Step One: Don’t Be Stupid

I have to confess; spelling mistakes and bad grammar are so cringe-inducing to me that I just want to get out a red pen and mark things up like a stern teacher. I am not the perfect spelling and grammar queen myself, but when I see a Facebook status with the wrong use of their/there/they’re it just drives me nutty.

Usually I can rein my crazy in and keep from commenting on these types of mistakes. For example, I have one friend who sends me emails so terrible I sometimes can’t even figure out what they’re trying to say. I keep my thoughts to myself though, because nobody likes a know-it-all (and they certainly don’t invite one to come out for Happy Hour).

I can excuse the misspelled words in my personal life, but I cannot believe how often it pops up in the business world. I receive so many business emails from high-level executives that look like a drunken cat pounded the keys with his tail.

It doesn’t matter how busy or important you are (or think you are), when you send a misspelled business email you are representing yourself and your company. By shooting off an email riddled with spelling mistakes and typo’s, you are saying that you’re either too stupid to write a simple email or you think your time is more important than mine. As the recipient of these emails, a client may feel that the amount of time and attention you give your correspondence is a reflection of the time and attention you give your work.

So, use that crazy new-fangled invention called spellcheck on every single email that leaves your outbox. It may not catch every mistake, but at least I won’t be getting notes that “thnak” me for my time.

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One thought on “Step One: Don’t Be Stupid”

  1. Fabulous! I’m with you on email spelling and grammar. I’ve received some emails that were so fragmented I didn’t know what they meant. It only takes a few seconds to make sure your message is correct and clear. Those few seconds can make all the difference in how (or if) the recipient responds.

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