The complete idiot guide part 37 potx

Chapter
25:
Business
Writing:
Write
Angles
3W
The
Least
You Need to
Know
•
A
resume
is a persuasive summary of your qualifications for employment; it is
always
accompanied by a cover
letter.
•
Tailor your
resume
and cover
letter
to the specific job you want.
•
Follow up every job contact
with
a thank you note.
•
How
easy

a message is to write (and deliver) depends on how well you know the
situation and the message you have to deliver.
Chapter
Personal
Writing:
In
Your
Write Mind
In
This
Chapter
•
Write
friendly letters
•
Send
social
notes
•
Learn how to
write
effective letters of opinion
•
Tune
into writing technology
As often as we use the telephone to reach out and
touch
someone,
there

are times when only a
letter
will do.
Friendly
letters
share personal feelings
and information among friends and family, while
social
notes
relay or refuse
an
invitation. They
also
express our gratitude, congratulations, or condo-
lences.
There are
also
letters
of
opinion,
sent to newspapers, businesses, and
the media.
In this chapter, you learn how to
write
other important and useful types of
letters. Sometimes these concern your personal
life;
at other times, they
are more business-centered.
346

Part
6:
In
Your
Write
Mind
Friendly Letters: My Baby, She
Wrote
Me a
Letter
Letters are a testimony to the enduring
attempts
of human beings to bridge the com-
munication gap between themselves and others. Letters pack an
astonishingly
big wallop
for
their
size.
In some
cases,
they even become the stuff of history.
O
Although a friendly
letter
is an informal type of cor-
Quoth
the Maven
_
We

could make a
case
that
some
e-mail correspondence is a
contemporary
form
of the
friendly
letter.
It
follows
a
different
format,
however, as described in
detail
later in this chapter.
respondence, it still matches the
letter
format you
learned in Chapter
25.
Because
friendly letters express your own ideas, you
generally
have a far wider choice of content
with
them
than you do

with
a business
letter.
Nonethe-
less,
an effective friendly
letter
must still be clearly
organized
and carefully thought out.
Signed,
Sealed, Delivered: I'm Yours
An astonishing number of people would rather get a root canal, pay their tax bill, or
jump from a moving train than write a friendly
letter.
If you're one of these, the fol-
lowing
10
tips should make your task easier:
1.
Don't
apologize for not having
written
or for running out of
ideas.
You're not
on trial here.
2.
Reread any recent letters you received from the person to whom you are
writ-

ing.
This helps you answer the person's questions and include items of interest
to the reader.
3.
To make your ideas come alive, use vivid sensory impressions, descriptions
that
appeal to sight, hearing, smell, and so on.
4.
Include figures of speech, such as similes and metaphors. Tap into
what
you
learned in Part 5 of this book.
5.
Add dialogue to make your writing more specific and interesting, too.
6. Identify all unfamiliar people and places you mention. Never assume
that
your
reader knows the complete cast of characters in your
life,
especially newcomers
like
your daughter's boyfriend (the one
with
the ring in his navel and hole in his
head).
7.
Check your grammar and usage carefully.
Chapter
26:
Personal

Writing:
In
Your
Write
Hind
Ikl
8. Reread
for
errors
in
spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and
logic.
9. Make your
letter
easy
to read.
Write
legibly
or
type.
10.
Try
to
end your
letter
on a positive note. Avoid lame endings like, "Well, that's
all
I
have
to

say"
or
"It's late so I'll end this
letter."
A strong ending leaves your
readers thinking good
thoughts—and
thinking well of you.
Model
Letter
Personal
letters are
written
for several impor-
tant
and intriguing
reasons.
These include
an
urge
to
record an experience,
the
desire
to
respond
to a
situation,
the
craving

to
maintain
contact, a wish
to
offer congratulations
or
comfort, and the longing
to
be creative. Elinore
Rupert Stewart,
a
pioneer trekking west
at the
turn
of the century,
wrote
for
all these rea-
sons.
Today, letters such as hers offer us
a
fas-
cinating
record of the westward expansion.
September
28,
1909
Dear
Mrs.
Coney,

Your second card just reached me and
I
am
plumb
glad
because, although
I
answered
your other,
I
was
wishing I could write to you, for
I
have had the most charming adven-
ture.
I was
awakened by a pebble striking my cheek. Something prowling on the bluff above
us had dislodged
it
and
it
struck me.
It
was
four o'clock, so
I
arose and spitted my rabbit.
The
logs
had left such a big bed of

coals,
but some ends were still burning in such a
manner
that
the heat would go
both
under and over my rabbit. So
I
put plenty of bacon
grease
over him and hung him up to roast. Then I
went
back to bed.
I
didn't want
to
start early because the air is too keen for comfort early in the morning
Q
Quoth
the Maven
What happens when you
get
a
gift
you detest
(I
mean
it's a
real
stinker)?

