What we do

We help our clients in three main ways:

Big Ideas

Big Ideas

Writing Training

Writing Training

Expert Writing

Expert Writing

Business writing can be complex.

We’ll make it simple.

We start every project with a big idea – a simple approach that cuts through corporate blah and breathes new life into the way your business uses words. The big idea sits at the heart of all the work we do, whether it’s getting rid of formal writing in your customer service team, or coming up with a new tone of voice. The big idea sets you apart from your competitors and gives you a powerful message that sticks in people’s minds every time they write.

“The First Word brought incredible creativity and energy to the table and together we came up with a really engaging way of bringing the business along with us.” Leisa Stewart-Sharpe
Global Internal Communications Director, IHG


Say ‘writing training’ and most people think of a back to school grammar lesson.

Not ours.

Every training session we run is ‘discuss and do’ not ‘listen and learn’. We share hints, tips and tricks from inspiring writers inside and outside business. And we often use actors and professional speakers to bring it to life, so definitely no death by PowerPoint.
The real difference we make is to help people think and feel differently about business writing. We give them ‘permission’ to ditch corporate speak, express their personality and tap into writing skills they never thought they had.
People leave our workshops with the practical skills they need to be better writers, and with the confidence and inspiration to take a more positive approach to their role.

“I had the pleasure of attending a workshop run by The First Word. As an L&D professional for over 15 years it was one of the most thought provoking, interesting sessions I have attended in a long time.” Jonathan Burns
Learning & Development Manager, M&S


Our clients think of our writers as part of their team.

And that’s exactly how you’ll feel.

We have a team of expert, specialist writers. So whether it’s a suite of customer letters, packaging copy or a new website , you’ll get a dedicated writer (or team of writers) for your project from start to finish.

Good writing isn’t just about being a wordsmith. It’s about being a good thinker. Our writers ask all the right questions at the start of the project. They interrogate the brief and think of creative ways to meet it. And if they think there’s a better way to do something, they’ll say so.

You also get a dedicated project manager who’s on call to answer your questions, liaise with your teams and make sure the whole thing runs on-time and on-budget. And if you need more than words, our in-house designers will work on the project from the first concepts to the final look.

“Everyone at The First Word is friendly, which made it very easy to build a relationship with them, and they take a professional, conscientious approach to their work. The team understood our needs from the start.” Manpreet Chana
Communications Manager, Barclays