avoid unnecessary technical terms.
Almost 90% of people in Ireland would prefer banks to use less financial jargon and more plain English. Research shows that consumers want to understand information easily, whether they are reading an email, opening an account, purchasing a policy, making a claim or considering an investment.
Using plain English can help to build relationships, reduce switching, de-escalate problems and reinforce your brand.
Interactive content is customised for the specific challenges of emails, template letters, web content and guides for insurance companies, mortgage providers, banks and investment firms.
Who is it for?
- Regulated financial services companies that need to comply with the CPC's guidelines on plain English
- Writers who want to ensure their language, layout and tone of voice are accessible for customers
- Managers who want their teams to have practical, tailored in-house training that has an immediate impact
Practical skills participants will take away
Understand the need for plain English
- What is plain English and what are its benefits?
- What does plain English look like in your communications?
- Test it: Learn to use the reading ease scale in MS Word
Quick and easy planning
- Define your target users and their needs
- Consider content, structure and tone of voice
- Create a quick effective first draft
Write to meet customers' needs
- Ditch the jargon and technical terms, or explain them
- Use familiar words to explain complex information
- Create short, strong sentences, paragraphs and subheadings
- Frontload key information for maximum impact
- Cut dead wood, repetition and waffle
- Use layout techniques for easier scanning
- Check it is compliant with the CPC
- Implement professional editing strategies
- Ensure statutory information is provided
- Use a plain English checklist
We’ve delivered this training for many companies, including:
Allianz Care, Pepper Group, permanent tsb, HSE Finance, Quintas, Independent Trustee Company, Cabot Financial, Acorn Insurance and Vhi Healthcare.
Interested in this workshop?
Plain English for emails with impact
Equip your customer-facing teams to write clear, concise, user-focused emails
Research shows that customers are more likely to read, understand and trust information that’s written in plain language.
Plain English emails will help your organisation to save time, reduce follow-up emails and decrease customer complaints. This practical tailored workshop uses the KISSSS framework, Keep it short, simple, strong and sincere, so customer-facing teams take away the skills to write clear, concise, usable emails.
Who is it for?
- Companies that prioritise clear, customer-focused, accessible communications
- Frontline teams who need their emails to achieve faster results
- Managers looking for practical, tailored in-house training that makes an immediate difference
Practical skills participants will take away
Think before you write
- Focus on customers' needs and abilities to understand
- Identify clear objectives for each email, for example closure
- Answer all customer questions, stated and implied
- Stop 'ping-pong' email chains
- Focus on essential information and cut the waffle
Write with KISSSS
- Keep it short, simple, strong and sincere
- Translate complex information into everyday language
- Improve readability with short sentences and paragraphs
- Ditch, or explain, jargon and technical terms
- Use a professional, polite and human tone of voice
- Ensure calls to action are clear and usable
Review: Build trust and increase readability
- Check the accuracy of information, correct use of English and typos
- Re-read from a customer's point of view: Is it easy to understand and use?
- Use a simple readability test in MS Word
What clients say
Enjoyable training session . . . Anyone who has to correspond should do this course . . . Educational in a fun way . . . I was delighted to take part in the course . . . You feel more confident knowing you are doing it right . . . Excellent course.
Participants on workshops for Vhi Healthcare
Interested in this workshop?
Plain English for lawyers
Practical training on modern client-focused communications
Your clients are busy people who want to understand your firm’s communications the first time they read it. They want advice they can understand and act on. They don’t want to struggle with legal terms, waffle or long sentences.
On this interactive workshop, associates learn how to write engaging, clear, well-structured client-focused communications. They take away the skills to explain complex issues for non-lawyers in a concise professional style, avoiding legalese and common errors of punctuation.
Who is it for?
