Category: Advertising & PR

1. Not knowing your audience and stakeholders – not knowing your audience could mean not only presenting unnecessary and non-essential information, but possibly also presenting it in a manner that the audience does not understand. If a document presents unfamiliar or foreign terms to the audience, then the material is not helpful nor constructive.
2. Ignoring your SMES – find your SME’s (Subject Matter Experts) – listen to them and find out any information you need to complete your documents correctly. Not gathering the right information and not paying attention to updates is not an option. Any misguided information can be disastrous to your audience.
3. Not preserving privacy – not understanding nor maintaining confidentiality of information can be detrimental to an organization. Make sure you know which material has to be handled with discretion.
4. Lacking organization – stay organized, methodical, and in control. This will help you keep your documents organized as well. Make sure there is some logical order to the material as a whole. Do the same within each section of the document. Provide indexes and a table of contents so that pieces of information can be easily located.
5. Underestimating time – not estimating the right amount of time for writing can make you rush and produce a sloppy document.
6. Not being consistent – too many styles and fonts can be confusing for the reader and be visually tiring to the eyes, respectively. You want them to see and absorb the information; not ignore it because it is visually unappealing. Also, be consistent in writing and in how you present your information. The same goes for images and pictures as well – label figures consistently so they can be easily located and followed.
7. Ignoring comments or feedback – do not ignore any comments regarding your writing and presentation. Listen and understand what they are saying to you. They are only trying to help make a more useful and better document. The suggestions may help to provide better readability, flow, or layout.
8. Being too verbose – documents provide a clear and precise presentation – the audience does not determine if the document is good or bad by the number of words that are written. Write what is needed.
9. Lacking images – provide images whenever they are needed to enhance what is written; these are especially needed when giving instructions to perform a crucial task. When describing a whole system, create a system with a top image and then break it down to the most basic components – like a hierarchy.
10. Most importantly not creating backups – forgetting or not creating backups is a disaster to everyone; especially the creator. Make sure you add it to your checklist as one of the essential items to do. Not only is it tiring and frustrating to recreate your work, but it never is the same as the original that was created.

What other fundamentals should be avoided when creating documents?

 

Writing status or progress reports are not fun, but are a necessity. It’s like going to the doctor for a checkup – it’s not fun to go, but it’s a must-do necessity to see if you are well or not. Status reports are a way of communicating to the managers, clients, and stakeholders the state of a project – good or bad.

Purpose

Status reports not only give you a view of a project’s current state, but also what has been achieved, and what has to be achieved – it provides a summary and aids in maintaining some control or management over a project. These reports help by presenting a good idea of what ‘next’ steps need to be taken till project completion is reached.

Beginning

Before you begin the status report, make sure you are well-informed about the project’s business scope so that critical stages can be listed and prioritized. Hence, the status report can include (when necessary) items such as, whether or not there have been or will be issues involved during those critical stages to affect the project either negatively or positively.

Suggestions

• To make creating the status report easier, components can be derived from the project plan. Next, provide additional content or expand on the essentials. If you maintain and/or schedule the status report in the same sequence as the project plan, you can easily see what stage everyone is at within the project, i.e., the status of everyone’s tasks. Any additional items listed in the status report can also be gathered from the requirements document as it will note items such as cost, as well as, e.g., issues or concerns from those involved (resources) to equipment (software/hardware), etc.
• To ensure that you have included all necessary items, create a checklist
• To keep all stakeholders informed, the status report, should be written either weekly or biweekly. How often you create a status report depends on the magnitude and length of a project as well as what’s involved. For example, short-projects and some long-term projects can require a weekly status report. (Long-term projects involving, e.g., major financial subjects may require weekly status reports instead of biweekly.) Most long-term projects require biweekly status reports; especially if time is needed for research or a significant amount of programming.

Format

The status report should always have a consistent format for ease of readability, thus allowing readers to easily pinpoint particular information, such as, whether or not the project is on schedule and on budget. For example, depending on your format, critical issues such as scope changes can be noted in the beginning, and resolved issues can be noted towards the end of the report.

