---
title: Excessive use of apostrophes is killing your sales
description: For want of a nail' is a proverb that describes how the little things add up to big things. Here's a little thing I bet you are overlooking
image: https://thesaleswhisperer.com/hubfs/Blog_Featured_Images/pexels-7986976.jpg
---

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[Get The Daily](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/daily)

 Feb 01, 2019

# Excessive use of apostrophes is killing your sales

![Picture of Wes Schaeffer](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Wes%20Schaeffer%2c%20The%20Sales%20Whisperer%20black%20white.png?width=50&name=Wes%20Schaeffer%2c%20The%20Sales%20Whisperer%20black%20white.png) [Wes Schaeffer](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/author/wes-schaeffer)

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**For Want of a Nail**   
For want of a nail the shoe was lost.   
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.   
For want of a horse the rider was lost.   
For want of a rider the message was lost.   
For want of a message the battle was lost.   
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.   
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

Today I read one of those oh-so-inspiring and oh-so-unique and oh-so-wonderful memes on Instagram from a legitimately oh-so-fantastic company that is the hands down leader in their space and it read 

> "A river cuts through rock, not because of it's power, but because of **it's** persistence."

**"it's persistence?"**

Is it just me or is that like nails on a chalkboard? 

Now I'm an "insider" in the world of digital marketing and internet marketing, so I know "how the sausage is made" when it comes to social media marketing...and it ain't pretty.

I also know the owner and the leadership team at this company and I know that they have outsourced their social media marketing.

They have a huge following across the major social media platforms so either the social media marketing company has done a great job or (more likely) the company has created a loyal customer base by creating great products and they get followers despite the grammatically-challenged social media company they use.

But we do judge books by their covers.

[We do make decisions in the blink of an eye](https://amzn.to/378QYrM).

And a bunch of little things in business—like nails for your horseshoes—add up to be big things.

Sure, the average college freshman reads at the 6th grade level (according to Renaissance Learning) so most of your readers won't catch the little mitsake...misatke... mistake like using its instead of it's.

But some will.

Those "some" are the discerning ones.

Those "discerning ones" may click away and delay their engagement with you.

And we all know that time kills deals.

**For Want of a Lead**  
For want of one more lead the prospect quota was missed.  
For want of a prospect the appointment quota was missed.  
For want of an appointment the proposal quota was missed.  
For want of a proposal the sales quota was missed.  
For want of missed sales quotas...the company was lost.

Detials...details matter.

Market like you mean it.  
Now go sell something.

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## [Here's what I believe and believe in. How 'bout you?](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/i-believe)

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## [The Oscars During World War II](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/oscars-world-war-ii)

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 Aug 26, 2013

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