Here's a tip for those who rely on the written word to sell, advertise or otherwise promote their business: Don't look foolish in print. For instance, if you write your own marketing copy but you don't write for a living, at least have a professional writer edit your work before you let the rest of the world see it. A couple hours of editing is well worth what you spend when you consider the cost of not being edited.

There's probably a reason you don't write for a living. There is certainly a reason that professional writers do. Nothing reveals an amateur like embedded ungrammatical bombs in the first sentence of your sales letter or brochure. Nothing undermines credibility like copy that reads as if were written by a high school dropout. If you doubt this, consider the impression you get when you're speaking to a business associate who uses the wrong word, or poor grammar, or simply has trouble explaining what he means.

How much faith do you place in his advice or opinion? Even when all else is equal, which presentation persuades you more, the one with garbled English or the one without?

So, don't lose prospects by appearing amateurish or incompetent. The proper tense, correct spelling, the appropriate tone. Such refinements may seem minor. But IBM and General Motors take care not to use bad grammar in their marketing material. Shouldn't you? If being embarrassed and chasing off potential clients is not enough of a reason to get professional help, here's another: A professional writer can help you focus on what it is you should say.

The clearer your message, the greater the percentage of readers who will read it. The more who read it, the more you are likely to persuade. A copywriter familiar with marketing strategy can improve your material even beyond clarity. For example, home-brewed marketing copy often rambles on and on about the features of a product or service.

Entrepreneurs often are so in love with what they sell, be it garden tools or financial planning services, that they fail to appreciate it from a customer's point of view.

Any seasoned marketing copywriter knows that features are secondary to benefits in the mind of the buyer. Your copy should always stress the product's benefits to the buyer. Only then will the product's features become germane. So don't say: "Buy our tree trimmer because it has rubber grips, sharp blades and long handles." Rubber grips, sharp blades and long handles are features. They are important only if the customer first understands how they will benefit him. Instead, say: "Our tree trimmer protects your hands while making the job easy and convenient."

For a copy of Landsbaum Communications valuable booklet, Write Right — Tips and Techniques to Profit Your Business by Writing Right, send $4.95 to Landsbaum Communications, 1577 Deer Crossing Drive, Diamond Bar, CA 91765. Make your check payable to "Landsbaum Communications."

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