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HBR Guide to Better Business Writing

HBR Guide to Better Business Writing

  • Downloads：6392
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-08-19 06:57:43
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Bryan A. Garner
  • ISBN：142218403X
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary

DON'T LET YOUR WRITING HOLD YOU BACK。

When you’re fumbling for words and pressed for time， you might be tempted to dismiss good business writing as a luxury。 But it’s a skill you must cultivate to succeed: You’ll lose time， money， and influence if your e-mails， proposals， and other important documents fail to win people over。

The HBR Guide to Better Business Writing ， by writing expert Bryan A。 Garner， gives you the tools you need to express your ideas clearly and persuasively so clients， colleagues， stakeholders， and partners will get behind them。 This book will help you:

• Push past writer’s block
• Grab—and keep—readers’ attention
• Earn credibility with tough audiences
• Trim the fat from your writing
• Strike the right tone
• Brush up on grammar， punctuation， and usage

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Reviews

Amit ，

Must read for some one who wants to improve。 Business writing for commercial or professional use。 No nonsense straight to the point handy book。

Ksenia Goncharuk ，

I found the book too simple for business purposes

Danijela Jerković ，

The Notes on HBR Guide to Better Business Writing。。。 “If you can't explain something simply， you don't understand it well enough。” ~ Albert Einstein， physicistThe Learning Scope:- Push past writer’s block- Organize your ideas- Cut to the chase–and keep readers’ attention- Trim the fat from your documents- Strike the right tone- Create proposals that win business- Write e-mails that get people to act- Call out key points with formatting- Avoid grammar gaffes1: Write Quickly—Then editWriting has The Notes on HBR Guide to Better Business Writing。。。 “If you can't explain something simply， you don't understand it well enough。” ~ Albert Einstein， physicistThe Learning Scope:- Push past writer’s block- Organize your ideas- Cut to the chase–and keep readers’ attention- Trim the fat from your documents- Strike the right tone- Create proposals that win business- Write e-mails that get people to act- Call out key points with formatting- Avoid grammar gaffes1: Write Quickly—Then editWriting has many more rules than speaking does， and the editorial instinct demands that you think about those rules while you’re trying to produce the right words。When Writing…- Write your first draft quickly。- Highlight problems， but don’t fix them。 - Turn off your spell-checker。When Revising…- Turn the spell-checker back on。- Search for common mistakes。- “Hire” a proofreader。- Change the way you interact with the document。- Read it aloud。When you separate the tasks of writing and editing and work on each one， they should feed each other。“A sentence should never be cruel and unusual。” ~ William C。 Burton， attorney2: Win Over Readers by Meeting Their NeedsBusiness readers are content-driven， time-pressed， and in search of solutions。The Starting Point。。。1。） The situation。2。） The complication。3。） The question。4。） The answer。The Argument。。。First， before you start putting sentences together， diagram your argument and data as small blocks of information。 Second， working from the top-down， build a pyramid with those blocks。Other Tips。。。- Follow principles， not templates。- Lead with your key points。- Be concise but complete。“Clarity begins at home。” ~ Edie Schwager， speaker with the American Medical Writers Association3: Sell Your Proposal with a Strong Executive Summary。。。Responding to a request for proposals （RFP） is pretty straightforward。 You describe your company’s history， your product or service， its implementation schedule， and the support you’ll provide。 The one stumbling block is the one section that everyone will read: the executive summary。The executive summary lays out the business case。- Know Your Audience。-An Executive Summary That Worked: 1。 Establish the need or problem。 2。 Recommend the solution and explain its value。 3。 Differentiate your company。Other Tips。。。- Use formatting to highlight your message。- Keep it clear， clean， and to the point。 - Take advantage of technology。“The trouble with so many of us is that we underestimate the power of simplicity。” ~ Robert Stuberg， author and speaker4: Make Your Proposal Come Out on TopSeven Questions for a Client-Centered Proposal:1。） What is the client’s problem or need？ 2。） What makes this problem worth solving？3。） What goals must be served？4。） Which goal has the highest priority？ 5。） What products/applications/services can I offer that will solve the problem or meet the need？