Professional correspondence can literally make or break you in the business world. While it plays a critical role in getting and keeping clients, it can also have an enormous impact on your own personal career development. Given how important writing is, it's surprising how many people make very simple, but very significant, errors on a regular basis. The 5 steps listed below are a great "jumping off" point for improving your writing.

1.) Stop relying on spell check

Computers are dumb - this is my overriding theme when it comes to working effectively. Realize this and you're 2 steps ahead of the game. Why do people still rely so heavily on the spell check function when it's just not that smart? Where and wear. There, they're, and their. Your and you're. These are words that are all spelled correctly but can be easy mixed up. Then, a correct word becomes an incorrect word. Example: Wear are we going to meet? Spell check doesn't catch it because "wear" is technically spelled correctly. But the correct word is "where". (Incidentally, my computer would like me to change this sentence to "wear is we going to meet?" Hmmm. How very wise.) Example: The file is over their. Spell check doesn't catch it because "their" is technically spelled correctly. But the correct word is "there".I could go on for hours but you get the drift. The solution is simple: stop trusting the computer without turning on your brain. Print a copy of what you've just written and read it carefully looking for exactly these kinds of mistakes. Better yet, pass it to a co-worker and have them read it too. If you need help brushing up on these little particulars, don't be ashamed. Keep a dictionary and a copy of "Grammar for Dummies" at your desk. I know a lot of very successful business people who need help with this kind of thing all the time. In fact, I am constantly correcting my boss's writing. That doesn't make him dumb. That actually makes him very smart for recognizing the importance of having someone else (with an anal retentive eye) review and correct his correspondence before sending it out.

2.) Pay close attention to formatting

Nothing screams "Unprofessional" more than a poorly formatted letter. Again, the computer typically wants to auto-format documents and this can cause huge headaches. Bullet points shift all over the page, numbered lists appear where they shouldn't, margins change from page to page....the problems are endless. Be meticulous in your formatting because this creates the overall "look" of the document, which in turn creates the overall "impression" of your company and/or you. Don't let small errors pass you by and don't ignore them because you think they're no big deal. They are. Small details, like an out of place bullet point or a wacky font, are what stand out the most sometimes.

3.) Beware of giving too much information

It's tempting to write every detail that could possibly be needed in every piece correspondence. Some call that being "thorough". I call it obnoxious. Do you really need to share with the reader exactly HOW you got to the conclusion? Or do they really just want to know the conclusion itself? Do you need to tell the reader 150 different things about your company? Or would 5 appropriate details be more compelling? My philosophy is simple: less is more. Always invite questions and/or feedback. But remember that people are busy and they don't have an hour to spend reading your correspondence. This also leaves an opening for further communication. If they want or require the detail, they will inquire about it.

4.) Just say "No" to slang

I pretty much think it's never ok to use slang in professional correspondence. I understand that there are times when people want to show that they aren't stuffy business robots. They want to show personality in their writing. That is definitely possible to do without resorting to slang. Words like "awesome" have no place in professional written communication. I've seen "groovy" used once and it made me cringe. So be creative and pull out a thesaurus if you need it. But don't go whipping out words from high school.

5.) Keep it consistent

I think it's nice when clients and associates can expect a certain level of correspondence from you on a regular basis. Consistency makes people comfortable. Send correspondence on the same letterhead, use the same font and format each time. Always be meticulous in your grammar and punctuation. The main benefit here is simple - people will feel more confident referring others to you and your company when they know that you pride yourself on a consistently high level of work. Your correspondence is concrete proof of that. It's not boring, it's professional