5 Must-Know Techniques to Persuade Your Reader · 2020. 5. 31. · These roadblocks KILL...

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2 5 Must-Know Techniques to Persuade Your Reader

AboutTracieMarquardt

Tracie Marquardt is a trainer, coach and

consultant who has successfully helped

HUNDREDS of professionals in Germany,

Europe and beyond, to be more effective

in their communication skills and to

communicate more effectively in today’s

global environment.

Tracie’s passion is helping quality

assurance and finance professionals to

communicate key messages in important business situations clearly and concisely.

This enables her clients to show the added value of their work and to be agents of

positive change within their organizations. Communicating effectively in a global

environment CAN be learned, be fun, and bring you what YOU might be missing:

The power to inspire others to take action.

Tracie offers programs for professionals at every level who are successful and

knowledgeable, but need the tools and techniques to drive their communication

to the next level. Tracie’s most popular training programs are Writing with

Impact, Greater Results Through Negotiation, and Culture, Language and

Behaviour. In these training programs, Tracie delivers proven tools and

techniques to immediately improve your communication. Her secret weapon is

the highly effective coaching process that begins before every workshop and

includes individual, customized coaching afterwards.

If you like this eBook, you’ll love the results you experience from Tracie’s training

programs that show you how to communicate more effectively in today’s global

environment. Whether it’s for you or for your team, contact Tracie today for your

complimentary Communication Assessment call.

“Clear Communication Adds Value”“Clear Communication Adds Value”“Clear Communication Adds Value”“Clear Communication Adds Value”



WhatYou’llFindinThiseBook

About Tracie Marquardt ………………………………….…….… 2

A Letter from Tracie …………………………………….………….. 4

Take the 30-second Quiz ………………………………….……… 6

Technique #1 – Know Your Reader ……………….…………. 7

Technique #2 – Write Clearly and Concisely ……………. 9

Technique #3 – Take Your Reader by the Hand ……….. 12

Technique #4 – Add Value …………………………….………… 15

Technique #5 – Get Your Messages Accepted …………. 19

Tracie’s Training Programs ……………….…………………….. 21

A Final Word …………………………………….…………………….. 25



ALetterfromTracie

Dear New Generation Professional,

I’ve lived in three countries and almost a dozen cities since I graduated from the

University of Waterloo in Canada. Following my dreams has led me to beautiful

Germany, where I’ve successfully launched Quality Assurance Communication, my

own training, coaching and consulting business. The road to The road to The road to The road to get hereget hereget hereget here hasn’t been a straight, hasn’t been a straight, hasn’t been a straight, hasn’t been a straight,

speedspeedspeedspeed----limitless Autobahn though …limitless Autobahn though …limitless Autobahn though …limitless Autobahn though … I became a Canadian Chartered Accountant soon after University and worked first

as an External Auditor and then as an Internal Auditor. Eventually, I wanted to try

my hand at Accounting, so I headed to sunny California to pursue that goal.

For the next few years, my work-life was made up of 60-hour weeks, regulatory

deadlines and project meeting after task force meeting, sometimes 7 per day. It

was slowly taking a toll on my health and on my outlook on life.

Then in my late twenties, I visited Europe for the first time. A new dream took

shape: I wanted to live there before I was blind, lost my marbles, or left this

world, any of which could happen at any time! Waiting was not an option!

It took me 6 years to get out of Corporate America, where I was being worn down

working long hours just for a paycheck. This was not the authentic me. I wanted

to make a difference in the lives of others and made my next move.

For over 10 years, I’ve used my education and business experience to help

professionals do their jobs more effectively in English. My employer’s clients

achieved huge results in their communication, and my employer benefitted

significantly from my expertise. Now I bring that high level of expertise to YOU!

I took a leap of faith in myself. It was time for me to be I took a leap of faith in myself. It was time for me to be I took a leap of faith in myself. It was time for me to be I took a leap of faith in myself. It was time for me to be consistently passionate about my work, to wake up energizedconsistently passionate about my work, to wake up energizedconsistently passionate about my work, to wake up energizedconsistently passionate about my work, to wake up energized and to look forward to doing what I do best and to look forward to doing what I do best and to look forward to doing what I do best and to look forward to doing what I do best EVERY DAYEVERY DAYEVERY DAYEVERY DAY....



I created Quality Assurance Communication as a resource to help quality

assurance and finance professionals overcome limiting behaviours, practices and

habits that are holding them back from achieving the business results they want.