6。） What results are likely to follow from each potential recommendation？7。） Comparing these results with the customer’s desired outcomes or goals， which recommendation is best？Done right， proposals can be your best avenue to new business opportunities。 Done wrong， they are a waste of time and money。Adopt the Customer’s Point of View:- A good proposal specifically addresses a prospect’s needs。- Clarify expectations with a prospect meeting whenever possible。Follow a Disciplined Process。。。- Thorough research。- An outline of responsibilities。- Careful attention to writing。Other Tips。。。- Personalize， personalize， personalize。 - Avoid boilerplate language， despite its value as a timesaver。- Remember that details sell。- Paint a picture。- Be concise。Frame the Proposal。。。Like a movie trailer， the proposal’s executive summary should pique interest with appealing highlights， communicate the essence of the coming presentation， and help your audience determine whether to invest further “viewing” time。 So it demands your best thinking—andwriting。 Often， it is the only section decision-makers read。The appendix is your other “bookend。”Take Time to Assess。Too often， proposals are marketing afterthoughts， left to the last minute and filled with search-and-replace generalities。 No wonder success rates suffer。 But well-written proposals can actually be your best sales tool—and the start of a long relationship。“When writing about science， don't simplify the science; simplify the writing。” ~ Julie Ann Miller， former editor of Science News5: How to Write E-mails People Will Read 1。） Announce what it’s about。 2。） Stay on topic。 3。） Provide context。 4。） Focus on the strongest argument。 5。） Write short。 6。） Use numbers and other specifics。 7。） Kill your favorite bits。 8。） Omit anything you come up with in the heat of emotion。 9。） Omit useless words。10。） Put last things first。11。） Don’t bcc。 12。） Use formatting for readability。13。） Be sensitive to language and culture differences。14。） Set the right tone。15。） Revise before sending。16。） Give it a day。“This report， by its very length， defends itself against the risk of being read。” ~ Winston Churchill， former British prime minister6: Is Your E-mail Concise—or Curt？- Try calling instead。- Include deadlines when you first make a request。- Be conversational。Even the simplest e-mails need to be written with care。 It takes time and thought to avoid giving the wrong emotional cues。“If you don’t have time to read， you don’t have the time （or the tools） to write。 Simple as that。” ~ Stephen King， author7: Strike the Right ToneBusiness writers agonize over word choice， syntax， and structure。 But they often overlook one of the most important steps: matching the tone of the piece to the occasion—and to the audience。- Energy- Formality- Reality CheckUsing test readers is hardly rocket science， but people who go to the trouble invariably produce more effective writing。 And it’s less time-consuming than toiling futilely in isolation。"All good writing begins with terrible first efforts。 You need to start somewhere。 ~ Anne Lamott， author 8: Five Quick ways to trim Your writing1。 Simplify the Structure2。 Stick to Specifcs3。 Use Formatting4。 Downshift Your Tone5。 Cut and CombineOther Tips。。。- Omit the obvious。- Convert “of” phrases to possessive。- Replace bloated phrases with simpler words。- Use active verbs。- Never express a number in both digits and words。- Tables。- Maps and diagrams。- Boldface type。"Good writing is clear thinking made visible。" ~ William Wheeler， journalist， and author9: How to Write Correctly Without Knowing All the RulesPoor writing sends a bad message to readers， but you don’t have time to wrestle with all the complexities of grammar and usage。All you need to know is how to identify problems and steer clear of them。Note that the focus here is on rewriting sentences。 It’s OK to write them incorrectly the first time。 In fact， that’ll allow you to focus on your train of thought。 You can go back and proofread later。 It’s easier to rewrite several sentences in a second draft than to keep interrupting your thought process to write them perfectly the first time。"Easy reading is damn hard writing" ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne， author10: Is Following the “Rules” Tripping Up Your Message？1。 Never End a Sentence with a Preposition2。 Never Split an Infinitive3。 Never Begin a Sentence with “And” or “But”4。 Never Write a One-Sentence Paragraph“ No compulsion in the world is stronger than the urge to edit someone else's document。” ~ H。 G。 Wells， authorThe reason business writing is horrible is that people are afraid。 Afraid to say what they mean， because they might be criticized for it。 Afraid to be misunderstood， to be accused of saying what they didn't mean because they might be criticized for it。 ~ Seth Godin 。。。more

