Business writing that gets results
The ability to write well is a key part of your professional success. From reports and presentations to emails and Facebook posts, whether you're a marketer, customer service rep, or manager, being able to write clearly and for the right audience is critical to moving your business forward. The techniques covered in this new edition of Business Writing For Dummies will arm you with the skills you need to write better business communications that inform, persuade, and win business.
How many pieces of paper land on your desk each day, or emails in your inbox? Your readers–the people you communicate with at work–are no different. So how can you make your communications stand out and get the job done? From crafting a short and sweet email to bidding for a crucial project, Business Writing For Dummies gives you everything you need to achieve high-impact business writing.
• Draft reports, proposals, emails, blog posts, and more
• Employ editing techniques to help you craft the perfect messages
• Adapt your writing style for digital media
• Advance your career with great writing
In today's competitive job market, being able to write well is a skill you can't afford to be without–and Business Writing For Dummies makes it easy!
Author(s): Natalie Canavor
Series: For Dummies
Edition: 2
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Year: 2017
Language: English
Pages: 346
City: Hoboken
Tags: business writing, business communication
Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Introduction
About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
How This Book Is Organized
Part 1: Winning with Writing
Part 2: Applying Your Skills to Business Messages and Documents
Part 3: Writing to Present Yourself Effectively
Part 4: Evolving Your Writing for Online Media
Part 5: Extending Your Writing Skills
Part 6: The Part of Tens
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the Book
Where to Go from Here
Part 1 Winning with Writing
Chapter 1 Make Writing Your Not-So-Secret Weapon
Putting Good Writing to Work for You
Planning and Structuring Every Message
Applying the Goal-Plus-Audience Strategy to All Business Needs
Succeeding with email, letters, and business documents
Writing for the spoken word
Writing online: From websites to blogs to tweets
Special purpose writing
Taking the global perspective
Chapter 2 Planning Your Message Every Time
Adopting the Plan-Draft-Edit Principle
Fine-Tuning Your Plan: Your Goals and Audience
Defining your goal
Defining your audience
Brainstorming the best content for your purpose
Writing to groups and strangers
Imagining your readers
Making People Care
Connecting instantly with your reader
Focusing on what’s-in-it-for-me
Highlighting benefits, not features
Finding the concrete, limiting the abstract
Choosing Your Written Voice: Tone
Aligning tone with the occasion, relationship, and culture
Writing as your authentic self
Smiling when you say it
Using Relationship-Building Techniques
Showing active caring and respect
Personalizing what you write
Framing messages with “you” not “I”
Chapter 3 Making Your Writing Work: The Basics
Stepping into Twenty-First-Century Writing Style
Aiming for a clear, simple style
Applying readability guidelines
Finding the right rhythm
Achieving a conversational tone
Energizing Your Language
Relying on everyday wording
Choosing reader-friendly words
Focusing on the real and concrete
Finding action verbs
Crafting comparisons to help readers
Employing Reader-Friendly Graphic Techniques
Building in white space
Choosing a typeface
Keeping colors simple
Adding effective graphics
Breaking space up with sidebars, boxes, and lists
Chapter 4 Self-Editing: Professional Ways to Improve Your Work
Changing Hats: From Writer to Editor
Choosing a way to edit
Distancing yourself from what you write
Reviewing the Big and Small Pictures
Assessing content success
Assessing the effectiveness of your language
Avoiding telltale up-down-up inflection
Looking for repeat word endings
Pruning prepositions
Cutting all non-contributing words
Moving from Passive to Active
Thinking “action”
Trimming “there is” and “there are”
Cutting the haves and have nots
Using the passive deliberately
Sidestepping Jargon, Clichés, and Extra Modifiers
Reining in jargon
Cooling the clichés
Minimizing modifiers
Chapter 5 Fixing Common Writing Problems
Organizing Your Document
Paragraphing for logic
Building with subheads
Working with transitions
Working in lists: Numbers and bulleting
Catching Common Mistakes
Using comma sense
Using “however” correctly
Matching nouns and pronouns
Weighing “which” versus “that”
Considering “who” versus “that”
Choosing “who” versus “whom”
Beginning with “and” or “but”
Using sentence fragments
Ending with prepositions
Fine-tuning punctuation
Reviewing and Proofreading: The Final Check
Checking the big picture
Proofreading your work
Creating your personal writing improvement guide
Part 2 Applying Your Skills to Business Messages and Documents
Chapter 6 Writing Messages That Get Results
Fast-Forwarding Your Agenda with Email
Starting Strong
Writing subject lines that pull people in
