My 30 Day Blogging Challenge continues.
The tag [TIME SAVED] shows you where a Virtual Assistant (such as Virtual Hand) can save you time by doing these elements. This allows you to do what you love in your business as well as what you are good at.
Proofreading – a skill or a burden on people [TIME SAVED]?
There are the individuals that just do not recognise when there is an error in their work but then there are others that can spot a spelling mistake from 30 paces (that’ll be me then!) And a third type of person that doesn’t recognise the importance of spelling and grammar on their website, materials, presentations, emails etc.
I know printers are continually frustrated when clients won’t proofread, won’t pay for proofreading and generally do not take responsibility for their materials. One of the many questions you shouldn’t ask a printer!
It’s an increasing problem now in the technology age – where your devices are checking your spelling and highlighting grammar issues but still people ignore or cannot see when the American version of words is recommended. I would contend that errors such as spelling and grammar are off-putting for your audience and for the proofreaders of this world – extremely provocative. Credibility is lost and overall business acumen could be questioned.
Am I being too strict; is it really that important?
For me it is important. I love the challenge of finding them, making them correct and forwarding the finished product to the client to use. Not having a formal qualification in it (although being a qualified typist I know what all the correction marks mean!) but I have an eye. Reading new material and understanding it as a reader and ensuring it makes sense is a great tool to have – why annoy people when you really don’t have to?
What’s important to you? Potential clients that look upon your website, materials etc learning all about what you do, how you benefit your clients and why they should work with you, or people that instantly click off when there are spelling mistakes or sentences that just don’t make sense because a critical word has been missed out?
Handouts riddled with mistakes
I’ve been in training sessions where the handouts were just full of mistakes; I was distracted, completely taken out of the learning process, forgetting why I was there and inwardly questioning why they were not proofread. Did they not value their materials, were they not lovingly created and yet happy to spend money on the printing of something that poorly represented their company?
For someone who loves to learn, read new materials, it is easy for proofreading to take place, and not long to actually accomplish the work but the end result is so much better for the reader. At times, I’ve taken to proofreading a website and sending all the errors to the business owner. I love to help others get the right response from their website/materials etc.
Here cometh the end of Number 8 – proofreading.
Here’s a link to the Start in case you missed it.
What’s your view?
Whilst running your own business you can forget those little things that keep it ticking over. Sign up for your 5 minute challenge by email for 21 days. Where you can take action daily – for just 5 minutes – or multiples thereof, to build disciplines and take control.
You know your work looks better without spelling mistakes, so why not check out my free tips to proofreading that will get your copy read and not deleted! Just click here for your FREE DOWNLOAD.
Connect with Michelle on other platforms too: Learn how you can work with Virtual Hand; how your business can grow and how you can communicate better with your audience.
