An Easy Advantage

Despite eighteen years of communicating with business people as part of my job, I’m still surprised at how poorly many of them are at expressing themselves in words. I wonder how these people were able to ascend the ladder of success to become the executive director of this or the CEO of that. As a child, I was told that people are judged by their ability to speak and write well and that without the ability to express themselves well, they’ll never succeed in life.

Clearly, this isn’t true.

In business, particularly one in which the product or service is highly customized to the client’s preferences, clear communication is key to a smooth, efficient, productive and satisfying experience for the client (and for the service or product provider, too).

If strong writing skills are not necessary to succeed in business, then the conclusion to draw is that there’s really no penalty for possessing poor writing skills, and no incentive to improve them. After all, it isn’t keeping anyone from landing customers and making profit. However, consider this question: how much MORE business would that person have done if his or her written communications were stronger? How many potential customers did not become PAYING customers because the salesman’s, manager’s, or owner’s poor communication skills turned that potential customer off? Poor business-to-consumer communications undercut whatever image and credibility are established by an expensive website, a slick brochure, an active social media presence, or a polished sales pitch.

In an economy where businesspeople are fighting for every advantage over their competitors, one of the easiest ways to gain an advantage is to consult a writing and editing professional. This ensures that the salesman’s, manager’s, or owner’s written business-to-customer communications are as strong as every other aspect of his or her brand image and customer outreach.

PJW