Includes index.

Preface – Acknowledgments -- About the Author -- PART I. HOW TO COMMUNICATE IN WRITING: Chapter 1. Business Writing Today—And You -- Why Workplace Writing Matters -- How Employers See Writing -- Defining Business Writing for Today -- Now, Back to You -- The Impact of the Digital Age -- How to Use This Book -- Practice Opportunities -- Chapter 2. Write to Accomplish Goals -- How and Why to Plan Your Messages -- Step 1: Identify Your Short- and Long-Range Goals -- Step 2: Analyze Your Audience Systematically -- Bridging Generational Differences -- How Understanding Other People Helps You -- Writing to Groups -- Practice Opportunities -- Chapter 3. Put the Planning Structure to Work -- Decide What Response You Want -- Apply Your Audience Analysis -- Brainstorm Your Content Points -- Lead With Strength -- Middle Well -- Finally, End Well -- Choose How to Organize -- The Goldilocks Principle: How Much Is Just Right? -- Manage Your Tone -- Practice the Planning Structure -- Practice Opportunities -- PART II. SHARPEN AND IMPROVE YOUR WRITING: Chapter 4. Create the First Draft -- Choose the Familiar Words of Conversation -- Build Clear, Concise Sentences -- Build With Action Verbs -- Work With Short Paragraphs -- Use Good Transitions: Words, Phrases and Devices -- Sidestep Tone Traps -- Practice Opportunities -- Chapter 5. Edit Your Writing -- Ten Principles of Power Editing -- Practical Editing Stage 1: Content Review -- Practical Editing Stage 2: Review Language and Structure -- Commonsense Fix-It Techniques -- Sidestep Business-Speak -- Fixing Some Grammar Glitches -- The Fixer Takeaway -- Editing Down Long Copy -- How Correct Must Business Writing Be? -- Finally: Proofread -- Remember: Many Ways Can Work -- Practice Opportunities -- Resources for Part II -- Chapter 6. Use the Techniques of Persuasion -- Line Your Toolkit With Essentials -- Adopt Persuasion’s Triple Play: Ethos, Logos, Pathos -- Write to Build Trust -- Acknowledge Other Viewpoints -- Build Persuasion Into All Your Writing -- Show Don’t Sell! -- Use Language Magic -- When the Story Is Yours: Finding, Shaping, Telling -- Draw on the Transformation Story Model -- Tips for Writing the Story -- Explore the Emotional Dimension -- Remember the Graphic Dimension -- Learn From a Model Business Writer: Warren Buffett -- Practice Opportunities -- Selected Resources for Chapter 6 -- PART III. THE BASICS OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATION: Chapter 7. Building Relationships With Everyday Messages -- Use E-mail Strategically -- Apply the Planning Structure -- Build in the Right Tone -- Don't Bury the Lead! -- Communicating About Work Problems -- Some E-mail Q&A -- Practice Opportunities -- Chapter 8. Writing More Formal Messages -- When to Write Letters—And How -- Craft Letters for Specific Situations -- Use Messages to Network -- Writing to Fix Business Problems -- The International Dimension of Business Writing -- Practice Opportunities -- Chapter 9. Creating Strong Business Documents -- Writing Tips for Business Documents -- Create Reports That Win Support -- Develop Big-Picture Project Reports -- Write Solid Personal Reports -- The Executive Summary: Techniques and Options -- Sample Executive Summary for a Report -- Writing Proposals That Win -- Succeeding With Grant Applications -- A Word on Business Plans -- Practice Opportunities -- PART IV. WRITING FOR ONLINE AND SPOKEN MEDIA: Chapter 10. Craft Your Writing for the Interactive World -- Ten Tips for Using Online Media -- Website Writing: What’s Different -- How to Strategize a Website -- Blogging: Know Why, Know How -- Joining Online Communities -- Choose to Brand Yourself -- Think Global: The Internet Lives Everywhere -- Practice Opportunities -- Selected Resources for Social Media and the Internet -- Chapter 11. Present Yourself: Write Well to Speak Well -- The Elevator Speech: Why and How to Write It -- Developing Speeches and Presentations -- Prepare Talking Points for In-Person Occasions -- Writing Tips for Spoken Media -- Creating Better PowerPoints -- Planning and Using Video -- Translating Verbal Into Visual -- Practice Opportunities -- Selected Resources -- PART V. INTO THE FUTURE: Chapter 12. Win Your Opportunities: Writing for the Hunt -- Plan a Résumé Based on Strengths -- Write to Outshine the Competition -- Develop Strong Cover Letters -- Practice Opportunities -- Appendix: Activities, Practice, Planning -- Sentence Rewrite Practice (Nobody’s Perfect) -- Unfortunate Real-World Examples to Diagnose -- Writing and Ethics: Conversation and Debate -- Handle Unfamiliar Media: A Newsletter Project -- Make Your Own Cheat Sheets -- Develop Your Interviewing Skills -- Five Favorite Assignments -- Create Your Personal Writing Rx – Index.