Write to the Point

Book excerpt: Practical, proven techniques to make writing for business more effective and less stressful. Thanks to e-mail, voice mail, cell phones, pagers, and, of course, the ever-expanding Web, we live in an age of information overload. Although all these wonders were designed to make life and communication easier and faster, speed and efficiency have come with a price. Clear business writing has never been more difficult or stressful. Writers are expected to respond quickly to an endless flow of e-mail messages. Readers complain about an increasing lack of clarity along with an abundance of mechanical errors. Supervisors and managers are bewildered by employees’ inability to simply say what they mean and the lack of appropriate tone and sense of decorum in the written communications they produce. This book presents proven techniques developed in Dr. Iacone’s seminars that will enable greater ease, proficiency, and clarity in writing. The conversational, instructional format walks you through the actual stages of the writing process—from planning and writing the first draft, to editing and proofreading. This invaluable handbook also includes helpful guidelines to correct punctuation, lists of often-confused words, and step-by-step procedures for generating effective e-mail, memos, letters, and reports.