If YOU want to improve the effectiveness of your communication skills in

today’s fast-paced global environment, then Congratulations! You have

recognized a need and have begun the journey of fulfilling that need.

BBBBy y y y sharingsharingsharingsharing the top communication skills tools and the top communication skills tools and the top communication skills tools and the top communication skills tools and techniques to be successful, techniques to be successful, techniques to be successful, techniques to be successful, I empower you to I empower you to I empower you to I empower you to achieve your achieve your achieve your achieve your

goals and make positive change in your organization.goals and make positive change in your organization.goals and make positive change in your organization.goals and make positive change in your organization. Why me? Because I understand how hard it is to persuade your business partners

of the value of the results of your work and the need to take action to move the

organization forward. I know all of this because I have been in your shoes and

have had to conquer those very obstacles. And YOU can conquer them, too.

How best to do this? By understanding how you

and your team communicate today, how you

should be communicating, and identifying the

gaps. Then, with relevant tools and techniques, I

help you fill those gaps so that you and your

team communicate clearly, concisely and

consistently in a sustainable way.

If you are serious about wanting immediate

improvement in your communication skills and

increasing the quality and consistency of your

writing, then I encourage you to implement the

tools and techniques in this eBook today.

Let me know how the tools and techniques in this eBook work for you, okay?

All the best,

Tracie :))

P.S. Find out what my clients say about me and their results.



Takethe30-secondQuiz

Before we move on to my 5 Must5 Must5 Must5 Must----Know Techniques to Persuade Know Techniques to Persuade Know Techniques to Persuade Know Techniques to Persuade Your ReaderYour ReaderYour ReaderYour Reader, I invite you to take a moment for self-reflection and answer

these questions. Circle your answers, and yes, you must answer each one. ☺

1

Do you enjoy writing reports?

YES

NO

2

Do you find writing reports easy?

YES

NO

3

Do you always know who will read your report?

YES

NO

4

Do you always know how the reader will use the report?

YES

NO

5

Does every report you write have a clear purpose?

YES

NO

6

Do you think your reports are easy to understand?

YES

NO

7

Do your reports get the results/actions/feedback that you want?

YES

NO

Scoring

If you answered a resounding YES to every single question, then why are you

reading this eBook? You’re better off meeting a friend at the pub, getting a

massage, going bungee-jumping, or spending quality time with your family.

If you answered NO to any of these questions, then I highly recommend you read

this eBook, and implement the tools and techniques TODAY, to start

communicating more effectively.



Technique#1:

KnowYourReader

My number one piece of advice to My number one piece of advice to My number one piece of advice to My number one piece of advice to persuade your readerpersuade your readerpersuade your readerpersuade your reader

is to KNOW is to KNOW is to KNOW is to KNOW your reader.your reader.your reader.your reader.

What do you need to know about them?

Consider:

�� What functional roles do your readers have in the organization?

�� What are their roles in the hierarchy? In the decision-making process?

�� Do they need detailed information or high-level information?

�� How will the information in your report affect each reader?

�� What do they have to DO with the information?

�� Do they have the same level of technical knowledge as you?

�� What level of English ability do your readers have?

A question that is put to me very often is, “Why do I need to know who my

readers are?” The answer is clear. You want the reader to:

1. Read your report

2. Benefit from your report

3. Take the needed action

We often talk about WIIFM. I use this term quite often in many types of training.

WIIFM means “what’s in it for me”“what’s in it for me”“what’s in it for me”“what’s in it for me”.



Tailor your document by putting yourself in the reader’s shoes.

Figure out what they need to know and write in a way that is

easy for the reader to take those key messages, decisions, and

recommendations to the next level.

There are general and technical readers. There are general and technical readers. There are general and technical readers. There are general and technical readers. You You You You shouldshouldshouldshould write for both. Some don’t write for both. Some don’t write for both. Some don’t write for both. Some don’t know what you know. And sometimes, know what you know. And sometimes, know what you know. And sometimes, know what you know. And sometimes,

they don’t all NEED to know they don’t all NEED to know they don’t all NEED to know they don’t all NEED to know what you know.what you know.what you know.what you know.

Not convinced? Try it out!

Many first-time

participants say to me the

first morning of a

workshop:

“I have no idea who reads

my documents. It could be

anybody”.

