Business Writing Course Training Options: What's Best for Your Team?

To truly develop stronger writing skills, your team needs more than a one-size-fits-all approach. That's why we offer multiple kinds of group writing training and coaching — so you can find the best fit for your teams' needs. Discover the best writing training course for your team, from self-paced online training that includes detailed instructor feedback and coaching to onsite or virtual instructor-led sessions. In this article, we'll cover some of the most important factors to help you make your decision.

As you consider our different options for writing training, think about what your team needs most to succeed. Start by asking yourself and your team these questions:

• Will we benefit from having an instructor lead the training, or will we enjoy pacing ourselves through lessons individually with instructor feedback on writing?
• Do we all want to be learning and writing in the same room or Zoom together?
• How much feedback do we need? What kind of feedback do we hope for?
• Is our team mostly on the same page in their writing skills, and therefore likely to move at the same pace? Or will some of our team members benefit from more personalized instruction and learning at their own pace?
• Is part of our goal in training together to build group morale or shared skills? Or is this about individual skill levels?

Based on your answers to these questions, you may find that instructor-led onsite, instructor-led virtual, or instructor-supported self-paced training works best for your needs. The content, learning outcomes, and expectations for success are identical across course types, and any of our course offerings can be customized to meet your group’s specific needs. So it’s all about finding what makes the most sense for your team.

Let's weigh all the pros and cons to help you find the right writing course for your group.

Instructor-led onsite training for groups

For groups looking to improve their writing skills together, our onsite instructor-led training is a fantastic option that provides opportunities for team building and discussions as well as individual skills development.

Here's how it works:

After reviewing your team’s writing and goals and customizing the training, one of our experienced instructors will visit your team's onsite location for focused, hands-on training. The structure of those training hours is up to you and your team. We typically conduct sessions to take place over one day or two half-days.

Onsite, instructor-led training allows for open question-and-answer periods and provides specific writing scenarios that can address your teams' unique questions and concerns.

Advantages:

• OPEN DISCUSSION Group discussions allow for deeper discussion and shared "a-ha" moments, where the goals of better writing become clear for all.
• CAMARADERIE Working together fosters a camaraderie that helps build team morale.
• FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT Working on each other's writing together, or reviewing each other's work, invites an open environment for collaborating with increased clarity and stronger communication skills.
• COMFORT Some employees enjoy onsite, traditional training sessions because they offer a break in their typical work-week routine, while still taking place in a dedicated workspace.

Considerations:

• INFO OVERLOAD: Taking in a lot of information all at once can be overwhelming. Our onsite training follows adult learning theory best practices, with frequent breaks and activity shifts. We keep everyone engaged.
• PARTICIPATION POINTS: As with any in-person training, larger personalities can dominate those who are more introverted. Our experienced instructors are skilled at creating welcoming, balanced conversations—but this may be something to consider if your team has one or two loud personalities that could impact the shared learning environment.

The final word on onsite instructor-led training:

Being onsite and in-person with your team allows our wonderful writing instructors to provide the kind of hands-on, in-the-moment feedback and tailored conversations that can really make new skills and training outcomes stick.

Does it sound like the right option for you? Learn more here.

Instructor-led virtual training for groups

Instructor-led virtual training offers an amazing opportunity to build team morale and develop new writing habits for everyone. We break up the training into shorter, more digestible sessions. This allows time to practice new skills on real work documents between sessions, bridging the gap between training time and real-world writing. 

These live, virtual sessions are ideal for teams that write longer, complex business documents—such as reports or proposals—because participants can practice new techniques and plan documents in between sessions. Instructor-led virtual training is also very well suited to large groups where skill levels vary, again because incremental practice happens naturally in between live training sessions. We address the varying questions encountered by different positions in subsequent sessions, which supports different positions and improves cross-functional writing across your team. We can also provide individual writing feedback in between live sessions.

This all helps employees implement immediate changes in their writing habits, as well as get answers to their most pressing questions. 

Here's how it works:

We will review your team’s writing and goals and customize the training to maximize the impact. Your team will join a Zoom training call with one of our experienced writing instructors for a series of training sessions aimed at improving your team's writing skills. The ultimate goal? Help them write more efficiently and clearly and ensure their writing is an asset to your business.

Our virtual instructor-led training allows for open question-and-answer periods, as well as diving into specific writing scenarios that can address your teams' unique questions and concerns. They’re highly interactive sessions with frequent peer, small group, and full group discussions.

Advantages:

• INCREMENTAL LEARNING Across focused 2.5-hour training sessions, scheduled across three days, your team will be introduced to new ideas, given time to exercise new approaches, and discuss outcomes and questions with the instructor. This delivery is the perfect offset to information overload because these breaks are critical for retaining information and practicing skills. Shorter, well-paced sessions offer a rewarding, focused learning experience.
• INTERACTIVE Utilizing breakout rooms, exercises specifically designed for remote learning, and Zoom-friendly discussion tools, this training isn't an in-person meeting moved online; it's designed to work as remote training equally as effective as onsite training.
• CAMARADERIE Working together fosters a camaraderie that helps build team morale.
• COMFORT Shyer participants may find it easier to work in the small group and breakout sessions this training facilitates.

Considerations:

• ZOOM FATIGUE Before 2020, this term was relatively unknown. Our virtual sessions are scheduled in incremental sessions, not a full day, and carefully designed to keep learners engaged, and give them regular breaks to reset and rest. 
• WANDERING ATTENTION Our experienced instructors have strategies to keep your team focused and engaged throughout the training. Frequent activities, breakout rooms, and discussions keep everyone engaged.

The final word on virtual instructor-led training:

Virtual instructor-led training allows your team to work together to develop new writing skills and strategies and can help foster a renewed sense of camaraderie and collaboration. Our experienced instructors bring personality and personalization to online training—so no one gets left behind.

Does it sound like the right option for you? Learn more here.

Self-paced online training with instructor feedback

This training option is ideal for employees or individuals who want to build their writing skills in a self-paced course while receiving detailed written feedback on their writing from an instructor. This training is perfect for individual learners who want to move at their own pace and receive clear and customized instructor feedback on their work. The feedback in this version of the training is far more individualized to each learner since it is based on their actual writing and may be helpful for non-native speakers, as well as for those looking to improve their long-form writing skills in genres like reports, white papers, or proposals.

Here's how it works:

All individual learners will receive access to our online course platform. Learners log in and out of the course, matched to their schedule and learning style. No downloads are needed. On their own time and at their own pace, they’ll watch videos, read lessons and guides, take quizzes, and also complete writing exercises that they'll submit in the course platform to their instructor. They’ll receive detailed feedback on these assignments, with both global (big picture) and local (grammatical and editorial) feedback. Of course, their instructor is also available for any course questions and writing advice.

Advantages:

• ON YOUR TIME The freedom to complete assignments on your own schedule, and at your own pace, can ease writing anxiety and help you get the most out of the course.
• IN-DEPTH FEEDBACK Our instructors provide detailed, personalized feedback on every assignment using rubrics that provide trackable progress. Learners receive additional relevant resources matched to their goals and needs. Instructors also take the time to review each student's progress, noting where marked improvements happen and where patterns of error persist.
• REAL-WORLD CONNECTIONS Individuals can use their real-world assignments, such as a proposal or report, in the course—meaning they'll get feedback from their instructor to help them chart a path for success that can be recognized immediately at work.

Considerations:

• SELF DISCIPLINE Completing a writing course on your own time and schedule requires focus. However, we send regular reminders to participants and status reports to managers. You can expect 100% completion. Interaction and instructor feedback also keeps participants motivated and engaged. 
  
  

The final word on self-paced online training:

Self-paced online training allows employees to learn at their own pace and on their own schedule, making for an empowering and personalized learning experience. To combat distractions or disengagement, our talented instructors provide personalized feedback within just two business days of submission, to keep morale high and progress moving forward. Client Care tracks progress, sends reminders, and reports status to management. You can expect 100% completion from your team.

Does it sound like the right option for you? Learn more here.

Customization is available

If different parts of these training approaches appealed to you, contact our team to discuss customization options. We can blend the beneficial aspects of one method of training into another. For example:

1. After your individual employees complete a self-paced course, we can add a live, group Zoom session with your team’s instructor to address writing patterns noted in course exercises, share additional resources, and recommend future focus. With this approach, your team gets to learn at their own pace with individualized feedback—and then come together for a live group conversation.
2. You can add individual writing feedback post-training in instructor-led virtual or onsite training. With this option, your group can benefit from live group learning together and taking lessons as a team and then work individually to receive personalized feedback that focuses on their specific writing needs and questions. 

We hope this in-depth overview has helped you identify the right training for you.

To learn more, schedule a call with us. Or, peruse more course options and overviews right here.