Firms that want to improve client satisfaction by ensuring:
- All communications are clear, concise and jargon-free
- Associates (and trainees) have the skills to answer client questions and meet their needs
- Clients do not need follow-up calls or emails because they understand on first reading
Practical skills participants will take away
Apply best practice in modern client communications
- How plain English helps clients to understand advice quickly and easily
- Check readability with the Flesch Reading Ease Scale in MS Word
Think before writing: Make a quick plan
- Identify the client's questions and needs (explicit and implied)
- Set a clear goal, with a short objectives statement
- Create a skeleton outline, frontloading key information (upside-down pyramid)
- Review the plan: Check (a) content is clear, accurate and relevant (b) structure helps clients to understand and navigate (using 5Ws and H)
Make the writing plain, modern and professional
- How to make complex information accessible, using clear language and formatting
- Deal effectively with jargon and legal terms, for non-lawyers
- Make it easy to scan and read: Use subheadings, short paragraphs and vertical lists
- Create short strong sentences, with active verbs
- Lose the Latin, and replace out-dated terms with simple, modern alternatives
- Proofread for correct punctuation (with a punctuation refresher)
- Use a reviewing checklist
Tailored to your firm's priorities
This workshop has a range of titles, depending on a firm’s priorities: Clear English drafting, Plain English business writing skills, or Art of clear communication in plain English.
We've delivered this training for leading firms, including:
Byrne Wallace Shields LLP, Dillon Eustace LLP, Matheson LLP, Walkers Global and William Fry LLP.
What clients say
Sarah delivered workshops on communication in plain English training for our teams. Our staff are experts in their fields, and the goal was to help them communicate that expertise in clear, precise, effective and plain English, without losing the quality of the work or falling short of what clients expect.
Sarah’s approach is tailored to the reality our people are actually working in, and built around their real communication needs. The workshops are interactive, and people are able to apply what they’ve learned the moment they’re back at their desks. We’ve had Sarah deliver this training for a few years.
Cezary Kujawski, Head of Learning & Development
Byrne Wallace Shields LLP
Interested in this workshop?
Business writing skills workshops
Write with greater clarity, confidence and impact
Good business writing should be clear, polished and easy to act on. Our practical workshops help participants improve the skills they use every day, from reports and minutes to editing, proofreading and digital content.
Business writing skills with impact
Train your team to write clearly, save time and achieve results
Poor business writing costs more than you think. Every email that fails to hit its mark, every report that’s hard to follow, and every customer contact that causes confusion affects your reputation and relationships.
Customers and colleagues want clear, concise communications they can understand the first time they read.
Our highly practical training gives participants the skills and confidence to write to meet user needs and achieve objectives.
Who is it for?
- Companies and organisations which value clear written communications
- Frontline teams who write external emails, including customer service, sales and suppliers
- Writers who want to transform their internal or external reports
- Managers who want their teams to have practical, tailored in-house training that has an immediate impact
Practical skills participants will take away
Think before you write: Plan to achieve objectives
- Focus on users' needs, experience and knowledge
- Identify clear goals and outcomes for each communication
- Tailor content, structure and tone of voice appropriately
- Quickly plan a first draft
Make it strong, clear and usable
- Ensure busy readers get messages quickly and easily
- Explain complex topics simply, in familiar words
- Cut, or explain, jargon and technical terms
- Ditch the 'dead wood' and focus on essential information
- Ensure key points are clear and instantly usable
Review: Build trust and increase readability
- Implement professional editing strategies
- Use a tailored checklist for your communications
- Check it with a simple readability test in MS Word
- Ensure communications look accessible
We’ve delivered this training for many organisations, including:
Public Affairs Ireland, HSE, Public Jobs, CCPC, High Performance Training, Representative Church Body, An Bord Pleanála, Pobal, Dental Council, Residential Tenancies Board, Charterhouse Infrastructure Consultants, Fexco, CGN Europe Energy Ireland and Early Childhood Ireland.
What clients say
I completed a one-to-one course on ‘Plain business writing for success’ and found the training well structured, superbly delivered and very effective. The course was tailor-made based on my needs using our own material which made the training course even more relevant to me.
AIB Merchant Services
Interested in this workshop?
Writing effective reports
Practical training to help your team create sharp, concise reports with impact
We’ve all read long, meandering reports where key messages are hard to find and recommendations are tricky to understand. Yet a polished professional report is an essential tool to achieve objectives and reach decision-makers.
Successful reports communicate information clearly and concisely, using techniques of plain English that are tailored for a professional audience.
On this highly practical workshop, participants take away the skills to plan and write well-structured reports which get messages across quickly and effectively. They will also learn how to use the power of language and layout to convey complex information to experts and non-experts.