We all have a

responsibility to know

why we are writing, who

we are writing to, and how

they will use the

information. This will

enable us to bring more

value to the organization.



Technique#2:

WriteClearlyandConcisely

Everything I teach in my Writing for Impact workshop is about

writing clearly and concisely. There are so many tools,

techniques and universal good writing practices that these alone

could fill up an eBook. I promised you:

my my my my best tips to AVOID ROADBLOCKSbest tips to AVOID ROADBLOCKSbest tips to AVOID ROADBLOCKSbest tips to AVOID ROADBLOCKS that limit your ability that limit your ability that limit your ability that limit your ability to writeto writeto writeto write

clearly and concisely.clearly and concisely.clearly and concisely.clearly and concisely.

What exactly are those roadblocks?

Long, rambling sentences, with so many phrases that the reader

has to re-read the sentence at least three times to find the

subject. Sentences that are full of subjective, repetitive or

valueless words and phrases that, frankly, just cloud the

message. Without a single comma.

These roadblocks KILL READABILITY.

How to fix those pesky roadblocks? Easy peasy.

In my upcoming writing programs, we spend loads of time

understanding the various techniques to write clearly and

concisely. AND we put them into practice. Here are some you

can implement today:

The longest sentence I’ve

ever seen from a training-

program participant is

105 words. Really. To

protect the innocent, and

preserve client

confidentiality, I won’t

reproduce it here.

But imagine reading this

in a report:

In order to preserve the

integrity of the financial

information being shared

between parties as part of

the Merger and Acquisition

process expected to be

completed on or before 31

October 2013 the issuing

institution has offered a

guarantee that figures

have been verified and will

also additionally permit

representatives of the

acquiring organization to

perform verification

procedures.

(58 words)

Canyoufixthissentence

usingtheTopTipsin

thischapter?



Top tip #1 Write short sentences.

Short sentences are essential in professional documents that

are written for multi-cultural audiences. My advice is to aim for

a maximum sentence length of 20 words. Can’t get it done in

20 words? Then aim for an average of 20 words.

LLLLong, ong, ong, ong, sentences negatively impact sentences negatively impact sentences negatively impact sentences negatively impact readability. Don’t make your reader readability. Don’t make your reader readability. Don’t make your reader readability. Don’t make your reader wwwwork too hard to get your point!ork too hard to get your point!ork too hard to get your point!ork too hard to get your point!

Top tip #2 Avoid frontloading.

What is frontloading?

Frontloading is when there is more than one phrase or clause

before the grammatical subject of the sentence. Just take a

look at the sentence in the side bar on the previous page. Can

you identify the subject of the sentence?*

Making the reader search for the subject not only tires them

out, but it makes the reader less likely to continue reading.

Make the report easy to rMake the report easy to rMake the report easy to rMake the report easy to read ead ead ead ANDANDANDAND your messages easy to digest.your messages easy to digest.your messages easy to digest.your messages easy to digest.

*Subject: the issuing institution. Did you correctly identify it?

Back to our troublesome

sentence on page 9. Here is

oneexample of how to

rewrite the sentence:

The integrity of the financial

information being shared

between parties as part of

the Merger and Acquisition

process must be ensured.

Therefore, the issuing

institution has offered a

guarantee that figures have

been verified. In addition,

the institution will permit

representatives of the

acquiring organization to

perform verification

procedures. The merger is

expected to be completed

before 31October 2013.

(4 sentences: 21, 13, 15 and

10 words respectively)

To re write the sentence,

you have to decide which

information is important,

and how the phrases are

related. This is open to

interpretation.

