The Encyclopedia of Business Letters, Faxes, and E-mail

The Encyclopedia of Business Letters, Faxes, and E-mail

by Robert W. Bly, Regina Anne Kelly
Released February 2009
Publisher(s): Career Press
ISBN: 9781601630292

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Book description

Business writing has been transformed in our era from long, leisurely letters to fast faxes, instant e-mails, crisp memos, and concise letters. Your reader doesn’t have time to waste. And neither do you.

That’s where The Encyclopedia of Business Letters, Faxes, and E-mail can help.

Here you’ll find the most complete and up-to-date collection of model business correspondence for every conceivable occasion—sample letters, memos, and e-mails you can use as is or adapt for your own purposes. This invaluable reference contains more than 300 model letters with instructions for adapting each to your particular situation. Letters are organized into chapters by category, and the detailed table of contents guides you quickly to the letter that best suits your needs.

For each model letter, you’ll find:

* Introductory comments that give you a working knowledge of each kind of correspondence.

* Several variations of tone and style from which you can pick the one that suits you best.

* Instructions on how to format, design, print, and deliver your correspondence for best effect.

This revised edition of The Encyclopedia of Business Letters, Faxes, and E-mail contains more help than ever, including:

* An expanded introduction to writing letters, faxes, and e-mails, with new tips and advice on the best use of each

* Dozens of additional sample e-mail formats to meet today’s communication needs

* Even more focused, easy-to-remember directions for organizing your thoughts and composing even the toughest kinds of correspondence

Don’t go to work without it!

Robert W. Bly (Dumont, NJ) is the director of the Center for Technical Communication, a consulting firm that helps business people improve their communication and interpersonal skills. He is the author of more than 35 books, including The Elements of Business Writing, The Copywriter’s Handbook, and Keeping Clients Satisfied.

Regina Anne Kelly (Sea Bright, NJ) is a professional writer and editor with more than 15 years’ experience. She is the coauthor of three nonfiction trade books, including Everyday Letters for Busy People. She has also penned dozens of articles for newspapers, journals, and magazines and has edited more than 50 books. She currently operates her own freelance writing and editing business.

Table of contents

  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Table of Contents
  4. Dedication
  5. Acknowledgements
  6. Introduction
  7. 1 - Special Rules, Tips, and Guidelines for Writing Business E-Mails
    1. Three basic rules of business e-mail etiquette
    2. Tips for avoiding common e-mail blunders
    3. Guidelines for crafting the most effective business e-mails
  8. 2 - How to Format Your Business Letter, Fax, Memo, or E-Mail
    1. Letters
    2. Faxes
    3. Memos
    4. E-mails
  9. 3 - Job-Hunting and Employment-Related Correspondence
    1. Correspondence to gain employment
    2. Correspondence to hire employees
    3. Other employment correspondence
  10. 4 - Corresponding With Colleagues
    1. Business greetings
    2. Requests
    3. Thank-you correspondence
    4. Congratulations
    5. Declining requests and invitations
    6. Expressions of personal concern
  11. 5 - Corresponding With Vendors
    1. Hiring vendors
    2. Placing and receiving orders
    3. Day-to-day contact
    4. Problem situations
    5. Thank-you correspondence
  12. 6 - Corresponding With Employees and Employers
    1. Day-to-day communications with employees
    2. Communications with your employer
    3. Sharing good news
    4. Announcing bad news
  13. 7 - Communications to Get, Keep, and Satisfy Customers
    1. Getting business
    2. Daily business transactions
    3. Taking care of customers
    4. Being courteous
    5. Dealing with problems
    6. Sample virus protection policy
  14. 8 - Business and Consumer Complaints and Requests
    1. Business requests
    2. Business complaints
    3. Responses to customer complaints
    4. Consumer requests
    5. Consumer complaints
    6. Thank-you correspondence for resolved complaints
  15. 9 - Credit and Collection Correspondence
    1. Correspondence regarding credit
    2. Collection notices
    3. Collection courtesy
    4. Collection tips
  16. 10 - Sales Communications
    1. A writing formula that sells
    2. Sales series
    3. Inquiry fulfillments
    4. Tips for writing successful inquiry fulfillment letters
    5. A word on bounce-back cards
    6. Follow-ups
    7. Quotations and estimates
    8. Agreements
    9. Correspondence about add-on support
    10. Order confirmations and “zap” correspondence
  17. 11 - Direct Marketing Communications
    1. E-mail marketing: making it work for you
    2. Direct mail sales correspondence
    3. Lead-generating correspondence
    4. Instructions for direct marketing design
  18. About the Authors

Product information

  • Title: The Encyclopedia of Business Letters, Faxes, and E-mail
  • Author(s): Robert W. Bly, Regina Anne Kelly
  • Release date: February 2009
  • Publisher(s): Career Press
  • ISBN: 9781601630292