The Truth About the New Rules of Business Writing

Cover
Contents
Introduction
Part I: The truth about what makes writing work
	TRUTH 1 Most people aim for the wrong target
	TRUTH 2 If you can say it, you can write it
	TRUTH 3 Forget yesterday—write for today
	TRUTH 4 Planning is the magic ingredient
	TRUTH 5 To achieve your goal, look below its surface
	TRUTH 6 Cut to the chase: Put the bottom line on top
	TRUTH 7 “Me”-focused messages fail
	TRUTH 8 People are not the same: Write for differences
	TRUTH 9 Tone makes—or breaks—your message
	TRUTH 10 Knowing your inside story is the key
	TRUTH 11 Forget outlines—organize your thinking
	TRUTH 12 How to organize is a personal choice
	TRUTH 13 Every message you send has a psychological impact
	TRUTH 14 Effective messages lead with strength
	TRUTH 15 To succeed, cover your ground and remember “the ask”
	TRUTH 16 Your goal and audience determine the best way to communicate
Part II: The truth about self-editing
	TRUTH 17 The best writers don’t write; they rewrite
	TRUTH 18 Rhythm and transitions make writing move
	TRUTH 19 Less can be a whole lot more
	TRUTH 20 Passive thinking and jargon undermine clarity
	TRUTH 21 You don’t need grammar drills to spot your writing problems
Part III: The truth about successful e-mail
	TRUTH 22 Use e-mail to communicate in the fast lane—powerfully
	TRUTH 23 Good subject lines say, “Open sesame”
	TRUTH 24 Know your e-mail do’s and don’ts
	TRUTH 25 Writing good progress reports is worth your time
Part IV: The truth about letters
	TRUTH 26 Letters: They live! And you need them
	TRUTH 27 Letters build relationships
	TRUTH 28 Cover letters matter, big time
Part V: The truth about reports and proposals
	TRUTH 29 Good reports generate action
	TRUTH 30 Organizing complex projects isn’t that hard
	TRUTH 31 Well-crafted proposals win
	TRUTH 32 The letter format lets you shortcut proposals
	TRUTH 33 Root grant applications in “mission”—yours and the funder’s
Part VI: The truth about Web sites
	TRUTH 34 Writing is the missing factor in your competitors’ Web sites
	TRUTH 35 Web sites built on keywords and content build traffic
	TRUTH 36 A home page must crystallize who you are
Part VII: The truth about new media
	TRUTH 37 Blogging and social media are powerful business tools
	TRUTH 38 To blog for yourself, be yourself, but carefully
	TRUTH 39 Good business blogging is edgy
	TRUTH 40 Tweeting and texting: the ultimate self-edit challenge
	TRUTH 41 E-letters focus marketing and reinforce branding
	TRUTH 42 Good PowerPoint is more than pretty faces: It starts with writing
Part VIII: The truth about writing to self-market
	TRUTH 43 Strong résumés focus on accomplishments, not responsibilities
	TRUTH 44 Fliers are easy all-purpose promotional tools
	TRUTH 45 It pays to think PR and send news releases
	TRUTH 46 Writing articles boosts your career
	TRUTH 47 The virtual world offers self-publishing power
Part IX: The truth about tricks of the trade
	TRUTH 48 Good headlines help your writing work—a lot
	TRUTH 49 Skillful interviewing is a major (but unrecognized) business asset
	TRUTH 50 Readers are global: Try not to confuse them
	TRUTH 51 Clarity is next to godliness
	TRUTH 52 You can fix your own grammar goofs