When you print a sign, menu, card, or other written document for your business, you should pay attention to the grammar and spelling contained within your communication. Well-written marketing material may not necessarily impress customers, but error-riddled writing that has not been checked by a professional proofreading and editing service can certainly make would-be buyers go somewhere else.
These tips will help you to attract buyers and give your customers the best possible impression of your business.
Grammar and Spelling Tips for Business Communications
- Review your first draft several times. Sometimes we don’t immediately notice errors in our writing. Give your mind and eyes several chances to catch missing apostrophes, misspelled words and sentence fragments.
- If you don’t know how to spell a word, look it up. A quick and easy way to find out the correct spelling of a word is to perform a search for it using a search engine like Google. That search engine will, if you are incorrect, automatically suggest the correct spelling. Similarly, if you aren’t sure that you’re using the right word, use an online dictionary. You can type “Define: word” in Google (without the quotation marks) or visit a website like dictionary.com for help.
- Double-check apostrophe usage. Mistakes with apostrophes are very common and they can make potential customers think less of your business. Many websites offer tips for using the apostrophe, so search the Internet for help if you aren’t sure that what you have written is grammatically correct. Check out our article on unnecessary apostrophes for more help.
- Review each sentence for clarity. Your goal is to use as few words as possible while making your point clear. Ambiguous wording will confuse some customers and ostracize others. Unclear phrasing can also hurt your business. If, for example, you do not clearly state the terms of a sale, you may have to give customers more than you intended to sell – for a lower price.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Have at least one knowledgeable person review your work before you print the final version. This is particularly important if you’re paying a printing company to do the work, as these mistakes can be costly to correct (printers don’t necessarily reprint the work for free, especially if they were not responsible for the errors). Sometimes, a second or third proofreader can catch errors you’ve missed. Be sure to thank anybody who helps you with this!
Make sure you carefully review your writing before you post your sign, menu or card for the world to see. Make sure your signs, menus or business cards don’t contain any mistakes by using our business proofreading services.
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