Preparer

The status report cannot be done alone by the project managers. They need input from all project team members. Each member involved from inception to completion (from technical writer to tester) should be required to provide a status to the project manager, who will then gather and assemble all the information. Formal status reports are not needed from all team members; e.g., some programmers can just send an email or verbally state what they are currently working on, what they have completed, as well as their concerns and issues during their weekly/biweekly status meetings.

If you have had to create status reports, what else is needed?

If your content is technical, complex, data driven or numbers-heavy, you will want to listen up. Don’t fall into the camp of “I know it is dry and boring content but I can’t do anything about it…” Instead, try one or all of these strategies to make complex information more engaging and more interesting.

Use the DEEP acronym to help remember these pointers.

Don’t cut yourself short–or go on and on. If you tend to speak your piece so fast you cut out huge chunks of content, start today to slow down and take the time you need. Rehearse so that you know you are going to fit your timeframe, then relax into the content a little bit. On the other hand, if you typically go way overboard with detail, and frequently see eyes glazing over when you speak, then plan for, and deliver, a shorter presentation. You might be able to add a slightly longer Q&A, turning your technical talk into an engaging discussion.

Expertise. Draw from your own experience, not just the word of experts. Use your own stories to paint a picture, build rapport, even add color and life to your speaking. Especially when the content is technical, you will want to “humanize” it by sharing your own reactions, knowledge and opinions as a subject matter expert. As you prepare your presentation, watch for sections that are dry and detailed, or slides that are heavy with content, and look for ways to make them shorter, crisper, and more human.

Enthusiasm. What is it about this material that excites you? If it doesn’t make your heart beat a little faster, chances are it won’t thrill your audience either. You might be better off searching for the one or two parts of it you can really get behind, and then focus on them. Your passion goes a long way toward making the content more interesting to others. If you have never seen this done, I recommend just about any TED talk (at TED.com) to see examples of what happens when an expert shows enthusiasm. It can be magical.

Pay attention to the audience. Just don’t fixate on them. Look at the audience, one at a time. Long enough to feel you are connecting. Not long enough to become a staring contest. See if they look engaged. If not, slow down….and ask a question. Or walk closer toward the crowd. Or stop and tell a story. Ask for a reaction. Or pose a problem and have them discuss it with the people they are sitting next to. Then listen to see if they really are connecting with your content. Don’t drone on and on if your audience has checked out; do something to get them back on board. Don’t assume you will know what to do if this happens; it should be an essential part of your planning process.

Technical presentations can be dry and boring…or engaging and stimulating. You can decide today to try these and other methods to bring your content to life.

Please let me know how they work for you, and what other methods you have found useful.

Author Gail Zack Anderson, founder of Applause, Inc. is a Twin Cities-based consultant who provides coaching and workshops for effective presentations, facilitation skills for trainers and subject matter experts, and positive communication skills for everyone. She can be reached at gza@applauseinc.net.

Web site: www.applauseinc.net

Blog: www.managementhelp.org/blogs

twitter: @ApplauseInc

We have all attended quite a few webinars, events, courses – some very good and some not so good ones. In comparing them, were the good ones due to communicating knowledge well and the not so good ones lacking in communication and knowledge?

The good communicator – Prepares for the topic ahead of time. They also begin with:

• a solid introduction, by giving a heads up to the attendees of what the event will consist of,
• what will be presented,
• when Q&A occurs,
• finds out the level of knowledge of attendees,
• what attendees expect from the speaker,
• manages time accordingly,
• maintains a high level of energy and demeanor, and
• shows no frustration shown by the audience.

The not so good ones – lack all or some of the above attributes when it comes to speaking and presenting the course. The presenter is there to help the attendees, not to frustrate them. The attendees are there because they are somewhat frustrated by a lack of knowledge in a certain area, and the presenter is supposed to fill that void.

