Category: Advertising & PR

There are now many social media avenues by which technical writers could use to provide the information required by their target audience. We have FaceBook, Twitter, YouTube, Blogging, Pinterest to just to name a few. With all these social media mediums, do we still need to provide paper documentation or should we just answer questions from users via social media channels? Social media contains user generated content. Will readers be more apt to read documentation on electronic devices than on paper? We are so tied to our mobile devices, that maybe, we should just place all our documentation online. We have the Kindle, iPad, iPhone, Android, Nook, blogs, webinars, and podcasts, etc., just to name a few which can all communicate technical information electronically.

The target audience can gain access to all the information they need quickly and when they want no matter where they are. They can perform searches quickly for specific information and send comments and ask questions when they want no matter where the SME (Subject Matter Expert) is located. SME’s can be reached via links, e.g., tweets which can be added to the end of documents and get immediate responses; especially for critical questions and situations. All these new communication lines also keep all stakeholders abreast of critical situations, new knowledge, and keeps everyone up-do-date on all the latest events.

Even though this all sounds logical and exciting, should we do that? We still have to be aware of some drawbacks or problems. Not every type of information can be placed within social media channels, especially if it is related to confidential information. Confidential information is a huge entity. Each organization will have to decide which types of documents can be placed online for social media access, which to remain on paper format, and of course which to store/archive elsewhere. If the organization has an intranet or has been storing data within the cloud, they can set it up with privilege access only to retain confidentiality.

As a whole, using social media is useful for technical writers. Social media would provide easier accessibility to SMEs, users, upper management and those across all levels of the organization. One of the technical writers functions is to create help content and assist in creating marketing material. All these materials add to the good credibility of the organization and its products. Social media for technical writers in this area provides a plus for consumer service and sociability. If there is a problem w/a purchase or a question, the consumers can immediately, e.g., text, or tweet customer service quickly and the customer service personnel would be able to perform the search and provide answers quickly. In turn the customers/consumers, could, e.g., re-tweet about the organization, its support and cooperation, and might even reply with new suggestions or products for the company.

What do you think?

Let’s begin with those Killer slides. These days, there is just no excuse for poorly designed slides. Pick up a book like Resonate by Nancy Duarte, or Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds. You will quickly see that less is more, that slides need to be visually appealing, and that you can use the rule of thirds to create visual harmony. If you don’t have enough time for the books, read the blogs by these and other experts to get plenty of good ideas about creating slides with visual appeal. I especially like Reynolds’ before-and-after slides that show how to highlight information rather than obscuring it.

In addition to simplicity and harmony, add photos. You might subscribe to a royalty-free photo service where you purchase credits, pay as you go, or purchase a subscription for a certain time. These services provide royalty free photos that you can easily search by topic. Tight budget? There are hundreds of creative commons sites, including Flickr’s Creative Commons area. These images are typically free to use, as long as you follow the stated rules on their use and on giving proper credit for the photos you use. Another great option is to use photos you take yourself. Your team, nature, or objects can all be useful, and you’ll have unique photos without the worry about who owns the rights. I especially like to crop my pictures, or remove the background, or change the artistic effects or color. This is such a fast and easy way to customize your photos and graphics, and to show something unique.

In addition to simplicity and photos, consider turning those ugly bullet-pointed lists into graphics quickly by converting them to Smart Art in PowerPoint™. With one or two clicks you can put text into a circle (great for a quotation or phrase,) show relationships or just turn long lists into boxes or colorful shapes. And you can change the color or style with a single click. For some simple examples, look below. This is quick, colorful and almost too easy. Just don’t get carried away by all the options available. Your overarching goal is to communicate the information in a more eye-appealing manner, not to try out every effect possible.

Finally, remember KISS. It seems to stand for either Keep it Simple, Stupid, or Keep it Short and Simple, which I think is a little nicer and more to the point. In any case, keep your visuals as clean, uncluttered and simple as you can. Photos and color always look best on a simple white background (rather than prepackaged templates.) But even on a simple background, if you add too many boxes, fonts, and styles, and shapes, it can quickly look cluttered, so keep subtracting rather than adding.

