Do Not Write, Edit, Or Proofread... It Could Wreck Your Professional Image!

I recently attended a meeting of a new business organization, where several fledgling entrepreneurs had been invited to share their business ideas, hoping to garner support from the audience. Members of the group were known to have resources such as financing, networking, and services that could help a startup business. The presenters' jobs were to sell their business ideas as well as their personal competencies to develop and manage their projects.

While the first idea (for a healthy fast food venue catering to teens) was intriguing, the snappy visual presentation was liberally peppered with misspellings and bad grammar. Here is some important information: When business individuals or groups seek patronage or support from an educated target audience, they must present themselves as being competent, thorough, and serious about their goods and/or services. In this instance, a professional proofreader or editor would have been able to review and polish the presentation quickly and at very little cost. When someone is asking for support - especially money - it behooves the presenter to demonstrate professionalism and attention to detail. The presenter's carelessness cost him.

On another occasion, I attended a networking event at my local small business association. The featured speaker introduced her new company, a data support service. The woman was very articulate in her description of her company's services. I was impressed with the presentation and formed an initial opinion that the company was classy and professional. Brochures were then distributed and the company logo grabbed everyone's attention - it was unique, clever, and colorful. The letdown occurred when people in the audience began to read the company literature. There were several misspellings of simple words, incomplete sentences, and bad word usage. Whispers heard throughout the room confirmed that the heretofore impressive presentation was shot down by careless, sloppy writing. With this little booklet, a talented professional deflated her top notch first impression.

People who see themselves as professionals tend to believe they are experts across the board, and seem to be defensive about their writing skills. If ego and territoriality could be set aside, more business principals would allow professional writers and editors to proofread company correspondence and literature. Delegation of responsibility is a primary job of business managers. This should include making certain that tasks are performed by those with the greatest specific expertise, even if it means outsourcing important tasks, such as editing and proofreading.

It is both foolish and arrogant to assume that your writing skills are professional unless you are a professional writer or editor. Careless writing will betray you every time.