Do You Have a Good / or a Bad /?

The slash (/) has many different names like stroke, slant and right leaning stroke to name a few. Most of us define it as a substitute for the words “and” / “or” for example, his/her, which is a good use of the slash to mean “or.” Looking on LinkedIn I see / used a lot like Residential/Commercial or REALTOR®/Broker, which I think is very good while explaining you are working in the same field wearing a slightly different hat, but close.

One of the most famous slashes in sports was Kordell Stewart with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was a Quarterback/Wide Receiver/Running Back and became known simply as /. In Kordell’s case having all those slashes enabled him to have a 11-year career in the NFL.

Let’s discuss good slashes.

Many of us have divisions in our career; I looked at my LinkedIn account and would need 5 slashes to list everything I am currently doing. All 5 areas are closely related and work well together, and actually strengthen the different areas I list. A speaker needs research on a subject, which leads to writing and can lead to training. Listing tasks done with different organizations can offer credibility but again, like Kordell Stewart, it’s all in the same arena of work.

Now bad slashes.

When looking for a professional to provide you a product or service, you need to see if they have a slash. Would you go to a Doctor/Uber Driver? Lawyer/Lawn Care? As you can see, the slash can help you or cause people to doubt your commitment to the primary product or service you are offering.

During the housing crunch of 2008 I saw many REALTORS® adding a slash to help them through rough times. I see new agents concerned about leaving a current position to take on a new challenge in real estate and adding the slash. The public sees the slashes and, I am sure, consider the slash when selecting a person to help them.

So, I ask again: do you have a good / or a bad /?