Another aspect of KISS is with animations and translations between slides. Most of the time these are just plain unnecessary. If you have one or two simple builds or transitions in a presentation, they can add impact. Too many and they are just distracting. If you do use an occasional animation, don’t use crazy ones that swoop in and spin around three times….unless somehow that is the point you are trying to make.

Go through your slides one final time to ensure headings are all the same font and size, that clutter has been removed, and that typos and punctuation errors have been corrected. Better yet, get a second set of eyes to proof read it, because chances are you are too close to see these little things that can be so annoying to your audience.

Yes, all this takes time. But if you keep it simple enough, and use fewer slides, you should have just enough time left over to rehearse your presentation out loud one more time. I guarantee that will be time well spent.

One of the most difficult things to do is to describe to someone how to put something together or how to operate a device. How do you communicate to someone the procedure to put parts together to build a plane, boat, or car? Or how do you put the pieces of a table or chair together? For objects such as Lego pieces, images are constantly used rather than text as that seems to be the easiest way to communicate to the target audience (mainly children – but I do like them as well). So why don’t we always use pictures? We can label each item numerically or alphabetically and just say to insert A1 to B1 and B1 to C1 and work our way to the end of the alphabet and then begin again with A2 to B2 and B2 to C2. Everything remains in sequence. But what if you needed to turn B2 at an angle to fit into A2 or how do you indicate the procedure to screw or hammer the bolt or nail A1 to B1? Can a picture show that? Using only images can work in certain cases, but for other situations, it would be more advantageous or easier to communicate the instructions via images and text. Images (drawings, cartoons, stick figures, etc) alone, can convey certain instructions but you need to be constantly imaginative. If you are not, the easiest way would be to describe the procedure and apply an image.

Look at a toaster manual. I cannot think of one appliance that we have purchased that does not have a manual minus text and images, such as, the toaster manual. Notice that even before we are told how to operate the toaster, or how to plug the toaster into an outlet, we are given warnings with what not to do. All critical information is always towards the front after the introduction section. The technical writer realized that there was a danger involved in using the appliance and decided to place the warnings up front. Notice that the warnings are not just plain text. They have a special warning icon as well as being denoted in a different font. How can the warning have been displayed via images alone? The next section within the manual (following the precautions) contains diagrams of all the mechanical parts that the consumer needs to be aware of for the operation of the toaster. Again, text and images are used.

I know I chose a simple devise, to develop a question or a point, but what if we were describing the use of a more complicated piece of equipment? And what if we were to distribute this device globally? How would we be able to illustrate how to operate it?

As technical writers we always have to remember to communicate the essentials in a simple and appealing format. So I think in most cases, you need both images and text, but yes there are cases where only images do work. What do you think?

We continue with the alphabet of presenting.

J is for the pure Joy of presenting. How often we view presenting as a chore, something to be worried over, gotten though, and sometimes frightened by. The truth of it is, if we can get into the moment, presentations can be nearly effortless and even joyful. In addition, when we come from joy, not fear, our presentations are far more compelling to our listeners. Yes, you need to be as fully-prepared as the situation requires, no matter how much time it takes. But instead of approaching the presentation with dread, approach it with joy. This is an opportunity to connect and influence people. This is a chance to do good in the world. Use a little self-talk if you need to: “This is a joyous occasion, and I am so happy to be speaking and influencing people in a positive way.”

Speaking of joy, J is also for Jagger. Mick, that is. Here is an old soul, a 68 year old rocker who still rocks. Picture his swagger, observe how he uses his whole self to communicate with his audiences, think about the joy he brings to performances. Tentative? Timid? Unsure? No way! Here is a guy who goes all-out no matter what. I suspect if each of us had that mind-set and that commitment to our causes, our presentations would be so much richer and more compelling. Swagger a little? Better than creeping around feeling like a mouse. If you can’t rock your own presentations, who can?