Matej yangwao ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Introduction to how to build right logic of writing and avoiding write murder mystery， communicate message clear and concise， leveraging contractions per case， put texts on diet per audience。 If you're into writing business reports， committee comms， shareholders， worth a shot。≥Approach the early part of your writing process like brainstorming: fast and uncritical。≥Instead of pausing to reject or refine an idea， simply jot it down and move on。≥To maintain your momentum and stay focused while writ Introduction to how to build right logic of writing and avoiding write murder mystery， communicate message clear and concise， leveraging contractions per case， put texts on diet per audience。 If you're into writing business reports， committee comms， shareholders， worth a shot。≥Approach the early part of your writing process like brainstorming: fast and uncritical。≥Instead of pausing to reject or refine an idea， simply jot it down and move on。≥To maintain your momentum and stay focused while writing， you have to separate tasks of writing and editing， and work on each one individually。≥Keep composing: Write the next sentence while the juices are flowing。≥Use your introduction to establish the relevance and utility of the document as a whole。≥Next， highlight key points at the top of your document， then organize and present the body text logically。 Otherwise， your audience won’t be able to follow your train of thought。 If you’re confusing people， you’re not persuading them。≥Business readers want clarity， not suspense。≥Focus on the strongest argument and make sure you provide context。≥If it’s the management committee， cut the cute。≥to allow readers to scan for your main points， include bolded headings， bullet points， and numbered lists — and insert blank lines between paragraphs。≥That final round of tightening， correcting， and clarifying can save you a lot of stress and embarrassment。≥Losing length without losing meaning — master the art of trimming the fat off your writing≥Delete anything that clarifies something other than your main point。≥Secondly， stick to the specifics and be ruthless with the generalities。 Specifics are the meat of your argument， while generalities are the carbs。≥Put your writing on a high-protein， low-carb diet。 A crucial anecdote or statistic will stay with your audience longer than generalities and will normally convey a more comprehensive message。≥Generally， when it comes to report-writing， people tend to adopt a formal， bureaucratic tone。 When you write in this manner， you use bigger words， more parenthetical phrases， and more complex sentences。≥Learn to approach writing like brainstorming: fast and uncritical。 。。。more

Manoj Kakran ，

Many little gems it has。 The best advice in HBR articles about business writing。

Keven Luan ，

Simple， concise and to the point。 Provides useful ideas to improve business writing。

Martim Neto mariano ，

Simple。 Clear。 Easy to read。 Well structured and a fine guide for someone who wants to start learning who to write properly and decently in business environment。

Jerry Luan ，

"Fall in love with the language， and it will love you back。" Writing is an integral part of communication。 Naturally， it shares many principles with common communication tasks。 Good writing requires us to start from the readers' experiences。 Just like when talking， we must make sure the counterpart is comfortable。Before reading this book， I've never realized there are such big holes in my writing。 This book opened my eyes to this vital skill in the business world。 It motivated me to continue my "Fall in love with the language， and it will love you back。" Writing is an integral part of communication。 Naturally， it shares many principles with common communication tasks。 Good writing requires us to start from the readers' experiences。 Just like when talking， we must make sure the counterpart is comfortable。Before reading this book， I've never realized there are such big holes in my writing。 This book opened my eyes to this vital skill in the business world。 It motivated me to continue my training。 。。。more