Donotaskyourreaderto

dothis…Maketheirlife

easyanddoitforthem.☺☺☺☺

~~~~~

The last sentence could be

eliminated if not relevant at

this stage of the document.



Top tip #3 Use commas.

There are more rules for commas out there than you really need to know. At least

that is my opinion! You can search comma usage and get hundreds of hits on the

internet. The rules my clients find most useful are:

�� Add a comma after a phrase that starts a sentence, before the subject.

�� Use a comma to separate independent clauses connected by words like

'but‘ and ‘and’.

�� Use the serial comma to avoid ambiguity. Add a comma before words like

“and” and “or” when they come before the last item in a complex series of

items.

Commas help the reCommas help the reCommas help the reCommas help the reader by creating visual pauses.ader by creating visual pauses.ader by creating visual pauses.ader by creating visual pauses. Follow a few simple rules but doFollow a few simple rules but doFollow a few simple rules but doFollow a few simple rules but do not onot onot onot overuse them.veruse them.veruse them.veruse them.

It’s a fine line.It’s a fine line.It’s a fine line.It’s a fine line.



Technique#3:

TakeYourReaderbytheHand

Do you use a template when writing your documents? Does

your organization have a template that you are required to

use? Or do you have your own way of structuring

information?

Most writing workshops I deliver include how to better

structure a report. However, some clients have their own

templates or their own methodologies.

What I find most often is that even though a client has “their

own way”, most writers don’t know how to use it, don’t have

any guidance on how to use it, or simply don’t use it as

intended. If that rings true for you, then read on. I can help!

How many days have you left the office with several

documents downloaded on your latest mobile device, to read

after you put the kids to bed? If you are like me, way too

many! There just aren’t enough hours in the day to read all

those reports while at your desk. When you do finally read

those documents, you want the process to be pain free.

Your document is not a mystery novel. Your document is not a mystery novel. Your document is not a mystery novel. Your document is not a mystery novel. The reader should not have to hunt for The reader should not have to hunt for The reader should not have to hunt for The reader should not have to hunt for

ideas, evidence, or key messages.ideas, evidence, or key messages.ideas, evidence, or key messages.ideas, evidence, or key messages. Take the reader by the hand so that theyTake the reader by the hand so that theyTake the reader by the hand so that theyTake the reader by the hand so that they endendendend

up exactly where you want them to be. up exactly where you want them to be. up exactly where you want them to be. up exactly where you want them to be.

I recently read published

reports for a client in

preparation for a 3-day

Writing for Impact

workshop. Each report was

between 20 and 40 pages.

Out of 16 reports, there

were six different

reporting templates with

varying requirements,

headers, and structures.

In seven of the 16 reports, I

was left asking myself, why

did I just read that 37-page

report? So what???

It seemed like a lot of (well-

researched) information,

carefully written, but left

there for the reader to draw

their own conclusions.

Never mind that the

purpose of the report was

missing COMPLETELY.

Wehadworktodo!

After training over 70

employees in the division,

management could see a

HUGE improvement in

structure, argumentation,

conclusions and

recommendations. The

number of templates

available for use was cut in

half. The reports produced

were far more actionable.



SOCCER. (It’s not just a sport.)

The next time you create a document, be it an email, a memo or a report, try the

SOCCER structure. It looks like this:

S Situation.

O Opportunity.

C Criteria.

C Cause.

E Effect.

R Recommendation.

SOCCER is helpful because it addresses all of the possible elements that you might

need to include in your analysis, whether it be an investment decision, a problem

to be solved, or the results of your research.

If you find that one element is not relevant to your work, then you can leave it

out. For example, you may not need to address Cause if you are preparing a

report for an investment decision. Or you may not need to address Criteria if

there aren’t any policies or regulations to be adhered to.

Let’s look at each element…



SituationSituationSituationSituation Explain the current status of a project or situation. Just the facts, please. There

should be no controversy or disagreement about this information.

OpportunityOpportunityOpportunityOpportunity Describe the problem, pain, opportunity or question that has arisen. Why was the

assessment, analysis, or research performed?

CriteriaCriteriaCriteriaCriteria In some situations, benchmarks, standards, best practices or regulations must be

taken into account. List the relevant information here.

CauseCauseCauseCause If there is a problem or an issue, it is almost always helpful to know what the root

case was. As a result, the recommendation will be relevant and effective.

EffectEffectEffectEffect People make better decisions when they understand the impact of doing or NOT

doing something. Is it a future risk, or has the risk already materialized?

RecommendationRecommendationRecommendationRecommendation After your analysis, put forth a recommendation that makes sense in light of the

criteria, cause and effect. The recommendation should be actionable.

Add Add Add Add structure to astructure to astructure to astructure to avoid the void the void the void the ““““sosososo----whatwhatwhatwhat”””” syndrome… syndrome… syndrome… syndrome… Your readers will thank you!Your readers will thank you!Your readers will thank you!Your readers will thank you!



Technique#4:

AddValue

I don’t know anyone who likes bad news. Whether it’s cuts to funding,

postponement of a partially completed project, or finding out the new process

isn’t working as planned, bad news means change and more work… PLUS an

investment of time or money, both of which are scarce resources.

What does this mean for your writingWhat does this mean for your writingWhat does this mean for your writingWhat does this mean for your writing and and and and ddddeliveryeliveryeliveryelivery ooooffff your key messagesyour key messagesyour key messagesyour key messages? Frankly, it’s ? Frankly, it’s ? Frankly, it’s ? Frankly, it’s HUGEHUGEHUGEHUGE. . . .

Especially Especially Especially Especially if youif youif youif you give bad news for a living. give bad news for a living. give bad news for a living. give bad news for a living.

Internal auditors reading this know this for sure. How many times have you

walked into an audit client to have them cheer at your arrival? N-E-V-E-R.

One of the services I offer is a workshop to help clients rebrand their Internal

Audit department. One of the key messages of that session is:

