Business Writing for Results

Your Writing Style

How to develop a crisp, readable style that works for you.

• Discover the surprisingly easy key to clear, powerful business writing.
• Follow six simple rules to guarantee clarity and simplicity in any kind of written document.
• Get rid of jargon and avoid pompous language that muddles your message.
• Learn how to identify your document’s key words and repeat them for greater impact.
• Use lists and headings to maximize reader comprehension.
• Identify and eliminate pretentious, wordy sentences — and make every document clear and reader friendly.
• Master professional writers’ tactics to weed out wordiness and cut out “deadwood” language.
• Pinpoint redundant phrases that obscure your message and confuse readers.
• Banish “habitual offenders” — clichés and trite phrases that can creep into your writing and dilute your impact.
• Is vagueness reducing your effectiveness? Prevent confusion with expert ways to spot and correct language “vacuums.”
• Know the 40 words and phrases you should never use in business writing.
• Writing tone: Learn exactly what it is, and evaluate the tone you should strive for in your written communications.
• Glide easily between paragraphs, sentences and ideas with a handy list of transition words and phrases.
• Understand the difference between the active and passive voice, and why voice is one of the most essential elements in business writing.
• Learn how a simple rearrangement of your words will lead to a more direct, understandable style.
• Choose the best word for the job: Use professional tips to select words that appeal to the reader.
• Discover how using action verbs can make every document you write come to life.

Focusing on the Reader

How to ensure your writing is read, remembered, taken seriously and acted on.

• Identify your specific objective and ensure it doesn’t get lost in the writing process.
• Appeal to the reader’s needs; discover powerful persuasion techniques and develop the ability to sell anything on paper.
• Learn innovative practices that give your writing a “you” orientation — and get action and results every time.
• Use an indispensable table to identify the five audience types, and write a tailor-made document that really gets attention.
• Master four practical approaches to writing documents that appeal to readers of varied backgrounds and interests.
• Follow a simple, three-step blueprint to help you anticipate reaction to your writing.

Organizing the Information

How to move from planning to a finished document – easily, logically and painlessly.

• The first word is always the hardest: Overcome writing fears leading to delay and procrastination.
• Go from start to finish with a five-phase plan to help you complete any writing project with greater ease — from short memos to complex proposals.
• Distribute the writing task and effectively tackle even the hardest-to-face projects.
• Develop a good outline the fast, easy way — and save time on writing and rewriting.
• Learn four simple hints to help you write a first draft freely and naturally, without getting sidetracked.
• Discover six steps you can take to avoid complicated and time-consuming rewrites.
• Master four sensible approaches that will ensure you write logically and clearly, whatever your objectives or audience.

Effective Emails, Memos and Letters

How to inform, persuade and get results from every piece of correspondence you write.

• Use a four-part quick assessment to evaluate your memos as key readers might.
• Learn the four characteristics of every effective email — and pinpoint your own strengths and weaknesses.
• Implement four practical suggestions for memo content and format to make all of your memos informative, readable and clear.
• Start with attention-getting openings to your correspondence — 11 ways to draw readers in and build rapport instantly.
• End your correspondence with strong closings and get the action and results you want.
• Craft effective goodwill letters to impress people, open doors and create opportunities.
• Write a complaint letter to get the results you want — without anger, browbeating or intimidation tactics.
• Know how to convey bad news: Compose tactful bad news letters using a positive, professional tone.
• Discover four key ingredients in sales letters that really do sell.
• Learn and employ 13 positive trigger words and sell anything more effectively in writing.
• Use a simplified one-page Letter Planner enabling you to write every letter faster, more efficiently and much more effectively.

Professional Reports and Proposals

How to write reports that get attention – and action – for your ideas and recommendations.

• Break reports down into eight basic building blocks and handle even the most complex reports with greater ease.
• Pinpoint the specific information managers want from reports — about problems, new projects and ideas, experiments and tests and other subjects.
• Report planning made easy: Use a concise, one-page form to organize your report quickly and efficiently.
• Avoid the Essay Syndrome: sure ways to eliminate stiff, boring prose and long-winded language from your reports.
• Learn the 10 most common report-writing failures — easily prevented once you know what they are.