Recommended Texts

Unlike all other texts in the field, which emphasize paper documents and outdated practices, only Bovée and Thill present the full range of electronic media that students will need to know to meet employer expectations.
Business Communication Today,
9th Ed.
Excellence in Business Communication,
8th Ed.

Take a Tour
Business Communication Essentials,
3rd Ed.

Ordering Information

Instructor Support

Categories

Letters

« Previous Entries

No News Is Bad News

Friday, August 1st, 2008

The group of managers walked into a Better Business Writing class, talking to each other but not to me. They responded to my greeting but didn’t seem especially glad to meet me. That’s unusual. Most people act eager at the start of a writing seminar.

Read the original story here
If the above link is broken, […]

Business Writing: Don’t Ask Too Many Questions

Friday, July 25th, 2008

Yesterday I received an e-mail solicitation that was a good example of a bad technique: asking too many questions. It began with this question:

Read the original story here
If the above link is broken, view our cached copy instead.

10 Secrets for Writing Killer Complaint Letters

Wednesday, July 16th, 2008

Complaint letters or letters of complaint aren’t always easy to write, but they often it be well worth writing.

Read the original story here
If the above link is broken, view our cached copy instead.

Six Proven Tips for Making Your Business Correspondence Inviting to Read

Friday, July 11th, 2008

With today’s business moving at the speed of broadband, everyone expects better results in record time. Every day, we deal with hundreds of communications in the form of e-mails, letters, phone calls, chats, and meetings—and that’s before we tackle the “to do” list.
It’s no wonder that many business messages often reads as if they […]

Workplace Etiquette: How to Handle Condolences

Tuesday, July 1st, 2008

When we read the daily headlines that detail the casualties of war, auto accidents, fires, urban shootings, and other similar events, the tragedies seem somehow removed until someone we know is harmed. Then we often are speechless at the time when our action would mean the most to the bereaved.
When something tragic happens to a […]

Thank You for Condolences

Thursday, June 26th, 2008

I have been writing lately about how to compose a condolence message and how and why to write thank you notes. This post combines the two: how to write a thank you for a condolence message.

Read the original story here
If the above link is broken, view our cached copy instead.

How to Write a Thank-You Note

Thursday, June 5th, 2008

There is a six-point formula to the proper thank-you: Learn it, know it, memorize it—and it will never fail you.

Read the original story here
If the above link is broken, view our cached copy instead.

Not Getting Through: Write a Letter

Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008

Business owners will occasionally need to get in touch with significant individuals who might be able to help their business. With huge amounts of personal data at their fingertips, it is easy to fall into the trap of just firing off an e-mail and waiting, and, waiting, and, er, forgetting. Sound familiar?

View the original […]

Readers Prove Value of Written Letters

Tuesday, April 1st, 2008

Dear Readers,
Clearly, I didn’t consider the difficulty of judging great letter writing when I invited you to send me mail about what letter writing means to you. I dangled three copies of Samara O’Shea’s book "For the Love of Letters" out there as the carrot and hoped to receive a few letters.

Read […]

Campaign Aims to Revive Art of Letter Writing

Monday, March 17th, 2008

HBO and the Postal Service are joining forces to co-sponsor a multimillion-dollar multimedia campaign that is intended to evoke the pleasures of sitting right down and writing yourself — or anyone — a letter.
The campaign promotes John Adams in a seven-part miniseries. The campaign includes television, print, online, retail and promotional elements.

Read the original […]

« Previous Entries