Thursday, March 18, 2010

You Can Read, But Can You Write?

It surprises me that many entrepreneurs and business owners have poor writing skills. This is often displayed when they write emails, press releases, columns, blogs, books, and more.

Critical mistakes I've seen include improper use of single and double quotes, improper use or lack of commas, and even a lack of periods. I've also seen well-known, reputable individuals write long emails that are not properly divided into paragraphs, and contain incomplete sentences.

I don't consider myself to be a writing expert, but I've learned how to write effectively because I know it can affect my company's revenue.

For instance, I deal with a lot of key executives at major corporations. Can you imagine how they'd feel if I sent them an email with misspelled words? In just a moment's time, they may lose confidence in me and my company.

I also blog regularly and send out press releases regarding my company, with the goal of encouraging more clients to do business with us. Can you imagine how people would feel if the content was poorly written with incomplete thoughts? Again, in just a moment's time, they can be discouraged about reaching out to me.

Always remember that how you write will reflect what people think of you. You can be a great business person, and even a great speaker - but if your writing skills are weak, it can harm your reputation.

You don't have to be a perfectionist and write as if you are being monitored by an English teacher, but you should master the basic writing skills. If necessary, use your Spellcheck and get someone to proofread.

5 comments:

  1. So many people don't even realize how many calls they are not receiving due to poor spelling and grammar.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thats so write...oops right!!! Good looking out for all us business people.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for raising this question. So many business people don't understand the importance of communicating in writing.

    Poor writing is like the adage -- One "oh shucks" wipes out 1,000 "attaboys."

    One other tip to go along with this is that it is very difficult to proofread your own writing. Always seek a second pair of eyes to do the proofreading.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I agree 110 percent especially on proofreading as that reflects attention to detail.

    Communicating well in writing can be the "resume" that gets you “seen” by prospects and others in person.

    Writing well can also be what warrants a follow-up call, meeting and even new business.

    ReplyDelete
  5. What we write down on a paper usually comes from what we read ...so,if you want to be good on writing then you should read more and more.Just another tips.

    ReplyDelete