Therefore, to succeed:

• What is highly needed is knowing the subject matter. Even if you are a great communicator, if you do not know the material, and some extra knowledge that allows you to answer questions, then a successful session or lecture will not occur.
• Using a few ‘umms’ – sometimes a speaker cannot help but do that even when they are knowledgeable when they are nervous, but as they move on and the audience is attentive, then those ‘’umm’ moments will cease.
• Lecture at a normal speed – speak as if chatting with a friend – then the audience will be able to follow the lecture. Too slow will be boring and put them to sleep and too fast will not allow the audience to absorb what is being said.

To help the presenter, it is always good to also supply the audience with some documentation; either a quick reference sheet, or an outline of the presentation. This way, the audience feels more connected to the subject as well as the speaker, and will not feel that they might get lost.

Other ideas are;

• For important ‘how to’ steps, the presenter could demonstrate processes whenever possible and supply links on the sheet that will redirect them to review what steps were taken.
• For further reading material, as well as more tips, the presenter again can supply a link to some manuals, documents or resource material and reviews that consists of more detailed information on the subject.

When it comes to Q&A time, always listen and try to understand what the real question is being asked. If the audience is enjoying the lecture, individuals will assist and reword what is being asked so that the question can be answered appropriately. Also, if an answer is not known, then there is nothing wrong in saying, the question will be looked into and a solution researched.

So to answer the original question of ‘..were the good ones due to communicating knowledge well and the not so good ones lacking in communication and knowledge?’.

The answer should be ‘yes’ to both questions because there is a distinction between what is a good communicator and a poor one. It depends on the amount of knowledge presented, the ability to answer questions, and listening to the audience.

I have all kinds of excuses. I was fighting off stomach flu and dizziness. I was dragging through my workshop toward the end of the day. I was digging deep to keep going, when suddenly I heard myself say the phrase I always bend over backward not to say, “I want you to……” Inwardly, even in my weakened state, I cringed.

You may have heard me rant about this before. While it’s not the end of the world to say it, it can hit a sour note with anyone who hears it. “I want you” to sounds bossy, arbitrary, and puts the focus on me the instructor or speaker rather than you the learner. It always reminds me of that awful phrase we use on our kids when we are exasperated: “because I say so.”

So when you are in the classroom, the boardroom, or the conference call, what is a better way to move people to action? Try one of these, or something similar that keeps the focus on the request and sounds a lot more polished. Like I could have done in that moment.

Better choices include:

Will you
Will you please
Would you
Would you please
Could you
Please
Shall we
Why don’t we
Let’s
If we could
If you would
Perhaps you would
If you would be so kind
If you are willing
I wonder if you would
It would be great if you would
I invite you to
I encourage you to
I urge you to
Now it’s time to

You may not like all of these phrases. In fact I am sure you won’t. Some will strike you as too direct, others as way too indirect. And some will just appeal more to your personality or style. But note that there are many ways to ask your class or audience to do something without telling them to do it because “I want you to.”

Please note that these “softer” phrases are specifically geared toward situations where you are enlisting support or action, as in training or coaching situations. When you are giving work direction, you may prefer to be more direct and forceful than these phrases suggest. Even so, I would think about stating your request in the “please will you do x” format rather than “I want you to do x.” Again, keeping the focus on the action, not having you do something simply because I want it.

If you are looking for a nicer way to couch your requests, I invite you to try one or more of these. Choose ones that sound like you and that you think would sit well with your listeners and be appropriate in tone. And please, do let me know if you have other phrases you would be willing to share.

In my opinion, using these phrases or ones like them shows more professionalism and more respect in the classroom or meeting room.

Author Gail Zack Anderson, founder of Applause, Inc. is a Twin Cities-based consultant who provides coaching and workshops for effective presentations, facilitation skills for trainers and subject matter experts, and positive communication skills for everyone. She can be reached at gza@applauseinc.net.

Web site: www.applauseinc.net

Blog: www.managementhelp.org/blogs

twitter: @ApplauseInc

When presenting documentation for approval, adjustments have to be made even if there is a set standard and style guide that lends itself to mold out documentation in a unified format.

Sometimes you have to make the adjustments and customize for the client, as not all clients are the same. They may prefer different ways to present what they want, especially to their own stakeholders, employees, or clients, etc. They may accept your explanations or reasoning behind what is presented, but they know their stakeholders best and may say ‘yes, ……’but’….For cases like these, bend the rules and go with whatever the clients wishes, as in the end, it is their choice.