Jason Robinson ，

Kindle。 Good refresher。

Xin ，

It is a very practical book with excellent examples。

Greg ，

Do you remember in school when a teacher would assign a book and three months later， when the class ended， you felt like that book would have been more useful as kindling？ I remember that for sure。 This book is not like that。 I'm currently getting my MBA online， and I would have to say this book will be going on the short list of books I will reference in the future。 It is a quick crash course on the need to know principles for business writing。 The principles it teaches are concise， meaningful， Do you remember in school when a teacher would assign a book and three months later， when the class ended， you felt like that book would have been more useful as kindling？ I remember that for sure。 This book is not like that。 I'm currently getting my MBA online， and I would have to say this book will be going on the short list of books I will reference in the future。 It is a quick crash course on the need to know principles for business writing。 The principles it teaches are concise， meaningful， and applicable。 You can take what you have learned at any point during this book and apply it almost immediately to your work。 I would highly recommend reading and purchasing this book。 。。。more

Hidde Andriessen ，

Twijfelde tussen 2 en 3 sterren。 Goed bondig opschreven tips， nuttige voorbeelden en in format dat je er rap door heen leest en makkelijk als naslag kunt gebruiken。 Maar niet heel veel nieuws uitgehaald。

Peter Håkansson ，

Short and sweet with some good pointers。

Josephine Hood ，

Engaging read。 Going to need to create some easily accessible check lists。

Axmed Bahjad ，

Wonderful book。It is go and get it right now kind of book。

Sofia Goya Outeiriño ，

Very useful tips for better business writing。 It’s for a basic level but the advice is very good and never gets old。 I likes the four steps to writing something: the madman， the architect， the carpenter and the judge。 Something I will definitely use。You will read this book very fast。

Roy ，

Concise， plain， and useful。 Better Business Writing yields a wealth of important information， and helpful tools for improving your writing， all within two hundred pages。 Worth every penny， and its space on your bookshelf。

Dat Thai ，

Học được cách viết ngắn gọn， logic， đi thẳng vào vấn đề và nhiều thứ khác của người Mỹ khi làm việc。

Girish Kamath ，

An average read。 2 stars。Few of the suggestions I knew and already use。 Many of them were not relevant for me （sales proposal， RFQs）。 I skipped through the book。 2 stars。

Lauren ，

Helpful and actually enjoyable。 🤓

Dave Corun ，

Excellent

Beatriz AC ，

Recomendado！La información y enseñanza que proporciona es muy eficaz。 Te indica exactamente lo que necesitas para mejorar tu escritura en el trabajo。 Útil para informes técnicos o escribir un simple email。

Trevor Sebastian ，

A straightforward and informative book on writing in a business setting。 Everything is covered from proposals to emails to memos。 Although it was targeted for business writing， it was a great refresher on tightening up my writing structure in all aspects of writing。It's a quick read and has plenty of information。 It may not be terribly helpful if you aren't constantly writing or sending emails in your career， but has some overall great tips on writing nonetheless。 A straightforward and informative book on writing in a business setting。 Everything is covered from proposals to emails to memos。 Although it was targeted for business writing， it was a great refresher on tightening up my writing structure in all aspects of writing。It's a quick read and has plenty of information。 It may not be terribly helpful if you aren't constantly writing or sending emails in your career， but has some overall great tips on writing nonetheless。 。。。more

Guillermo Siliceo Trueba ，

A quick read to be aware of important ideas。 And a constant reference to be used at the business setting。

Daeus ，

Not particularly inspired， but decent recap of some business writing and english grammar。 Nothing stands out in particular as memorable， but I did find the examples of bad writing kind of fun。

