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Speak clearly, Listen well, Be understood

Clear Communication: Follow On Training 4 hours

Good communication is the accurate transfer of information and emotion from one mind to another. Most workplace misunderstandings stem from poor structure, not poor effort. This four-hour session gives delegates a method for organising messages, listening with intent, asking the right questions, and using voice and body language effectively.

Available as live online training via Microsoft Teams, or as bespoke in-house training tailored to your organisation.

Quality Training
Established 1997
4 CPD Hours
Delivery Options Upcoming Dates

Course Overview

Clear Communication Course Overview

The course covers four interconnected areas: speaking, writing, asking questions, and listening. In each area, delegates learn a concrete method they can apply immediately on returning to work. They learn how to organise a message so the main point is clear from the outset, how to support it with reasons and evidence, and how to reach a definite conclusion rather than trailing off. They also examine the common errors that undermine otherwise well-intentioned messages, including leaving the main point implied, using vague language, and presenting information in an order the listener has to reconstruct themselves.

A substantial part of the session is devoted to listening with intent to understand. This is a disciplined form of listening in which the delegate withholds agreement, disagreement, and their own reply until they have genuinely understood what the other person means. Alongside this, delegates practise asking questions that clarify rather than interrogate, building the kind of two-way exchange that reduces misunderstanding and builds trust. Delegates who have attended the Leadership and Management Training two-day programme will recognise these ideas from the communication skill area and leave with a deeper, more applied command of them.

The session concludes with an examination of how voice tone and body language affect the way a message is received. Small changes in pace, posture, eye contact, and expression can shift a listener's interpretation significantly, and delegates learn to use these channels consciously rather than leaving them to chance. Unlike the full-day Communication Skills Training course, which also covers conflict handling, assertiveness, and the role of praise, this follow-on focuses exclusively on the four core communication channels and the errors that disrupt them, making it ideal as a short, targeted intervention or as a standalone introduction to clearer written and spoken feedback.

Clear Communication diagram: a Speaker / Writer sends a message across five steps — Main Point, Reasons, Questions, Listening, Voice & Body Language — to a Listener / Reader, resulting in Understanding, Less Misunderstanding, and Better Working Relationships.

Core Skills

The Key Skills Covered

This course is built around four practical communication skills. Each section provides a concrete method delegates can apply immediately in their next real conversation or written message.

  1. 1

    Speaking Clearly

    Before speaking, clear communicators structure what they want to say around a main point, supporting reasons, and a defined conclusion. Delegates practise applying this three-part organising habit to realistic work situations, from a brief instruction to a team briefing, so that the listener receives a complete and coherent message rather than a stream of related thoughts.

  2. 2

    Writing With Precision

    Written messages fail when the main point is buried, the structure is unclear, or the reader has to guess at the intended meaning. Delegates learn how to open every written message with a clear statement of purpose, order the supporting points logically, and close with a defined action or decision. The same principles apply whether the message is an email, a briefing note, or a set of instructions.

  3. 3

    Asking the Right Questions

    The right question at the right moment prevents a misunderstanding before it takes hold. Delegates learn the difference between questions that clarify meaning and questions that invite a defensive response, and practise a questioning sequence that draws out accurate information efficiently without creating the impression of an interrogation.

  4. 4

    Listening With Intent

    Listening with intent means treating the other person's words as the primary source of information rather than a prompt for your own response. Delegates examine the specific habits that interrupt genuine listening, including anticipating what the speaker is about to say and filtering new information through existing assumptions, and leave with a practical method for replacing them with attentive, receptive listening.

  5. 5

    Voice Tone and Body Language

    Words carry meaning; tone and body language carry feeling. Pace, posture, eye contact, and facial expression all affect how a spoken message is received, often more powerfully than the words themselves. Delegates learn how to use these channels consciously, ensuring that what they say and how they say it work together rather than pulling in different directions.

  6. 6

    Avoiding Communication Errors

    Many communication breakdowns follow recognisable patterns: the main point is left implicit, the message wanders without a conclusion, or the speaker reacts to a meaning the other person never intended. Delegates identify the errors most common in their own communication and leave with specific corrective habits to replace them, reducing confusion and the rework it causes.

Who Is This Course For?

Who Should Attend This Follow On: Clear Communication Course?

Designed for anyone whose work depends on making themselves clearly understood and genuinely understanding others.

Managers and Team Leaders

Communicate instructions, expectations, and feedback with greater precision and fewer follow-up conversations.