They know their business better than you do and know how the business operates better than you do, so let them finalize, revise, organize, and handle their own forms of written communication. They may have their own communication department and their own standards or traditions to abide by; in other words, they have their own branding to maintain.

What I just described probably falls in the arena of a technical writing consulting communication position. The basis or foundation that you offer can be provided, but then in the end, it is up to the individual or company that you are working with or for. Some companies may just accept what you present and like it. But just as a precaution, prepare for more than one presentation. Be adaptable. Be prepared to change paths as you are speaking and presenting to them. The best way to accomplish this is to rehearse prior to communicating with them and play out different scenarios in your mind ahead of time.

Have you seen that show on television where improvisation takes place? Well you should apply the same techniques when you can. If you are relaxed and are confident and knowledgeable about your work, then you will have no problem. I find that if you are happy or have just laughed at a joke, then you are in a good mood with endorphins rolling in and will have that extra confidence. The audience will like how you are speaking and smiling and thereby exhibiting a lot of energy and vitality. It in turn puts the audience at ease and in a good mood. As a result an informal Q and A can occur where energetic atmospheres are brought about and in turn allows for a- good brainstorming session as well. When this situation arises, more creative ideas can be brought forth.

Even if you think you know your audience pretty well, they may have other priorities or a different agenda that they have to stick to. So when presenting your documentation, have available with you various documentation formats to see which the audience prefers. Be adaptable, confident, and be prepared and ready.

If you have had to make a presentation and have experienced being adaptable and making last minute adjustments, please share your experiences.

Guest Author: Michael Boyette

Chances are you learned how open-ended questions differ from closed-ended ones back in Sales 101. And of course, you learned that open-ended questions are the best kind during sales discovery.

That makes sense, because the yes-or-no answers you get with closed-ended questions don’t stimulate dialogue.

But here’s the rub: An open-ended question doesn’t necessarily engage the prospect emotionally.

That’s where you need to connect. Brain science research suggests that most buying decisions are made emotionally and then justified logically – even when the buyer believes that

emotion didn’t play a significant role.

Emotion-based questions

So it makes good sense to engage the prospect’s emotions early in the sales process. Your discovery questions create a great opportunity to do exactly that.

No matter what you sell or how you sell it, be it over the phone or across a desk, the need for emotional involvement is there with you. The buyer wants to take ownership, and your role is to get them to visualize that ownership, get engaged, build their “buy in,” have trust in you – and sign on the dotted line.

Important note: When we talk about emotional involvement, we don’t mean manipulation, or pressure, or “closing” techniques. We do mean genuine emotional engagement that aims to touch both the heart and mind.

The idea is to develop a different strategy, one that involves emotion-based questions, not just logic-based ones.

Breaking away from logic

As you will see, this concept breaks away from traditional questioning styles, and involves formulating questions that are emotionally engaging.

Before getting into sample questions and phrases you can use as a template, let’s look more closely at the process.

Logic-based questions typically involve old-fashioned “qualifying” questions that buyers often find aggravating or downright annoying. They may even fall into the “none-of-your-beeswax”

category.

Examples include financial questions like “What’s your budget?” or “What are you paying for this now?”

The concept underlying an emotion-based approach is that you want the prospect to qualify themselves because you are engaging and friendly, and sincerely care about them.

To quote Dale Carnegie, “You can make more friends in two months by becoming really interested in other people, than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in

you.”

For example, before jumping into a sales presentation, ask emotion-oriented questions that open with phrases like: “How long have you been considering…” or “What are you hoping for….”

As the sale progresses, ask emotion-based questions like, “Is this what you have in mind?” or “Can you see this achieving your goals?” or “How might your company benefit from this?” Consider going deeper with “What do you think the CEO will say?”

Such questions get prospects to reveal their feelings – and become more engaged. They’re more likely to produce honest answers about your offering and how it will affect their expected outcome.

Help visualize ownership

What follows the purchase is more important to the buyer than the sales process. But drawing out their emotions during the process is the key to getting them to take ownership.

