With great pleasure, I’ve just added Kenneth Roman and Joel Raphaelson’s  Writing That Works: How to Communicate Effectively in Business to my “required reading” list for my marketing and publishing coaching clients. I’ve also ordered copies for each of my sons entering business.

I discovered Writing that Works while preparing for my Tuesday, April 7, interview with Ken Roman, the author of The King of Madison Avenue: David Ogilvy and the Making of Modern Advertising.

Initially skeptical

I was initially skeptical. The front cover of Writing that Works contains a quote from one reviewer that called it “The Strunk and White of business writing.”

As a fan of both Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style and William Zinsser’s On Writing Well, I didn’t think it was possible for anyone to do a better job of covering the essentials of business communications.

Boy, was I wrong!

Ken Roman and Joel Raphaelson’s Writing that Works is, indeed, “the Strunk and White of business writing.” There are 3 main reasons for my enthusiasm:

• Context and relevance. Writing that Works does a better job of communicating the urgency of writing, the connection between writing that works and business success. Here’s the key paragraph, which should be referenced in every Web 2.0 content marketing and social marketing blog:

The only way some people know you is through your writing. It can be your most frequent point of contact, or your only one, with people important to your career–major customers, senior clients, your own top management. To those women and men, your writing is you. It reveals how your mind works. Is it forceful or fatuous, deft or clumsy, crisp or soggy? Readers who don’t know you judge you from the evidence of your writing.

• Practicality. Like The Elements of Style, Writing that Works is “illustrated” with hundreds of side by side, good and bad examples. Chapter 2, Don’t Mumble–and Other Principles of Effective Writing, describes 18 main ideas, and shows the right and wrong ways to deal with them. The remaining chapters are devoted to practical matters and specific types of projects. No theory, just good solid, avuncular advice.
• Brevity. Although it can change the way you write and the way others read you, Writing that Works contains just 193 pages. It’s an ideal companion to be read on an airplane, then be kept next to your computer.

Meet Kenneth Roman

On Tuesday, April 7, at 3:00 PM, EST, Kenneth Roman and I will be his latest book, The King of Madison Avenue: David Ogilvy and the Making of Modern Advertising. We’re going to discuss the essence and the relevance of David Ogilvy’s lessons to today’s entrepreneurs and marketers. We’ll also discuss the similarities and diffences between writing persuasive advertising copy, creating an entertaining biography about an advertising legend, and providing helpful information. There will be opportunities for questions. Plan to attend; details here.