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March 21, 2012 at 06:43 AM
I received an email the other day containing a criticism that I’ve never received before. It raises an interesting and important issue, not only for those of us who write articles, but for anyone who communicates for a living—such as financial advisors, both old and young.
Here’s a summing up of the email, written in response to my last blog on how advisors should ‘Dress for Success‘: “In my 25 years of business experience I have found that it also helps if one writes and speaks well. I suggest you review your blog and correct some of the grammatical errors: Not speaking or writing well is also a sign of callow youth as opposed to a seasoned professional.”
First, let me say that I agree with this email writer 100%: good grammar is important. It’s important for all of us to present ourselves well. Unfortunately, when you speak or write a lot, despite our best efforts, and the efforts of our copy editors, some mistakes still slip through the cracks. Of course, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep trying to get it right.
With that said, I’ve found that it’s at least equally important to sound like yourself, and to talk to your audience, rather than talk down to them. When I write and speak publicly, I try to sound natural—using the words and phrases that I would in casual conversation. This helps to reveal who you are as person and shows your personality. It creates a stronger connection with one’s audience. Someone trying to be something they aren’t is worse than being ourselves, even if we’re not always grammatically correct or use fancy words.
