Webster's New World Business Writing Handbook

Introduction

PART I: Fundamentals of Business Writing

WHY IMPROVING YOUR BUSINESS WRITING SKILLS IS SO IMPORTANT

THE PROBLEMS BUSINESS WRITERS FACE

PREWRITING

WRITING

REVISING

SUMMING UP THE WRITING PROCESS

PART II: Principles of Procedure Writing

WHAT IS A PROCEDURE?

GUIDELINES FOR PROCEDURE WRITING

PREWRITING A PROCEDURE

WRITING A PROCEDURE

REVISING A PROCEDURE

FINAL WORDS ON PROCEDURE WRITING

PART III: Writing Letters and Memos

ABOUT LETTERS

ABOUT MEMOS

LETTERS AND MEMOS THAT REQUEST

SALES LETTERS THAT GET RESULTS

LETTERS OF RESPONSE

COVER LETTERS AND LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

COLLECTION LETTERS

LETTER TO VENDORS OR SUPPLIERS

MEMOS THAT DEAL WITH EMPLOYEE ISSUES

MEMOS THAT MAKE ANNOUNCEMENTS

MEMOS FOR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

FINAL WORDS ON MEMOS AND LETTERS

PART IV: Writing Successful Proposals

APPLYING THE WRITING PROCESS TO PROPOSALS

RESPONDING TO REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS (RFPS)

THE LETTER PROPOSAL

GRANT WRITING

PART V: Writing Reports

USING THE THREE-STAGE WRITING PROCESS

WRITING A LONG REPORT

FINAL WORDS ON REPORT WRITING

PART VI: Writing for E-mail

THE PROS AND CONS OF E-MAIL

USING THE WRITING PROCESS FOR E-MAIL

FINAL WORDS ON E-MAIL

PART VII: Preparing Powerful Presentations

THE PERILS OF SPEECHMAKING

WHY PRESENTATIONS ARE IMPORTANT IN BUSINESS

APPLYING THE WRITING PROCESS TO PRESENTATIONS

PREWRITING A PRESENTATION

WRITING A PRESENTATION

REVISING THE PRESENTATION

DELIVERING PRESENTATIONS

VISUAL AIDS

SHORT SPEECHES FOR SPECIAL SITUATIONS

FINAL WORDS ON PRESENTATIONS

Appendix Mechanics of Writing

PARTS OF SPEECH

CONJUNCTIONS

PREPOSITIONS

CAPITALIZATION

PARALLELISM

PUNCTUATION

USAGE

SENTENCE PROBLEMS
Glossary
Index

Richard Worth has thirty years of experience as a writer and trainer. He teaches business writing to Fortune 100 companies in the United States and to major corporations in Europe.