Author: Natalie Canavor
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Reviewer: Lisa Gibson, account director, Bray Leino
Having read too many terrible corporate press releases in my time, the importance of good business writing is a subject that’s close to my heart.
Business Writing for Dummies is an excellent read for B2B marketers, and is all laid out in the concise, easy to read format we have come to expect from the ‘Dummies’ series.
US author Natalie Canavor kicks off the book by explaining just why good writing is more important than ever in business. She starts with the basics of constructing an email with impact, before moving on to more complex writing tasks including proposals and business plans, and writing for the web. Throughout the book, theory is accompanied by practical examples and short exercises.
One of the most useful sections for me was around communicating with audiences from different countries and cultures, and practical tips on writing good ‘global’ English.
My one criticism would be that given Canavor repeatedly highlights the importance of understanding your audience and tailoring your content accordingly, the book itself should perhaps have been edited more carefully for a British audience. The use of phrases such as ‘reaching out’ and ‘leverage’ become galling, and the author’s insights into the way Brits do business seem to have been based on watching a few episodes of Downton Abbey (‘unlikely to start off on a first name basis with people they don’t know….pay more attention to hierarchy, origins and titles’). This in turn made me question how robust the book’s other insights into global business culture really are.
Overall though, no one working in B2B marketing today can afford to be complacent when it comes to good writing and the book is an excellent reference volume that would benefit readers, from students to managing directors. Definitely recommended for the office bookshelf.
Star Rating: 4/5
