Mary Ellen Bednar Seating Unlimited
5699 Crawford Circle, Suite 801 Atlanta, GA 30456 TEL (404) 555-1238 FAX (404) 555-1239
www.seatingunlimited.com September 15, 2003
Harold Ramsey Ramsey Auto Company 345 Bedford Lane Atlanta, GA 34567 Dear Mr. Ramsey,
Thank you for requesting information about the workbench stools. We are proud of our wide selection and affordable pricing. Our most recent catalog is enclosed. Should you wish to order from us, you can expect to receive shipment within 2–4 weeks. Please let me know if you have any other ques- tions or if I can be of further assistance. I look forward to your order.
Sincerely,
Mary Ellen Bednar
Vice President, Seating Unlimited Enclosure.
C o n f u s i n g t h e Ty p e s o f B u s i n e s s Wr i t i n g 149
Jackson Cressey Auto Masters, Inc.
1650 Rockford Boulevard, San Diego CA 92182 TEL (858) 555-9889 FAX (858) 555-9899
www.automastersinc.com November 10, 2003
Mr. Lee Singh and Mrs. Rita Singh 664 Warner Street
San Diego, CA 92182 Dear Mr. and Mrs. Singh,
On behalf of Auto Masters, Inc., I would like to thank you for purchasing your new automobile at our downtown showroom this weekend. Our goal is for you to be satisfied with your purchase for the life of your car, and we will do all that we can to achieve your satisfaction.
We offer full servicing of your automobile under the warranty, and assure you that our parts and labor rates are among the lowest in the county. In addition, we would like to provide you with our VIP service free of charge for one year. This service entitles you to complimentary oil changes every 3,000 miles, one complete detailing job, and preferred scheduling for any required maintenance or repairs. Further details about our VIP service are included in the attached brochure.
For your convenience, our customer service department will be happy to set up a reminder service for routine maintenance of your vehicle. Once established, you will receive a phone call or e-mail reminder one week before a routine maintenance visit is required. To make scheduling more simple, you may schedule appointments either via e-mail or telephone.
Please take the time to carefully read your owner’s manual and attached information regarding routine maintenance and our VIP service. If you have any questions, or are not completely satisfied with your new auto- mobile, please call me directly at 555-9236. I will personally see that all of your needs are quickly and thoroughly met. Auto Masters, Inc. is here to serve you.
Sincerely,
Jackson Cressey AutoMasters, Inc.
JC/kl Enclosures.
150 g o o f - p ro o f B U S I N E S S W R I T I N G
RULE #50: Be Precise When Writing Instructions or Directions
It’s important to be clear and specific when writing instructions.
No matter what the instructions are for—applying for a loan, installing software, or operating machinery —they must be understood clearly by the reader.
● GOOF-PROOF IT! ●
Leave nothing to chance when it comes to writing instructions and directions. Don’t use words that can be misinterpreted. Keep the language simple and straightforward. Break everything down into simple steps, separated into a numbered or bulleted list. Even if adults will use the instructions, they should be written and for- matted so that a sixth grader could understand them.
● Audience
The first step in writing a set of instructions or explaining proce- dures should be familiar to you by now: Identify your audience.
Who will be reading these instructions or procedures? What do these readers need to know, and why? At what level of techni- cality or familiarity should you be writing to those readers?
Your instructions will be most successful if you determine your audience’s “lowest common denominator” of knowledge. If all readers know A, most know B, and only some know C, you can’t write to the level of B or C—you must write to level A. If you don’t, those readers who know A but don’t know B or C will not be able to follow your directions.
It’s okay to risk wasting your readers’ time by telling them things they may already know. Readers will skip over what’s familiar, quickly separating new information from old. Never omit anything that someone may notknow.
C o n f u s i n g t h e Ty p e s o f B u s i n e s s Wr i t i n g 151
● Be Thorough
When writing instructions or directions, be as thorough as possi- ble. With your lowest common denominator in mind, list and explain every step of the process for someone at that level.
For example, imagine you got a new coffee machine in your employee lounge and wanted to write directions for its use. Most readers, you might assume, have a coffee machine at home, but you can’t be sure. Perhaps there are one or two people who don’t.
Maybe some people only drink tea and have never used a coffee machine. Thus, the lowest common denominator—the level to which you must write—is made up of people who have never used a coffee machine before. Don’t leave out any step in the process. Your goal is to be thorough enough so that everyone who reads them achieves the desired end result.
● GOOF-PROOF CHECKLIST ●