Proper grammar is necessary for credibility, readability, communication, and clarity.
This is even more important if you’re a business owner.
I reached out to a connection through a Networking event to see if I could refer some business his way. He responded timely, but I had a hard time understanding his grammar. I was able to figure out the response. The second email that I received back was not much better.
I thought, “Wow. Is this how this person always communicates? Will my clients have a hard time understanding him? Will they mis-understand the information provided based on grammar?”
As these thoughts came to mind, I thought that I do not want to put my clients in a situation that they may think one thing but it means something else because the person communicating has bad grammar and incoherent sentences.
My next thought was, “How does his staff feel about the communication? Do they understand him? Are there mis-understandings?”
So many things that can be affected because of grammar.
Keep in mind that it’s not important to have eloquent words or follow the AP requirements of writing, but it is important to be clear and use proper grammar in order to ensure that others understand what is being stated. The consequences are the cost a client or a great staff member that may choose to leave over a misunderstanding.
What's your opinion?