9780071382304

In the everyday work world, most professionals are on their own when it comes to writing reports, memos, proposals, and other necessary correspondence.The Business Style Handbookis a practical and comprehensive guide that focuses specifically on the writing issues that frequently arise on the job. Insights and feedback from Fortune 500 communications executives provide tips and advice on improving writing style and effectiveness, while more than 1,200 alphabetized entries cover the essentials of style and usage, grammatical concepts, and more.

Helen Cunningham is director of corporate communications at Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation.

Brenda Greene is a freelance writer and editor.

Acknowledgments

ix

Introduction

xiii

Use a Road Map to Get There

xiv

Insight from the Fortune 500

xv

Say It ``Simply, Pointedly and Quickly''

xvi

Go with the Flow

xvi

Fortune 500 Survey Results

1

(12)

Good Writing Matters

2

(1)

Most Have Guidelines but Not for Everybody

2

(1)

Rating the Rest of the Company's Writing

3

(1)

Few Guidelines for E-Mail, Though Most Favor Them

4

(1)

Everybody Uses a Stylebook

5

(1)

Limitations of the Stylebooks

5

(1)

Coping with Lag Time

6

(2)

Strong Views on Buzzwords

8

(1)

Mixed Reviews for Impact of Technology

8

(1)

Write a Company's Name the Way the Company Does

9

(1)

Preferred Dictionaries and Word Processing Programs

9

(1)

Without Style Guidance

10

(1)

How It All Adds Up

10

(3)

Why Style Matters

13

(6)

How Style Can Work Against You

14

(1)

How Style Can Work for You

15

(1)

Take Charge

16

(1)

Put All the Pieces Together

17

(2)

The Case for Standards

19

(6)

Time for Companies to Invest in the Users

20

(1)

People Welcome Guidance

21

(1)

Create a Standard

21

(1)

Win Employee Buy-In

22

(3)

Write with Purpose

25

(16)

Have a Goal

25

(1)

Know Your Audience

26

(1)

Write and Think at the Same Time

27

(1)

Use the Right Language

27

(1)

Keep It Short---Most of the Time

28

(1)

Make Longer Documents User-Friendly

28

(3)

Get Right to the Point

31

(1)

Take the Credit

32

(1)

Shift the Emphasis

32

(1)

Take a Stand

33

(1)

Think About Point of View

34

(1)

Keep a Tight Time Frame

35

(1)

Review Everything

35

(1)

Make It Look Good

36

(3)

Choose the Best Medium

39

(1)

Budget Your Time

39

(2)

E-Mail: Before You Hit Send

41

(14)

Choose the Right Style

41

(1)

Be Cautious with Content

42

(1)

When to Use E-Mail

43

(2)

When Not to Use E-Mail

45

(1)

Make It Easy on Your Reader

46

(2)

Be Formal in Formal E-Mail

48

(1)

Be Appropriate with Greetings

49

(1)

Sign Off

49

(1)

Be Smart About E-Mail

50

(2)

Use cc and bcc Appropriately

52

(1)

Watch Out for Viruses

53

(2)

A-To-Z Entries

55

(208)

Sources We Like

263

(4)

Bibliography

267

(4)

Index

271

(14)

About the Authors

285

What is included with this book?

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The Business Style Handbook: An A-to-Z Guide for Writing on the Job with Tips from Communications Experts at the Fortune 500

The Business Style Handbook: An A-to-Z Guide for Writing on the Job with Tips from Communications Experts at the Fortune 500

0071382305

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials