April 9th, 2019

Spelling names correctly goes a long way.

 

 

Today’s post is by Gayl Southard, Administrative Consultant at SafeSourcing, Inc.

People don’t just dislike having their given names misspelled, they often have feelings of rejection when the person who does the misspelling is a relative, friend, teacher or a business associate. Although my first name is common, the spelling is not. In fact, I have only met one person that spelled their name like mine. If you know people well enough to address them by name, please have the courtesy to learn how to spell their name.

The White House press office misspelled the British Prime Minister Theresa May’s name three times. One error referenced a “bilateral meeting” between Trump and “Teresa May”. Teresa May is a former soft porn star and model. That was a huge gaffe.

It is important to check for grammar and spelling errors for three reasons:

  1. It limits the chances that your message will be misunderstood or misinterpreted.
  2. It reflects your credibility, intelligence and reliability.
  3. It indicates that you care about how you do business.

Spelling mistakes can cost millions of dollars in lost sales. A single spelling mistake can can cut online sales in half, according to William Dutton, Director of the Oxford Internet Institute at Oxford University. There seems to be more tolerance with informal parts of the internet, such as Facebook, towards grammar and spelling. Although Spellcheck is a valuable tool, it does not catch homophones (words that sound alike, but are spelled differently, and have completely different meanings). It can automatically change the spelling of new or unusual words, such as names to a word that is more easily recognized, without your permission,

There are four tips to observe when sending important business correspondence:

  1. Slow Down. Never send anything without proofreading it first.
  2. Don’t Multitask. Your brain refocuses each time you switch to a new activity.
  3. Get a Second Pair of Eyes. Have a colleague review your work.
  4. Double Check Facts, Names, and Industry Terminology. Spelling someone’s name correctly is extremely important because a name is part of one’s identity. Messing up relevant information can be interpreted as disrespect, and makes you look unprofessional. It also represents the lack of attention to detail, which can negatively affect the relationship between two parties.

“We are human and therefore bound to make mistakes. But your business reputation is too important to lose out over poor spelling. Try to be as accurate as possible when corresponding with clients, customers and colleagues. Your reputation (and ultimately your bottom line) may depend on it.”1

For more information on how SafeSourcing can help in your procurement efforts, or on our Risk Free trial program, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service Representative. We have an entire team ready to assist you today.

References………………

  1. Jessica Robinson, Michigan Mobility Institute, Entrepreneur.com/article/288812, 4/5/2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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