The Business Style Handbook, Second Edition: An A-to-Z Guide for Effective Writing on the Job, 2nd Edition

2WHY STYLE MATTERS

YOU MAY WONDER WHAT ALL THE DETAILS of style covered in this book have to do with communicating well. You are, after all, a businessperson – not a grammarian. Your customers are going to buy the new equipment or contract your services regardless of where you place your commas or whether you lowercase all your words. So why should you take the extra time to improve your writing skills when you could be researching new prospects and making more sales?

The answer is simple: credibility.

To get your message across to readers – whether they are customers, employees, vendors, regulators or colleagues – you need credibility. When inaccuracy, error, inconsistency, jargon and carelessness riddle a print or online communication, you ...