Customer-Facing Professionals

Reduce misunderstandings with customers and improve satisfaction through clearer, more structured dialogue.

Supervisors and Front-Line Staff

Build the communication habits that help day-to-day interactions run more smoothly and with less rework.

Anyone Who Works in a Team

Develop the listening and questioning skills that underpin effective collaboration and mutual understanding.

Also valuable for HR and L&D professionals building a blended communication development programme, and for customer-facing teams where clarity of message has a direct impact on customer satisfaction.

Course Agenda

Follow On: Clear Communication Course Details

1

First Half • Speaking, Writing, and Common Errors • Message organisation and the causes of communication breakdown

Establish a working definition of effective communication, learn how to organise spoken and written messages for maximum clarity, and identify the common errors that cause confusion, delay, and conflict.

We begin with a working definition: effective communication is the accurate transfer of information and emotion from one mind to another. We examine what this means in practice, why accuracy matters more than quantity, and how most workplace misunderstandings arise not from a lack of effort but from a failure to organise the message before it is sent. This definition sets the frame for everything that follows in the session.
Clear speakers decide three things before they open their mouth: what their main point is, what reasons support it, and what conclusion they want the listener to reach. We introduce a three-part organising structure, work through realistic examples drawn from common workplace conversations, and examine why departing from this structure is one of the most frequent causes of spoken misunderstanding. Delegates leave this section with a mental framework they can apply to any spoken message from that point on.
A written message fails when the main point is buried, the structure is unclear, or the reader has to work to reconstruct the intended meaning. We show how to open every written message with a clear statement of purpose, order the supporting points in a logical sequence, and close with a concrete action or decision. Delegates practise revising sample messages that contain common structural errors, making the principles immediately usable rather than theoretical.
The errors we examine include: leaving the main point implied rather than stated, presenting information in an order the listener has to reassemble, using vague language that carries more than one meaning, talking at length without reaching a clear conclusion, and reacting to a meaning the other person never intended. Each error follows a recognisable pattern, and for each one we provide a specific corrective habit that delegates can apply in their next real conversation or piece of writing.
The words we choose determine whether the listener's mental picture matches the one we intend. Vague words such as "soon", "better", or "more effective" create different pictures in different minds. We show how to replace vague language with specific, concrete terms that carry only one meaning, and how this single habit, consistently applied, reduces the number of clarifying conversations and follow-up corrections a team needs.
2

Second Half • Listening, Questioning, and Tone • Listening with intent, clarifying questions, and the role of voice and body language

Develop the listening and questioning habits that prevent misunderstanding from taking hold, and learn how voice tone and body language shape the way every message is received.

Listening with intent means giving the speaker your full attention and withholding your own agreement, disagreement, and reply until you have genuinely understood what they mean. We examine the habits that prevent this, including listening to reply rather than to understand, filtering what the other person says through our own assumptions, and making premature judgements based on partial information. Delegates leave with a concrete practice for replacing these habits with disciplined, attentive listening.
When we assume we understand before the speaker has finished, we stop listening. We then respond to our assumption rather than to what was actually said, and the conversation diverges from reality. We examine how this pattern develops, why it feels natural and efficient in the moment, and how deliberately suspending assumption for a little longer than feels comfortable changes both the quality of the conversation and the outcome it produces.
Not all questions clarify; some invite defensiveness, others close the conversation down. We cover three types of clarifying question: questions that confirm understanding, questions that invite the speaker to elaborate, and questions that test whether a shared definition has been reached. Delegates practise a questioning sequence that draws out accurate information efficiently without creating the impression of challenge or interrogation.
The same sentence delivered at different speeds, in different tones, or with different emphasis can carry entirely different meanings. We examine how pace, pitch, volume, and emphasis interact with the words themselves, and how mismatches between words and tone are among the most common sources of unintended offence or confusion. Delegates practise delivering the same message in two contrasting ways and discuss the difference in how each version is received.
Posture, eye contact, facial expression, and physical proximity all send signals that either reinforce or contradict the spoken word. When body language and words point in different directions, the listener typically trusts the body language. We show delegates how to align their non-verbal signals with their intended message so that the two channels work together rather than against each other.
The session closes with a review of all four communication areas and an individual action planning exercise. Each delegate identifies two or three specific changes they will make in their next real conversation or written message, names the situation they will apply them in, and commits to a date by which they will have done so. Delegates leave with a concrete, personally relevant plan rather than a general intention to communicate better.

Availability and Pricing

Delivery Options

Choose the delivery format that best fits your schedule and team.

