Chapter 3

Correspondence: Putting It Down in Black and White

“This morning I took out a comma and this afternoon I put it back in again.”

—Oscar Wilde

It would certainly be nice if we all had the kind of schedule that allowed for the leisurely approach to writing that Mr. Wilde seemed prepared to follow. But in today’s business world, where deadlines are tight, budgets are tighter, and more people than ever act as their own “secretary,” the truth is that we’re spread thinner than ever. That means that we have to learn how to develop correspondence that makes the right first impression—in a hurry—and avoid the careless errors that can (and do) lose business for organizations.

In this chapter, you find out how to make sure the documents you prepare ...

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