This intensive half-day course will help ensure you’re getting the maximum positive effect from your daily written work. Intended for experienced IR practitioners, the course outlines the writing skills and competencies required for effective communication, and uses practical examples to identify the pitfalls to avoid. It also explores how external audiences might interpret IR communications, how those messages might ‘land’ and what it means to the investor. The programme includes principles for getting your message across, how to keep the pace with changing language in a variety of media, and an analysis of your own material.

Who should attend?

Experienced IR professionals already familiar with the basis elements of writing for IR.

What will I gain?

• A clear understanding of how to write effectively for IR
• An assessment of your own writing skills based on analysis of real examples
• The ability to understand effective messaging
• An awareness of the best words to use and the ones to avoid.

Course dates

10 September 2024
12.30pm to 4.00pm

19 November 2024
12.30pm to 4.00pm

Price for IR Society members AND members of DIRF: £550

Course tutor: Jon Harris

Jon’s unique background means that he is ideally suited to helping professionals develop their writing skills. Jon is a Cambridge English graduate, a qualified teacher of adults and an Associate Tutor at Goldsmiths University, where he teaches management at BA and MA level, giving him a deep understanding of the challenges and requirements for effective business writing. He has been commissioned by several IR teams to assist in writing critical communications at times of significant change and has lots of experience helping businesses frame and couch language for both internal and external communications. He has delivered writing skills training for the IR Society for several years and has also trained special-interest professional groups in writing skills, including banks, regulators and government departments. Jon is also a qualified business psychologist and a chartered management accountant. 

Programme

• Welcome, introduction, objectives and quiz
• 10 principles for getting your message scross
• How to select the best words and avoid the worst ones – Exercise 1
• How to select the best words and avoid the worst ones – Exercise 2
• Moving with the times – how to keep pace with changing language in a variety of media
• Analysing your own material
• Summary and evaluation