Plain English training builds sustainability
Most companies start the process of simplifying communications by bringing in external consultants to review and rewrite their policies, contracts, brochures, bills, statements, customer support documents and website copy.
But for this effort to be sustainable, it is essential to create a culture of fair, transparent, and consumer-focused communication throughout the company. If you don´t, documents either never make their way through the review processes, or quickly deteriorate to where they were before they were rewritten.
Plain English training can help to bridge the gap between technical departments (legal, financial, product development) and disciplines such as marketing, sales and communications.
Who should attend plain English training
Organisations should invest in training anyone who has an internal or external communication function in the principles of plain language. This includes:
- Customer service representatives writing customer support emails
- Marketers promoting complex products and services
- Lawyers writing opinions or giving advice
- Compliance staff writing reviews or policies
- Salespeople writing proposals or invitations
- Investment or other professionals writing reports
What to look for in a plain English training course
Plain English training courses should include planning and structuring of documents, the principles of plain language, information design principles and tone of voice. Plain English is a theme that runs throughout Simplified´s business writing training.
It is essential that the trainer is an expert in plain English, and can understand the difference between over-simplistic readability tools and a truly strategic approach that helps customers to make more informed decisions.