We’ve all sat in our share of frustrating meetings, but I can still remember the meeting that frustrated me the most. It took place in 1987 in a boardroom in Chicago. A group of automotive industry CEOs (you’d recognize most of the company names) was meeting with a pair of representatives from a social services program. I was in the room as the PR person for one of the auto parts manufacturers.
PENNY-WISE AND WEB FOOLISH?
I sat in a room full of freelance writers at a recent conference when the subject of websites came up. One of the writers asked if there was any way to develop a website for next to nothing, and she was nearly overwhelmed with suggestions.
My fellow attendees mentioned a host of templates, free sites, and other places where websites could easily be found and created for free or darned close to it. I managed to suppress my anger for a few moments, but eventually had to raise my hand. The moderator nodded my way.
THE MUSTARD STAIN
Are typos a big deal? True typographical errors, misspellings, incorrect homonyms and the like all get lumped together under the rubric of “typos” these days. Many people seem to accept them the way we’ve come to accept a certain percentage of rodent parts in the processed food we buy. (You do realize that the government allows a certain amount of pest contamination in food, don’t you? There are actually acceptable levels of rodent “excreta” and insect parts in what you’ll have for lunch. Bon appétit!)
Those pesky typos have a more insidious side. While we might brush them off at a conscious level, they send a message to the subconscious that controls our beliefs and attitudes.
CAN YOU #&^@%$ SEE IT?
As a writer, I tend to become involved in logo design only peripherally, but I still manage to learn useful lessons from the process. I’ve heard a variety of interesting logo requests from clients, but the most instructive came from the president of a tow-truck manufacturer.
“I don’t give a !@#$@# what the !$@$@ logo looks like,” he said. “All I care is that someone going the other way on the @^#^#%# Interstate at 70 miles an hour can see the @#@% thing and know it’s my @#@%#$ truck.” Folksy? Perhaps. Crude? Probably. But sound? Absolutely. He knew that it was critical that other two-truck operators knew who made that good-looking truck.
IN GOOD VOICE
When you’re creating market and communications materials, content and design are important, but there’s a third consideration that deserves your attention: the voice used in the materials. No, not talking about the voice talent used in radio commercials – it’s the voice of the items you put into print.
What do I mean by voice? Ads, brochures, direct mail letters, and other communications tools stand in your place. They sell and inform for you when you can’t be there to do it yourself. In a way, you’re quietly sending a trusted employee into the homes and businesses of your customers and prospects.
MORE FROM MISS SPELLING
Embarrassing spelling errors compounded by wayward spellcheckers continue to crop up, much to my delight (and that of several correspondents).
One recent example that provoked a chuckle was the Indianapolis-area newspaper that referred to those served by a County Home as the “poor and indignant.” I suppose poverty can bring out the worst in some people. (Of course, the writer meant to say “indigent”.)
DELETE WHAT DOESN’T MATTER
While waiting for a flight yesterday, I heard the same PA announcement several times: “Effective June 30, 2008, smoking is prohibited in the airport.”
The “smoking is prohibited” part I fully understand. But what’s the bit with the “effective June 30”? That’s more than a year ago. Does the date the ban went into effect really matter? Do we want people to think, “Gosh, I shouldn’t smoke in the terminal,” or is it really important that they mentally add, “and I haven’t been able to do so since June 30, 2008”?
STOP TALKING TO YOURSELF
I once received an assignment to rescue a doomed newsletter for companies providing towing services to a motor club’s members. The motor club didn’t understand why it was failing. So we conducted a random survey of towing operators.
KEEP IT INSIDE
If you’ve ever attended a spouse’s office party, you’ve probably found yourself staring at your drink after one employee says something like, “Yeah, but don’t ever give Bob a glass of 7-Up!,” and everyone else in the room collapses into convulsions of hysterical laughter. When the laughter dies down, your blank expression is answered with a ‘It’s a long story … I’ll tell you later.”
INAPPROPRIATELY APPROPRIATE
Many people use some words that don’t really need to be there. A great example is “appropriate,” as it’s used in sentences such as “once we review the information, we’ll take appropriate action.”