What’s in a Name?

It could be the difference between whether or not you get the client!

I’ve lost count of the number of times that people spell my name incorrectly when responding to an email I’ve sent – either directly to them, or via a discussion forum. And many of these people are VAs – it makes me wonder how much care they take in their own business practices.

People’s names are so important to them and when someone cannot spell their name correctly (not just a typo but an outright incorrect spelling) it can make people wonder about the other little details that are missed and not addressed.

There are many different variations to my name: Cathy, Cathie, Kathy, Kathie – the latter is correct for me. I even get people addressing me as Katie – both written and verbally. Makes me wonder if the ‘h’ has become invisible?

I challenge you to consider your email responses carefully – just as you would a written letter on letterhead (I hope) before hitting send. Otherwise you might just disgruntle the prospective client or have them back off before you’ve even gotten to know them. And don’t be afraid to ask them for a correct spelling if speaking to them on the phone or in person. Whenever I’m managing an event and doing nametags I always ask callers to fax or email me their RSVPs and I tell them the reason is I want to get both their name and their business name correctly spelt on their nametags. They always seem to appreciate this. KMT

name spelling, correct spelling, typo, discussion forums, virtual assistant