A rampant epidemic has overtaken us, one that neither the health department nor Homeland Security has the antidote to contain. Blame it on Toys 'R Us or text messaging, but from nationally syndicated cartoonists to this week's retail ads, correct spelling has gone the way of the typewriter. In spite of having numerous handy tools just clicks away on any desktop or laptop, you can read (or try to) the effects of this illiteracy plague everywhere. What's causing it? In our age of instant messaging, the rush to "Send" or publish now overrides the need for one minute of proofreading scrutiny. In our global economy, with content written worlds away from your locale or subject matter experts, spelling may reflect another vernacular, or default to what a word sounds like. From department stores to the Seattle Times, PlumbServ to bloggers, those who can't spell, type, edit or proof read keep adding to the breakdown of world order. What's the big deal? The big deal is the responsibility of business people to communicate well, and not to contribute to business illiteracy.
You still only get one chance to make a good first impression, so why give a sloppy one?! If you want your communications to say "trust me" or "buy me", make the effort to look professional. Some tips:
* Make sure all your business communications (letters, marketing materials, presentations, web pages, emails) show your best professional image. * Don't let sloppy content mess up telling your success story to your banker, insurance agent or other business colleagues. * Proofread out loud and from hard copies, not just on your monitor. * Make sure your team has at least one member, or a consultant (think SpellChick!) who will keep your communications letter-perfect. You're smart enough to run a business. Fight the illiteracy epidemic. Make sure every word of your business and web communications tells the world how smart you are!
