Avoiding Mistakes in the Printed Word – and the Costs of
Putting Them Right
|
| By Beverley Moore, Writing
Point |
What not to do
1. Make language mistakes. Royal Mail research shows that 74% of customers don't trust businesses that
use poor spelling and grammar, and 30% would not do business with companies
that made these mistakes.
Proofreading is critical. There are two main times when you need to proofread.
The first is before you send your final draft to the printer. Check absolutely
every detail. Proofread at least twice – first for content and sense
(read aloud), and second for spelling, grammar and punctuation (read it backwards,
so that you aren't distracted by the content).
Don't rely on your computer's spellchecker – get another human being
to check it too. If you're not confident about your spelling and grammar,
find
someone who is – colleague, friend, family, or professional copywriter/
editor.
If you spot your own errors on the proof copy from the printer, you
will
almost certainly be looking at extra cost to make the changes and produce
a new proof.
The second time is when you get the proof copy back. Don't assume that it
will be identical to the version you gave the printer. All sorts of strange
things can happen (remember, computers are involved). A good printer will
look out for these, but it's your document and you need to look closely.
Once you sign the proof off, you're confirming that you are satisfied with
it – and if you spot a problem with the finalised versions that was
showing in the proof copy, you'll have no grounds for complaint.
2. Miss out important information. It seems obvious, but
it's surprisingly common for flyers and other printed material to lack factual
details. Whether you're stressed out or excited
by the thought of having to come up with paragraphs of sales text, it's
all too easy to leave out the basic information, intending to add it in
at the end. And then forget. So, check that you have included everything
the reader needs to know.
Contact details: phone, email, website, address if relevant, what the reader
should do next if they are interested. If you're advertising an event – date,
time, location, price. Remember what, where, when, who, how. Put it all into
your first draft, and make sure it stays there.
3. Ignore the need for a final proof. When you're in
a rush, and you're confident that what you sent through was fine, it's tempting
to tell the printer to just get on with the job. Some
printers insist on a final proof sign off, but others don't. Whether
it's a business card or a glossy annual report, get the proof and make
the time to check it properly.
4. Produce business cards that don't tell people what you do. Just because
you know what your business is all about doesn't mean everyone else does.
It's important that your business cards make it clear to everyone
what you do. Don't assume that just because you've talked to someone they
will remember you later particularly if the conversation was part of a heavy
networking session.
Don't rely on a catchy strapline such as "building performance" or "making
change happen". Come up with a simple statement that really tells people
what you're all about, and your card has got far more chance of being kept
and used.
5. Test it only on people already involved. Because you and your colleagues
are so closely involved with your business, it's often hard to see how others
will perceive your printed material. Once you've got something that you're
happy with, ask people outside the business for their comments. Does it work
for them? And explain that you really need them to be honest!
If you're planning a big mailing, or an ongoing promotion, consider doing
several different versions of the document, and tracking the success of each.
You can then decide which version you continue with in the future. Even small
variations in, for example, the text of a direct mail letter, can make a
big difference to success rates.
6. Forget to update information. Often, you will have documents
that you send regularly for reprint. It's all too easy just to ask for the
same again – then
find that a detail is out of date. Make sure that you proof every document,
whether new or old.
7. Write ineffective copy. Whatever your document, you're paying to have
it printed because you want to get a message across. Unless that message
is
communicated clearly, concisely, and effectively, you've wasted your money.
To do this involves much more than just being able to write correct English.
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