I had a stark realization this week! I use too many exclamation points! It is rare for me to email with none!
Studies show that women use exclamation points far more than men in the workplace to appear friendly and less curt. On the flip side, they can also make you seem less professional.
Lily, the newsletter editor from working mom community, Chairman Mom, tried an experiment: For 24 hours, she refused to use exclamation points in any communication.
I tried the same. It was eye-opening. 95% of my exclamation points weren't necessary. Taking them out made me feel (and sound) more confident.
Do a quick scan of your writing. Can you up your game by toning down your punctuation?
BTW, you should check out Chairman's Mom's online community of working moms if you haven't already. Smart people answering two mom-questions a day.