It
still
deserves
a
thank
you note.
Don't
lie and
gush
about
the
gift.
Instead,
be
polite
and more general
in
your
thanks.
After
all,
a gift
is just
that—
a
gift
rather
than
an
obligation.

—Elinore
Rupert Stewart
31,8
Part
6:
In
Your
Write
Hind
B
G
B Revisited
In the previous chapter, you learned the importance of thanking interviewers for their
time. Thank you notes are equally important in a nonbusiness setting. In addition to
acknowledging
someone's
thoughtmlness
and generosity, a thank you note can prevent
misunderstandings,
such as a misrouted gift,
that
can set off a family feud.
When
you write a thank you note, try to
•
Mention the specific gift or act of kindness.
•
Explain why the gift or action was appreciated.
•
Write

promptly.
dBmk/^
y
Quoth
the Maven
^Vf
Letters of condolence are
1
always
handwritten.
Here's a model:
Dear
Aunt
Mabel:
Thank you for the lovely
afghan.
The colors exactly match the decor of
my
den: lime
green,
bright purple, and
day-glow
orange.
It
was
very thoughtful of
you
to make me a
gift
that

is
functional
as
well as beautiful: You know how I
always
get cold at night
watching "Wheel of Fortune" reruns. Now I can
snuggle
up in my afghan and dream of
being Vanna
White
and turning those big letters myself. You know I will treasure the
afghan
for
years
and think of
you
with
great affection.
Fondly,
Dilly
I
feel
Your
Pain:
Letters of Condolence
No, you don't, and don't even try. But a
letter
of condolence is much more appreciated
than a phone call because it's tangible proof

that
the person cared enough to write.
Many
people keep meaningful letters of condolence and reread
them
in times of pain.
Letters of condolence must be
written
with
tact
and sincerity. Although it's always
best to write promptly after the person's
loss,
a
letter
of condolence is the rare situa-
tion where
"better
late than never" holds
true.
If you put off writing the note because
you couldn't think of appropriate words of comfort, it's not too late to do it now.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
Chapter
26:
Personal
Writing:
In
Your
Write

Mind
3
W
1.
Keep the
letter
sincere.
Write
from the heart.
2.
Don't
rehash the tragedy and the
gory
details.
3.
Show your reader
that
you care and you have been affected by the
loss,
but
never try to show
that
your
loss
is greater than the other person's
loss.
It isn't.
4.
Offer friendship or love, whatever the relationship.
5.

If you're offering help, offer help: "May I come over
next
month
and take down
your storm windows?" not "I'm here for you."
6. If you knew the person well, try to include specific details about the deceased
person's admirable traits. Tell a brief story about the
time
the person picked you
up from the airport at midnight, for example.
Abraham Lincoln
wrote
the following
letter
of condolence:
Executive Mansion, Washington
November
21,
1864
Mrs.
Bixby
Boston,
Massachusetts
Dear Madam:
I
have been shown in the
files
of the War
Department
a statement of the Adjutant-

General of
Massachusetts
that
you are the mother of
five
sons who have died gloriously
on the field of battle. I feel how weak and fruitless must be any words of mine which
should
attempt
to beguile you from the
grief
of
a
loss
so overwhelming. But I cannot
refrain
from tendering to you the consolation
that
may be found in the thanks of the
Republic they died to
save.
I pray
that
our Heavenly Father may
assuage
the anguish of
your bereavement and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and
the solemn pride
that
must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of

freedom.
Yours very sincerely and respectfully,
Abraham Lincoln
350
Part
6:
In
Your
Write
Hind
Letters of
Opinion
How about those Mets? Everybody's got an opinion, and few of
us
are shy about
expressing
it. That's where letters of opinion come in. By stating your point of view
in
writing, letters of opinion
give
legitimacy to your
feelings.
Letters of opinion are like telephone books: They have a wide variety of
uses.
Here
are
some of the most common ones:
•
Praise
or criticize a company

