Good grammar is good for business
“Good grammar is a reflection of your image. Good or bad, you have made an impression. And like all impressions, you are in total control.” Jeffrey Gitomer (American author and business trainer)
It doesn’t matter what type of business you are in, the written word is vital in getting your message across. From written memos, emails, letters, online content and social media to written reports, marketing materials, job descriptions, minutes, policies and procedures, customer communications, technical documents and business proposals, the quality of the writing reflects the credibility of your business.
The essential elements of good writing
The essential elements of good writing are correct spelling and punctuation and good grammar. If you get these right you will convey a positive and trustworthy image. Conversely, poor grammar and careless spelling and punctuation can damage your reputation because it comes across as slapdash and unprofessional.
Spelling errors are irritating and may be overlooked or even forgiven by your existing/potential clients or customers, but the lack of (or the incorrect use of punctuation) can completely change the meaning of a communication and can end up being confusing and misleading. For example, Let’s eat grandma! and Let’s eat, grandma!
This is an amusing example (well, sort of), but a misplaced comma in business, could be more significant. If you are lucky, some of your audience may ask for clarification but more likely they will give up and go elsewhere.
How to avoid basic mistakes
A spell checker can identify mis-spelled words and typos. However, a spell checker can’t help you with words you have misused such as to and too or their and there, A spell checker may also have a problem with the correct use of apostrophes in words such as its and it’s.
An online grammar checker is a useful resource for highlighting grammatical errors you may not have spotted thus giving you the chance to make any corrections before you share your work with your audience, This has the combined effect of making you more confident about what you put out there and also ensuring that you present a professional image. There are many grammar checkers available but the ones I have reviewed include Grammarly, After the Deadline, HemmingwayApp, ZeroGPT and ProWritingAid.
Don’t let the competition beat you to it
The best way to avoid this is to ensure that the first impression you give is the best you can. If your website is your main marketing tool, typos and poorly written content will put off potential customers/clients. Similarly, if you are active on social media or you publish blogs or articles, you need to make sure that the content you provide is of a quality that makes people want to buy your services or products.
Mistakes can mean missed opportunities which most small businesses can’t afford to lose, so how can you avoid them? As many small business don’t have the skills or resources to avoid or fix these all-to-common mistakes, one solution is to employ a professional writer to do the job for you.
At The Write Choice we offer a variety of writing support services—check out the services we provide and then get in touch (details on our Contact page) if you would like to discuss anything further.