Read This!
Business Writing That Works

By Robert Gentle
Financial Times / Pearson Education
December 2002
ISBN: 0-273-65650-3
179 Pages, Illustrated, 7 1/4" x 9 1/4"
$36.50 Paper Original


Go on, admit it: most of the business documents that cross your desk really test your patience. If you're brave enough, you'll skim through them in an attempt to capture the key points. More often than not, you'll find them or throw them into the bin. That's because most business writing is long, complex and takes forever to get to the point. This is self-defeating as the available reading time is often only a few minutes or less.

In this book, you'll learn to:

Grab and sustain your reader's attention Produce a user friendly layout Draw attention to key passages It's a fundamental set of techniques that you'll be able to apply to all kinds of business writing - letters, e-mails, reports, memos, websites, business plans, forms, sign boards and even graphs. Read This! Will demolish many of the enduring myths that many of us hold dear about business writing - for example, that Times New Roman is the best font, that you must always start a letter with Thank you, or that a report must always have a conclusion at the end.

Features
People in business need to write well - concisely, precisely and professionally High impact, plain speaking, user-friendly book with no jargon Worked examples - "before and after" illustrations that show exactly how effective your writing will be and the results you'll achieve Easy ways to make people read what you write

Contents
PART 1 THE BASICS Chapter 1: How to grab your reader's attention THEORY Clearing up some common myths What your reader really thinks PRACTICE Five steps to grabbing your reader's attention REAL-WORLD CASE STUDIES Letter, Email, Powerpoint slide, Website page, Public sign, Newsletter article, Graphs Chapter 2: How to create a user-friendly layout THEORY Clearing up some common myths PRACTICE Five steps to a user-friendly layout REAL-WORLD CASE STUDIES Letter, Report, Contents page, Sign, Table, Form
PART 2 APPLYING THE BASICS Chapter 3: Letters, faxes and e-mail THEORY Clearing up some common myths How to ensure that your letter gets read PRACTICE Five steps to short, persuasive letters REAL-WORLD CASE STUDIES Letter declining a sales order E-mail requesting permission to distribute articles Fax requesting final payment E-mail of thanks Letter suggesting improvements to a proposal Memo to healthclub members Letter from trustees of a retirement fund E-mail to divisional heads requesting information Letter to shareholders about a takeover bid Chapter 4: Reports THEORY Clearing up some common myths Why many reports aren't read PRACTICE Five steps to short, punchy reports REAL-WORLD CASE STUDIES How companies save money using plain language Implications of a court ruling for a company's business Results of a reader poll for a corporate newsletter An assessment of a company's investment potential A view on the global economy An entry for a corporate award

Reviews "If you can't write your idea on the back of my business card, you don't have a clear idea". David Belasco, Theatre Producer

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