Do your writing skills match your career aspirations?
Effective writing can make or break your career.
In today’s world, 80% of business communication uses the written word. We write emails, memos, Slack posts, reports, and presentations at work every day.
According to a Forbes survey, 89% of professionals said that writing is essential at work, yet the majority of business writing does not get read.
The Essential Pencil will teach you how to write so that others want to read your work and your writing influences business decisions.
Get others to read your writing.
Your writing represents you more often than you represent yourself. We teach you how to master writing so that your reader wants to read what you have to say.
Increase your confidence.
It takes confidence in yourself to compel others to act. Our transformative method will help build your confidence by teaching you how to use business writing effectively.
Save time by writing faster.
Do you have trouble starting the writing process, or does it simply just take you too long to finish? We have the answer for both.
Advance your career with improved writing skills.
Who is this for?
These courses are for successful professionals who want to increase their confidence and boost the results from their writing at work.
Learn the transformative writing method, including examples
Practice through writing exercises and homework
Learn at your own pace
Lifetime access to all recordings and materials
8 Essential classes
4 Master classes
Additional practice exercises
Lifetime membership to an online Community
ESSENTIALS COURSE
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MASTER’S COURSE
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We created The Essential Pencil because we believe clear writing can change the world—one reader at a time.
We paired our combined 40+ years of experience with the world’s leading thinkers to create a transformative business writing method. This method will empower you to clearly and confidently communicate your ideas in writing.
We met in elementary school and have been best friends ever since. We know one another pretty well. And we look forward to getting to know you and supporting you.
Approachable leaders
Thoughtful feedback
Practical expertise
Adaptive approach
Substantive insight
Wide-ranging benefits
Julie Anderson
After serving in a presidential administration, Julie Anderson is a sales executive at a multinational corporation. Throughout her career, she has written for multiple industries and is a published writer. As if that’s not enough, she also holds lots of degrees, too. Julie resides in the Washington D.C. area with her family, including two dogs and three cats.
Connect on LinkedIn
Dawn Zerbs
Dawn Zerbs is an executive coach for top-level leaders often working on executive and leadership communication. Before coaching, she led successful company growth transformations in legal services, training, and financial services. She has degrees, too, and resides in Kansas City with her family, including one dog.
Connect on LinkedIn
Our Courses
Our 12-part writing method teaches you to write clearly and concisely while influencing what your readers think and do. Take our business writing courses to learn new ways of thinking, unlearn some old habits, practice proven writing strategies, and become an exceptional writer.
Watch the class online
Learn the concepts and how to apply them using real-world examples and practice exercises.
Do the homework
Practice the techniques on paper or online and check your answers with the answer key.
Practice and grow your writing skills
Participate in The Essential Pencil online community led by Dawn and Julie to continuously refine your business writing skills.
The Essentials Course
1 class per week | 8 week course
Tools needed | internet, pen, paper
Price | $1997
*Closed Captioning and Text to Voice Compatible
This course includes an overview and eight classes that teach the fundamental concepts of The Essential Pencil Writing Method. TEP business writing method teaches you how to transform your raw ideas into clear and concise prose. After taking this course, you’ll have everything you need to write to prompt your readers to take action.
Sample Video
What you’ll gain from taking this course:
✔ Improved editing and writing review skills
✔ Enhanced ability to write for the reader
✔ Improved confidence and business savvy
✔ Increased readability and impact
✔ Heightened ability to change a reader’s view
The Master’s Course
= (Essentials Course + Advanced Editing)
1 class per week | 12 week course
Tools needed | internet, pen, paper
Price | $2297
*Closed Captioning and Text to Voice Compatible
The Master’s course includes the Essentials course plus four advanced editing classes. The complete Master’s course will take your writing from excellent to exceptional. This course also includes membership in our supportive online community and the opportunity to meet and learn from other successful professionals.
Sample Video
What you’ll gain from taking this course:
✔ Improved editing and writing review skills
✔ Enhanced ability to write for the reader
✔ Improved confidence and business savvy
✔ Increased readability and impact
✔ Heightened ability to change a reader’s view
Plus:
✔ 4 classes centered around advanced editing skills
✔ Additional practice exercises
✔ Membership to our online forum
FAQs
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The method will guide you through the phases of the writing process in a practical and meaningful way. In addition to learning the concepts, our method relies on applied practice through examples and homework, which will help you remember how to write following a new process.
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Yes, all parts of both courses are available for Closed Captioning, making the content available to the deaf, hard of hearing, those for whom English is a second language, and any individual who comprehends video content more effectively when they can simultaneously read the words.
For blind, legally blind, low vision, or limited vision individuals, the course audio will allow you to follow the content. The workbook provided with the course is compatible with text to speed assistive technologies, screen readers, and low vision optical devices.
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Approximately 30 minutes for the class video, examples, and exercises. However, your learning and growth will come from doing all of the homework exercises and applying the concepts you learn to your writing at work. Therefore, we suggest that you take one class per week so you can practice the concepts when you write in the workplace.
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Simply send us a chat and Dawn and Julie will answer your questions within two business days.
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Julie and Dawn have formal education (three master’s degrees between them) including technical writing and demonstrated track records of professional success. Writing in the workplace is very different from writing in academia. Dawn and Julie learned these lessons the hard way and created the TEP Writing Method to share their secrets with others.
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