Managers spend the bulk of their time communicating, as much as 75% or more in some cases. Your effectiveness as a manager, as a salesperson, as a leader, as a marketer or in any roles is predicated upon how effectively you communicate. Even if you are the best worker in the world, you still have to communicate that to your bosses and potential recruiters.
That is what business communication is all about and why it is such an important skill to master. Effective communicators can drastically impact the performance of their teams and their own personal effectiveness in dealing with others. Studies have shown that people who are more effective at communicating are far more successful in their careers and even personal lives. Business writing is a major part of that as you spend hours daily reading or drafting emails, memos, presentations, formal contracts and even text messages, social media comments and instant messages.
This list of courses has been selected to take your business wiring and overall business communication skills to the next level.
1. Business English Communication Skills Specialization from University of Washington
Why take this course?
- This course has been created by business writing experts at the University of Washington to teach students to communicate effectively using the English language in a professional settings. The goal is not only to increase your vocabulary, but also tour ability to write and speak better in social and professional settings. You receive a formal certificate of completion on successfully completing the course.
- This specialisation divides business writing into a number of modules based on use case. You have business English for networking, for meetings, planning & negotiations and lastly, making presentations. This structure is well suited to driving effective learning outcome for learners based on their specific use case.
- Focus areas include networking skills, email writing, self introduction, conducting and participating in meetings, using correct phrasing in emails and verbal communication, writing proposals, negotiating strategically in formal and informal settings, writing announcements, presenting information in an organised way, sharing data and graphs, suing persuasive language and so on.
- The capstone project is designed to cement your learning and drive effective outcomes based on your goals. You will get a chance to demonstrate your business writing competence by using formal, written communication along with visual and audio aids to write and communicate a mini business plan.
Summary
- Time to Complete: About 100-120 hours.
- Offered fully online and on-demand. Complete at your own pace.
- A course focused on using Business English for emails, meetings, business plans and related use cases.
2. Professional Certificate in Communication Skills from RIT
Why take this course?
- This professional certificate program is delivered by experts from the School of Communication at the Rochester Institute of Technology, New York. Learn to create masterful narrative and craft power messages for use in the business world and use tools to create effective presentations, emails and impress your audience.
- Business communication is all about effective storytelling. That could be the story of a company, a product or even an employee. The first course in this certificate program focuses on this effective storytelling aspect of business communication by equipping you to craft powerful messages and narratives.
- Next, we move on to public speaking by building the confidence necessary to prepare and deliver memorable presentations. You will learn the tools of the trade that effective leaders use to deliver powerful messages that resonates with their audience and drive them to action.
- Visual presentation is the final area of focus and rounds out this effective and appealing certificate program. Communication is the most important skill in the business world and by the end of this course, you should feel more confident about how you engage with peers, customers and other stakeholders.
Summary
- Time to Complete: About 100-120 hours.
- Offered fully online and on-demand. Complete at your own pace.
- A course focused on using Business English for emails, meetings, business plans and related use cases.
3. Better Business Writing Skills
Why take this course?
If you are looking for a quick and effective alternative to formal certification programs, then this is the course for you. You will learn to write clear, concise, and persuasive words to achieve business foals. Ideal for those pressed for time and looking for a quick boost to their business writing skills.- The course focuses on planning, writing and editing for effective business communication. You will learn to formulate your objectives, analyse your reader, determine your voice and then write to achieve your goals. It’s all about adopting a methodical approach rather than just penning random thoughts.
- There is also great focus on the actual writing including sentence formation, word usage, paragraph and effective structuring. Once you have written your message, it is time to edit it which includes sharpening, smoothing, and cutting out the fluff. You will additionally learn about all the tips and tricks from the experts.
- The course presentation is effective and the author is a well known writer who has written for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Wired, Newsweek and several European papers as well. You would be hard pressed to find a better teacher.
Summary
- Time to Complete: Variable. About 4 hours of video content plus dozens of articles, downloadable resources and even a 32-page ebook.
- Offered fully online and on-demand. Complete at your own pace.
- A quick and well distilled course that is well worth the time.
4. Effective Communication: Writing, Design, and Presentation Specialization from CU-Boulder
Why take this course?
- This course is designed and delivered by English and Media experts at the University of Colorado Boulder. The course is widely used in the business world with over seventy corporations and thousands of students using to upskill their ability to communicate in a business environment.
- This specialization is divided into a number of modules with each of them covering a specific aspect of effective business communication. The bulk of the focus is on business writing which includes writing for your work, using tools to improve your writing, proper structuring, execution, revisions and other strategies to communicate more effectively.
- The second half of the specialisation focuses on graphic communication and presentation skills. These are important aspects of business communication and are being used with increasing frequency in daily communication. You will hone your verbal and body language, learn how to read the room, make fresh and inspired visuals and learn other tricks that exude confidence and professionalism.
- The capstone project is what really brings it all together. You combine all your leanings to make a power communication package around a single topic. This will help you to deploy what you have learned in a near real-world setting and even create a unique personal brand and identity based on the way you communicate.
Summary
- Time to Complete: About 80-100 hours.
- Offered fully online and on-demand. Complete at your own pace.
- A complete communication package including written, verbal and visual communication.
5. MicroBachelors® Program in Business and Professional Communication for Success
Why take this course?
- This offering from Doane University offers a well-structured, university level course that is ideal for advance learners. You learn what works in terms of business writing in diverse business environments and various types of business scenarios. Both external and internal communication are addressed as they both require varied approaches.
- You start with the basics by learning the fundamentals of business communication, various communication styles and how to use them in a business setting, assessing your listening style and emotional intelligence which eventually plays into how you communicate as well.
- Next, we look at business writing techniques, best practices and their usage in real-world scenarios, proofreading, use the 6 C’s, proper business etiquette while wring and even the usage of emojis in business communication! Presentation and visual design elements are also covered.
- Once you clear all the courses, you are awarded with a formal completion certificate.
Summary
- Time to Complete: Around 70-85 hours depending on skill level.
- Offered fully online and on-demand. Complete at your own pace.
- A solid course in university format that is recommended for advanced learners.
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