Improving Skills In Relationship-Driven Communications
August 2009
Proof to Win, Rush to Loose
Catch the incorrect "loose"? Good. Now what about your written materials? Are you sending letters and e-mails without proofing? Just glancing over your blog or recent web site posting, rather than reading it carefully? Your misuse of a word (even if spell check approved it) could send a client fleeing. After drafting your copy:
- Let it get cold. Start proofing immediately and you read what is on your mind, not what is actually on the page.
- Read it out loud. It is the only way you hear if you used the same word twice in the same sentence or paragraph.
- Read it objectively. A Swedish food magazine had to reprint thousands of issues that specified 20 whole nutmegs in a recipe instead of two pinches. The original directions sent four readers for medical assistance.
- Double check telephone numbers and URLs. It is where we make our most mistakes--as did the Oregon company that had to recall seven brands of cereal boxes. Original box copy sent callers to a phone sex line instead of the cereal maker's 800 number.
Those few minutes of proofing will prevent backtracking, problem-solving and/or replacing the client you loose lose with an incorrect word.
From Executive Speak/Write, oral and written communications trainers who want to ensure your communications skills attract -- and keep your audience.
