CA writes a lot of things like press releases and annual reports – valuable pieces of corporate communication that get distributed to all sorts of influential people. Usually, the final document that goes public looks different from what we initially sent to the client, and this is normal. Increasingly senior executives have input as a document moves up the chain of approval. Items that are deemed too sensitive get removed. Important key messages are tweaked, and tweaked again.
What’s NOT all right, though, is when changes result in bad grammar, spelling mistakes and poor word choice – and these blights don’t get fixed before the document goes out and becomes part of a company’s permanent communications record.
When we do media training, we advise clients to think like journalists. Reporters are busy, so present them with information they need. Do it in a way that gets right to the point. Give them figures. Respect their deadlines. Help them help you.
Clients would also do well to remember that reporters have editors, and that the last step in the news reporting process is the proofread. Any outlet worth its salt never lets a story go out with typos and grammatical mistakes. They know it’s one of the easiest ways to kill your credibility as a well-run organization.
These days, appearance is just as important as content. So why would a client spend good money to have something professionally drafted and edited, only to let it go out looking like they don’t know how to properly communicate in the international language of business?
Whether it’s CA, or another consultancy, or someone in-house with the skills to proofread, always, always, ALWAYS make them the last gatekeeper. You’ll look so much better for it.
