Business Writing For Dummies

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Natalie Canavor. Business Writing For Dummies

Introduction

About This Book

Foolish Assumptions

How This Book Is Organized

Icons Used in This Book

Beyond the Book

Where to Go from Here

Part 1. Winning with Writing

Chapter 1. Make Writing Your Not-So-Secret Weapon

Putting Good Writing to Work for You

Planning and Structuring Every Message

Applying the Goal-Plus-Audience Strategy to All Business Needs

Chapter 2. Planning Your Message Every Time

Adopting the Plan-Draft-Edit Principle

Fine-Tuning Your Plan: Your Goals and Audience

Making People Care

Choosing Your Written Voice: Tone

Using Relationship-Building Techniques

Chapter 3. Making Your Writing Work: The Basics

Stepping into Twenty-First-Century Writing Style

Energizing Your Language

Employing Reader-Friendly Graphic Techniques

Chapter 4. Self-Editing: Professional Ways to Improve Your Work

Changing Hats: From Writer to Editor

Reviewing the Big and Small Pictures

Moving from Passive to Active

Sidestepping Jargon, Clichés, and Extra Modifiers

Chapter 5. Fixing Common Writing Problems

Organizing Your Document

Catching Common Mistakes

Reviewing and Proofreading: The Final Check

Part 2. Applying Your Skills to Business Messages and Documents

Chapter 6. Writing Messages That Get Results

Fast-Forwarding Your Agenda with Email

Starting Strong

Building Messages That Achieve Your Goals

Structuring Your Middle Ground

Closing Strong

Polishing Your Email

Good Letter Writing Techniques

Chapter 7. Creating High-Impact Business Materials

Creating Valued Reports

Fast-Tracking Your Proposals

Writing an Executive Summary

Writing Tips for All Business Documents

Part 3. Writing to Present Yourself Effectively

Chapter 8. Speaking Well for Yourself

Building Your Elevator Speech

Preparing and Giving Presentations

Composing Talking Points for Live Interaction

Chapter 9. Telling Your Business Stories

Finding Your Core Business Message

Finding, Shaping, and Using Stories

Telling Your Story with Video

Chapter 10. Writing for the Job Hunt

Knowing and Expressing Your Value

Writing Résumés That Win the Race

Succeeding with Cover Letters

Networking with Messages

Part 4. Evolving Your Writing for Online Media

Chapter 11. Writing for the Digital World

Positioning Yourself Online

Strategizing Your Platform Choices

Writing for Digital Media

Translating text into visuals

Chapter 12. Creating Your Online Presence

Creating a Website from the Ground Up

Creating a Blog

Networking with Twitter

Writing Online Profiles

Using Social Media Platforms

Part 5. Extending Your Writing Skills

Chapter 13. Writing and the Independent Worker

Writing Persuasively Cross-Media

Introducing Yourself in Writing

Writing to Pitch Your Services

Creating Letters That Sell

Writing Difficult Messages

Communicating as a Virtual Worker

Pitching the Media

Chapter 14. Writing Well to Manage Well

Communicating as a Manager

Writing to Higher-Ups

Writing Backup Memos

Part 6. The Part of Tens

Chapter 15. Ten Ways to Advance Your Career with Writing

Write to Build Relationships

Write a Great Elevator Speech

Write Your Own Long-Range Career Plan

Write an Ad for Your Dream Job

Go Out of Your Way to Thank People

Take Notes to Control the Conversation

Use Social Media Strategically

Know How to Explain Your Value

Profile Your Higher-Ups

Create Talking Points

Chapter 16. Ten Ways to Energize Your Résumé

Don’t Apply for the Job You Have Now

Adopt the Employer’s Language

Write Clearly and Concisely

Communicate What You Actually Do

Write Narratives, Not Just Bullets

Sidestep Jargon and Business-Speak

Use Action Verbs to Prove What You Accomplished

Write in a Confident, Positive Tone

Incorporate Keywords

Make It Look Good

Chapter 17. Ten Steps to Creating Video

Know Your Goal, Know Your Audience

Plan Your Production Style and Content

Write a Word + Picture Script

Create a Shot List

Lights, Action, Camera

Review Your Shoot and Other Resources

Find a Good Lead

Match Picture and Words

Craft the Right Words

Let Me Entertain You

About the Author

Author’s Acknowledgments

Take Dummies with you everywhere you go!

Отрывок из книги

Writing was invented around 5,000 years ago, and the rest is … well, history. Before writing evolved, people couldn’t record events or anything they learned, so they had no means of sharing information other than in person. Without a way to build upon knowledge, people were limited by their own experience and what they learned from those immediately around them.

Writing changed all that. With it, human beings created civilizations. But for many millennia, the rich governing classes owned the ability to both read and write. A few culture and technology revolutions later, and now we all own those powers. With a simple click you can share an opinion with the whole world. Reach decision-makers and influencers. Create a market for a product or service, or a community of followers or friends.

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I make you a rash promise: For every fraction you improve your writing, you’ll improve your thinking along with it. Plus, you will improve your ability to understand other people, which will help you build better relationships and achieve what you want more often.

The other essential groundwork for successful writing is how to say what you want. Chapters 3, 4, and 5 demonstrate common-sense techniques that professionals use to spot problems and fix them with the least effort.

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