Improve your business communication skills in this free online course that covers presentations and written messaging.

Communication is an essential part of daily living and business. Oral and written communication proficiencies are consistently ranked in the top ten of ‘desirable skills’ in employer surveys year after year. These skills reflect on an individual and consequently on the business they represent, making effective business writing and presentations two critical aspects of business success. However, communication is far too often obstructed by a disconnect between the message sender and the receiver. This failure to communicate can be caused by many factors, which we examine in detail to improve your business communication skills. Adherence to widely accepted protocols can be a useful first step towards mastering communication in the workplace.

This course explores its defining elements of business communication and offers an in-depth analysis of business writing and message delivery. Our introductory module on business communication highlights the importance of communication and its influence on employees and workplace culture. We discuss the contexts in which communication exists and establish the need for clarity, brevity and punctuality. The course also outlines the responsibilities of the communicator and explains why self-evaluation and taking cognisance of the audience are both such important communication practices. We discuss the Gestalt principles of organization in detail as we cover various aspects of business writing.

We then teach you how to overcome communication barriers with effective business writing used to produce documents like business proposals and reports. The course shows you how to plan effectively for business presentations and determine the factors to consider to cater to your audience's expectations. We explore the principles of persuasion and discuss how to make an argument and how to overcome the obstacles experienced during a presentation by employing enhanced public speaking skills. This course suits anyone who wants to develop a foundational understanding of business communication and improve their skills in specific areas like business writing and presentations. Enroll in this professional development course to improve your communication skills and prepare to move forward in your career.