The Communication Workshop helps people improve their business and technical writing skills. Whether an individual needs a punctuation and grammar refresher or an entire department needs a customized onsite writing seminar or webinar, we are ready to help.

We offer one-on-one training, train-the-trainer programs, online webinars and editorial assistance in creating powerful letters, proposals, RFP's, style guides, and direct mail. See the FAQ for more information

We specialize in writing in the insurance field; we have presented successful writing workshops at government agencies, technology firms, manufacturers, and financial institutions.

Two of our books, The Elements of Business Writing and The Elements of Technical Writing, are used as a text at more than 300 organizations and have been translated into Japanese.

Dr. Gary Blake, Director of The Communication Workshop, has developed specialized writing seminars or webinars for claims, loss control, customer service, workers' compensation, and underwriting professionals at hundreds of organizations throughout the United States and Europe. These organizations include AIG Claims Services, Allstate, American Custom Insurance, American Reinsurance, Balboa Life and Casualty, Farm Bureau Insurance, Mutual of New York, Royal & SunAlliance, Oxford Health Plans, TIAA-CREF, and Westfield Companies.

With Robert W. Bly, Dr. Blake has written ten books, including:

• The Elements of Business Writing (Macmillan, 1992), a selection of the Fortune Book Club. Now in its 23rd printing, this book has 150,000 copies in print.
• Technical Writing: Structure, Standards, and Style (McGraw-Hill, 1982), a selection of the Engineer's Book Club.
• How to Promote Your Own Business (New American Library, 1983).
• The Elements of Technical Writing (Macmillan, 1993), a selection of the Writer's Digest Book Club.
• Quick Tips for Better Business Writing (McGraw-Hill, 1995).

Dr. Blake is a frequent contributor to Claims, National Underwriter, Insurance Advocate, Best's, Canadian Insurance, Claims Advisor and Professional Agent.
Click to view a recent article by Dr. Blake in Claims magazine.
Click to view a recent article by Dr. Blake in Claims Advisor magazine.
Click to view a recent article by Dr. Blake in Claims Journal magazine.
To read an archived copy of some past published articles, click on National Underwriter or Property and Casualty.com.

The Communication Workshop also publishes The Claims Writer's Catalog, a listing of reports, posters, books, and services dedicated to helping insurance professionals improve their writing. He has presented claims writing programs at PLRB as well as at the International Claims Association.

Dr. Blake holds a B.S. and an M.S. in Communications from the University of Wisconsin, as well as a doctorate from the City University of New York.

What They’re Saying About THE COMMUNICATION WORKSHOP

"Over the past six years, you have run more than 30 writing workshops at Hughes [Aircraft] and your ratings have been consistently high …”

Alexis Lobaco, Training Manager, Hughes Training, Long Beach, CA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“The Elements of Business Writing is a very useful, clearly written resource.”

Steve Vogel, Director, Public Affairs, State Farm Insurance Companies, Bloomington, IL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“It was obvious you have a passion and knowledge about your subject matter.
The feedback from participants was very favorable…”

J. Mark Foerster, VP, Group and Claims Services, Munich Reinsurance Company, Toronto, Canada
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Effective communication, verbal and written, is an essential element of the health care process. Gary's seminar provides Managers with a tool to enhance the writing skills of our staff. Our people have improved the content and clarity of their letters and reports as a result of participation in this seminar."

Cathy Wallace, Claims Director, Household Life Insurance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“As evident by the attendees’ evaluation forms, the program was very well received and surpassed our employees’ expectations.”

Alyson J. Hurley, Communications Manager, The Brethren Mutual Insurance Co.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I had a chance last year to sit in on one of Gary’s workshops for American Family Insurance. What impressed me was that Gary targets an insurance audience exclusively and uses actual writing samples of the participants to discuss writing fundamentals. He’s written articles for a number of insurance periodicals and has authored a couple of books. His workshops can be tailored for claims professionals specifically or a general insurance audience.”

Brad Lemmermann, Allstate Life Service Center
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I would recommend this course to directors and managers so that a common communication mechanism can be started at the department level.”

Shirley Dillard, Guardian Life
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“For the amount of written communications required in my department, this course should be mandatory.”

C. Carroll, Maryland National Bank
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Thank you for conducting a great seminar for us.  The staff really enjoyed it and would like you to come back some time in the future.”

Mike Case, Manager, Pacific Specialty Insurance Company, Menlo Park, CA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"After having just reviewed the remaining evaluations from the students in your last class, I felt I must drop you a short note of thanks.
Realizing we did not make it easy on you, mixing claims and underwriting personnel, with too such varying writing skills, we are all amazed at the overall class evaluation and the student comments, such as:

“The class was packed with information, all of which relates to what we in claims do every day.”

“Writing is not at the top of my list of favorite subjects but Gary made it fun. The time went by quickly.”

“The class was fun, with lots of humor and topical references’.”

Also, I might add that your class was a real morale booster. It was advantageous for us to have employees from the two divisions (besides Claims and Underwriting, there were a handful of students from our Premium Accounting and Product Development departments in the two classes), work closely in small teams during your class exercises. Of course, the ‘hands on’ nature of your class was a key factor in making it a success.”

Joe Kaiser, VP, Claims, Farm Bureau Insurance Company, W. Des Moines, IA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“By reviewing more than 250 letters, Best Practices Guidelines, and other materials, Dr. Blake was able to improve these documents greatly, helping maintain our corporate image and ensure that these important documents were as clear and concise as possible. The Communication Workshop helped us enhance our quality by transforming all of our important form letters and Best Practices Guidelines into well-organized, well-phrased and well-formatted documents. To us, this will have a major long-term benefit to NARS as well our clients and is well worth the money spent.”

Judith Floyd, Director of QA, North American Risk Services, Maitland, FL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~