The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Almanac of Business Letters and Memos

by Gorman, MBA, Tom

• ISBN13: 9780028617411
• ISBN10: 002861741X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-07-20
• Publisher: DK Publishing, Inc.

Summary

You're no idiot, of course. You can manage a spreadsheet, find your way from the airport to the hotel all by yourself, and browse the Web like a pro. But when you sit down to write, you feel like you're back in Mrs. O'Malley's tenth-grade compositon class mixing up "it's" and "its." Come out from under your desk! The Complete Idiot's Almanac of Business Letters and Memos gives you step-by-step guidelines for planning, drafting, and perfecting letters and memos for every occasion, whether it's writing a thank-you note, submitting a proposal or issuing a reprimand. In this Complete Idiot's Guide, you get:

Table of Contents

Part 1: The Business of Business Writing	1	(24)
1 A Memo Is Just a Memo--or Is It?	3	(6)
The Characteristics of Greatness	4	(2)
Grab the Reader's Attention	4	(1)
Make a Recommendation or Ask for Action	4	(1)
Support Your Position	5	(1)
Mention Next Steps and Deadlines	5	(1)
Strive for Greatness	6	(1)
The Importance of Written Communication Skills	6	(1)
What People Mean by "Communication Skills"	6	(2)
Put Mutual Interests First	7	(1)
Make the Message Clear	7	(1)
Show Sensitivity to Others' Feelings	8	(1)
The Reader Is King	8	(1)
The Least You Need to Know	8	(1)
2 What's This Supposed to Mean?!	9	(6)
What's Your Problem and What Can You Do?	10	(1)
Problem: "I Hate to Write"	10	(1)
What Can You Do?	10	(1)
Problem: "I Was Never Good in English"	11	(1)
What Can You Do?	11	(1)
Problem: "I Have No Time"	11	(1)
What Can You Do?	11	(1)
Problem: "I Have No `Style'"	12	(1)
What Can You Do?	12	(1)
Problem: "I Don't Write Well and Others Do It Better"	12	(1)
What Can You Do?	12	(1)
Assessing Your Business Writing Skills	13	(1)
Where We Go from Here	14	(1)
The Least You Need to Know	14	(1)
3 The Right Tool for the Writing Situation	15	(10)
What's the Difference Between Letters and Memos?	15	(1)
Letters: Professional, Yet Personal	16	(2)
Memos: A Bit More Official	18	(4)
Using the "CC" to Get Action	19	(1)
Memos to the File: A Record-Keeping Tool	19	(1)
Handwritten Notes: Very Personal, Very Proper	22	(1)
E-Mail: Fast, but Loose	23	(1)
When to Write	23	(1)
When to Use a Letter and When to Use a Memo	23	(1)
The Least You Need to Know	24	(1)
Part 2: Writing: It's Easier Than You Think (So Please Relax)	25	(66)
4 Three Easy Steps to Eloquence	27	(6)
Step One: Plan (Decide What to Say)	28	(1)
How Planning Helps You	28	(1)
Step Two: Draft (Say It)	28	(1)
Step Three: Edit (Improve the Way You Said It)	29	(1)
The Benefits of Three Steps	29	(2)
Run Around the Block	30	(1)
Overcoming Resistance to the Three-Step Process	31	(1)
Budgeting Your Writing Time	31	(1)
Break It Into Thirds	32	(1)
As Easy as One-Two-Three	32	(1)
The Least You Need to Know	32	(1)
5 Step One-Know Where You're Going and Who You're Taking with You	33	(12)
An Exercise in Pointlessness	33	(2)
What's the Problem?	35	(1)
To Make a Point, You Must Have a Point	36	(2)
Reader Analysis	38	(1)
