The Effect Of Proper Spelling And Grammar On Professional Credibility
I admit it – I’m a nit-picker when it comes to proper use of the language. I’m referring to English since that is my native tongue but regardless of which language you may be using, if you want to be viewed as a credible, authoritative source for whatever subject you are discussing, proper grammatical use and correct spelling is absolutely essential.
Few things irritate me more than seeing bad grammar and incorrect spelling in a newspaper or magazine article or hearing bad grammar on the television news. These places are supposed to be authoritative sources of information. If they cannot even make correct use of the language, how are we supposed to trust in their ability to do research or to make valid judgments on issues of importance? These people supposedly attended institutes of higher learning that qualify them to keep the rest of us informed about matters of serious import. When they write and speak like third or fourth graders, their credibility flies out the window! When did we lose the ability to use our own language? The same thing applies to advertising.
If you are doing marketing on the internet (or anywhere else for that matter) it’s a good idea to remember that you (and possibly your product) are being judged on the basis of your language since that is usually all that we readers can see of you. How can you expect to convince a customer to purchase your product if you cannot even convince him/her of your intelligence? Misspelled words and incorrect phrases DO NOT mark you as an authority on anything. Authorities are generally supposed to be successful, learned people who have done thorough research in their field of expertise. Would you want to trust your care to a doctor who