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Proofread Your Slogan Too, Scammers!

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Lynn Gaertner-Johnston Updated on

Today a friend sent me an example of a typo at the end of an email. It appeared in the company slogan:

OBSESSED WITH BEIGN THE BEST

I burst out laughing at the beautiful irony of the error, as he had done.

But before I offered it up here for your amusement, I decided to do an Internet search to see whether other business writing experts had already written about the funny typo. My search for "OBSESSED WITH BEIGN THE BEST" led to just one site: a blog called Scam E-mails.

I should have known that a legitimate company would have had too many eyes on the email blast to let the misspelled slogan slip by. Silly typos and errors are the mark of amateur scammers.

If you get the email from Tony, supposedly of The Secret Shopper Company, delete it. The Secret Shopper Company is now AboutFace. I bet the real company, unlike the scammer, is obsessed with being the best.

Thanks to Terry in Dallas for giving me the heartiest laugh of my day!

Lynn
Syntax Training

 

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By Lynn Gaertner-Johnston

Lynn Gaertner-Johnston has helped thousands of employees and managers improve their business writing skills and confidence through her company, Syntax Training. In her corporate training career of more than 20 years, she has worked with executives, engineers, scientists, sales staff, and many other professionals, helping them get their messages across with clarity and tact.

A gifted teacher, Lynn has led writing classes at more than 100 companies and organizations such as MasterCard, Microsoft, Boeing, Nintendo, REI, AARP, Ledcor, and Kaiser Permanente. Near her home in Seattle, Washington, she has taught managerial communications in the MBA programs of the University of Washington and UW Bothell. She has created a communications course, Business Writing That Builds Relationships, and provides the curriculum at no cost to college instructors.

A recognized expert in business writing etiquette, Lynn has been quoted in "The Wall Street Journal," "The Atlantic," "Vanity Fair," and other media.

Lynn sharpened her business writing skills at the University of Notre Dame, where she earned a master's degree in communication, and at Bradley University, with a bachelor's degree in English.

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