“Building awareness of the results that

Internal Audit brings will change negative

perceptions, build lasting relationships,

increase visibility and promote services

that IA can provide within the

organization. This will result in a virtuous

circle, where value-added results promote

further positive changes. Promoting

acceptance of Internal Audit is the first

step in broadening its value to the

organization.”



That same theory can be applied to every document you produce. Adding value is

critical to you, your readers, and your organization. Show the value of the time

and money invested in your work by writing an action-oriented, relevant report.

Change is inevitable. Tell Change is inevitable. Tell Change is inevitable. Tell Change is inevitable. Tell your reader exactly your reader exactly your reader exactly your reader exactly why the change is good, how it adds value, why the change is good, how it adds value, why the change is good, how it adds value, why the change is good, how it adds value,

and what results they will get.and what results they will get.and what results they will get.and what results they will get.

Here are my top tipstop tipstop tipstop tips to lessen your business partner’s pain from negative

results and unavoidable change:

�� Explain the risk of NOT doing something.

�� Stress the benefits of your recommendation.

�� Give credit where credit is due.

�� Show cause and effect.

�� Anticipate and address objections.

�� Soften the blow.

�� Choose less provocative words.

Here are some techniques that you can employ TODAY to have your next report

have a more positive impact:

1. Give credit Give credit Give credit Give credit where creditwhere creditwhere creditwhere credit is is is is duedueduedue....

We don’t always look on the bright side of life. Sometimes, our role

requires us to point out the negative. I think it’s important though, to be

balanced. What does this mean for your writing?



Explain both the negative AND the positive aspects of

performance, behaviour and actions.

This is often a challenge for internal auditors, who

historically report on what was NOT working well or

what was NOT done, not what was. Consider including

in your report what WAS done to try to mitigate the

risk, if it was partially or somewhat successful.

We are all human beings and most of us appreciate

praise when it has been earned.

2. Soften the blowSoften the blowSoften the blowSoften the blow.... These days, unless there is a specific reason to point the

finger of blame, we can use the passive voice to soften

the message. Making it less personal is a sure-fire way

to take the sting out of a negative message.

Example:

The Payroll clerk failed to verify the payroll batch totals

against the input file header information.

or

The payroll batch totals were not verified against the

input file header information.

Before you choose which sentence suits your report

best, consider the impact of pointing the finger of

blame. Is it necessary? Perhaps if the employee has a

record of non-performance and the goal is to document

errors as part of corrective action. If not, then reword

the sentence to make your point, but soften the blow.

Negativefeedbackis

never,well,positive. We

can state the obvious, or we

can give a little more

information to provide

context.

Consider the following

statements…

WhichwouldYOUpreferif

youwererunningthe

departmentinquestion?

1. Management failed to

follow guidelines and

procedures described in the

2013 Risk Management

manual.

2. Guidelines and procedures

described in the 2013 Risk

Management manual were

not followed because the

final version of the manual

was not released as planned.

3. Guidelines and procedures

were carried out in

accordance with the 2008

Risk Management manual

rather than the updated

version released in 2013. This

was due to the delay in

approving the 2013 manual.

In fact, all of the statements

could be true. Each has a

slightly different impact on

the reader, and certainly on

the head of the department

in question.



3. Choose less provocative wordsChoose less provocative wordsChoose less provocative wordsChoose less provocative words.... We have dictionaries to define the meaning of a word. People’s perceptions

must also be factored into the equation. Consider language such as:

1. The contractor failed to perform procedures that would have …

2. The contractor ignored the policy requiring procedures X and Y to be

performed …

3. The incompetence of the contractor resulted in …

4. The contractor was negligent in the performance of his duties.

Option 1 is less provocative; option 4 is quite a severe statement. Which is

appropriate? It depends on the context and on the impact of not carrying

out the procedures.

In my 3-day Writing for Impact workshop, we

spend several hours addressing how to lessen

the pain of your message and get it not just

accepted but acted upon.



Technique#5:

GetyourMessagesAccepted

Are you always successful at having your messages

immediately accepted by your readers? If yes, then read no

more, and get back to work.

If you If you If you If you AREAREAREARE like most of us, not everyone is like most of us, not everyone is like most of us, not everyone is like most of us, not everyone is convinced by our written messages, at least convinced by our written messages, at least convinced by our written messages, at least convinced by our written messages, at least without some form of without some form of without some form of without some form of followfollowfollowfollow----up up up up discussion.discussion.discussion.discussion.

Many writers fail to:

� Consider the impact of culture on language.

� Address the 5 Ws (what, where, when, who, and why).

� Remain objective and unemotional.

I can honestly say failing to consider the impact of failing to consider the impact of failing to consider the impact of failing to consider the impact of culture on languageculture on languageculture on languageculture on language is one of the biggest mistakes

writers make today.

Most of us work in an international environment every single

day. Today alone, I spoke with people from Spain, Romania,

Germany, Scotland and the United States. The interactions

covered all major methods of communication: face-to-face,

telephone and email. I am amazed and delighted every single

day by the opportunities to interact with so many cultures.

But beware the pitfalls.

Howeffectivearethese

statements?

1.Arecommendation,of

sorts,inanexecutive

summaryinaresearch

report:

“More research is needed in

this area.”

What’s missing is:

- Who will carry out the

research?

- Who will PAY for it?

- When should it be done?

- Why is it needed?

2. In an audit report shared

with the audit client:

Given the seriousness of the

errors, management obviously

did not provide sufficient

training to staff.

What’s provocative is:

- What is “serious”? It is based

on judgement.

- Why was it “obvious”? What

is obvious to you may not be

obvious to me.