All options deliver the same high-quality content.

Online Live Training

£200 +VAT

per delegate

Interactive live sessions delivered via Teams using our superior green-screen technology.

  • Same content as face-to-face
  • Learn from home or office
  • Delivered via MS Teams
  • Laptop or tablet with webcam
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Bespoke In-House

Enquire

per training day

We come to you. Training delivered at your premises, tailored to your team's specific needs.

  • Your premises or online
  • Tailored to your organisation
  • Dates to suit your schedule
  • We can train in your timezone
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All Our Training Includes

Full 4 hours of expert training delivered by an experienced trainer
CPD-endorsed course: 4 CPD training hours (plus 2-3 additional hours via post-course online learning)
Full digital interactive course notes
Official training certificate
Access to free additional training material via our post-course portal
3 months of free telephone coaching while you implement your learning

Questions? Call 020 3856 3037 or 01452 856091

Upcoming Dates

Next Available Course Dates

No upcoming dates are currently listed.
Please get in touch to enquire about availability.

Contact Us

Frequently Asked Questions

Course FAQs

You can book directly online via our course dates page, call us on 020 3856 3037, or make an enquiry and we will call you back. We accept payment by BACS, cheque or credit card. Once booked, you will receive a confirmation email with full joining instructions.
Yes. We can deliver this course exclusively for your team at your premises or online, on dates to suit you. Bespoke in-house training is priced per day rather than per delegate, making it cost-effective for groups of four or more. We can also tailor the content to address your organisation's specific challenges.
No prior training is required. This course is designed as a follow-on to the two-day Leadership and Management Training programme, specifically deepening the communication skill area, but it is equally suitable as a standalone introduction to clear communication. Delegates attend from all levels and backgrounds and no prior knowledge is assumed.
The full-day Communication Skills Training covers a broad range of communication topics including SMART goal communication, assertiveness, conflict handling, active listening, body language, and the use of praise. This four-hour follow-on focuses exclusively on the four core channels of communication: speaking, writing, asking questions, and listening, with particular emphasis on organising messages clearly and listening with genuine intent to understand. It is shorter, more focused, and ideal as a targeted refresher or as a first step in developing communication clarity.
Most misunderstandings follow predictable patterns: the main point was never stated clearly, the listener was formulating a reply rather than listening, or a word was interpreted differently by each party. This course addresses each of these patterns directly, giving delegates specific habits to replace them with. When these habits are applied consistently across a team, the frequency and cost of misunderstandings reduces noticeably.
Yes. In-house delivery to a whole team is often the most effective format, because all members learn the same framework and vocabulary for organising and evaluating messages. This shared language makes it easier for the team to give each other constructive feedback on communication and to sustain the new habits over time. Please contact us to discuss in-house delivery options and pricing.
Yes, the training is highly interactive. Sessions include group discussions, exercises, case studies and individual action planning. The trainer actively teaches expert content rather than simply facilitating discussion, so delegates leave with structured knowledge they can apply immediately. The style is engaging and practical throughout.

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On This Page

  1. 1 Course Overview
  2. 2 Key Skills
  3. 3 Who Should Attend
  4. 4 Course Agenda
  5. 5 Delivery Options
  6. 6 Upcoming Dates
  7. 7 FAQs

Book This Course

Online Live Training £200 +VAT
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Book Open Course Enquire About In-House

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Customer Reviews

What Delegates Say About This Course

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Read Our Customer Reviews
★★★★★

"The course content was relevant to my requirements. Had my attention from the first. There were a lot of topics covered in some great detail. Trainer's presentation was engaged and kept my full attention for the duration. Had a free flowing very clear method of delivering. I would call it flawless."

Brian Kane

Dandara

★★★★★

"An excellent course. This is something all employees should receive BEFORE or IMMEDIATELY AFTER moving to a supervisory/managerial role. Contains lots of useful info, also for general life. The trainer was engaging, maintained interest of the group. Good explanations of the content, in easy to understand terms."

Phil Stubbs

The Binding Site Group Ltd

★★★★★

"Course content was comprehensive, interactive, stimulating with individual and group learning. The trainer’s presentation was clear, well organised, well communicated, instructive, relevant and useful."

Phil Davies

Impact Housing

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Ready to Communicate With Greater Clarity?

Book this four-hour follow-on session for yourself or your team, and leave with the habits, structure, and confidence to make every message count.

Book Open Course Enquire about In-House

Or speak to a member of our team directly:

020 3856 3037 01452 856091