I originally penned this post back in September 2013. Yet today, almost nine years later, it holds as true today (if not more) as it did back then. Like it or not, your writing skills reflect who you are!
People judge you based on your writing skills!
Fair or not, people make judgements about your intelligence, your competence, and even your integrity based on the quality of your writing. Which is worth keeping in mind in today’s harried world of texting and email. In the haste to get things done, you’re much more likely to make writing mistakes and use colloquialisms or acronyms, all of which come across as if you are uneducated, uninformed, and even lazy! So it’s worth the effort to make sure that what you send out in writing reflects your true capabilities.Brush up on your hazy knowledge of grammar and usage. Consult a writing guide for those tricky word choices. Ask a colleague to proofread your material. Wait a while before you re-read what you wrote. Above all, never lose sight of the fact that your writing is just another aspect of how you are perceived by others.
So … what do you do to ensure that your written communication comes across as professional and reflects what you know you are truly capable of? Please share in the Comments section below.
P.S. Speaking of writing for business, I’ve previously talked about how to make your email communication more effective. Read One tip to get the results you want from your emails.