Why good writing skills are important

Many solo business owners are passionate about good writing skills and the English language. Clients are passionate about this, too, and many will buy elsewhere if the writing is bad.

Even small errors can be a big mistake

A few months ago an acquaintance received an email from a guy, let’s call him Joe Bloggs. In the email, Joe wrote about a coaching service he was offering. My acquaintance was in the market for this service, but decided not to contact Joe purely because there were a couple of spelling and grammatical mistakes in his email. Her reasoning: “If that’s how he writes and sends an email, imagine how he does business? He’d do a hasty, superficial job with no attention to detail”.

Too harsh? Maybe, but her comment echoes the sentiments of many. The consensus is that writing is a direct reflection of the way a person does business. If the writing is professional and polished, so too is the image of the business; if the writing is dodgy and full of mistakes, well, you get the idea. In fact, there are five main customer comments related to writing that I’ve heard many times. Perhaps you’ve heard similar, or even made these comments yourself?

If their attention to punctuation and other details is so poor, how can I trust them to do the job properly?
The company had attractive brochures and flyers, but I couldn’t understand their message. It was a waste of their printing costs and a waste of my time.
Due to grammatical errors, their message was ambiguous.
I ignore e-newsletters and websites with errors because I don’t do business with amateurs.
If hoax websites/emails/scams are renowned for having spelling errors, I can’t trust so-called legitimate businesses that have similar errors.

Everyone, including professional writers, make mistakes and overlook the odd typo. But if the foundation of your marketing material is built on poorly written and non-edited writing, then business could be on shaky ground.

If your writing skills need improvement, consider the following:

Learn more about the craft of writing. Buy books, do courses and read the many informative articles on this site about good writing skills and proofreading . Then - practice, practice, practice!
Never write something without editing it. Always read over your work several times, and preferably let it sit overnight before doing your final edit. Also, at least one of your edits should be done from a printed copy of your work. The process of editing is different for everyone and is dependent on the individual project. Some of my documents need only a few hours of editing, whereas my children’s novel required many months of editing!
Your work needs fresh eyes. Have a friend or family member proofread your work before it goes to the client or printer. If you’ve read your document several times, it’s quite common to overlook mistakes.
Consider outsourcing. We all have different strengths, so if writing just isn’t your thing, consider hiring someone to do it for you. It will save you time, money, and in some cases, your business.

The written word is a powerful tool, use it effectively and it will help to build a powerful business.

Do you agree with the customer comments in this article? Do you have good writing skills? How about your written marketing material, how have your clients responded?

Lucinda Lions is a professional writer/copywriter who specialises in writing persuasively in order to turn your readers into customers, and your browsers into buyers.

26 Jan 09

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13 comments | Add your own 1 2 3 | Next» View all»

Thank you for this article Lucinda.
I absolutely agree with your comments and have turned away from websites and services due to poor grammar and/or punctuation (based on your reasoning). If "my servece strivs fore excelence" shows up, I try to head the other way. Rich from Sydney
Great article and on the money Lucinda.
Also, we all try to save time when preparing proposals, but we need to ensure that the proposal we write only contains material relevant to our client. I read every line of proposals I receive, and more than once I have received proposals with sections not removed or copied/pasted from previous/other proposals. Makes you feel special that they didn't bother to check that the proposal isn't carrying baggage...not. Greg Pritchard from Sydney | Read my articles
Great article, Lucinda. I agree with your sentiments. Of course, I would ... I'm a professional writer, too! Your tips are spot-on. An insider hint I give my clients about editing/proofing is to do the editing in a different environment to that in which they did the drafting. So, as you've said, print out a hard copy, but instead of sitting at your computer or desk, take the hard copy to another quiet place - outside, a separate room, even an easy chair on the other side of your office - to give it the once-over. A fresh environment can provide fresh eyes, new perspectives and sharper perception. Cheers, Sheryl Allen Sheryl Allen from Geelong West, Australia
Love the article, Linda. This is one hot topic between my husband and I!
An effective tip I use when editing is to ready my work out aloud. I always find something that I overlooked when reading.
Sheryl: I love the idea of taking a hard copy and editing elsewhere. Definitely one to try. Amanda Jephtha from Sydney
Grate artical lucind!
Just kidding! :-)
I am one of those fussy people who insist on correct grammar and spelling. I am not the best typist but I do try to proof read everything I write. My tip when proof reading for spelling errors is to read it backwards. This forces you to look at every word rather than assume it is the correct word.
I have done some work with companies in India and have had others wanting to partner with me. I have rejected most immediately because they cannot or will not spell properly. That does sound harsh but it costs me a lot of money to proof their work.
And one of the most important things I think you just absolutely cannot afford to get wrong - the person's name. I always check their sign off to see how they would like to be addressed. And also usually copy their salutation style - if they address their email "Dear David", then I address theirs "Dear Mary" (unless their name is Bob!).
Anyway, gud speling and grammer to ewe. :-)
Cheers, David David Head from Darwin, Australia
Great comments Lucinda. In the interests of accuracy for Australians, it's 'practise' with an s for a verb. So... 'practise, practise, practise" ( unless of course you are American) Glenda May from Albert Park, Australia

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