How Can I Help the Reader?	38	(1)
How to Establish Credibility	39	(1)
Do Your Homework	39	(1)
Getting Ideas and Getting Them Organized	40	(1)
Generating Ideas	40	(2)
The Brainstorming Technique	40	(1)
Creating a Brainstorm	41	(1)
Try It Now!	41	(1)
Question Yourself	42	(1)
Getting Organized	42	(1)
Sequencing: First the Good News, then the Bad News	43	(1)
Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan	44	(1)
The Least You Need to Know	44	(1)
6 Step Two--Get Those Fingers Moving	45	(8)
How Do I Follow a Plan?	45	(1)
One Idea Per Paragraph	46	(1)
The Topic of Topic Sentences	46	(2)
What's So Terrific About Topic Sentences?	48	(1)
Building Paragraphs, Sentence by Sentence	48	(2)
Keep Writing	48	(1)
A Few Words on Sentence Length	49	(1)
How Long Is Too Long?	49	(1)
What About Paragraph Length?	50	(1)
Paragraph Length Guidelines	50	(1)
Putting the Reader in the Picture	50	(2)
Say "You"	51	(1)
"Well, Jim..."	51	(1)
The Secret to Writing Quickly	52	(1)
The Least You Need to Know	52	(1)
7 Step Three--Fast Fixes and Quick Repairs	53	(10)
Leave It Alone	53	(1)
Finding What Needs Fixing	54	(4)
He Used a Plan--What Happened?	56	(1)
Fixing Poor Organization	56	(1)
Fixing Vagueness and Lack of Clarity	57	(1)
Fixing Wordiness	57	(1)
Put Your Writing on a Diet	58	(2)
Cut Down on Bothersome Phrases	59	(1)
Eliminate Redundancy	59	(1)
Compress Modifying Statements	59	(1)
Editing the Easy Way	60	(1)
The Least You Need to Know	61	(2)
8 What About Format?	63	(10)
Great First Impressions	63	(3)
Formatting Tools that Work	66	(1)
How Long Is Too Long?	67	(2)
How to Shorten Long Memos	68	(1)
Using Attachments	68	(1)
Other Formatting Tools	69	(2)
Charts	69	(1)
Boxes and Callouts	70	(1)
Form the Good Format Habit	71	(1)
The Least You Need to Know	71	(2)
9 Where the %&@# Do the Commas Go?	73	(8)
What's It All About?	73	(1)
What Will People Think?	74	(1)
Comma, Comma, Comma	74	(1)
Colons: When Should You Use Them?	75	(1)
Don't Fear the Semicolon; Instead, Learn to Use It	75	(1)
The Apostrophe's Uses	76	(1)
I Say, "Learn How to Use Quotation Marks."	77	(1)
The Hyphen Is a First-Rate Helper	77	(1)
Dashes--How Dashing!	78	(1)
Parentheses Work Together (and Travel in Pairs)	78	(1)
Wow! The Exclamation Mark	79	(1)
That's About It (Period)?	79	(1)
The Least You Need to Know	79	(2)
10 When They're Looking Over Your Shoulder	81	(10)
Situations When You Write for Others	81	(2)
Writing for Bosses	82	(1)
Writing for a Committee	82	(1)
Specific Problems in Writing for Others	83	(1)
Six Steps to Writing It Right for Others	83	(6)
Understand the Goal and the Message	83	(1)
Analyze the Audience	84	(1)
Get Ideas--and Agreement--on Paper	84	(2)
Write Alone	86	(1)
Get and Enter All Edits	86	(2)
Get Final Sign-Off	88	(1)
Six Steps to Sanity	89	(1)
Editing Someone Else's Work	89	(1)
The Least You Need to Know	90	(1)
Part 3: Taming the Wild and Wooly Memo	91	(46)
11 Put Your Personality on Paper	93	(12)
What Is Style?	93	(2)
Shouldn't We Write Just the Way We Talk?	95	(1)
Choosing the Right Style	95	(1)
Let's Get Stylish	96	(6)
Your Approach to the Material	96	(1)
How You Address the Reader	97	(1)
Word Choice and Sentence Structure	98	(2)
Using Active Voice	100	(1)