J is also for Jobs, Steve Jobs. Well known for his casual dress and his conversational style, but also for the Wow Factor he always brought to presentations and announcements. Here is what I want you to know about Jobs; he wasn’t born that way. By all accounts, he started out a low-key, rather unimpressive speaker. In order to achieve the greatness we all associate with him, he had to work harder than most, and he spent untold hours rehearsing over and over, every aspect of the presentation, until it looked natural and spontaneous. Don’t resent the time it takes you to prepare in order to look smooth and polished in your delivery. In the long run, all your presentations and everyday communication will be better as a result.

There you have it, Joy, Jobs and Jagger.

With social media connecting us to more people globally, technical writing was sure to follow the same path. What does it take to be a global technical writer? How much the global clients need and what they need has to be clearly defined. The key will be in understanding the local culture and language. But how will this interpretation and translation of terms be understood if you are not there? Think of this as providing e-training and you are providing a distance learning program – it might help you in figuring out new ways to get your information across. But here are some ideas to think about.

In terms of writing:

• Create a standardized dictionary of terms (including terms to avoid) and spelling (remembering spellings such as ‘color’ vs ‘colour’).
• Be flexible in adjusting your use of words depending on whom you’re writing for. One culture may like explicit detailed longer explanations, whereas another may like short succinct definitions. As with many target audiences, another culture may prefer illustrations instead of words, or both, or videos or webinars instead.
• Plan out your documents and create outlines for approval.
• Determine ahead of time how you will be managing changes or updates.
• Give appropriate examples within explanations; make it pertinent to the product or application. Do not use examples that the client’s culture may not understand.
• Get your first draft authorized to ensure you are writing the way you are supposed to be and are relaying the correct information using the correct terms. It is better to find out the problem areas up front than have bottlenecks later on and be late on delivery

In terms of managing:

• Make sure you have all the information you need before you begin writing.
• Prepare questions ahead of time for meetings to ensure there’s no misunderstanding before you begin producing your document.
• Make sure the same tools or technology is being used for sending and receiving information. It would be a waste of time if you wrote, illustrated, created videos or used other means to transfer knowledge in one particular format and the client didn’t have those applications.
• Have open lines of communication to ensure knowledge and comprehension is correctly conveyed
• Make sure that deadlines and milestones are understood by all parties- hold intermittent status meetings to ensure that everyone is still on the same page and that the project is progressing as it should.
• Be flexible with time schedules depending on whom you’re meeting with.
• Be sure to answer the question ‘how to handle security of the document’ if that is an issue.
• Invest in a document managing system if the need arises to maintain organization.

As a gobal technical writer, you have to envision or put yourself in the place of the stakeholders. There will be a lot of translation hindrances or obstacles, but being vigilant about maintaining direct communication will decrease the number of error and barriers.

If you have had experience being a global technical writer, please share your experience.

Have you ever stumbled a little over your introduction? I sure have! I vividly remember once I was being introduced, and the person introducing me forgot my name. The nervousness must have been contagious, because when I started to speak, I practically forgot my own name as well. Not an auspicious beginning, right?

Introductions are such a great opportunity to step up and make a powerful first impression, and with a little advance thinking, you can ace this important aspect of presenting.

3 Tips for introducing yourself

1. Don’t leave it to chance. This part of your presentation is so important that you will want to plan and rehearse it. And if you are uncomfortable speaking about yourself in this way, do your best to get past it. Your audience needs to know a little about you in order to make a connection with you. They also need to know you care about them, which is why I often talk about the audience and their concerns first, ask a few questions, get them engaged, and then tell them about me.
2. Add something personal. My goal in my introductions is to connect with the audience. One way to do that is to tell a little story about yourself, as long as you make it brief. One of my favorite stories involves the time I was at a conference and on break I met some participants that would be in a future session. They all glanced at me, and then one person spoke up: “Oh, you’re the presentation lady.” At first I was so impressed that my reputation preceded me, I just smiled. But when no one else smiled, I got it. They knew who I was and they were nervous about the session. I have been able to use the story several times, and it always gets a chuckle. It also reminds me not to get too big-headed.
3. Don’t tell all. Instead of going on and on about yourself, think about what you have in common with the audience and then stress that part of your background rather than giving a detailed biography. One of my clients is in the agriculture business, and every time I ask people to introduce themselves, practically every one mentions having grown up on a farm. Now, I was a city kid, so I can’t pretend otherwise, but I can mention the summers I spent on my uncle’s farm. That resonates more than going into great depth about all my credentials and professional background, most of which they could care less about. Having spent some time on a farm creates a personal connection that is more important than degrees or honors.

