Introduction: why you need to write well --
Delivering the goods quickly and clearly. Know why you're writing --
Understand your readers --
Divide the writing process into four separate tasks --
Before writing in earnest, jot down your three main points--inc complete sentences --
Write in full--rapidly --
Improve what you've written --
Use graphics to illustrate and clarify --
Developing your skills. Be relentlessly clear --
Learn to summarize--accurately --
Waste no words --
Be plain-spoken: avoid bizspeak --
Use chronology when given a factual account --
Be a stickler for continuity --
Learn the basics of correct grammar --
Get feedback on you drafts from colleagues --
Avoiding the quirks that turn readers off. Don't anesthetize your reader --
Watch your tone --
Common forms of business writing. E-mails --
Business letters --
Memos and reports --
Performance appraisals --
Appendixes. A.A checklist for the four stages of writing --
B.A dozen grammatical rules you absolutely need to know --
C.A dozen punctuation rules you absolutely need to know --
D. Common usage gaffes --
E. Some dos and don't of business-writing etiquette --
F.A primer of good usage.

When you're fumbling for words and pressed for time, you might be tempted to dismiss good business writing as a nicety. 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.