I get it. We all get in a hurry, and we think we remembered to dot every T and cross every I. Oh, wait. I got that wrong. Oops! I should have caught that before I published it. Next time I’ll do a better job of proofreading.
Yeah, right. What next time? I won’t get a second chance to make a good first impression.
When I’m writing, I get so absorbed in putting pixels on the screen that I rarely look up to read the words that flow from my fingertips. Even though I’m a rock star typist, my fingers still get crossed up when they’re flying at the speed of byte, and mistakes happen.
So, when my writing is finished, I step away from the computer and relax for a little while. Then, I go back to the machine and spend a few precious minutes (which can turn into hours) to make sure that everything is just right.
Harness the power of proofreading and boost your business
Why do I make time for proofreading?
As the proprietor of a tiny business and a freelance writer, my reputation depends on the quality of the content I produce. Every word must be spelled correctly. Every comma must be in the perfect place. And every paragraph must be formatted to look its very best.
Why? Because every letter, every email, every blog post, and every other document that leaves my office is my representative. If it doesn’t look right, I don’t look good. If a prospective client sees a single error in something I’ve written, I may not get the chance to turn that prospect into a paying customer.
There are other reasons to make sure that your written communications are as accurate as possible.
6 reasons why you should proofread your writing
Failure to proofread is bad for business
Do you want to boost your reputation and grow your business? Be sure every piece of written content that leaves your office is picture-perfect. Harness the power of proofreading and write for success.
What makes proofreading so important?
As a small business owner, you communicate with your customers and prospects to persuade them to buy your products. And the best way to reach them is with excellent communication that is clean, clear, and concise.
When the written materials your business sends to these people contain errors, the communication is no longer clean. These mistakes may cause your audience to stop. in the middle of your message.
Sale lost.
Need I say more?
Readers are smarter than you think
Grammar errors, misspelled words, and poorly formatted paragraphs can turn an audience off. Even people who don’t see themselves as writers (and may also consider themselves poor readers) will catch those mistakes. And those mistakes give them the impression that the writer is careless, incompetent, and not worth the time.
And don’t kid yourself. Your audience is smarter than you think. I once had a 6th grader catch one of my writing errors. My face turned red. And then, I went home to rewrite my proofreading procedures.
Don’t let a minor spelling error ruin your reputation. Spend a few minutes proofreading every piece of writing that leaves your office and boost your reputation.
Show your audience your smart side
You’re a business owner, and you have a brain. That’s what your customers think. And you should demonstrate this through your writing.
Your customers and prospects believe that you must have a reasonable amount of education if you’re smart enough to run a business. Or at least have enough education so that you can string coherent sentences together and use a dictionary.
Give the impression that you’re intelligent and competent. Show your customers your business pride and how you’ve achieved success.
Harness the power of proofreading and catch your mistakes before your audience does. It’ll make you look smarter than you really are.
Convince your customers you care about them
You pride yourself on your outstanding customer service. You listen to your customers, pay attention to their needs, and are diligent in filling their orders.
Your customers come back again and again because they believe you are competent and deliver a quality product. And you do it just for them.
Why would you treat your written materials any differently?
Harness the power of proofreading and show your customers that you put the same care and attention into every aspect of your business. Show your competence and commitment to quality by making sure every part of your writing is correct. Let your customers know that everything you do is for their benefit and comfort.
It’s as simple as providing them with written materials that are accurate and easy to read. You go to great lengths to avoid mistakes with your customer service and your product. Treat your writing the same way, and it will treat you with a business boost.
Tell the world you’re up-to-date with the latest tech
Spell checkers, grammar checkers, and other wordsmithing tools. Almost every app has one.
Make it a policy to use these handy tools to check for errors in your writing. With a press of a button, word processing programs, email apps, and other apps that allow text input can make your text look polished and professional.
If you don’t take advantage of these tools, your customers will think that you’re behind the times. And that ain’t cool.
And, if you want to be extra careful, search the web for grammar helpers and dictionaries. These online sites are filled with helpful tips, advice, and error-checking devices. Here are a couple of my favorites:
- Macmillan Dictionary. This site includes a free dictionary, a thesaurus, and an English tutor. There’s also a pragmatics section that offers lessons on how to express yourself and convey a message in different situations.
- Grammarly. This free online tool looks for errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar, and word choice. Just upload your document, and Grammarly does the rest.
With all of this technology available to you, there’s no excuse not to harness the power of proofreading. It only takes a few minutes to learn how to use these online spelling and grammar tools. That few minutes of your time can give a boost to your business.
Proofreading is a business booster
Sloppy writing is sloppy business. Clean and clear writing is good for business.
When you take the time to make sure your business correspondence, blog posts, emails, and brochures are error-free, your customers will appreciate it. Not only will they appreciate it, but you’ll be rewarded with other benefits that can boost your business:
- Errors make you look bad. Clear and correct writing builds confidence with your customers, prospects, suppliers, and community. When you gain their confidence, you’ll keep their business, gain their trust, and earn valuable recommendations that boost your business even more.
- Errors are a buzz kill. Clear and correct writing helps your audience concentrate on your message.
- Errors are deal-breakers. Make a mistake on a proposal, and it could end up costing you the job. When your proposals are error-free, potential clients believe that your work will also be error-free.
- Errors cause confusion. When your readers get confused, it means more time and money on your part to clear up that confusion. Get it right the first time and save your customers from unnecessary headaches.
Harness the power of proofreading and get it right the first time. It only takes a few minutes to make sure your writing is just right. And your customers will appreciate the extra effort.
Proofreading will boost your business.
A 10-step guide to proofreading
I found this cool infographic with 10 quick steps on how to proofread. Don’t let the title fool you. This infographic is about harnessing the power of proofreading for a school essay. Still, the steps apply to your business writing, too!
Source: www.grammarcheck.net
I’d like to thank GrammarCheck for putting together this awesome infographic. If you’re looking for some free online editing assistance, check out the GrammarCheck Online Editor.