I received an email recently that contained the signature line: “Expect typos.”
Why should I expect typos? I expect people to avoid them, especially in business correspondence.
Cell phones breed typos. Granted, when one is typing with thumbs on a tiny screen, errors are more likely to creep in. But this does not mean that we should simply give up without a murmur and say, “Oh, well, my writing will be full of typos and my readers will just have to deal with it.”
Cell phones have had many effects on our communication, including these: They have blurred the boundary between business and personal communications and they have made us less sensitive to typographical errors.
In personal, informal cell phone dialogues, readers usually overlook errors, as long as the meaning is comprehensible. The question is, however, whether any important messages or emails should be sent from a phone when you are too rushed to correct mistakes.
If you’re tooling down the highway and you want to tell your friend you’ll be ten minutes late, your phone might change your message to “Ill be ten menudos cake.” and your friend will probably understand.
But if you are writing deal points, or clarifying a negotiation position, or making a promise or request, the telephone on the run is the wrong tool for the job. Simply send, “Got your message. Will respond soon,” and then wait until you can sit down and give your full attention to your phone or other mobile device. Remember, the email you send from your car is just as discover able as the one you carefully compose at your desk.
Why should we make the effort to avoid these errors? Because people judge us based on our writing.
In my business writing workshops, I ask people, “When you receive an email or document that contains typos, misused words, and errors in grammar and punctuation, how does it affect your opinion of the sender?” There is always a charitable soul who says, “I just figure the person was busy.” The majority is less forgiving. People use words like “careless” “rushed” “inattentive to detail” “incompetent” “uneducated” and of course, “stupid” to describe the writer who sends out documents full of errors. The reader might not know or care that the email originated from a phone.
True, your spelling gaffes might reach the person who is willing to forgive and overlook. But whenever you send out a business email containing errors, you are taking a chance that your reader might not be the forgiving type. Your client, boss, or colleague might believe that people who write carelessly also think and work carelessly. They might think less of you and consider you less professional because you did not take the time to reread and see what favors Auto correct has done for you. Even if they realize that your message came from a phone, the lingering impression is that you are willing to sacrifice quality for expedience. Is it worth taking that chance?
If you want to avoid typos, here’s what to do:
·Reread EVERY email and document at least once before sending it. I know you feel you don’t have time; do it anyway. The downside of not proofreading is too big.
·Read your message aloud before sending it.
·Read from the end to the beginning.
For low priority, informal phone messages, most people are willing to forgive typos. But if you want people to hold a high opinion of you — and especially if a business relationship depends on your message — take the time to correct your spelling. I urge you: Fight the good fight. Even on your phone, don’t expect typos.