Business Writing with Heart: How to Build Great Work Relationships One Message at a Time

Write your way into successful, lasting work relationships.

Writing is the lifeblood of career success. This book, winner of two Silver Benjamin Franklin Awards from the Independent Book Publishers Association, shows you how to write with heart--to use language and messages that connect with others at work, building relationships that help you achieve your goals.
You have coworkers, clients, or customers you rely on to contribute to your success, and you may write to them more often than you talk or meet. Your written words must carry your messages, sometimes in tense and awkward situations. This book shows how to choose words that convey your meaning while developing and sustaining your relationships.

If you are a leader, team member, sales or customer service rep, entrepreneur, or any professional who communicates in writing, this book helps you support positive relationships in every message. Whether you write to the assistant in the next office or the partner on the other side of the globe, you can communicate in ways that build trust, respect, and solid connections with others. Find out how to:

--Make small changes in your emails to reinforce relationships rather than weaken them.

--Share bad news, constructive feedback, apologies, and reminders in ways that reassure readers and create goodwill.

--Say no to requests clearly and firmly without alienating or embarrassing others.

--Respond to angry or tactless messages while preserving your reputation and the relationships that matter.

--Communicate confidently even when the words don't come easily, using the model wording, letters, notes, and emails in this book.

Write with heart! Build strong work relationships one message at a time.

Lynn Gaertner-Johnston has helped thousands of employees and managers improve their business writing skills and confidence. In her corporate training career of more than 20 years, she has worked with executives, engineers, scientists, sales staff, and many other professionals, helping them get their messages across with clarity and tact.

    A gifted teacher, Lynn has led writing classes at more than 100 companies and organizations such as MasterCard, Microsoft, Boeing, Nintendo, REI, AARP, Ledcor, and Kaiser Permanente. Near her home in Seattle, Washington, she has taught managerial communications in the MBA programs of the University of Washington and UW Bothell.

    Lynn's influence extends far beyond the corporate classroom. Her free monthly newsletter, "Better Writing at Work," reaches many thousands of subscribers around the world. Her popular Business Writing blog (businesswritingblog.com) attracts more than 3 million annual visits from readers on six continents. A recognized expert in business writing etiquette, Lynn has been quoted in "The Wall Street Journal," "The Atlantic," "The Chicago Tribune," and other media.

    Lynn sharpened her business writing skills at the University of Notre Dame, where she earned a master's degree in communication, and at Bradley University, with a bachelor's degree in English.