Changing Passive Voice to Active Voice	101	(1)
When to Use Passive Voice	102	(1)
Don't Be Tone-Deaf	102	(1)
Say It with Style	103	(1)
The Least You Need to Know	103	(2)
12 Nail Down the Basics	105	(14)
Grammar Matters	105	(1)
The Parts of Speech	106	(1)
Fixing the Most Common Errors	107	(4)
Dangling Modifiers	108	(1)
The Fixes	108	(1)
Lack of Parallelism	108	(1)
The Fixes	109	(1)
Faulty Comparison	109	(1)
The Fixes	109	(1)
Unclear Pronoun Reference	109	(1)
The Fixes	110	(1)
Incorrect Pronoun Case	110	(1)
The Fixes	110	(1)
Common Mistakes in Word Usage	111	(6)
Affect and Effect	111	(1)
All, Each	111	(1)
As	111	(1)
As Such	111	(1)
Assure, Ensure, Insure	112	(1)
Bad, Badly	112	(1)
Can and May	112	(1)
Cannot	112	(1)
Continual and Continuous	112	(1)
Center Around	112	(1)
Compare with, Compare to	113	(1)
Complement, Compliment	113	(1)
Data	113	(1)
Decades	113	(1)
Discrete, Discreet	113	(1)
e.g and i.e	114	(1)
Etc.	114	(1)
Fewer, Less	114	(1)
Former, Latter	114	(1)
Good, Well	115	(1)
Imply, Infer	115	(1)
Irregardless	115	(1)
Its, It's	115	(1)
Lay, Lie	115	(1)
Numbers	115	(1)
Principal, Principle	116	(1)
Reason Is Because	116	(1)
Regards, Regard	116	(1)
Seasons	116	(1)
Stationary, Stationery	117	(1)
Time	117	(1)
Their, They're	117	(1)
Very	117	(1)
Your, You're	117	(1)
Avoiding Jargon and Buzzwords	117	(2)
The Best Source for More Help	118	(1)
The Least You Need to Know	118	(1)
13 How It Looks Is How You Look	119	(18)
Neatness Counts	119	(1)
The Professional Look	120	(1)
Getting Rid of Mistakes	120	(2)
Choosing the Right Format	122	(13)
Accepted Closings	125	(4)
Page Numbers for Letters and Memos	129	(1)
Marginal Thinking	129	(1)
Customary Layout of Extra Information	130	(3)
Letterhead and Stationery	133	(1)
Print Quality	134	(1)
Looking Good	135	(1)
The Least You Need to Know	135	(2)
Part 4: What Should I Write and When Should I Write It?	137	(150)
14 Asking for Action So People Will Act	139	(10)
What Do You Want Done?	139	(1)
Simple Requests	140	(4)
Complex Requests	144	(1)
How to Be Persuasive	144	(2)
Using Threats	146	(2)
Follow-Up Strategies for Requests	148	(1)
An Outline for Requests	148	(1)
The Least You Need to Know	148	(1)
15 Announcements That Get the Word Out	149	(14)
What's New?	149	(1)
Good Timing	150	(1)
People Come, People Go, People Get Promoted	151	(1)
When Someone Joins the Organization	151	(1)
When Someone Leaves	151	(1)
When Someone Is Promoted	153	(2)
Announcing Organizational Changes	155	(2)
Announcements for Special Events	157	(1)
Recurrent Scheduled Events	157	(1)
Announcing Structural Changes	157	(2)
Announcements Regarding News Events	159	(2)
An Outline for Announcements	161	(1)
The Least You Need to Know	161	(2)
16 Writing Up Poor Performance	163	(10)
When Should You Write a Reprimand?	164	(1)
The Role of the Human Resources Department	164	(1)
Focus on the Problem	165	(2)
Begin Planning Early	165	(2)
An Outline for a Reprimand	167	(1)
The Letter Itself: Loud and Clear	168	(2)
Using the Outline	168	(1)
What's Next?	170	(2)
The Final Warning	170	(1)
Termination Letters	170	(2)
Document, Document, Document	172	(1)
The Least You Need to Know	172	(1)
17 Sales Letters: Your License to Print Money	173	(10)