To help them visualize ownership, ask emotion-oriented questions during the presentation: “What do you think about solving this problem once and for all?” “How will your team use this?” or “How do you see this boosting productivity?”

Pleasure, not pain

You hear a lot about “finding the pain” as a key to uncovering a buyer’s real needs. And you can use pain to make an emotional connection. But pain is negative, and can be a turn-off.

Jumping in with pain-oriented questions like “What keeps you up at night?” or “Where does it hurt?” can create a negative, defensive atmosphere. And in any event, the answer you get is very likely to be evasive or only partially true.

Instead, use questions that find the pleasure. That usually lies in the positive emotions around their expected outcome, their true purpose, and their true motives.

—

Author Bio:

Michael Boyette is the Executive Editor of Rapid Learning Institute and thought leader for the Top Sales Dog Blog. Michael is a nationally recognized authority on selling and has written hundreds of articles and training programs for sales reps and sales managers. Over the course of his 30+ year career, Michael has written ten books for publisher such as Simon & Schuster, Dutton, and Holt. Michael has managed public-relations programs for US Healthcare, Bell Communications Research, and DuPont. Michael is a graduate of the University of Florida College of Journalism.

You are going to give a presentation on a new application or product. There will be stakeholders, developers, and some managers at the board meeting. Your hands are sweating and you are short of breath. Do not worry – you are ready. Why? Because you have all your notes, and your presentation is ready. You have created a slide show with outlined material, and you have a binder neatly packaged with information to hand out. The packaged notes are very important, especially for those who may not be able to stay for the complete presentation.

Be aware that your audience may be varied, and may not be familiar with the project, so add in some extra background information to ensure everyone is brought up-to-date. And, to ensure that you have all the necessary information and material that you need, make sure you have documented and included the following:

– An introduction to the new product and its purpose, the reason why this project is needed, and how it benefits the organization.

– Material supporting your work on Identifying, assessing, and analyzing all the business requirements, processes, and risks involved, and your ideas on the best way to present the results.

– Notes on continuous meetings with all stakeholders (managers, developers, users, etc.) and how you have collaborated with others to develop some business cases.

– Time, cost, and resources it will take to reach the end result.

– All the technical and functional specifications; guidelines.

– All the technical information detailing the system and data architecture including taxonomies, metadata, definitions, monitoring, recovery solutions, etc.

– Handouts describing specific topics at a high level and then a breakdown for others.

– Images of prototypes.

– Compliance issues.

– All the required test and regression test plans and respective scenarios.

– What user manuals, lessons, training material will be required and what user support will be needed via customer service.

– All the needed marketing and sales material.

– And finally, an appendix, glossary, reference sheet, etc., if needed.

Create indexed sections for all of the above for easy reference. Be creative and include some tear-out sheets for referral. You can even include a link to the existing packet you are handling out for easy referral. Create mappings, charts, etc., to depict as much information as you can. Include your slides in the packet so that the audience can jot down notes. For the style of the referenced material, use bullets and outlines, or list items for an easy read; shorten verbiage.

For a break, questions can be included at the end of each of section to jolt or remind the audience to consider other additional questions to ask, or to provide recommendations or insights.

Please leave a comment if you have ever had to create a portfolio or a presentation package. What were the drawbacks and benefits?

Presentations don’t have to be formal, stand up affairs. Many times we make our case across the table from a client, a boss or a colleague. It may be tempting to consider these informal presentations as unimportant, but just think what is riding on them — a major sale or business relationship, a raise or promotion, the success or failure of a team initiative or project. Wow! I would say these presentations are every bit as important as the sit-down kind, and deserve our full attention in planning and execution.

To help you remember some of the keys to success across the table, here is a checklist in acronym form.

Tune in to your audience. Take time to think about WHO you are speaking with. WHY is this presentation important? WHAT do they expect to hear? HOW will you make your case compelling, especially if you are suggesting a change or presenting something new? Tune in to the rational as well as the emotional makeup of your audience as you plan what you are going to say.