The training is tailored for your own reports, and can cover proposals, annual reports, inspection reports, strategy documents and more.
Who is it for?
- Companies and organisations which value clear, polished, professional reports
- Writers who want to transform their internal or external reports
- Managers who want their teams to have practical, tailored in-house training that has an immediate impact
Practical skills participants will take away
Plan a well-structured report
- Create an objectives statement: identify users' needs and experience, define the objectives and outcome and list key takeaways
- Organise content fast: use a four-step framework to create a user-focused structure
Write for clarity
- Translate complex information for expert and non-expert readers
- Cut dead wood and non-essential detail
- Take care with jargon and technical terms
- Capture the attention of scanners and skimmers using headings, subheadings, vertical lists and white space
Polish and perfect
- Implement professional editors' strategies and tricks of the trade
- Use an editing checklist covering content, structure, flow, language, tone, correct English and length
- Create a short, strong executive summary focused on core information and recommendations
We’ve delivered this training for many organisations, including:
Public Affairs Ireland, Legal Services Regulatory Authority, Cork County Council, RCSI, Greenpeace, Clúid Housing, ATU, Children’s Ombudsman, Land Development Agency, Pobal and Teaching Council.
What clients say
Sarah delivered two excellent workshops on report writing and proofreading to members of our staff. She took the time beforehand to understand what we needed from the workshops. Our staff have different roles and communicate with a wide range of users and she adapted the session brilliantly to make it relevant and useful for everyone. We had positive feedback from staff afterwards who all found the workshop valuable.
Independent regulator
The course was very well structured, expertly presented, and provided valuable insight into the use of targeted and concise language – certainly beneficial.
Participant on a workshop for a county council
Interested in this workshop?
Minute-taking made easy
Ensure your minute-takers can produce clear, compliant and actionable minutes
Minutes play a vital role in corporate governance, accountability and transparency. Yet the role of minute-taker can vary widely, depending on the organisation and the type of minutes required.
This training supports minute-takers by addressing the challenges they all face, such as noting down everything in a meeting, panicking when they miss information and creating over-detailed minutes.
Our practical workshop gives minute-takers the skills and confidence to create minutes that are a clear, accurate record of actions and other salient points in a meeting. It focuses on active listening, creating your own shorthand and effective reviewing.
Who is it for?
- Anyone in the public or private sectors who takes minutes, from project updates to Board meetings
- Novice minute-takers who need to understand the role, responsibilities and best practice
- Experienced minute-takers who want to learn time-saving techniques
Practical skills participants will take away
Before the meeting: Get prepared
- Identify the A-Z steps in the minute-taking process
- Check the users, objectives and types of minutes required
- Create an efficient agenda
During the meeting: Active listening
- Keep up with the meeting by developing your own shorthand
- Write more concise notes using a note-taking template
- Listen for key points: decisions, actions, action-taker and timeline
After the meeting: Polished results
- Speed up the writing stage using a notes review and 5Ws
- Check for clear, correct use of English
- Use a checklist for minute-takers
We’ve delivered this training for many organisations, including:
Public Affairs Ireland, Cork County Council, Trinity College Dublin, ATU, Clúid Housing, Solas, An Bord Pleanála, Cork ETB, Higher Education Authority, Southeast Technological University and Music Generation.
What clients say
I found the workshop to be very beneficial. Great tips and suggestions for those new to minute taking. Sarah is an excellent presenter and is very informative.
Participant on a workshop for a county council
Interested in this workshop?
Editing skills
Ensure your communications are clear, error-free and polished
We all know that business writing must be polished and professional, but how do you ensure that readers will get the messages the writer intended? As an editor, how do you know when to make changes and when to leave text untouched?
Whether you’re editing the annual report, web content, your own customer communications or a colleague’s work, the same methods apply.
On our highly practical workshop, a former Irish Times sub-editor shares essential techniques and tricks of the trade. Participants take away the skills to analyse content, recognise problems and fix them. They also learn how to identify common errors and make writing stronger and more effective.
This workshop can be tailored for editors who need to ensure public communications are written in plain English.
Who is it for?
