Business Writing

Show Me the Manual!

Mary wrote recently to ask whether "May you" is correct, as in "May you please get me a piece of paper?" Mary's daughter's teacher insists the children say "May you please" rather than "May I please have." Michael wrote today encouraging (almost haranguing) me to tell readers they must not... Read more →

Bolding Gone Wild

It makes sense to use a bold font to highlight information. Used sparingly and logically, bolding focuses the reader's attention on a particular part of a message. But too much bold text, which I am illustrating here, makes readers dizzy. The other day I read a research report with bold... Read more →

When Not to Save the Best for Last

I read a news release today. I read the entire release because someone had given it to me as a writing sample, and I like to be helpful when I can. In approximately 450 words, I learned about a fascinating sports league I had known nothing about. But here is... Read more →

An Error to 4,959 People

My e-newsletter, Better Writing at Work, just went out to 4,959 subscribers. It included 10 techniques for concise writing--at least I thought it did. In fact, the issue was titled "10 Techniques for Concise Writing." Problem: There were 11 techniques. I had two items numbered "6." I proofread the issue... Read more →

Driving Topless in a Jeep

Today at the beginning of a business writing class, I asked attendees to introduce themselves by telling us something they enjoy. One woman announced: "I enjoy driving around topless in my Jeep." Was she serious? I stopped and stared, looking for hints from her. She gave no clue. After my... Read more →

How to Capitalize Qi Gong

Susan wrote with this capitalization question: "I work for a man who does Chinese energy work called 'qigong.' When that word is used in writing (on our web site, for instance), people tend to capitalize it. My contention is that it should be treated like the word yoga and should... Read more →

Why Should They Read Your Ezine?

I don't open an ezine unless something in the subject or the first line grabs me. Even when I do open it, I don't read it unless I can find the item that grabbed me within a few seconds. If I don't succeed at finding a quick gem, I click... Read more →

Can This Cover Letter Be Saved? Yes!

A poorly written cover letter dismayed my kind friend Elizabeth when she received it in response to an ad for an office manager. Compassionate person that she is, Elizabeth wanted to help the woman who applied. That's where I got involved. Here is the applicant's letter, followed by my advice.... Read more →

Stripping Out Punctuation

Suzanne wrote with a mailing list dilemma. Some people in her company want to strip punctuation from all the mailing addresses. For example, they want to render "Lutron Co., Inc." as "Lutron Co Inc". Suzanne is resisting this change because it doesn't look right to her, yet she has no... Read more →

Write Concisely? Just Do It!

Before my business writing seminars, I often ask learners what they hope to gain from the workshop. Many of them make comments like these: I would like to get my ideas across in a lot fewer words. I want my message to be more concise, to communicate my meaning in... Read more →