Let's Eat Children!

"Let's eat children!"

Whoa - that's a little weird! Maybe that should read as:

"Let's eat, children!"

The above example shows how one little comma can completely change the meaning of a sentence. It also clearly shows the importance of proofreading, and how one little punctuation error can turn your potential customers off, or at least make them doubt the quality of your product or service.

In many situations, a company or an individuals' written word is the first exposure to the business that a customer, member, client or patient has. As a business owner you've gone to great lengths and incurred expenses to develop signage, business cards, posters, a website and other materials to inform and attract your customers. Your message is important -- it's your lifeline -- but even a small typo can create an immediate and negative impression before a prospect has learned anything more about you. Maybe that negative first impression is strong enough that they don't look any further because they now doubt the quality of your product or service. Ouch!

I see typos every single day -- and I know I'm guilty of a few whoppers of my own every now and then. Hay, were only humin. With the increase in digital communications, however, whether it be via emails, text messages (oh, that pesky auto-correct!), or video, we are simultaneously creating content and getting inundated with typos all day. But that's no excuse.

Have a trusted friend or colleague scan your documents before publishing or hitting the "send" button. Utilize the built-in spell-check functions on your email, word processing, blogging and other platforms. You can even hire a consultant or utilize a service like ProofreadNOW.com for that increasingly important second set of eyes.

You'll never get a second chance to make a first impression.