Recently, I was asked to give feedback on some marketing pieces. I was happy to do it, but worried because while I am always well intentioned, sometimes I am blunt. My husband calls me Frank. I diligently reviewed the piece and wrote my recommendations for improvement, as well as the specifics of why the pieces were not working. And then I asked Mr. Frank to review it to make sure the tone was what I intended.

While I am a professional communicator, I never underestimate the value of an extra pair of eyes. And the closer you are to the subject matter, the more important it is that someone else review it. Jargon, corporate speak, acronyms can muddy the water of the story you are trying to tell. And while it all makes sense to you, your reader might misunderstand.

Early in my career, I worked for a localization company. We translated software and  technical documents into other languages–French, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese. We always had a native speaker review the translation. This really brought home the importance of getting someone to review your work. The famous Chevy Nova story is a great example of that. The car didn’t sell well in Spanish-speaking countries because no va means no go in Spanish.

So get a reviewer for anything you are sending to a broad audience. It’s important.