Is there a write way out of sticky business situations? According to advertising consultant Heller, the answer is "yes." Whether the issue is the purloining of ideas, the undermining of your image, or the inability to repay an office bank loan, there's at least one if not two written letters to ponder. Each one of more than 100 real-life problems are first described, then examined in a "what to do" strategy analysis, which in turn is followed by the written document. The author's overliberal use of quotes and occasional Machiavellian inclinations do grate. However, consider that a good starting point for modifying his prose and developing the write stuff yourself. Barbara Jacobs

Book Description
The 100 Most Difficult Business Letters You'll Ever Have to Write, Fax, or E-Mail could well be the most useful book you'll ever own. It is not a book that gives forms for business letters or even suggests wording for particular situations -- there are numerous books that perform those services. Rather, this is a book on a subject that has never been addressed before: how to use your correspondence to solve problems -- that is, to cope with and resolve the problems and crises that arise so distressingly often in business.

When there is a tension-driven need to compose a letter about a problem that puts your reputation, your money, or your entire future on the line, Bernard Heller tells you the best strategy to employ, and the actual words and phraseology you need to overcome the problem, to come out ahead.

The 100 Most Difficult Business Letters You'll Ever Have to Write, Fax, or E-Mail is the only guide to business correspondence you will ever need.

After reading The 100 Most Difficult Business Letters, You'll Ever Have to Write, Fax, or E-Mail, you will be able to:

? Protect your ideas from being stolen and make sure
   you get proper credit for your work
? Get your ideas past the hierarchical minefields
? Revive a good idea after a committee has nitpicked
  it to death
? Kill a proposal you don't like without causing ill will
? Counter a damaging rumor that is threatening your job
? Renew your chances to gain a new client after you've
  been counted out
? Survive a corporate downsizing
? Offset a crucial error that could end your career
? Get valued clients to pay bills on time without
   alienating them
? Soften the impact of bad news and make it seem good
? Break through bureaucratic stalling and get right to the top
? Keep a valued customer from deep-cutting your bill
? Appease your client's unreasonable request without
  agreeing to it
? Keep your customers' loyalty after a change of
   management
? Uplift morale after a failure or setback
? Get an extension on a deadline without seeming late
? Make an ally out of a rival


Ingram
A comprehensive guide to writing diplomatic and sensitive business letters for every situation in the corporate world--from selling a terrific idea to smoothing over a damaging mistake--includes a variety of examples and practical instructions. Original.

About the Author
Bernard Heller worked in advertising for over twenty years before starting his successful consulting career. In advertising he was instrumental in developing campaigns for clients including Colgate, American Airlines, Seagram's, and Revlon. His private consulting practice has aided Citibank, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Dial-Greyhound, and Prentice-Hall, among many major corporations. He lives near New York City.