Remember your earliest school days and those infamous papers you needed to write? Some of us might have dreaded receiving our grade as we knew the power of that teacher’s red pen. If we were lucky (and put forth the effort), the evidence of that red pen would be minimal. If we were not, the paper might resemble a patchwork of markings telling us what words we misspelled, where we forgot to put a comma, or other such grammatical error.
Today, in our professional lives, it’s important to remember the significance of that lesson learned long ago. There is incredible power in the written word, especially in this era of electronic devices where a smart phone, tablet, or lap top is within reach of just about everyone. The written word says a lot about you, your company, organization, and affiliations. It can say good things like:
- detail oriented
- highly educated
- thoughtful
- engaged
- expert
But what if there is a misspelled word or typo in your menu, sales flier, signage, presentation, or even your website? What message does that send?
- lack of perfection
- not detail oriented
- rushed
- distracted
- non-thorough
Of the two lists, how do you want to be perceived by your customers?
Every time a written word represents your company, take extra time (and even an extra set of eyes) to be sure the words are used correctly and the grammar is appropriate. Don’t leave something as simple as the written word to chance. Keep control of your brand so that what you see (read) is truly what you get (mean).
Keep it disciplined.