Thinking & Writing
When we first started In 1989, we were the first UK agency to specialise in writing.
Not a PR firm, or and an ad agency; but a writing company or – more accurately – a company devoted to the thinking that happens before writing.
In an age of AI, this human intelligence has never been more important.
We think before we write.
We think about what a document needs to achieve. Should it sell? Inspire? Impress? Educate?
We think about the message that should be communicated to achieve that objective. If that means positioning the product – or an entire blue chip company, such as Unisys or BT Global Services – then so be it.
And we think about the structure of the document that will meet that goal. In the craft of writing, after all, form always follows function.
This is how we write for our clients – usually producing marketing or sales enablement documents. Or we work with bid teams who recognise that ‘must-win’ bids are won by those that can best articulate a competitive proposition.
This is also how we train professionals to write. Our Structured Writing Method , which is at the heart of both our Writing for Business and Writing for Bids courses, places a unique emphasis on the thinking that happens before writing.
And now, with our new Thinking & Writing course, we can transform the way students think and write (whether they are helped by AI or not), about their academic work and help them develop the skills that will be so important in later life.
What we do
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For decades, we have been one of the UK’s leading writing consultancies, specialising in below-the-line, B2B message-led copy for marketing, pre-sales and bids. If you need to create an executive summary for a must-win tender, a case study programme, or a complete editorial solution for your business, partner with us and draw on our decades of experience. If you have your own in-house team, we can partner with you to provide initial training and ongoing editorial guidance and quality control.
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We train professionals who are writing emails and reports as well as those producing more specialist documents for marketing, pre-sales, bids and tenders. Our unique writing courses – Writing for Business and Writing for Bids – not only improve writing; they can improve complex problem solving, teamwork, productivity – and the bottom line.
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For a small number of clients we are available to provide ongoing one-to-one editorial support from Paul Ayling, founder of Writing Machine and creator of the Structured Writing Method. This is appropriate for both individuals and members of marketing or bid teams. Provided on a time and materials basis, this engagement can include training, writing, messaging, strategy, critical feedback and quality control. If this sounds of interest, get in contact to arrange a time to discuss what is appropriate and possible.
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Writing for Business is designed for anybody who needs to write as part of their professional life. Whatever you are writing, you will learn a proven method that will make your documents clearer, more concise, effectively structured and far more professional.
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Writing Machine’s unique Writing for Bids enables individuals and teams to write clearer, more compelling, more professional and far more competitive bid and pitch documents.
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Thinking & Writing is an eLearning course that has been developed to provide effective training in thinking and writing for academic work, and to develop skills which will be invaluable in professional life too. When students have completed Thinking & Writing, they will be able to write more clearly and logically and do so with much greater confidence and efficiency. The ten interactive modules are designed to promote inclusivity and accessibility, targeting confidence, skills, attainment and outcomes.
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The Structured Writing Method
At the heart of everything we do is a writing method which works for every business document. It is a linear process that encourages you to spend most of your time thinking, planning and collaborating before writing begins. This structured approach ensures that you not only produce documents that are clear and engaging and structurally fit for purpose, but that you do so faster. The method provides a logical, linear process that everyone can follow.
Who we work with
We have written for – and delivered writing training courses to – clients in the UK and around the world, in sectors ranging from technology, engineering and aerospace, to retail, health & safety, education, event management, food services, leisure and professional services.
Here are just a few of them:
42T, ABB, Adelphi, Advanced, AGCO, Alcatel-Lucent, Allianz, Avaya, Arqiva, Atos, AXA, BT, BCD Travel, Cable & Wireless, CBRE, Ciena, Cisco, CitySprint, Civica, Cofunds, Deloitte, Drax Group, Ellandi, Epson, esri UK, Experian, EY, Fiserv, Fujitsu, G4S, Grant Thornton, Hikvision, Hitachi Vantara, HP, HSBC, Indra Navia AS, Interserve, Kent County Council, Kapsch TrafficCom, Knight Frank, Lloyds Banking Group, Logica, M&G Investments, Microsoft, Midlands Co-operative Society, Mitchells & Butlers, Mott MacDonald, NATS, NEC, Nespresso, Siemens, Sopra Steria, Travelport, tomtom, Unisys.