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Making A Complaint… Tactfully and Effectively

Posted on September 30, 2021 by Diana Nadin

When you have reason to complain about something – poor service, poor quality goods, failure of someone to reply to your email, or whatever – you should do it promptly, firmly and politely.

Many situations can be sorted out by a quick phone call but if you feel your complaint isn’t being taken seriously then an email or letter may be required. And the added advantage of this is that it leaves a written record if you still don’t get things sorted out to your satisfaction.

So here are a few points which will help you make a more effective complaint.

It should be written as soon as possible after a mistake has been made. Get straight to the point. There is no need to apologise. The recipient is a lot less likely to take action if your email appears weak and apologetic; so be firm and the reader will regard you as someone who means business, someone who is determined to put matters right. Continue reading →

Posted in Business Skills Tips | Tagged complaints proceedure, getting your complaint resolved, making a complaint | Comments Off

Marketing Emails Made Easy

Posted on August 17, 2021 by Diana Nadin

Marketing emails may be written for a wide range of purposes and it’s a skill you could learn with a little practice.

Typically marketing emails include details of new products or services, special offers, discounts, company news, events, and so on. They are usually sent to those who have signed up to your company’s mailing list – this may have been, for example, to get money off a first order, to receive a discount code, or out of genuine interest.

One of the key aims in writing a marketing email is to get the recipient to open and read it. These days people are often inundated with emails, so there is no guarantee that they will open yours unless you can create a compelling subject line that entices them to read on. Here are a few tips and suggestions:

Avoid using all capitals. This visually off-putting, and it makes it more likely your email will be blocked by spam filters.
Likewise, avoid using the word ‘free’. This word is typically associated with spam emails, and its presence in the subject line makes it more likely your email will be blocked. Other words to use with caution for this reason include cash, money, bonus and guaranteed.

Continue reading →

Posted in copywriting | Tagged benefits not features, eye-catching subject lines, marketing emails, write as you speak | Comments Off

Do I Need A Business Plan?

Posted on July 19, 2021 by Diana Nadin

We keep hearing about businesses being forced to close during the pandemic that will never re-open and warnings that unemployment will rise – especially amongst young people. So, if you can’t get a job, what’s the answer? Start your own business! And, once you’ve decided what you want to do, what’s the first think you need to think about? Your business plan, of course!

So why do you need a business plan?

Even starting a simple business requires that you take into account many different considerations. They include the business’ name, type of organisation, premises and equipment, financial and technological requirements, marketing, insurance, staff, administration, and many more. Unless you make thorough plans, there is every chance that you will neglect some important aspect and the business will fail. Continue reading →

Posted in Business Skills Tips | Tagged preparing a business plan, starting your own business, why you need a business plan | Comments Off

Dealing With Complaints The Stress-Free Way

Posted on June 15, 2021 by Susan Metcalfe

We don’t get a lot of complaints here at Business Training as we try very hard to provide good quality study materials; a first-class service and we treat all our students as individuals.

But over the past 18 months with the disruption caused by the pandemic there have been unavoidable postal delays and I suspect that more people are becoming impatient and stressed by the whole situation. So, it has been more important than ever to try to understand their problems and sort them out efficiently.

So this month, let’s have a look at how to handle complaints effectively so that everyone feels it’s a win-win situation. Continue reading →

Posted in Business Skills Tips | Tagged dealing with complaints, effective complaint handling | Comments Off

Boosting Your Creativity

Posted on April 23, 2021 by Diana Nadin

One popular method used to aid creativity is brainstorming. This usually involves a group of people, but what if you are working remotely from the office or you are a freelance? Don’t worry, it’s perfectly possible to use solitary brainstorming techniques. This is a great way to generate lot of ideas, from which you can then select the best for whatever project you are working on. Here is our recommended method:

Start by arming yourself with a notebook and pen, or use a tape recorder. Don’t think you will remember everything you thought of during your brainstorming session later – you won’t!

