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Writing tips newsletter Previous issues Subscribe Email:

Writing Tips for Accountants View issues

Writing Tips for Accountants : November/December 2011

With proposals, tap hot buttons

Whether you're promoting new business to a prospect or an idea to an internal executive, appeal to the reader's trigger points.

To prospect (hot button: save money)
Our management consulting services will streamline your business and save you $500,000 in operating costs within six months.

To chief operating officer (hot button: save time)
By investing in this new application, we can enjoy greater information flow across the organization and save 5,000 people hours a year.

Be concise--trash those words!

Wordy
She has outstanding management and leadership skills. These qualities have enabled her division to increase revenues by 15% in just nine months.

Concise
Her outstanding management and leadership skills have enabled her division to increase revenues by 15% in just nine months.

Put parenthetical text immediately after what it's describing

Text in parentheses out of place
In 2012, we should offer several CPE course options to satisfy the needs of various groups of employees (e.g. live webinars, online self-study and classroom).

Parenthetical text flows
In 2012, we should offer several CPE course options (e.g. live webinars, online self-study and classroom) to satisfy the needs of various groups of employees.

Find the grammar error!

Correct the error in the paragraph below and email us with "CPA grammar" in the subject line. See the answer in our next issue.

After meeting for two hours, the executive team decided that offering three new concessions were not in its best interest.

Answer from last issue

ABC Corp. decided to shut down several warehouses in the Midwest. These include a complex of five buildings in St. Louis, which has serious safety issues.
Since complex is singular, has (not have) is the correct verb.