Communication!
It is so easy to miscommunicate, either verbally or in writing. So easy.
When I was renewing my California Brokers License, one of the courses I had to take was Real Estate Contracts. It resonated with me because in the note business, we read a lot of documents, and see very well written agreements and poorly drafted ones that lead to lawsuits between the parties. So, the course section entitled Say What you Mean and Mean What you Say hit home. Here are 3 simple rules to follow:
- Never change your language unless you wish to change your meaning. And always change your language if you wish to change your meaning.
- Do not use different words to denote the same things; and don’t use the same word to denote different things.
- Do not use “and/or”. The expression is ambiguous. It has caused many lawsuits. The words “and” and “or” have quite different meanings. You might think “and/or” means A or B, or both. Not true. Some courts have even said “and/or” means the court can choose either “and” or “or”, whichever the justice of the situation requires. Other courts have come to other conclusions. Don’t use the expression.
Simply put – say what you mean and mean what you say.