- Organisations which value clear, polished, professional writing
- Writers who want to update their editing skills for plain English communications
- Frontline teams who create external communications
- Managers who want their teams to have practical, tailored in-house training that has an immediate impact
Practical skills participants will take away
Energise your editing skills
- Define your role and editing style: prescriptive vs descriptive
- Edit with a light touch and an open mind
- Achieve a plain English edit for accessibility
- Follow efficient editing steps
Identify common errors and fix them
- Ensure grammar and use of English are correct
- Prefer the active voice for clarity
- Deal with jargon, repetition and unclear syntax
- Apply accessibility formatting rules
Make the writing strong
- Engage and inform intended readers
- Create consistency of style and tone of voice
- Use language and layout to achieve objectives
- Capture the attention of readers who scan and skim
- Use a tailored checklist for your communications
We’ve delivered this training for many organisations, including:
ASTI, Citizens Information Board, Early Childhood Ireland, Edelman, Greenpeace, High Performance Training, National Disability Authority, Public Affairs Ireland and Symantec.
Editing for academic purposes
The ability to edit your own work is an essential skill for anyone writing in an academic setting. This workshop is tailored for researchers, post docs and other academics, including lecturers who need the skills to edit students’ work. Practical exercises are based on a range of academic materials from different fields.
We’ve delivered this training for academics in Atlantic Technological University, Trinity College Dublin, University College Cork and the University of Limerick.
Interested in this workshop?
Proofreading skills
Make first impressions count with error-free communications
First impressions last. The written word is often the first point of contact between you and your customers or service users. That’s why it’s crucial that all your communications use correct English.
After all, how do you feel when you read a professional communication that contains grammar mistakes or typos? Not impressed?
Proofreading is an essential skill, whether you’re checking your own writing or your colleagues’ work. The challenge lies in identifying errors and inconsistencies, and then applying a quick fix.
On this highly practical workshop, a former Irish Times sub-editor shares her skills so you can proofread more confidently and effectively.
Who is it for?
- Organisations which value clear, correct, professional communications
- Writers who want to update their proofreading skills
- Frontline teams who create external communications
- Managers who want their teams to have practical, tailored in-house training that has an immediate impact
Practical skills participants will take away
Proofreading tools and techniques
- Understand the difference between proofreading and editing
- Keep details consistent, including terms, punctuation and formatting
- Highlight issues for editors and writers
- Use effective strategies and a step-by-step process
Grammar and punctuation
- Correct grammatical errors and sentence syntax
- Apply punctuation rules consistently
- Ensure correct use of English
- Recognise commonly confused words
- Apply up-to-date style rules
Twenty top tips for proofreaders
- Learn how to read really slowly
- Hear alarm bells for common errors
- Check layout, including widows, orphans, hyphenation and subheads
We’ve delivered this training for many organisations, including:
ASTI, Atlantic Technological University, Cavan and Monaghan ETB, Charities Regulator, Dental Council, Greenpeace, High Performance Training, Legal Services Regulatory Authority, Office of Public Works, Public Affairs Ireland, Public Jobs, Residential Tenancies Board, University College Cork and the University of Limerick.
What clients say
I apply what I learned on the course to my own work on a daily basis. The highly practical editing and proofreading course provided the skills and resources to create, edit and proofread a range of documents clearly, quickly and effectively.
University of Limerick
Interested in this workshop?
Writing for the web
High-impact writing for digital audiences
Writing digital content is very different from other types of writing, mainly because online readers access information differently. Almost 80% of users scan a page instead of reading word for word, so you may have only a few seconds to capture their attention.
This highly practical workshop gives participants the skills to create web content that is engaging, clear, concise, well-structured and user-friendly. They apply best practice in web accessibility guidelines to use plain English, clear layout and effective links to deliver information successfully to your target users. Participants also take away essential strategies to meet the needs of different audiences on the same pages.
The interactive exercises are tailored for your website and users and use your authentic content.
Who is it for?