Introducing yourself is a key component of your presentation, and one that is often overlooked. Do yourself and your audience a big favor; take time to prepare and polish your opening so you can make a great first impression and get your presentation off to a strong start.

The cloud (virtual software service) and mobile devices are now being used more and more as a means to provide users easier access to documentation and training. What does that mean for Technical Writers? It means more opportunities, work, imagination, and knowledge,

More opportunities will exist for the Technical Writer to become involved in working with the latest authoring tools and applications to create the written material (from requirements, specifications, compliance, training, marketing material, etc.), the latest mediums (mobile devices, i.e., tablets and smart phones) used to display the work, and the latest service technology (the cloud). The Technical Writer‘s passion for learning will be quenched in this area..

More work will exist for the Technical Writer, because many corporations, public and private, now want to place their documents on the cloud, but in what fashion and how will they all be managed, organized, tracked, and remain secure, which documents should be cloud based for archiving and which ones should not (i.e., sensitive matter), and which ones need to be easily accessed? Will training and marketing material and proposals go onto the cloud for easier accessibility, but not specifications? To answer this, the Technical Writer will have to interview all stakeholders up front before creating any documents for the cloud or mobile devices.

More imagination will be needed by the Technical Writer to organize, categorize, and manage the material in such a way that the users can access what they want and need efficiently. Should an application be created up front so that the user can easily view what he is searching for and then present all related documents, or should they be listed within simple folders by project or both or should the company invest in new applications such as content management systems? Throughout the process, the Technical Writer as a visual and user experience designer has to ensure ease of navigation and graphically friendly interfaces to provide what the user wants and needs.

More knowledge will be required by the Technical Writer to grasp the new technology, and to also remember the requirements of the organization and its stakeholders. The Technical Writer will need to understand the technology’s capabilities, understand how it fits within the business structure (and system architecture) of the company, and be able to convey it to others, especially when writing Request For Proposals. This is emphasized because without this knowledge, the writer will not be able to document nor communicate the business reasoning, process, scope, nor desired outcome of the project.

Throughout this whole process, consistency and order must be maintained. One of the attributes of being a good Technical Writer is that of maintaining consistency and accuracy. To accomplish this, the Technical Writer will need to perform functions as an analyst and a project manager in order to keep the goal in sight. This will not be an easy task, but if done in small steps, is achievable.

As you know, we continue our alphabetical count-down of communication attributes and skills. Today we focus on some key words for the letter H.

H is for…

Heart. When we focus on just the facts, we are missing such a critical element; the heart. Great speakers speak from their hearts. They have an attitude of caring about the content and the audience. They have a personal connection that can only come from caring. Keep asking yourself; why am I speaking rather than just sending the information in an email? What difference can I make? Why do I care, and why should the audience?

Head. The logical side must also matter. You may choose to use statistics, examples or testimony, but in each case select your facts carefully, quote them accurately, and spell out the “so what” of each piece of evidence. Don’t make the assumption that facts or statistics will automatically create the connections you are trying to make. And don’t rely only on facts and statistics, but balance them with heart or emotion. This is why stories and case studies are so compelling; they can blend fact and feeling.

Humor. The great speakers can find humor in nearly any situation, and they know how to use it deftly. If you can make your audience laugh in the first two minutes, you will probably “have them” throughout your presentation, no matter how serious the material. How to do this? Play with words, exaggerate slightly, laugh at yourself (gently,) tell a story or anecdote that gets a laugh but makes a point relating to the content. Watch how subtly and simply great speakers get a chuckle that brings the whole room together. And then practice ways you can do it that are authentic and comfortable for you.

