Why You Can't Rely on Backspace

In keeping with the theme of “old things re-purposed” (see last week’s blog post), I am compelled to write about correction tape this week. I do a lot of writing (and reading), and I often marvel at the fact that technology has advanced to the point where mistakes are often caught as we make them, but business people may have become too dependent on their devices to fix their errors.

Now, we all just tap rapidly on our keyboards, happily hitting backspace, delete and insert and moving paragraphs hither and yon. Back when I learned how to type on a manual typewriter, if I made a mistake I had to use correction tape or Wite-Out® to fix it.  If I was making multiple copies with carbon paper, the process took much longer and was infinitely messier.  Writing is much easier now, but making mistakes is also much easier…because anything can be fixed with the tap of a finger.  Spelling and grammar mistakes can also be found instantaneously.  

In the “old days,” we were forced to look at our mistakes, tediously fix them ourselves, and avoid making them in the first place.  I contend we are now a little too dependent on our technology to do the work for us, and I urge businesses and marketers to read what they write before they hit that “send” key. Great writing and precision can still be invaluable in compelling someone to take action.

• Make sure you spell names correctly in correspondence.
• Avoid what I call word-os;  those misused words that Spell Check doesn’t pick up.
• Re-read what you write (at least once), especially if you’re applying for a job, sending an important sales pitch, or making an introduction.
• And, be sure to check links in correspondence.  A dead link can be a dead lead.
• I confess…I still use my calculator to check totals on Excel spreadsheets too…and sometimes I even add manually.  (Yes, I still remember how!)

Poor writing and inaccuracy, like a stained suit or food on ones face at a networking event can leave a less-than-polished first impression.  Whether you’re using the English language on a Kindle, an iPad, or paper, neatness counts!