The Challenge: Getting Attention	174	(1)
A Word About Mailing Lists	174	(1)
Two Ways to Write a Letter	175	(2)
Short and Sweet Sales Letters	175	(2)
What's at Work in This Letter?	177	(1)
Features and Benefits: The Difference and Why It Matters	177	(2)
More Examples of Good Sales Letters	179	(3)
Increasing Your Response Rate	182	(1)
The Least You Need to Know	182	(1)
18 Writing to Get Media Attention	183	(14)
Why Try to Get Publicity?	183	(1)
Query Letters That Get Attention	184	(1)
What Editors Need	185	(1)
How to Target Publications	185	(1)
How to Develop Story and Article Ideas	186	(1)
Outline for a Great Query Letter	187	(3)
Press Releases	190	(1)
Press Releases That Get Attention	190	(1)
Outline for a Press Release	191	(1)
Making Your Own News	193	(2)
Do's and Don'ts When Writing to the Media	195	(1)
The Least You Need to Know	195	(2)
19 Decent Proposals (and Letters of Agreement)	197	(14)
Is It Worth the Paper It's Printed On?	198	(1)
How to Write an Attractive Proposal	198	(1)
Ask Questions	199	(1)
Outline for a Proposal	200	(1)
Sample Letter Proposals	200	(1)
How a Proposal Works	203	(4)
A Letter of Agreement	207	(2)
What Do You Propose?	209	(1)
The Least You Need to Know	209	(2)
20 Shine, Don't Whine: Complaints and Collection Letters	211	(16)
When Things Go Wrong	211	(1)
Rules for Effective Complaining	212	(2)
Propose a Specific Solution	212	(1)
Keep the Moral High Ground	212	(1)
Complain to the Right Person	213	(1)
Keep Good Records of All Contacts	213	(1)
Be Persistent	213	(1)
When to Write	214	(1)
Analyzing the Reader	214	(1)
Outline for a Letter of Complaint	214	(7)
A Sample Letter of Complaint	215	(1)
Another Letter of Complaint	215	(3)
An Opener and a Follow-Up	218	(3)
Collection Letters	221	(4)
Credit 101	221	(1)
The Collection Process	221	(1)
Sample Collection Letters	222	(3)
Collection Do's and Don'ts	225	(1)
The Least You Need to Know	226	(1)
21 So Sorry: Rejections, Apologies, and Answers to Complaints	227	(16)
Acknowledgment Letters	228	(1)
Acknowledging a Resume	228	(1)
Acknowledging an Individual Request	228	(2)
Acknowledging a Proposal Conditionally	230	(2)
Rejection Letters: A Matter of Timing	232	(1)
High-Volume Rejection Letters	232	(1)
Rules for Rejection	233	(1)
Letters of Rejection	234	(3)
Keep Rejection Short and Sweet	237	(1)
The Sorrow and the Pity	237	(1)
Letters of Apology	237	(2)
Do's and Don'ts of Apologizing	239	(1)
Answering Customer Complaints	239	(2)
The Least You Need to Know	241	(2)
22 Cover Letters That Open Doors	243	(16)
Breaking Out of the In-Box	243	(1)
Four Rules for Cover Letters	244	(1)
A Cover Letter Can't Compensate for a Poor Resume	244	(1)
Be Personal, Write Well, and Demonstrate Interest	244	(1)
Keep It Short and to the Point	245	(1)
Zero Errors Is the Goal	245	(1)
An Outline for Cover Letters	246	(1)
Sample Cover Letters	246	(2)
A Few Words on Timing	248	(1)
How to Make a Cover Letter Stand Out	248	(1)
Write Something Self-Revealing	249	(1)
Show Genuine Interest in the Company	249	(1)
Use the Right Kind of Humor	250	(1)
The Wrong Kind of Humor	251	(1)
Two Job-Search Approaches: Wholesale and Custom	251	(1)
The Wholesale Search: Paper the World	252	(1)
Sample Letters for the Wholesale Search	252	(3)
