Advanced Business Writing

Down to Business with Pat Croche features lively dialogue, interviews and Q&As, from business experts.

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Simply having taken a course in business, or majoring in English literature and gone into business.

You're writing on the job - reports, memos, proposals. Are you a writer? Not. You drive, but you're not a race car driver. What makes the difference. It's about how you approach the subject

In "Netflix Apologizes For Mail Glitch, Offers Discounts" (MediaPost, 3.26.08) Laurie Sullivan negotiates the semantic squeeze of "affect" vs. "effect."

Let's look at Netflix, unable to mail CDs to its customers. Laurie adeptly writes, "The movie by mail company couldn't ship out CDs on Monday so they sent an email to affected members and offered a 5% discount on their bills, a gesture sure to be appreciated by its customers. Affected is the adjectival form of "to have an effect."

By coming clean with customers in describing, they created a postive spin and reinforced brand loyalty ("effect"). Effect (noun) is the result

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To read the article, visit: http://publications.mediapost.com/?sfa=ed&t=16&d=2008-3-27