Make yourself comfortable before you begin. Find a quiet room, free of distractions. Some people do, however, find they can work better with their favourite music playing in the background. Choose what works best for you.
Continue reading →

Posted in Business Skills Tips, copywriting | Tagged brainstorming, copywriting, creative thinking | Comments Off

Get Ahead With Your Emails

Posted on March 15, 2021 by Diana Nadin

Being able to write business-like emails is probably a major part of your job, whichever department you’re in. And being able to do this well will probably be a contributory factor in how much you are valued at work.

You must plan what you want to say and then make sure you have done it in a concise and clear way. At the same time you must give all the necessary information. We know that emails are, ideally, brief. But this is no excuse for omitting important information and then having to send a follow-up email.

When you have composed your message make sure that you check it very carefully before sending it. Once you have clicked the ‘send’ button it is on its way. You can’t change your mind. Continue reading →

Posted in Business English | Tagged business emails, writing clear emails | Comments Off

Using Your Time Effectively

Posted on January 28, 2021 by Diana Nadin

Here in the UK we are now in our second lock-down. Not quite as stringent as the first, but still tight enough to make life seem very different and rather scary. Many people are working from home and others are simply not able to work at all. So, they find themselves with lots of time on their hands and nothing much to do.

Not working and having lots of time to spare might have sounded wonderful twelve months ago…nothing to do but watch lots of TV, listen to music and work out. But with all the job insecurity, worry about catching the virus, not to mention boredom it’s not half as much fun as it once seemed.

So, what can you do to use your time more constructively? Continue reading →

Posted in effective time management | Tagged de-cluttering, mental health, planning your future, taking courses, updating your CV | Comments Off

Happy New Year!

Posted on December 23, 2020 by Diana Nadin

We’re coming to end of a year that has been unique. Many people use ‘unique’ in the wrong way. They use it when they simply mean ‘different’ – but unique actually means ‘one of a kind’. I don’t think anyone making plans and resolutions last January could have imagined what 2020 would be like and I’m sure you’ll agree with me that it has been truly unique! Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged good wishes from Business Training, Happy New Year, looking forward to a Covid-free 2021 | Comments Off

Develop Your Own Style

Posted on November 21, 2020 by Diana Nadin

I know that when we hear the word ‘style’ with regard to writing we usually think of books – novels or non-fiction. It’s how the author writes: what gives a piece an author’s distinctive voice.

But you’ve also got to think about ‘style’ when you’re writing at work – letters, emails, reports etc. Your own personal style is the way in which you express your ideas. It should be as attractive and as easy to read as you can make it.

You can learn a lot by studying the style of other writers, but don’t be tempted to try to write exactly like them. Your style must develop naturally. Practice leads to better writing, and the more you practise, the more confident you’ll become.

Here at Business Training, our own rule to help you is this: remember the Six Cs: correctness, conciseness, clarity, coherence, completeness and courtesy. So let’s have a closer look at these. Continue reading →

Posted in Business English | Tagged business writing, emails and letters, writing reports, writing style | Comments Off

You Don’t Need a Passport to Write Travel Articles

Posted on October 24, 2020 by Diana Nadin

You’d think a passport would be pretty essential to writing travel articles, but you’d be wrong! In fact, you don’t have to go anywhere to write great travel articles – you can produce them from the comfort of your own home. Well, you might need to drag yourself outside to take some photos, and once you realise how much they can improve your chances of getting published I’m sure you’ll want to do that. But, essentially, that’s as far as you’ll need to go. And that’s great news now when there are so many travel restrictions and social distancing makes ‘normal’ life increasingly difficult.

It sounds so obvious, but most people don’t realise that they don’t have to be on holiday somewhere exotic in order to write a great travel piece. For instance, I could write an article about Manchester and its attractions. As a resident of the city I have significant advantages over a tourist because I know where the: Continue reading →

Posted in articles | Tagged travel magazines, travel writing, writing about your area | Comments Off

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