- Companies and organisations which want to follow Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2 and comply with the EU Web Accessibility Directive
- Web teams who are auditing and updating content on legacy websites
- Managers who want their teams to have practical, tailored in-house training that has an immediate impact
Practical skills participants will take away
Understand how people read online
- Analyse pages to identify best practice
- Apply findings from usability studies to your own webpages
- Make pages accessible for people using screen readers
Make every page count
- Identify the current user need for all content
- Define your purpose in putting it online
- Create a page fast with a skeleton structure
Make it strong, clear and usable
- Capture users' attention with frequent subheadings and short paragraphs
- Develop a user-focused tone of voice tailored for different purposes
- Explain complex topics simply using familiar words and short sentences
- Cut wordiness, waffle and jargon
- Create effective links and ALT tags for people using screen readers
Review
- Implement professional editing strategies
- Use a tailored checklist
- Check it with a simple readability test in MS Word
We’ve delivered this training for many organisations, including:
Citizens Information, CCPC, Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, HPRA, EPA, Tailte, Focus Ireland, Women’s Aid, NCRI, Heritage Council, TU Dublin, Children’s Hospital Foundation and the county councils of Kilkenny, Galway and Laois.
What clients say
The training was tailored to our needs and provided practical, actionable guidance on writing effective content for the web. The workshops were engaging and well structured, and participants left with a clear understanding of how to apply the principles to their own content.
Environmental Protection Agency
Interested in this workshop?
Writing online articles
How to write online newsletters that people actually read
People don’t read ‘properly’ online. We tend to browse, skim and scan instead. This means you have to write differently if you want to capture readers’ attention in a newsletter. Articles need to be topical, relevant, short, focused and very, very clear.
During this highly practical workshop, a former journalist shows participants how to create online articles that are easy to read, concise, well-structured and user-centred.
Participants learn the essential tools for effective writing – from how to choose a topic, an angle and an eye-catching title to how to create a quick first draft and write an engaging article.
Who is it for?
It’s for anyone who is involved in writing, editing or approving newsletter articles, including:
- Communications teams: to increase engagement in external and internal newsletters
- Subject experts: to write clearly and reach a wider, non-expert audience
- Solicitors: to build reputation with clients and potential clients
Practical skills participants will take away
Plan to make it engaging
- Analyse and recognise best practice
- Identify reader needs and interests
- Choose a timely relevant angle
- Create a skeleton outline and quick first draft
- Consider reading speed and wordcount
Write to make it easy to read – and scan
- Use plain English and an accessible tone of voice
- Frontload key messages and use the active voice
- Explain complex topics simply, in familiar words
- Cut (or explain) jargon and technical terms
- Ditch the 'dead wood' and focus on essential information
Review to capture readers’ attention
- Develop arresting titles and subheads
- Create social media summaries (e.g. for LinkedIn)
- Use layout to reach scanners
- Assess article quality with a Ten Tips Checklist
We've delivered this training for legal firms and public sector organisations.
What clients say
Sarah delivered an article writing workshop for our associate solicitors. Sarah was excellent both in terms of her diligent approach to preparing and tailoring the workshop to suit our needs, and in her delivery. We appreciated her expertise in client-facing writing skills.
Lisa McGoldrick
Learning & Development Manager, William Fry LLP
Interested in this workshop?
Industry-specific training
Training built around your sector
Different organisations face different communication challenges. We tailor workshops around your audiences, objectives, communication channels and sector requirements.
Public sector
Clear and effective communication with the public is a challenge for public sector bodies. They need to write on a wide range of topics, using different channels, to reach people with distinct needs and interests. All information needs to be clear, accurate and concise – and written in plain English.
We understand the challenges you face and have supported many public sector organisations by delivering tailored training, providing editing services and creating in-house style guides.
The basis of successful communication is the same, whoever you’re writing for. The key is to put the user at the heart of the writing, and tailor the content and style accordingly. For example:
- When writing website content, start by identify user needs and the task they want to accomplish
- In emails, ensure all information is necessary and written in accessible language and tone of voice
- In a report for professionals, provide frequent subheadings to help users easily see key messages
- For a form, look at it from a user's point of view to check instructions and layout make sense
Government guidelines prioritise plain English for all public communications.
Writing in plain English helps all users to get your message the first time they read. It’s a way of engaging with people who have lower literacy levels or English as a second language – and also with educated professionals. It means using ordinary words and familiar language, which conveys the humanity of the teams behind the services that you provide.
