At Least Be Professional In Your Writing
Posted by Mitch Mitchell on Feb 10, 2009
I understand that we’re living in different times. The need for some to communicate their thoughts faster, and sometimes in fewer words or characters, is more common now than ever before. Schools seem to be more interested in grading students on the content of what they’re written, rather than the words and sentence structure used to create those words. I asked this one awhile ago, and I’ll ask it again; does anyone except me still use semicolons?
What am I commenting on now? This is an email I received yesterday:
Hi,
I visited ur site n am interested in doin Link Exchange wid ur site, if u
r also interested thn pls get back 2 us on the above email.
i too got few automotive sites and blogs with good visitors on it ….
would u like to link exchange for betterment of both our sites ?
let me know if interested 
Link Exchange wid Blogroll
What the heck is that? Did a 10 year old just send me a marketing email? Oddly enough, I was insulted, and I’m still not sure why. Just an hour later I received another one, though longer, on my TFB blog, which I just sent to spam and deleted, written the same way. Not to mention that it had nothing to do with the topic at hand, just a stupid generic sales letter. Here’s a portion of that letter, and remember, that particular blog of mine is on financial issues:
I am a webmaster maintaining some finance related sites & blogs with good pr & good traffic. I have just seen ur sites, it is really very informative & related to my topic also. If u don’t mind I want u as my link partner.
I think this is the only way to get high traffic & pr soon, in other side this is very safe way in front of the search engine. I do interested abt healthy content or banner link exchange with my top quality finance sites & blogs. If it is needed I will go for article or useful finance widget link exchange.
If u agree with my proposal plz feel free to reply me with ur good finance sites & blogs urls. I will also do the same with a revert mail.
That’s exactly how it came. No spacing for paragraphs; lots of truncated words; nothing about my topic at all. Is this serious business? Would anyone in their right minds consider this as appropriate business conversation?
We talk often about writing new, good, and original content for our visitors on our blogs. One shouldn’t suppose, however, that blog writing is more important than business writing. When I was a director, I used to edit every letter that anyone on my staff wrote that they were planning on sending out to our clients, if you will, not because I wanted them to write as I write, but because I would see examples of their writing and formatting “skills” and decided that wasn’t the image I wanted to convey to our clientele. At some point I created templates for them to use, where they could just fill in the blanks for those issues that were common. Unfortunately, that type of thing doesn’t work across the board, and sometimes you do have to craft original letters.
I don’t begrudge anyone an occasional typo, but those two letters above were written that way on purpose. Frankly, the only reason I kept a copy of each of them was so I could write this post; I’m not responding to either one of them. If that’s how someone wants to write on their blog, or if that’s how someone wishes to comment on another person’s blog, that’s just fine for them. But when it comes to business communications,… well, if they start wondering why they’re not getting much of a return on their marketing, I bet we could tell them why.
Or am I talking like an old person? Someone let me know.
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Mitch Reply:
February 10th, 2009 at 11:19 AM
The Almost Millionaire Reply:
February 10th, 2009 at 3:28 PM
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Althea Garner Reply:
February 10th, 2009 at 11:37 PM
For those of you who don’t know me, I was educated in Africa, according to the so-called ‘Queen’s English’ and let me tell you that it is VERY different to ‘American’!
I have always said that we don’t speak English in the US – we speak American and American is NOT English! These are two very different languages and if one is to survive in the US, they had BEST learn to speak AMERICAN – not English!
With regard to the two communications that you received, Mitch, I sympathize but will also warn you to get used to it! The younger generation are adept at texting and as the wave of the future (no, of the now!) it is here, already pervading our e-mails, our business correspondence and even our advertising.
We are the ‘Old Folks’ and if we expect to GET business, then we need to adapt ourselves to those who are buying. Now in your case, they were selling, but if a paying client wrote you a letter like those that you received AND COULD PAY YOU, would you turn them down?
Let’s not forget the past:
The car was called the ‘horse-drawn carriage’
There was a time when it was considered uneducated to call a telephone a ‘phone’
It was once considered the ‘done thing’ to smoke cigarettes
Ladies were considered harlots if they were not virgins on their wedding night
Hats were removed when one was inside
Men didn’t wear makeup and marriage was between a man and a woman
I could go on, but in the interests of change and (in some cases) progress, I advise you to be flexible – yes, even in this that jars me also, for judge not, lest ye be judged. LOL
We would all like properly scripted letters, but when something is sent to you in an e-mail it is now considered acceptable to use texting abbreviations. Professional sales copy and letters written on paperm are a different story.