Attend to your delivery skills. How are you sitting? Are you alert, calm, and facing the other person? Are your arms and legs uncrossed, your hands relaxed? Is your face pleasant and engaged? Are you enunciating clearly, and speaking with conviction? Be sure to breathe, open your mouth, and make steady but not overbearing eye contact as you speak.

Begin and end strong. As in all presentations, your audience will tend to remember what you say first and last. Plan ahead. Think it through. Create a one or two-sentence position statement that is clear and direct. After appropriate (but brief) social niceties, state your point of view, and then back it up with three or four supporting facts. As the discussion comes to a close, use your pre-planned closing comments to summarize your discussion, or to end with a call to action or next steps.

Learn your content. You may think these presentations require no rehearsal, since you don’t plan to be standing up in front of a crowd. But trust me; you can get just as tongue-tied in front of a client or boss. Take a few minutes in the days or hours before this conversation to rehearse your part of the conversation out loud. Record it on your smart phone, and then listen to it. Or have a friend or colleague role-play with you. The payoff will be increased confidence and credibility when you deliver the content to the intended audience.

Expect discussion. These informal presentations most often end up being discussions rather than monologs. Prepare yourself for several possibilities, so that whatever happens, you won’t be blind-sided. Will your listener agree wholeheartedly? Great! But you can’t always be sure how a listener will react. Maybe they will object strenuously. Become angry or defensive, or demand more information. Think about how you might handle each of these outcomes so you at least have a plan in mind. And stay flexible — you can’t always predict what will happen.

So as you see, presentations across the table, although more informal, require some of the same thought and planning that a formal presentation does. The good news is that each time you properly prepare and execute a successful informal presentation, you build and reinforce an important skillset you will use again and again.

How do you prepare for and execute informal presentations and critical discussions? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

As an addendum to the previous post on Tips For A Training Manual, I have to add that communicating information face-to-face is difficult and is even more challenging when you communicate via text. Whether you are writing user manuals, online help, technical documents or release notes for software applications, you need to have certain attributes to be an effective Technical Communicator. Attributes such as:

1) Having technical excellence in understanding the product. The Technical Communicator has to be knowledgeable about the product; its functions and fall-backs in order to write and convey its benefits, requirements, etc.

2) Being analytical and logical (in order to explain soundly what is occurring; the why and the how). This is exceptionally needed when performing quality assurance tasks or creating test plans.

3) Understanding the organizations surroundings or the environment; its culture. The writer has to be alert and be able to use intuitive feelings to see and grasp certain conditions or situations to communicate what is needed; a content strategist. An example is when an organization does not realize that additional types of documents are needed, e.g., when a company with many writers in different departments would benefit from a style guide.

4) Being aware of the user’s experience, i.e., how they can use the application software or product. With this in mind, it’s not just, e.g., describing how to navigate from one screen to another. It’s about clarifying and detailing what the user needs to know, as well as taking into consideration how users operate.

5) Understanding the client. This attribute is especially needed within global organizations to prevent misunderstandings leading to product errors.

6) Understanding the SME (Subject Matter Expert). This is crucial for being able to translate details, e.g., business processes or data requirements.

7) Having interviewing, listening, and collaborating skills. Knowing how to paraphrase a question to get the appropriate response, understanding what is being conveyed, and being able to interact with individuals to gather your data, respectively, are necessary interpersonal social skills

8) Being organized. Managing and keep track of all the information that needs to be explained is not an easy task. Being methodical will aid in creating structured concise documents.

9) Being a designer. Technical Communicators are visual designers too. They have to be able to know the audience well enough to customize and present the documents in an appealing creative manner.

10) Writing capably. Writing is not just about grammar and vocabulary. To communicate technically via writing, the information has to be detailed, clear, concise, and complete.

11) Being adaptable. Having flexibility is needed for last minute changes and for cases when unforeseen events cause new incidents. Constant changes occur all the time. The communicator has to be flexible enough to accept these changes and to make necessary adjustments. Being adaptive is also being able to adapt to how you relate to your audience.

Bringing all the above together, presents an effective Technical Communicator.

What other attributes would you add to be an effective Technical Communicator?