LET’S EAT GRANDPA

Erica Reed, Marketing & Communications Sr. Internal Communication & Engagement Manager

A few years ago, I was writing in Talk It Up Tuesday about shiRts. You would probably remember this email if I hadn’t proofread it before sending, because I had left out the “r” in “shirts”.

Good writing matters. Clear, concise, typo-free written communication makes our jobs and our lives easier. Personally and professionally, we write because we need someone else to know or do something. We write so that people will understand us.

WHY IT MATTERS Good writing builds trust and credibility. Bad writing diminishes it. Studies have produced some interesting findings to support this:

• More errors correlate to fewer promotions. Professionals who failed to reach a director-level position within the first 10 years of their careers made 2.5 as many grammatical mistakes in their LinkedIn profiles as their director-level colleagues.

• Poor writing is one of the most significant mistakes a brand can make on social media. A survey of 1,003 web users in the U.K found that 42.5% said they would be most influenced by grammatical and spelling errors.

• A study of 1,700 online daters found that 43% of users consider bad grammar decidedly unattractive and 35% think good grammar is appealing.

• According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 73.4% of employers want a candidate with strong written communication skills.

Good writing leads to shared understanding. Shared understanding leads to efficiency and productivity. Imagine how much easier your job would be and how much faster things would be done if every email and document you wrote was fully and immediately understood by your reader. Think how appreciative your team would be if they knew exactly what you needed from them every time. Magic!

Here are a few tips to help you improve your writing:

Tip #1: Start with two questions. Before you begin writing, ask yourself:

1) Who is my audience? 2) What do I want them to know or do?

Get in the habit of answering these two questions before you begin writing. Do not figure it out as you go. I know from experience that when I take the time for this first step, I feel much more confident about my final written product. It seems obvious, but it helps organize your mind. Clear thinking leads to clear writing.

Tip #2: Get to the point. Don’t use two words when one will do.

Tip #3: Trick your brain when you proofread your own work. Because of the way our brains function, it is harder to spot typos in our own writing. It is always best to have someone else proofread, but that’s not usually possible. Your brain fills in gaps, so by taking what you have written out of context, you are better able to see what is actually on the page or screen. Read the words aloud, change the font or background color, or read what you’ve written backward. This will help you catch mistakes. Punctuation is also critical in helping your reader understand your message. If you are unsure about your punctuation, there are free grammar and punctuation tools available online to help you check your work.

Even if your job does not require you to write regularly, you can use these tips whenever you need to get a message across. For example, if you are texting, filing a complaint online, updating your dating profile, or emailing your kid’s teacher. Ask yourself what you want the other person to know or do, say it simply, and check your work. Your reader (and grandpa) will thank you.