Teerasak ，

อ่านฉบับแปลไทย แปลเข้าใจง่ายอยู่ เป็นหนังสือไกด์ที่ดีเหมาะกับการใช้งานสำหรับท่านที่ต้องเขียนด้วยภาษาอังกฤษ มีตัวอย่างที่ดีและที่ควรปรับปรุงมาเปรียบเทียบกันทำให้เข้าใจมากขึ้น การแบ่งการเขียนเป็นสี่ขั้นตอนนั้นเข้าใจเปรียบเทียบดีมากเลยด้วยวิธีการ MACJ น่าจะได้อ่านมาตั้งนานแล้วเสียดายเหมือนกัน แต่ก็ไม่สายกับการทำความเข้าใจและการเริ่มต้นใหม่กับอะไรสักอย่างที่มีประโยชน์ต่อการพัฒนาตนเองMACJ :คนบ้า Madman รวบรวมข้อมูลและประมวลความคิดสถาปนิก Achitect เรียบเรียงข้อมูลเป็นโครงสร้างเอกสารคร่าวๆช่างไม้ Carpe อ่านฉบับแปลไทย แปลเข้าใจง่ายอยู่ เป็นหนังสือไกด์ที่ดีเหมาะกับการใช้งานสำหรับท่านที่ต้องเขียนด้วยภาษาอังกฤษ มีตัวอย่างที่ดีและที่ควรปรับปรุงมาเปรียบเทียบกันทำให้เข้าใจมากขึ้น การแบ่งการเขียนเป็นสี่ขั้นตอนนั้นเข้าใจเปรียบเทียบดีมากเลยด้วยวิธีการ MACJ น่าจะได้อ่านมาตั้งนานแล้วเสียดายเหมือนกัน แต่ก็ไม่สายกับการทำความเข้าใจและการเริ่มต้นใหม่กับอะไรสักอย่างที่มีประโยชน์ต่อการพัฒนาตนเองMACJ :คนบ้า Madman รวบรวมข้อมูลและประมวลความคิดสถาปนิก Achitect เรียบเรียงข้อมูลเป็นโครงสร้างเอกสารคร่าวๆช่างไม้ Carpenter ร้อยเรียงเป็นประโยคและย่อหน้า ตามโครงสร้างที่สถาปนิกกำหนดผู้พิพากษา Judge ควบคุมคุณภาพเเละปรับปรุงถ้อยคำให้สละสลวยหลักจำสำหรับตัวเอง # รวบรวม เรียบเรียง ร้อยเรียง（อย่างไว） （ทำให้）เรียบร้อย 。。。more

Dan Dawson ，

MACJ！！！

Meg ，

Had to read this for a class， and while it had some great reminders/references， I didn't learn anything new。 🤷 Had to read this for a class， and while it had some great reminders/references， I didn't learn anything new。 🤷 。。。more

Suleiman Arabiat ，

Lives up to its name: a guide with practical steps towards effective business writing。This book is straight forward， and progresses smoothly。 The guidelines are put simply and in an organized manner， and the topics are in good order。One very useful outcome is the author's reference to a couple of other helpful guides/authors for written and visual communication; namely， Edward Tufte and Rudolf Flesch。Finally， the book's appendices are easily accessible and helpful for quick reference while writi Lives up to its name: a guide with practical steps towards effective business writing。This book is straight forward， and progresses smoothly。 The guidelines are put simply and in an organized manner， and the topics are in good order。One very useful outcome is the author's reference to a couple of other helpful guides/authors for written and visual communication; namely， Edward Tufte and Rudolf Flesch。Finally， the book's appendices are easily accessible and helpful for quick reference while writing any form of business communication。 。。。more

Jeremy Morgan ，

Fantastic read。 It's not as "textbook" as I thought it would be and it provides a lot of clear basics for writing。 It focuses heavily on the core and then touches on business-specific guidance。 I would recommend it for anyone looking to improve their writing。 Fantastic read。 It's not as "textbook" as I thought it would be and it provides a lot of clear basics for writing。 It focuses heavily on the core and then touches on business-specific guidance。 I would recommend it for anyone looking to improve their writing。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=HBR Guide to Better Business Writing

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=HBR Guide to Better Business Writing&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,HBR Guide to Better Business Writing&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0