Does spelling matter?

How important are spelling and grammar in your organisation?

As sole traders, or as the head of an international PR consultancy, do you mind if there are inaccuracies in the press announcements that you issue? When you take people on, do you mind how well they spell or is it more important that they are creative, energetic, enthusiastic and capable of pulling in the results?

I am firmly of the opinion that it does matter - to the right journalists and to the right clients. I think taking care of the small details shows respect to the people reading your literature or your online copy. Apart from anything else, some seemingly insignificant errors can lead to misunderstanding, in an industry where clear and speedy communication are important. Furthermore, will the press take you seriously?

Emma Judd, reporter for The News @pn_Emma_Judd commented via twitter: "If I see a press release littered with S&G errors I'm more likely to doubt the accuracy of the material and disregard it. One of my pet hates is people in the industry, both PR and journalists, who don't know how to set up direct speech quotes. That really gets me!" 

Well, I hope I have got that last bit right in terms of speech marks! In written communications - be it old-fashioned letters, email, and to some extent facebook and tweets - spelling and grammar go a long way towards opening and maintaining relationships with clients and journalists. Into the same pie I would add courtesy and empathy.  Notice if the editor still likes to use the term 'Dear' in his emails; check your spelling quickly as you post an update online.

Years ago, I was asked by a consultancy CEO which area I would like to specialise in as part of the team, so I said 'proof-reading'. This was laughed at - if I'd been the boss then I'd have responded by offering 'quality control' to the employee. To me, proof-reading is part of service quality; get the introductions right and you're half-way to succeeding over the long-term.