~~~~~

Personal perception,

experience and style will

impact your opinions on the

two statements.



I hope it is no surprise when I say we do not all speak the same language. It

should also be no surprise when I say we do not all speak the same English!

And the clients I train in my writing workshops tell me, from far and wide, that it

is easier to communicate with other non-native speakers of English than to

communicate with native speakers of English. Why? Non-native speakers of

English tend to have a similar range of vocabulary, similar English-learning

background, and similar communication needs. Not the same, but in a range.

Have you ever noticed that pHave you ever noticed that pHave you ever noticed that pHave you ever noticed that people in different cultures eople in different cultures eople in different cultures eople in different cultures sometimessometimessometimessometimes use the suse the suse the suse the same word in English differently?ame word in English differently?ame word in English differently?ame word in English differently?

Take for example the word “should”. In Germany, should is generally perceived as

non-binding advice. Therefore, many internal auditors here hesitate to use

“should” in recommendations because the recommendation is then considered a

good idea but not enforceable. However, writing a recommendation with

“should” is usually quite acceptable in English. Management should implement

controls to ensure … It’s standard wording.

To deal with this, I ask clients to take the reader’s cultural tendencies into

account. If “should” is perceived as weak, try “must”. If “must” is perceived as too

hard, too directive, or even rude, as might be the case in Brazil, use “should” or

another alternative. In my Writing for Impact workshop, we cover eight

recommendation structures that are particularly helpful for formal

recommendations such as those internal auditors make on a daily basis.



Tracie’sTrainingPrograms

If you are like so many of my previous training program participants, you are a

hard-working, successful professional who works in an international environment.

You work with people from divergent cultures every day, and need to operate at a

high level, despite the fact that English may not be your first language. In fact, you

may have been working mostly in your mother tongue until the last few years.

Working in an international environment is a game changer. Making an impact,

showing the value of your work, and getting actions taken means your key

messages have to be clear.

I understand what it takes to communicate in an intercultural environment, and I

know EXACTLY where you are coming from. So I’ve created transforming training

programs to help you achieve your goal of communicating effectively and bring

about positive change to your organization.

Writing for Impact: Reports that bring positive change to your

organization

Writing an effective report is more than just mastering English. It’s using the

language to communicate key messages to your readers, clearly and concisely, so

that recommendations are agreed, accepted, and acted upon. Every word matters

when you need to satisfy demanding readers in dynamic environments.