•
Register your viewpoint on a
social
issue
•
Comment on public policy
•
Respond to an editorial or article
•
Evaluate a project
All
letters of opinion state your opinions clearly and provide reasons to support
them.
Here's how it works
with
a
letter
of complaint.
Complain, Complain, Complain
The toaster incinerated your lovely sesame-seed
bagel;
the hair dryer has more hot air
than your local senator. You're mad as hell and you're not
going
to take it anymore.
What
to do? Why not write a
letter
of complaint? "Ah, they never work," you scoff.
Here's how to lodge a consumer complaint and accomplish more than just venting

your spleen.
1.
Gather up all the paperwork related to the
product
or service in
question—which
you
saved,
like the careful consumer you are, rather
than throwing it away
with
the box. Here's the
proof
you need to make your
case:
•
Sales
receipt
•
Work order
Quoth
the Maven
you
don't
have the
com-
pany's
phone number or
address
because

aliens stole your paper-
work,
check out your library's
ref-
erence
desk.
They should be
able to help you locate
toll-free
customer
service
numbers or the
address
of the company's corpo-
rate
offices.
Canceled
check or charge slip
Warranty booklet
Chapter
26:
Personal
Writing:
In
Your
Write
351
2.
Contact the company by letter. The letter approach allows you time to frame
your complaint more carefully and completely.

3.
Follow these guidelines as you write:
•
Address the letter to the company president or the consumer complaint
department.
Explain
your problem with the product or service.
Include the model number, serial number, and any receipts.
State what you want. Be
specific
but
reasonable.
If the toaster
broke after a month, a reason-
able
replacement is another
toaster or a refund, not a
side-
by-side
refrigerator/freezer or a
week in
Barbados.
Be
sure to include your return
address
and a daytime telephone
number.
!^^J/
Quoth
the Maven

Many consumer agencies are
now on the Net. For example,
you can reach the New York
office
of the Better
Business
Bureau
at www.newyork.bbb.org.
You may have to pay a small fee
when you contact the Better
Business
Bureau by phone, but
the
service
is free
through
e-mail.
•
Keep the letter brief.
4.
Give the company sufficient time to
respond to your complaint.
5.
If you haven't received satisfaction after what you judge to be a reasonable
length
of time, you can take the following steps:
•
Assume the letter was misplaced and write
again.
•

Contact your local consumer
affairs
office or regulatory
agencies.
The
next
page shows a model letter of complaint.
352
Part
6:
In
Your
Write
Mid
Days
of Wine and Roses
1221
GrapeLeaf Terrace
The
Valley,
California,
17226
Dear Product
Manager:
On May
17,
2003,1
purchased a Whine and Cheese corkscrew, model number
4157Z,
from Wal-Mart, for

$29.99.
When
I inserted the corkscrew into the cork of
a
Merlot
that
evening,
the handle broke off. I have enclosed the receipt and all parts of the
corkscrew in this package.
Because
the Whine and Cheese corkscrew is
highly
recommended as a
Best
Buy
in
Bottom's
Up
magazine,
I can only conclude
that
the corkscrew I purchased is defective.
Please
replace my corkscrew
with
the same model or another of comparable value
that
you
recommend.
Thank you for your attention to this

matter.
Sincerely,
(Jw/u>ott&(Jw/Lcl<yrvrw>i
Charlotte Chardonney
My
2<
Worth
A
letter
of opinion can state a positive viewpoint as well as a negative one. For example,
you
might
write
to a park to praise its rangers or a school district to applaud its teach-
ers.
Or your
letter
of opinion might state a dissenting
viewpoint—a
different way of
looking
at the same
issue.
You might
write
to a newspaper, magazine, or television sta-
tion about its editorial viewpoint. Whatever your purpose or audience, here are some
suggestions
to consider as you write.
1.

For letters of praise
•
State exactly who or
what
you are praising.
•
Give the dates of the exemplary service.
•
Identify outstanding employees by name and title.
•
Include your name, address, and telephone number.