God save us all!
–
Althea Garner
REALTOR (R) MBA, MCI, e-Pro
Executive Real Estate
House Of Homes Online
(714) 264-3458
Search over 50,000 listings at my web site:
http://www.HouseOfHomesOnline.com
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Mitch Reply:
February 10th, 2009 at 11:50 PM
but if you want me to partner with you, or buy your product, you have to come across as a professional, and that means the main portions of your web site have been spell-checked, and your email to me is written professionally.
i realize we weren’t all endowed with great writing skills, and like you said, a typo is a typo, but not the end of the world (well, depending on what the typo is; if you have to type the word “public” or the phrase “my pen is blue,” you may want to check four times), but there’s a reason some people succeed in business while others don’t.
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Mitch Reply:
February 10th, 2009 at 11:18 AM
You’re talking like an old person; possibly one who is approaching geezerhood.
(See, I, too, use semicolons.)
The important point, however, is this: You’re talking like an educated person who wants to present your best to your readers and you expect the same in return.
If I received one of those examples you presented in email, it would go straight to trash. I wouldn’t even think about reading it.
If it were a comment on one of my blogs, I would click the spam link and let Askimet take care of it.
If the person(s) who wrote those messages wants to present that image to the public, it’s okay with me. I won’t cooperate or communicate with him (her/it/them?).
I have enough problems with typos and bad grammar, but at least I try to do the best I can. I’m not interested in others who don’t seem to care, or who choose to deliberately write that way.
I am an old person, too. I prefer letters, articles, and messages that are well written.
Act on your dream!
JD
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If a message is well-written, but the grammar is odd, then I have to consider if the writer’s first and/or main language is not English. I’m happy to make allowances for someone who is writing in what may be a foreign language.
I would hate for anyone to see my pathetic attempts in communicating in Spanish, which is the only language I can even attempt other than English.
I have enough trouble with English.
About four decades ago, I could have written in Latin, but a lot of brain cells have died since then.
Act on your dream!
JD
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Mitch Reply:
February 10th, 2009 at 11:59 AM
In the first case, I agree. They weren’t even making an attempt at communicating well.
On the second case, I’d prefer the lawyer who wore jeans and a tshirt. I don’t believe all the “dress for success” rhetoric. I’ve known too many people who were extremely talented and well-educated who choose to dress casually.
In fact, it is my company policy that I work barefoot whenever it is comfortable.
That said, even I would put on a tie if I had to go to court for any reason.
You are right that we go with whomever makes us the most comfortable.
Act on your dream!
JD
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Mitch Reply:
February 10th, 2009 at 9:31 PM
John Dilbeck Reply:
February 11th, 2009 at 7:00 AM
As long as that lawyer was capable and experienced, I wouldn’t really care what he wore, but I’d be more comfortable with someone wearing jeans. I’ve known quite a few lawyers and I’m sure that the clothes that they wear aren’t a good indicator of their ability.
A plumber in a suit wouldn’t bother me. If he could do the job, he could wear a clown suit or a tuxedo.
The most successful man I’ve ever personally known was a kind, gentle man who wore overalls and a big, floppy straw hat. He drove a faded red pickup most of the time. The first time I saw him get out of his Rolls Royce wearing a suit, I didn’t even recognize him.
He was worth millions of dollars and owned thousands of acres, yet he preferred a simpler, more casual lifestyle for the great majority of his time.
This reminds me of a time when I was doing a seminar at the Atlanta Hilton in the late 1970s.
On Friday, I drove my pickup and wore jeans to carry in the things I needed for my presentation. When I drove up, the parking lot attendant said, “Sorry, Mac, the parking lot’s full. You’ll have to park across the street in the lot.”
So, I parked there and carried the stuff quite a bit farther than I would have if I’d parked in their lot.
The next day, I was wearing a 3-piece and driving my Lincoln. Even though there was a sign that said the parking lot was full, I got out of the car and asked the same man if he could find a space for it, and he replied, “Yes, sir.”
He obviously made his decisions based on what I was driving and wearing. Either way, however, I was the exact same person and only asked him to park my Lincoln to see how he would respond.
I deliberately dress more casually to see how others respond to me. To some, it makes no difference. Others have lost thousands of dollars in business when I was acting on behalf of a client and got blown-off by someone we were evaluating for them.
I’d be willing to take that bet on the most successful guy being the one wearing the cuff links.
You’ve started an interesting conversation based on those messages you received, Mitch. Talk about making lemonade out of lemons.
Act on your dream!