Using appropriate salutations
Drafting a strong email lead
Building Messages That Achieve Your Goals
Clarifying what you want
Assessing what matters to your audience
Determining the best content
Structuring Your Middle Ground
Closing Strong
Polishing Your Email
Monitoring length and breadth
Simplify style
Going short: Words, sentences, paragraphs
Using graphic techniques to promote clarity
Using the signature block
Good Letter Writing Techniques
Chapter 7 Creating High-Impact Business Materials
Creating Valued Reports
Writing activity reports
Reporting project results
Fast-Tracking Your Proposals
Writing formal proposals
Writing informal proposals
Applying for grants
Writing an Executive Summary
Giving perspective to complex material
Determining what matters
Putting headlines to work
Writing Tips for All Business Documents
Part 3 Writing to Present Yourself Effectively
Chapter 8 Speaking Well for Yourself
Building Your Elevator Speech
Defining your goal
Defining your audience
Strategizing your content
Representing your organization and yourself
Preparing and Giving Presentations
Planning what to say
Crafting your presentations with writing
Integrating visuals
Standing and delivering
Composing Talking Points for Live Interaction
Chapter 9 Telling Your Business Stories
Finding Your Core Business Message
Searching for true value
Making your case in business terms
Finding, Shaping, and Using Stories
Finding your story
Building your story
Story-writing tips
Putting stories to work
Telling Your Story with Video
Deciding how to use video
Using video for marketing
Introducing yourself with video
Sharing expertise with video
Chapter 10 Writing for the Job Hunt
Knowing and Expressing Your Value
Pinpointing your personal strengths
Pulling your ideas together
Writing Résumés That Win the Race
Choosing a format
Writing the summary statement
Building your work history section
Showing off strengths
Succeeding with Cover Letters
Planning a cover letter
Opening with pizzazz
Networking with Messages
Requesting informational interviews
Saying thank you
Part 4 Evolving Your Writing for Online Media
Chapter 11 Writing for the Digital World
Positioning Yourself Online
Strategizing Your Platform Choices
Breaking down your goals
Knowing where your audiences are
Assessing your skills and potentials
Writing for Digital Media
Loosening up
Keeping it simple and visual
Communicating credibility
Cutting hype, maxing evidence
Devising nonlinear strategies
Incorporating interactive strategies
Translating text into visuals
Chapter 12 Creating Your Online Presence
Creating a Website from the Ground Up
Determining goals, format, and audience
Planning a basic website
Creating the site structure
Assembling and writing a home page
Writing the About Us page
Writing the inside pages
Graphic tips for websites
Creating a Blog
Choosing your best subject
Developing tone and style
Creating magnetic headlines
Using progressive subheads
Networking with Twitter
Planning your Twitter program
Guidelines for tweeting
Writing Online Profiles
Using Social Media Platforms
Engaging with social media
Exploring content ideas
Part 5 Extending Your Writing Skills
Chapter 13 Writing and the Independent Worker
Writing Persuasively Cross-Media
Communicating with conviction
Connecting with your reader
Maintaining reader engagement
Giving people time
Introducing Yourself in Writing
Writing to Pitch Your Services
Creating Letters That Sell
Writing Difficult Messages
Spelling out services performed
Collecting on your invoices
Raising your fee structure
Communicating as a Virtual Worker
Pitching the Media
Writing traditional “press releases”
Writing email pitches
Finding ideas for the media
Chapter 14 Writing Well to Manage Well
Communicating as a Manager
Relating to your team members
Writing to inspire and motivate
Delivering bad news
Writing good news messages
Criticizing with kindness
Writing requests and giving orders
Writing to Higher-Ups
Guarding your tone
Avoiding the blame game
Making it easy to respond
Writing Backup Memos
Part 6 The Part of Tens
Chapter 15 Ten Ways to Advance Your Career with Writing
Write to Build Relationships
Write a Great Elevator Speech
Write Your Own Long-Range Career Plan
Write an Ad for Your Dream Job
Go Out of Your Way to Thank People
Take Notes to Control the Conversation
Use Social Media Strategically
Know How to Explain Your Value
Profile Your Higher-Ups
Create Talking Points
Chapter 16 Ten Ways to Energize Your Résumé
Don’t Apply for the Job You Have Now
Adopt the Employer’s Language
Write Clearly and Concisely
Communicate What You Actually Do
Write Narratives, Not Just Bullets
Sidestep Jargon and Business-Speak
Use Action Verbs to Prove What You Accomplished
Write in a Confident, Positive Tone
Incorporate Keywords
Make It Look Good
Chapter 17 Ten Steps to Creating Video
Know Your Goal, Know Your Audience
Plan Your Production Style and Content
Write a Word + Picture Script
Create a Shot List
Lights, Action, Camera
Review Your Shoot and Other Resources
Find a Good Lead
Match Picture and Words
Craft the Right Words
Let Me Entertain You
Index
EULA
