In both networking and marketing advice, you’ll hear as many references to “multiple touches” as you will see bags of candy corn on sale racks on November 1st. It’s great advice, because in both areas businesspeople are trying to turn first meetings into lasting and beneficial relationships. What gets mentioned far less often is the chilling effect of “Bad Touch,” which is when well-meaning businesspeople send touches that have the opposite of their intended effect.

The most common Bad Touch is inattention to detail or quality. It’s a horror when potential clients and customers receive business cards, brochures or mailers with poor grammar or spelling, and/or distorted or cheap graphics. EEK! No matter your business type, the message you’ve just sent about your disregard for detail shrieks from the printed page. Customers may not precisely pinpoint your errors, but if they value quality, an uneasiness with your brand and company will creep into their subconscious. On the web, such mistakes are much more terrifying. First, because websites touch potential customers many times. And second, because web errors can be corrected instantaneously. When the errors are allowed to linger, the very scary “you don’t know or don’t care” message is magnified.

Other Bad Touch examples include fragmented branding, misdirected messaging, and… well, think of it like this: Picture the poor, misunderstood Frankenstein monster, trying earnestly to communicate with townspeople, but lacking the skills to do so. WIth each greeting, he gets farther away from his goal of connecting with people until the relationships are irreparably damaged. Don’t Frankenstein your communications. Let us hook you up with the right skills and thinking to get people running in the right direction.

Have a Happy Halloween, everyone!