The real secret of "reader-friendly" writing is reader-friendly organization. Four questions, similar to the journalist’s checklist, keep technical writers on track-from an opening with impact all the way to a convincing finish. These questions frame a silent dialog between writer and readers based on a transfer of information in a face-to-face conversation. The readers, needing information, ask the questions; you, the writer, answer them. It sounds straightforward; it is. And it works. Used properly, the questions-What? Why? How? and So?-ensure that any letter, memo, or brief report is structured so that readers get the message quickly and accurately. All readers in a hurry, especially busy managers, appreciate such well-engineered communications.