Zoom in on document trouble spots
Proofreading a document for grammar and spelling mistakes won’t snag every error, and while program features such as automatically updated fields help, they aren’t completely foolproof.
Category: Communication
Grammar Repair Shop: Formality governs letter punctuation
Problem: “When addressing a business letter, is it correct to put a comma or a colon after the addressee’s name?” (From Lynne Nelson, Princeton, N.J.)
Cut the clutter from your reports
Answer the question “What do you want?” or “What should I know?” in the first sentence of your memo, report, e-mail or other piece of business writing, and your time-strapped, information-overloaded readers will see you as a hero.
How to stop interruptions cold
People who interrupt when you speak don’t simply annoy; they block your ideas and opinions. Exert authority with these techniques
Grammar Repair Shop: Comma or semicolon: which one to use?
Several readers recently asked us about the use of semicolons versus commas in a complex sentence.
Project confidence when you speak
Boost your persuasive powers by exuding poise when you speak. Use these five tactics:
Specific subject lines guard your messages from deletion
Generic e-mail subjects aren’t just inefficient and confusing; they put your message at risk.
Choose the best communication tool
Just because e-mail is handy doesn’t make it efficient. Indeed, three out of four people delete an e-mail before they finish reading it, a recent survey found.
Easy ways to personalize form letters
Standardized replies save you time but can cost you good will. Create templates and common paragraphs that you can pop into an e-mail or letter, then easily personalize. Use these shortcuts:
Correspondence by the numbers
The wide availability of document templates makes it possible to create a range of business documents without thinking about the proper format. Test your knowledge of the current standards for correspondence with this quiz. 1. On the first page of a business letter, start typing ___. 2. On a standard-size letter, set the side margins […]