Honesty. Remember how your children howled when they received a shot from the nice doctor? I think the howl was indignation as much as or more than pain. “You didn’t tell me this was going to hurt!” they seem to be saying. You can’t beat honesty. Your audience will probably sense that they aren’t hearing the truth. And they will resent you once they know the truth. You can try to sugar-coat it all you want. And you can downplay it if you dare. But speaking straight is probably going to be more successful in building trust in the long run. Yes, “This is going to hurt a little, but the outcome will be worth a bit of pain now.”

Are you speaking with Heart and Head, Humor and Honesty? If yes, let us know how this is working for you, and if not, start today. Yes, this is going to take some effort, but the results will likely be well worth your time.

If you are currently employed:

• begin to write even if it is about a simple process or procedure that you perform daily.
• write about your job and what the requirements are for that position.
• write about all your daily tasks and how long it takes to perform the job.

This is a good way to see if you really would like to become a Technical Writer because when you begin to write about your functions, you might see that it is not an easy task.

To improve your skills, take classes to develop or improve:

• your writing and grammar skills, as documents have to be clear, precise, and error-free.
• your communication skills for not only conveying instructions within documents, but for also improving your understanding and listening skills.

To search out writing opportunities, you could:

• begin by reviewing a list of potential jobs and their requirements. Find and focus on those companies that interest you and see what types of documents they produce, review their style of writing, and see if you can be of help to them. Also, consider other writing opportunities and see if you can begin to work as an intern.
• look into communication as well as presentation positions as these also involve a lot of writing. From that experience, you can then call yourself a Technical Communicator. Also look into analysis, coordinator, translator, and training positions as they all involve communication and writing skills.
• also look into freelancing positions to make sure you would enjoy being a Technical Writer. These positions are good to work in because you will experience what it is like to have to stick to set deadlines and simultaneously be flexible enough to adjust to changing requirements. In other words, it will show you how adaptable you are
• become a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in a particular field by taking classes for any technical skills that really interest you, and write about it
• start off in a writing group to meet others and network. With today’s social media advantages, join groups on and off line and communicate\meet up with others.

The skills for a successful technical writing career are similar to those for success in any career. Be focused, logical, organized creative, persistent, know the product, and apply the new platinum rule ‘treat others the way they would like to be treated’. If you do not get along with your clients, users, or SMEs then you won’t be successful. Make sure you understand each other and that you are all on the same page especially when beginning a new project.

Here are some of the words starting with the letter G that we can use to describe a highly effective speaker. See which ones you resonate with, and then let me know if you can think of others.

Gracious. I know it sounds obvious, but when we are speaking we often become terribly self-focused. Instead of thinking about yourself, imagine what you would do if you had special guests coming to your home. You would clean and tidy your home, put yourself into a receptive mood, and then greet them at the door. You would be welcoming, friendly and kind. In other words, gracious. Somehow we get into the mindset that our special guests (audience members) are boors and we have to be on our guard at all times. Afraid of what questions they might ask. Afraid we might be boring. Or worse, wrong. What if you relaxed, smiled and treated them with warmth and graciousness? Make the people connection. It is far more important–at least at the beginning–than the data.

Greeting. Quick! What is the first thing you should say when you begin a presentation? When you pick up the phone you say “hello” or “good morning,” so why wouldn’t you start with a greeting in a presentation? Without a greeting you can sound cold and set an unfriendly tone. Take time for a smile and a hello. But no need to go overboard with gratuitous “thank you for being here” comments. Especially if people have been told they must attend, or feel they must. Instead, how about a warm and sincere “Good morning! I am so glad you are here. Let’s get started.” Ten seconds. Bam!

Gestures. When we are at ease, we rarely think about our hand gestures. They just happen…naturally. Somehow when we stand up to speak, we are struck with an odd kind of awkwardness and self-consciousness. Suddenly we don’t know how to use these appendages which had been doing just fine without our attention. We clam up and shut down, jamming hands into pockets or clasping them tightly. Not good. Begin to pay attention to what your hands do when you are engrossed in a conversation. Try to allow the same thing to happen when you are presenting or speaking in front of a group. Great gestures are descriptive, varied, and expressive. You can’t “make” yourself gesture, you can only let it happen.

What other words come to mind when you think about highly effective speakers? Next time–the letter H. Any suggestions?