Most popular workshops
How we helped a public sector body to improve its communications
Challenge
Agencies set up to help the public to understand their rights – and how to access them – know that plain English is the best way to write. The challenge lies in explaining complex topics in a simple way, without changing the meaning or seeming unprofessional.
Our solution
We provided tailored training for many staff in how to write plain English for the general public, using a range of channels. We also acted as the final plain English ‘gatekeeper’ – to ensure a consistent style and tone, and to check all publications were accessible to a wide audience. This included editing newsletter articles and web content before publication.
Outcome
Participants took away the skills to simplify complex information, share it in plain English and use an accessible tone of voice. They also learned how to provide clear, well-structured online content that was quick and easy to scan. Clear communications reinforced the agency’s reputation as an authoritative source of easy-to-understand information.
Want to find out more?
Regulators
Practical training to help your teams write clear, accessible communications
Regulatory bodies’ range of roles and stakeholders can provide challenges for their communications. Many regulators use their website as the primary means of communication for all stakeholders, from the public to industry and professionals. Therefore, website users need to be funnelled to appropriate sections, and that specific content needs to be clear, concise, accessible and user-focused.
Training in plain English and writing for the web gives participants the skills to meet different goals for discrete audiences. It shows writers how to tailor plain English to:
- Provide information to consumers, raise awareness and build trust
- Deliver clear information and instructions to industry and other professionals on licensing and registration, monitoring and compliance, and enforcement.
Most popular workshops
How we helped a regulatory body
Challenge
The regulator’s challenge is to write for all stakeholders in a consistent, clear and accessible style. One specific goal was to give subject specialists, such as economists and lawyers, the skills to write simply on technical topics for non-experts or mixed audiences.
Our solution
We designed a modular programme of half-day online workshops based on authentic content. Since 2021, hundreds of staff have attended workshops covering English essentials, plain English fundamentals and customer communications. We also created an in-house style guide to support writers and editors.
Outcome
Participants took away the skills to tailor information for the needs of consumers, share it in plain English and use an accessible tone of voice. They also learned how to provide clear, well-structured, authoritative information for industry.
Want to find out more?
Financial services
Using plain English for consumer communications is essential for banks, insurance companies and mortgage providers.
The Consumer Protection Code requires regulated financial services to effectively inform consumers, ensuring all information is clear, accurate, up to date and written in plain English. Firms must avoid jargon and make key terms easily visible.
In addition, consumers want financial information in plain English. Research shows:
- Over 90% of people would read more information on financial products if it was written in plain English.
- Some 25% of people would switch to a competitor if that company provided information in a clearer, more user-friendly style.
If consumers don’t read or understand information on financial products, they don’t really know what they’re buying or signing up to. This can affect the trust and confidence customers have in their own decisions and in their financial institution.
Training in plain English writing shows participants how to comply with the CPC. It gives participants the skills to explain complex information simply for a wide audience, including people with lower literacy skills and those whose first language is not English.
Most popular workshops
How we helped a financial services company to comply with the CPC
Challenge
Emails were unclear and full of jargon, failing to meet customer needs. Customer-facing teams needed to learn how to convey complex information in a simple way so customers could understand, make appropriate decisions and follow instructions.
Our solution
We tailored interactive training for small groups, analysing existing emails from the point of view of real customers. Participants then applied plain English guidelines to common scenarios, focusing on customers’ questions and needs, familiar language and a human tone of voice. We also provided editing services and created an in-house style guide.
Outcome
Participants took away the skills to put themselves in customers’ shoes and create clear emails explaining complex information and terminology in user-friendly language. The structured framework also helped teams comply with the CPC, speed up writing, reduce follow-up emails and achieve objectives more effectively.
Want to find out more?
Education
Using plain inclusive language is important for universities and ETBs. Academic and support staff face significant challenges as they write for a range of different users, via different channels and for a variety of purposes.
Writing in plain English, tailored for different needs, makes it easy for intended readers to understand and use information the first time they read.
Why use plain English?
Following plain English guidelines on language and layout makes information more accessible. For example, it can help people who are neurodivergent or whose first language is not English.
