By Adrienne Moch
July 2009

It’s not uncommon that the first impression someone will get of your business is through something written: your website, a marketing piece or even an e-mail. Even if you have the best product or service in the world, if you present yourself poorly in writing, you may never have the chance to interact with many potential clients.

Here are a few tips to ensure that you don’t unwittingly write yourself out of business:

• Proof, proof and proof again. It’s very difficult to spot your own mistakes, so ask someone else to review your writing efforts. Spell check is great…but it doesn’t catch everything. Typos and other writing errors detract from your image as a professional.
• Write to the level of your audience. One of the best ways to turn people off is to write something they can’t understand. Don’t use terminology that’s familiar only to industry insiders or choose to show off your great vocabulary.
• Less is more. Don’t overwhelm people with too much information. Hit the high points to entice potential clients to want to learn more. 
• Focus on benefits, not features. People care what’s in it for them, so don’t dwell unnecessarily on who you are. If you’re using “I” or “we” a lot, you may want to rewrite to focus on “you.”
• Get organized before you write. Disorganization is one of the biggest issues business writers have. Before you write, think about who your audience is, what your message is, and what information you want to include; prepare an outline if you think it will help you stay on point.

In most cases, something written does not make sales, but poorly written or messaged marketing materials can cause potential clients to choose not to do business with you…before you even get a chance to use your stellar interpersonal skills. Think of everything you write—even e-mail—as a way to demonstrate your expertise and showcase your professionalism.

Adrienne Moch is a business writer/editor who helps clients put their best foot forward in all their written materials, writing original copy and editing verbiage that already exists to enhance it. To learn more, visit www.adriennemoch.com.