Details, Details …

“Don’t get caught up in the details.” Sure, this may have applied when I was deciding what color napkins to place on the cake table at my wedding reception, but I have since realized that when it comes to real life and work, this advice should be thrown out the window completely.

If I have learned anything in the marketing and advertising business, it is that one SHOULD become caught up in the details, because details matter. They might be small, but they can earn you praise from your clients or keep you up at night worrying. Details could be the difference between making or breaking your brand.

In a world where we are all forced to multitask daily, mistakes happen. But we can do some things to avoid mistakes and errors as much as possible — we can pay attention to the details.

Proofread. I know this tale has been told a million times, but even a simple misspelling or misplaced comma can damage the credibility of your brand. And spell-check doesn’t cut it anymore. After all, if your usage is improper but your spelling is correct, then spell-check won’t correct your error. So if you don’t know the difference between their, there and they’re, then you’re out of luck. A second set of eyes is always a good idea, too; someone else will be much more likely to catch your errors than you will.

Test. Always test (and retest) website links, file attachments and contact information. Nothing looks worse to consumers or clients than directing them to an incorrect phone number or a broken website link. 

Chill out. OK, I definitely need to listen to this one myself. So you have 15 e-mails to send by the end of the day and several projects piling up on your desk. Calm down. Breathe deeply. Relax. Each one deserves your time and attention. Never rush through the details. Before you hit “send” on that e-mail or schedule delivery for this month’s e-newsletter, take a moment to make sure you have covered all of your bases. Your clients will compliment you, your customers will appreciate it and you will sleep well at night.