C Preparing outlines. Businesspeople often are expected to write business letters on a regular basis. One technique that helps them to write effective business letters is to first prepare an outline. An outline is a general plan giving only the main points to be covered. Preparing an outline helps businesspeople to decide exactly what they want to say in the letter and to organize their thoughts. Businesspeople then can use the outlines to write effective letters. Businesspeople usually do not ask questions, consult references, or develop charts in order to write effective business letters. SOURCE: CO:133 SOURCE: Bove, C.L., & Thill, J.V. (2008). Business communication today (9th ed.) [pp. 108-111]. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.