Based on experience with hundreds of professionals across dozens of

organizations, the proven tools and techniques you will learn and practice in this

workshop will enable you to write with both a flexible and focused approach. This

will lead to an accelerated writing and review process, and reports that bring

positive change to your organization. It’s time to reduce the stress of writing

reports and make the entire process more hassle-free!

Continue reading…



Greater Results Through Negotiation: Achieving cooperation

and resolving conflict in the Audit Process

How well do you achieve cooperation, manage conflict and negotiate issues in

the audit process?

In today’s complex INTERNATIONAL business environment, you have to

successfully overcome two major communication challenges: Maximize

cooperation with your audit clients AND navigate between your own position and

the position of their audit clients on audit findings and recommendations.

This workshop looks at persuading, negotiating and building relationships

ENTIRELY from an audit point of view.

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Culture, Language and Behaviour: Essential Communication

Skills for 2014

The role of an Internal Auditor in 2014 is a very demanding one. Technical skills

are a must, but communication skills are often times even more important. All

you have to do is spend a bit of time on the most popular online professional

networks: everyone is talking about it. Now it’s time to take action.

As an auditor, you must be able to persuade stakeholders and must be aware of

the impact of culture, language and behaviour on every communication. You must

be able to negotiate the sometimes painful process of agreeing findings and

recommendations, in addition to being able to successfully navigate the regular

communication interactions within the audit process.

Continue reading…



Results-oriented Interviewing Skills

Do you want tools and techniques to improve your interviewing skills NOW?

Interviewing internal and external business partners is an integral part of your

work as a finance, audit or quality assurance professional. And not only is it a

challenge to conduct an interview in a second language, but there is huge

potential for conflict that must be avoided in today’s international business

environment.

It is so easy to offend someone unintentionally, come on too strong, or miss

important signals. Getting reliable, accurate and complete information can seem

like Mount Everest at times.

To achieve a successful interview outcome and get the results you want, you have

to combine behaviour, body language, and cultural insights with effective

questioning, listening and facilitation techniques. Why? Because conducting

effective interviews is one of the most valuable methods you have to add value

and bring about positive change to your organization.

Continue reading…

1-to-1 Executive Communication Enhancement Program

This mentoring program is perfect for you if you are

looking for private, customized, 1-to-1 training that is

completely focused on your specific communication

challenges. At this phase in your career, you are

already a highly competent professional operating in

an international environment, and are now ready to

take a huge leap forward in your communication skills.

Continue reading…



Consulting for Impact

QAC’s Consulting Services are designed to help your inter-cultural team get to the

next level of success, whether it is the overall acceptability of their importance to

your organization or formalizing writing practices across your international

department. These services are entirely customized to your international team’s

communication challenges.

Consulting services include but are not limited to:

• Development and formalization of a global, internal English Style Guide to

enhance consistency and quality of reporting practices across your teams

so that your organization sees ONE product and you put ONE face to the

customer.

• Understanding the perception of Internal Audit within the organization

today is essential to and determining a plan to rebrand the department for

the future. Repositioning Internal Audit will change negative perceptions,

build lasting relationships, increase visibility and promote the services that

Internal Audit offers within the organization. Click here for more

information.

• Assessing and enhancing current audit reporting to ensure maximum

quality and consistent reporting to audit clients and the Board, and to

ensure added value through clear, concise and consistent reporting with

appropriately structured content.

• Identify the right flexible and cost-effective training program for your team

to avoid unnecessary investment in training that doesn’t produce the

desired results.

Continue reading…



AFinalWord…

If you like this eBook, you’ll love the communication transformations in my suite

of training programs. These show you how to write with impact, negotiate for

results, conduct an effective interview, and use language to your best advantage

in today’s international environment.

You’ll get immediate improvement in your ability to communicate key messages

in important business situations clearly and concisely. You’ll increase the quality

and consistency of your writing AND increase your confidence. PLUS, you’ll be

able to show the added value of your work and be an agent of positive change

within your organization. And you’ll have fun while you do it! Results of my

training prove it!

I wish you every success in your future communication interactions.

All the best,

Tracie :))

PS: Contact me TODAY for a free Communication Assessment call. Don’t wait any

longer!

5 Must-Know Techniques to Persuade Your Reader · 2020. 5. 31. · These roadblocks KILL...

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