Introduction

Clear, effective business writing is more important than ever. Thanks to the facsimile machine, our skill (or lack of skill) with words is beamed around the world in black and white.

In a survey of Fortune 1000 executives, 80 percent said they've decided not to interview job candidates solely because of poor grammar, spelling, or punctuation in resumes or cover letters.

Of those same executives, 99 percent also said poor writing and grammar hurt an employee's chances for promotion.

In another study, the U.S. Navy determined it could save $27 million to $57 million a year if officers wrote memos in a plain style. Navy personnel spent more time reading poorly written memos than those written in a plain style. Similar savings could be realized in the private sector if corporations stressed good writing in the workplace.

But the best argument for good writing is simple logic: People won't buy what they don't understand.

Try some of the following tips the next time you write a letter, memo, report, proposal, press release, or other business document. Then distribute your work with confidence, because good writing is good for your business