Prospective learners and their parents need course descriptions they can understand to help them make informed decisions. Providing clear details and instructions also helps new and current students to understand and comply and can reduce pressure on student support services.
Colleagues, industry partners and alumni benefit from clear, concise writing because plain English is quicker to scan and read.
Communities can feel more included if ETBs and universities use familiar words, short sentences and plenty of white space in their communications.
Most popular workshops
How we supported university staff development
Challenge
While academic staff were experts in writing for academic purposes, many had little experience of writing for a wider audience in a plain, accessible style and tone. Many support staff also wrote for internal and external audiences but had never received specific training.
Our solution
We developed tailored modules to address the needs of both academics and support staff. Practical exercises were based on typical university materials and documents provided by participants.
Outcome
Participants took away the confidence and skills to plan and write effective content for a range of target audiences and channels. Editing workshops gave academics and support staff tools to analyse and improve their writing, while minute-taking training provided strategies to streamline the process and create accurate, usable minutes.
Want to find out more?
Legal firms
People often criticise lawyers for insisting on jargon and using six words when one will do, and for not explaining things clearly. Yet busy clients need to understand your advice and information the first time they read it. They don’t want to wade through waffle or struggle with legalese.
Following plain English guidelines for professionals can transform client communications. Plain English workshops give trainees and associates the skills to write client-centred communications. Participants learn to explain complex information simply, cut jargon, use a human tone of voice and create simple, readable sentences.
What are the benefits of training lawyers to use plain English?
Risk mitigation
Poor communication can contribute to complaints about the standard of legal services.
Efficiency
Plain English is quicker to read and often reduces follow-up emails and meetings.
Satisfied clients
Clients want to understand information quickly and easily. Cutting legalese and writing client-centred communications can avoid misunderstandings and help build trust.
Future proofing
Training new lawyers in clear client communications establishes good habits for the future.
Most popular workshops
How we helped a legal firm to improve client communications
Challenge
A survey found that the firm’s clients wanted clear, concise information they could understand without needing a follow-up meeting or phone call. Some support staff were also unsure of grammar and punctuation rules and how to write clear professional emails.
Our solution
We developed tailored half-day workshops on clear English drafting and good grammar for small groups of associates, trainees, marketing staff and support teams. Practical exercises were based on authentic memos, emails and letters. We also created a guide to good grammar and punctuation and contributed to the firm’s in-house style guide.
Outcome
Communications became clearer, more concise and client-centred. The grammar and punctuation refresher also reduced the amount of reviewing required and helped ensure communications were polished and professional.
Want to find out more?
How we work with you
How do you create the training we need?
Discovery call
We start by discussing your objectives, participants, audiences and communication challenges.
Workshop design
We tailor the content around your needs and, where appropriate, use authentic examples from your own communications.
Deliver tailored workshops
Participants take part in practical, interactive training designed to help them apply the learning immediately.
Post-training resources
Participants receive tailored materials and useful factsheets to reinforce the learning after the workshop.
Frequently asked questions
How does online training get results?
Our online workshops are practical and interactive rather than lecture-based. Participants discuss communication challenges, work on exercises and apply the learning to authentic workplace content wherever possible.
Can you design completely bespoke training?
Yes. We can tailor individual workshops or build a programme around your objectives, audiences, communication channels and existing materials.
How long is a workshop and what are the maximum numbers?
- Essentials: Half day, 3–15 people
- Masterclass: One day, 3–15 people
- Webinar: Two hours, 5–50 people
- Coaching: Flexible, 1–2 people
Can I build a modular training programme from the workshops?
Yes. We can combine workshops into a programme covering the skills your teams need.
Can I combine elements from different workshops in one session?
Yes. We can discuss your priorities and tailor the content accordingly.
Can I choose one-to-one coaching or a webinar for a large group?
Yes. We offer flexible one-to-one coaching and webinars for larger groups where those formats are more appropriate.
Can you deliver on-site workshops?
Yes. Most training is delivered online via Teams, with in-person training available on request.
Can we arrange a phone call or Teams call to discuss our training needs?
Yes. Contact us and we can arrange a call to discuss your objectives and recommend the best approach.
Request more information
Tell us about your training needs and we’ll get back to you with information about the most suitable workshop or training programme.