Oops, I Missed That: Tips for Proofreading Business Correspondence

How many times have you printed out a business letter only to have your boss find it riddled with errors? Even if you do take the time to look over it for common mistakes, it's nearly impossible to find them all with the same pair of eyes that typed it. It's essential to your company (as well as your job) that your business correspondence oozes professionalism and attention to detail. You can imagine the impression you might give to a client with misspellings, missing words and wrong punctuation. You don't have to be a writer or editor to make your correspondence perfect. Create a proofreading strategy using these tips:

*Gasp* - Print It Out

I hate to suggest that anyone should waste paper these days, but it's actually pretty important to print your document out to proofread it. Reading it line for line on your computer allows for more mistakes to be missed. Print the letter out and place it on a solid surface to be read.

Give it Time

Never go directly from writing the letter to proofreading it. It's too fresh in your mind and you'll see the same things you did when you wrote it. Get away from the letter for as much time as you can before proofreading it, but at least give it 30 minutes. This will give your brain time to forget about what it has just done.

The End

Ever notice how your mind is able to insert the appropriate letter, word or punctuation to make the sentence correct, even if it's not actually on the paper? Start from the end of the document and work your way to the beginning. This will throw your mind out of whack because it will not comprehend the purpose of the letter and will make it easier for you to find errors.

Pass it to a Partner

If it's ever possible, have someone help you with the proofreading. As an Executive Assistant, I was always utilized for my writing abilities. However, I preferred to pass my letters to someone else to take a look. They always caught more mistakes than when I do it alone.

Make a List

When you know a few of your weaknesses are spelling, punctuation and redundancy, create a strategy to look for these exact issues throughout your work. Go through all the steps above, and then go back through with a keen eye on these precise issues. For example: If you know you will be using the word "competency" throughout your letter, search for that word using the find feature in Word. If you've overused it, replace some of the uses of that word with a synonym.

Read It Out Loud

You absolutely must read the document out loud. The difference between the way our brains read the words and the way our mouths do can be huge. Read it out loud at least once to make sure the letter is flowing the way you intended.

Ruler

It's sometimes helpful to use a ruler when reading each paragraph of your letter line by line. Sometimes, all the words just run together after you've been looking at it a while, so using a ruler can help to make sure you focus on each sentence.

Proofreading takes practice and time. Never rush the process of writing or editing as you'll make careless mistakes that will take more time to fix than they did to write. Collaborate with others to ensure everything is on target before you send it out as you'll always want to make the very best impression with written correspondence.