The Custom Search: Research, Then Write	255	(1)
Sample Letters for the Custom Search	255	(2)
Letters That Work Get You Interviews	257	(1)
The Least You Need to Know	257	(2)
23 Networking with Thank-You Notes and "Flower Mail"	259	(14)
An Update on the Art of Networking	259	(1)
The Role of Writing	260	(1)
The Thank-You Note	260	(1)
Thank-You Letters After Job Interviews and Client Meetings	262	(1)
Thank You for the Interview	263	(3)
Thank You for the Meeting	266	(3)
All About "Flower Mail"	269	(3)
Finding Reasons to Write	270	(2)
Do's and Don'ts of Thank-You Letters and "Flower Mail"	272	(1)
The Least You Need to Know	272	(1)
24 Writing Letters of Recommendation	273	(14)
Who Is Asking and Why?	274	(1)
What About Negative References?	274	(1)
How Do I Refuse to Give a Reference?	275	(1)
What If They Didn't Ask?	275	(1)
Help, I Need a Reference	275	(5)
Employment References	275	(1)
Blanket Recommendations	276	(4)
Character References	280	(2)
Recommended Style for References and Recommendations	282	(1)
Academic References	282	(2)
Letters of Introduction	284	(2)
Final Recommendations About References	286	(1)
The Least You Need to Know	286	(1)
Part 5: Now What Do I Do with It?	287	(20)
25 Getting the Message Out	289	(10)
So Many Options, So Little Time	289	(1)
What Drives the Delivery Decision?	290	(2)
Urgency and Time-Sensitivity	290	(1)
Length of the Document	291	(1)
Number of Copies You Must Send	291	(1)
Hard Copy	291	(1)
Appearance and "Production Values"	291	(1)
Choosing the Right Delivery System	292	(4)
Electronic Mail	292	(1)
Faxes	293	(1)
Interoffice Mail	293	(1)
First-Class U.S. Mail	293	(2)
Priority Mail Service from the U.S. Postal Service	295	(1)
Overnight Delivery Service	295	(1)
Messenger or Courier	295	(1)
Appearances Count	296	(1)
Cost/Benefit Analysis	296	(1)
The Least You Need to Know	297	(2)
26 Winning the Paper Chase	299	(8)
Remember What You Wrote?	299	(1)
Types of Files	300	(3)
Archives	301	(1)
Historical Files	302	(1)
Working Files	303	(1)
Tickler Files	303	(1)
Get Good Files	303	(1)
The Care and Feeding of Files	304	(1)
Running Your Calendar	304	(1)
Get Organized	305	(1)
The Least You Need to Know	305	(2)
Part 6: Screen Writing: Letters, Memos, E-Mail, and Your Computer	307	(2)
27 Your PC Is Your Private Printing Press	309	(10)
How to Get More from Your PC	309	(1)
Three Productivity Boosters	310	(1)
Using Templates to Stop Reinventing the Wheel	310	(3)
Creating Your Own Templates	313	(1)
Save Time with Styles	313	(1)
Mail Merge Magic	314	(1)
Other Useful Features for Letter and Memo Writers	315	(1)
Spelling Checker	315	(1)
AutoCorrect Feature	315	(1)
Automatic Envelope and Label Feature	316	(1)
The Care and Feeding of Electronic Files	316	(1)
Power Up	317	(1)
The Least You Need to Know	317	(2)
28 Electrifying E-Mail!	319
Elementary E-Mail	319	(3)
The Pros and Cons of E-Mail	321	(1)
E-Mail Is Not Secure	322	(1)
When to Use E-Mail	322	(1)
E-Mail in Action	323	(2)
Writing E-Mail Messages	325	(2)
Don't Get Sloppy!	326	(1)
Do's and Don'ts of E-Mail Style	326	(1)
Smileys	327	(1)
Attaching a Letter or Memo to an E-Mail	327	(1)
Faster, Faster	328	(1)
The Least You Need to Know	328
Index	309