Business Communication Certificate Program

Apply well-honed communication techniques to navigate common work challenges. This distinctive certificate program incorporates skill practice, role-play activities and real-time feedback to help you take your communication skills to the next level. Using real-life workplace scenarios in a supportive environment, you’ll practice communicating with authenticity and clarity as you choose the best way to communicate the message you want to convey. You’ll be challenged to step up and be seen—and analyze how you view and respond to people.

To fully utilize and feel comfortable with the new voice you’ve discovered, you’ll finish the program by engaging in a capstone activity where you’ll apply the concepts and skills you’ve learned to a real-life scenario.

Added bonus: You’ll also receive an exclusive AMA certificate in recognition of your completion of this program.

• Communicate with poise and clarity
• Learn how to build connections that foster trust and rapport
• Build commitment, consensus and collaboration throughout your organization
• Tailor your communications to gender, generation and position
• Tap into the power of your own communication style to get the results you want
• Apply skills to connect and engage with audiences, whether in-person or across a digital divide

The Power of Self-Awareness and the Importance of Perception

• Understanding yourself, your audiences and the power of perception
• Identifying your communication style and its impact 
• Identify others’ types and how style differences impact communication
• Using style knowledge to identify flexing strategies

The 3 Vs of Communication – Vocal, Verbal, Visual

• Understanding how each of the 3 Vs affects perception
• Demonstrating how non-verbal behavior affects perception
• Applying communication planning to each of the 3 Vs

Effective Listening and Building Rapport
Authentic Communication and Influence

• Linking authentic communication with style awareness and effective influencing skills
• Flexing your style to influence others
• Demonstrating authentic communication to influence another by incorporating style flexing and the 3Vs

Creating Impactful Messages for All Communication Methods

• Practicing a conversation using the 5 Key Skills worksheet
• Customizing messages to your audiences and communication modality

Storytelling: A Powerful Influencing Tool

• Using storytelling to improve rapport and influence
• Identifying stories and utilizing the principles of effective storytelling
• Developing and telling an “I Know What You’re Thinking” story
• Improving your ability to connect with and influence others through storytelling

 Business Writing

• Writing to influence others
• Organizing your writing to accomplish your purpose
• Using visuals to enhance reader understanding
• Practicing effective writing
• Applying an editing process to improve your final product

 Presentation Skills

• Identifying critical elements of exceptional presentations
• Describing the types of presentations and different modalities
• Fostering audience engagement during different types of presentations
• Applying best-in-class techniques for managing presentation anxiety

Communication Behaviors – Capstone

• Exhibiting confidence and competence in applying skills and techniques of effective business communication

Learning Objectives

• Learn How to Build Connections That Foster Trust and Rapport
• Build Commitment, Consensus, and Collaboration Throughout Your Organization
• Tailor Your Communications to Your Target Audience
• Tap into the Power of Your Communication Style to Get the Results You Want
• Apply Skills to Connect and Engage with Audiences, Whether in Person or Across a Digital Divide

The Power of Self-Awareness and the Importance of Perception

• Identify Your Own Personality Type and How It Impacts Your Use of the Five Keys of Effective Communication
• Identify Others’ Personality Types and How Type Differences Impact Communications
• Use Type Knowledge to Improve Communications
• Describe How Our Perceptions of Others Can Impact Communications

The Three Vs of Communication: Vocal, Verbal, Visual

• Describe the Impact of Three Vs on Communication Perceptions
• Demonstrate the Impact of Nonverbals on Communication Perceptions
• Apply Three Vs to Your Own Communication Planning

Strategies for Effective Listening and Building Rapport

• Demonstrate Effective Questioning and Listening Skills to Build Rapport

Authentic Communication and Influence

• Link Authentic Communication with Style Awareness and Effectiveness in Influencing
• Describe Ways to Flex Style to Influence Others
• Plan and Demonstrate Authentic Communication Intended to Influence Another, Using Appropriate Style Flexing and Three Vs
• Explain How Storytelling Can Improve Rapport and Influence
• Identify When Storytelling Can Improve Your Ability to Connect with and Influence Others
• Develop and Tell a Credibility-Building Story

Create Impactful Messages for All Communication Methods Using the Five Keys

• Explain the Importance of Adjusting Messages Based on Style, Modality, Organizational Level, and Knowledge
• Prepare for a Conversation Using the Five Key Skills Worksheet
• Customize Message Planning to Incorporate Audience or Modality Considerations

Writing to Succeed in Business

• Identify the Purposes for Business Writing
• Describe Techniques for Writing to Influence Others
• Create a Plan to Write to Influence Others
• Identify Strategies for Organizing Information to Accomplish Your Writing’s Purpose
• Describe How Visuals Can Enhance Reader Understanding
• Prepare a Plan to Write Your Document, Considering Your Audience, Purpose, and Content
• Describe a Two-Step Editing Process That Will Improve Your End Product

Presentation Skills

• Identify the Elements of Great Presentations
• Describe the Types of Presentations and Explain the Impact of Modality Selection on Your Effectiveness
• Describe Techniques for Fostering Audience Engagement During Different Types of Presentations
• Describe Techniques for Managing Presentation Anxiety

Communication in Action: Capstone Activity

• Exhibit Confidence and Competence in Applying Skills and Techniques of Effective Business Communication
• Create a Plan for Integrating Skills Learned into Business Communications

Download Extended Seminar Outline PDF