JD
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Mitch Reply:
February 11th, 2009 at 8:09 AM
John Dilbeck Reply:
February 11th, 2009 at 12:09 PM
I wouldn’t say I was a better man than you. As you say, we have different experiences.
I have no doubt that what I choose to wear has worked against me, but I don’t care.
I’m sure you’re correct, at least to some extent, that you may not have the luxury that I do when deciding how to present yourself. Sadly, race still makes a difference with a lot of people.
But, I don’t think that’s the entire issue.
I was raised to wear a suit in many cases and to wear work clothes in others.
I was in my mid-twenties when I decided that I was going to dress however it suited me and I’d let others deal with it. Perhaps it was youthful rebellion, perhaps it was a way of freeing myself from things I didn’t think mattered to me.
I haven’t worn any shoes that required polishing since I set aside my wing-tips about 30 years ago.
As others have responded, sometimes I get ignored or someone looks down their snooty nose at me, but it doesn’t affect me. As Popeye says, “I am what I am…”
I don’t recommend that people live their lives as I do; it’s a personal choice.
There’s probably a certain amount of pushing others’ buttons involved in this, too.
Act on your dream!
JD
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Mitch Reply:
February 11th, 2009 at 4:29 PM
Sire Reply:
February 11th, 2009 at 8:11 AM
I’m not one to dress up, I prefer jeans and t-shirt, and it’s amazing how sales staff of some prestige store will ignore you because they don’t think you can afford what they have on offer. Preconceptions are not always accurate.
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Mitch Reply:
February 11th, 2009 at 8:21 AM
By the way, I hate jeans; haven’t worn them since I was 13.
Donace | The Nexus Reply:
February 11th, 2009 at 8:22 AM
Last I checked you don’t need to cap the first letter in each word.
‘With one of my friends who believes that people should be able to dress however they want to at work, I’ve always asked her if she went to a lawyer whom she needed to keep her out of jail for a murder she didn’t commit, would she want to hire a guy wearing a t-shirt and jeans or a guy who looked like he was successful?’
The lawyer in jeans will get a better response though. In my time doing volunteer work at police stations, I have found that dressed casually yet smart i.e. jeans shoes shirt etc gets a better reaction information wise etc from the client then if I were to be wearing a suit. The key point being you have normally 20mins before the case goes to the magistrates court to find out the clients story, look over all the paper work and formulate your arguments.
Anything that will help you speed things along is vital.
Though saying this the majority of people I help were youths.
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Mitch Reply:
February 11th, 2009 at 10:20 AM
Donace | The Nexus Reply:
February 11th, 2009 at 10:28 AM
I had a judge almost throw me out of his court room once for not wearing a tie with my suit!
Each person must be ‘judged’ accordingly and you must dress the part appropriately.
Though I think everyone has a dream similar to sire; walk into a showroom and buy the most expensive item why looking like you just rolled out of bed.!
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Mitch Reply:
February 11th, 2009 at 10:51 AM
As I write this, I’m actually sitting in a seminar, and as a consultant, I have to have a jacket with me, but since this group knows me already I don’t have to wear a tie. But if they didn’t know me,…
John Dilbeck Reply:
February 11th, 2009 at 12:17 PM
Some of us just think differently and approach life from a different direction.
Better or worse, I don’t know.
JD – the barefoot consultant
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Mitch Reply:
February 10th, 2009 at 11:45 PM
I usually direct them to my link directory where they have to enter in their details and most of them decline the offer. Seems like work is a dirty word as far as they are concerned.
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Mitch Reply:
February 10th, 2009 at 11:46 PM
And I see your next post here, which I viewed last night at The Onion site; funny stuff.
Sire Reply:
February 10th, 2009 at 11:57 PM
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I personally feel that the younger generation with all those SMS and chat lingo are spoiling the quality of English. This can be seen in the way they write – emails, blog posts or whatever. Of course, they may be already successful but they could still write good English while catering to several types of audience.
(Perhaps the only allowed exception could be non-English speaking persons trying establish or pick their English language. Such people could be excused)
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Mitch Reply:
February 11th, 2009 at 4:34 PM
At least, it was in the same niche
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Mitch Reply:
February 11th, 2009 at 4:34 PM
One of the best criminal attorneys in the world dresses like a cowboy….I could borrow a $2,000 suit, a Rolex and a nice glossy business card if you’d prefer. LOL
Bill Gates wore sweats to his first meeting with IBM; I don’t think he ever wore much…..Steve Jobs never wore shoes; perhaps flip flops somedays.
