helen2o

Yes, I’m playing off the popular book title, “50 Shades of Gray,” – cheap marketing ploy indeed. However, I’m sure you have been there too. When you step out on your own, and are doing the most routine tasks for a client and oops, there is a typo. Or maybe you cut and pasted from someone else’s email assuming the information was correct, only to stand corrected. That is when I turn five shades of pink.

Personally I think my brain gets ahead of my fingers – a doctor may diagnose that as adult ADD or “old-timers” disease as I call it, but I think it really is from trying to get things done too quickly. So here are some of the tips I’ve implemented to help me not turn five shades of pink the next time a client sends something back.

1. Take a deep breath and re-read. If I were in the receiver’s shoes would I understand what I’m talking about? If it is a new client am I using too much jargon? Also, why am I responding, do I have an answer? Or, am I just responding to get this email off my plate.
2. Sleep on it. When I’m working on a story or web content for a client, my first drafts are never my best work. And, if I try to proof immediately I often read over skipped words or phrases. I have found if I sleep on it, and look at it with fresh eyes the next day I will catch things and often make the story better.
3. Read out loud. I used to do this when I worked in an office and I’m pretty sure my co-workers thought I was insane. Now that I work from home the only people I’m disturbing are my dogs. And, to be quite honest they need to wake up every once and a while and move.
   

   Sleeping dog that needs to be disturbed.

4. Read it backwards. Sometimes this is my first approach, and the way I read most magazines and newspapers. Again, it helps uncover missed words.
5. Fact check. If you are a former reporter this may seem natural, but if you are not, you may assume that what someone sent you is correct. Not that anyone would intentionally try and mislead you, but it’s easy to misinterpret facts and statistics. Fact checking is an important step to protect yourself and your client.

All of the above result in practicing excellence. In a day and age of 140 character tweets, texts and social posts, it’s easy to get away from it. This is my new pledge to help me remember to slow down and take the time. Just don’t call me on it if I’m working off my phone, lol.