When a document you’re creating is important enough to matter, do yourself a favor and proof it one time more than you think you need to before it goes out the door or over the internet.
Better still, have a fresh set of eyes look it over for you. Misspellings and/or typographical errors will defeat your purpose immediately. Mistakes of this kind happen more frequently than you think.
As a business owner, I receive solicitations and job applications daily. I have read my name and my company’s name spelled incorrectly in the address countless times. Guess where those emails and letters wind up? Yes, in the trash - immediately. If a person doesn’t care enough to make sure their correspondence is written correctly, how could they expect me to believe they would care enough to perform any task correctly?
I understand that not everyone has the luxury of another person to double check their work for them. An old Gallagher routine answers that excuse for me. He once ranted about the fact that our country doesn’t need dam inspectors. “If you live close to a dam,” Gallagher said, “your fanny ought to be up there checking for cracks!” Double and triple check it yourself if it truly means something to you.
Will errors still happen? Of course. But isn’t it nice to know that you’ve taken the time to put your best effort forward? Laziness and sloppiness can be prevented…before the fact. Don’t lose the race without ever leaving the starting blocks. Good lock!