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Mitch Reply:
February 11th, 2009 at 9:08 PM
John Dilbeck Reply:
February 12th, 2009 at 9:58 AM
I don’t think I’ve ever denied that things may be different for you. I don’t have the experience to come to such a conclusion.
I’m not trying to be contrary at all; it just comes naturally.
There’s a difference, however, between projecting an image (or not) and the functional problems you list here.
A dentist with bad teeth is not the same as a lawyer wearing jeans. If the lawyer were in jail, I would not be inclined to choose him or her.
A blind surgeon? Now, I’m suspecting that you’re wanting to be contrary.
A dietitian who weighed more than me? I don’t know. I’d have to think about that. There’s a difference in offering good advice and being fat.
Roaches? Ugh. No thanks.
I don’t even think I’d want to eat there if he had a roach tattoo or clothing with a roach design on it. That’s just yucky.
JD
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Mitch Reply:
February 12th, 2009 at 10:11 AM
I was definitely trying to be contrary, but there was a point I was trying to make. Kind of like this joke:
A man walks up to a woman in a bar and says to her “Would you have sex with me for a million dollars?”
The woman says “Frankly, yes I would.”
The man then asks “Would you have sex with me for twelve dollars?”
The woman says “No, what do you take me for?”
The man says “We’ve already established that, we’re just arguing over the price.”
Point being, there is a point at which you would take a look at the person in front of you and what they’re offering, if you didn’t know them, and decide that it was just too much for you to handle, even if, somehow, they were supposedly good at what they did. The point is that, these days, there are many people who offer the same types of services someone might be looking for, and it doesn’t help if one stands out from the norm for nonconformity as the first impression. For someone like me, it’s hard enough getting in the door, but after that, then I have to not only sell competence, but sell why I’m not only different professionally but why I might be better. If I walked into any hospital wearing a t-shirt and jeans, I wouldn’t get past the secretary.
And that’s what I’m saying. There are a lot of young people who say they shouldn’t have to change who they are to get a job. Well, right now, there aren’t many jobs, so people need to be ready to put their best foot forward to even be considered.
Donace | The Nexus Reply:
February 12th, 2009 at 11:25 AM
Professionalism that is what it is, is a courtesy one should always show if he is in an environment in which volatile situations are present, where you are the authority figure, or where you are then one trying to show the right way.
Impression, stereotypes are all part of the human psyche and to effectively ‘play’ it you must cater for it. hence the suits etc.
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John Dilbeck Reply:
February 14th, 2009 at 4:22 AM
I won’t argue with your main point; it is something that should be considered.
It won’t affect how I dress or act, but I’m not saying that anyone should emulate me.
It should also be considered that I live in the mountains and you’ll see few people wearing suits around here. Some do, but the great majority don’t.
If I were back in Atlanta, I might have a different perspective.
Act on your dream!
JD
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Mitch Reply:
February 14th, 2009 at 9:32 AM
Dennis Edell Reply:
February 12th, 2009 at 6:55 PM
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Mitch Reply:
February 12th, 2009 at 8:27 PM
In the situation you used, I think it also depends because they’re just asking for a simple link exchange which isn’t always looked at like “business.” But then again, your entire blog is pretty much business style stuff lol.
Jay
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Mitch Reply:
February 11th, 2009 at 11:19 PM
Since everyone else and their brother seems to have commented on this post, I thought I would too.
1. I’ve heard it before, but I still love your “who do you think I am” joke…
2. You are old. I am too. I still think phones are for talking on. Have you seen some of the text messages kids send these days? Cmp grs (my text version of “complete gibberish”).
~ Steve, the trade show guru
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Mitch Reply:
February 12th, 2009 at 8:28 PM
Sounds familiar here?
Anyway, going back to those emails. If the subject is of any value to me, I care less about how it’s presented. Otherwise, a well-written email, though caught my attention, will eventually be passed off as yet another junk.
Yan
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Mitch Reply:
February 13th, 2009 at 6:45 PM
Good post!
Mitch Reply:
February 13th, 2009 at 6:48 PM
The second is a little text-talk, and perhaps a bad email-text editor that took out their line breaks?
Either way, I can see it probably goes over well with personal teen sites, but not so much with more mature or business related sites.
~ Kristi
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Mitch Reply:
February 13th, 2009 at 7:13 PM
Mitch Reply:
February 16th, 2009 at 9:14 AM
As a journalist, I cringe every time I receve one of those emails. I’m convinced it’s SPAM because who in the world wold allow an email to go out without proofreading it
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Mitch Reply:
February 16th, 2009 at 6:03 PM