Category: Advertising & PR

I’ve come up with the following tips to follow when creating a document. You can think of it as a checklist. Hope you find it helpful.

• Know your SME (Subject Matter Expert) – find them and collaborate; create relationships and work with them and inform them of why you’re there; use any opportunity to gather information. Help them help you-assist them by preparing questions and information that you already know and find out what is relevant. Ask what (is the product or its features, etc.), why (is it done this way, was it created, etc.), where (does this take place or belong, etc.), when (does or did this occur, etc.), how (is a process or procedure done, etc.) and who (is affected or is involved, etc.).
• Know your target audience and their preferences – share and connect; find out what they want and need and in what format, be it video, print matter, charts, or training sessions. Show examples of previous documents to find out what they prefer.
• Make sure your stakeholders are all in sync before any material is created; else you will be rewriting and rewriting.
• Be concise and get to the point, make it simple – less verbiage, No more than 5 sentences per paragraph; use outlines, create quick reference guides and style guides for easy referral.
• Use illustrations, tables, charts, graphics, print screens – let the image do the describing and make sure you note any exceptions to any process. Use icons, bullets, numbers and alphabetize – make it visually appealing and be organized and helpful by separating out data or material.
• More white space – have plenty of white space- great for notes and readability.
• Check your grammar and spelling – get the words right; correct and simple and know your terminology.
• Know your timeline, workload, and prioritize – don’t be late; be organized and ready. Know your goals and schedule deliverables accordingly.
• Get it verified and authorized – make it good to go.
• Create your style guide and check list – list necessities or requirements, and maintain consistency and standardization.
• Listen and learn, be open – be knowledgeable and collaborate.
• Your words are your voice – be a trainer through written material. You are the editor, illustrator, and designer of your information. But most importantly, you translate information in a clear and easy to understand language to your target audience.
• You are the knowledge manager – the gatekeeper; make sure you track and organize your documents.

If you have other tips to share, please leave a comment.

Starting this week, let’s explore the qualities of great presenters, starting with A and going all the way to Z. In each post I will list one or several attributes of great presenters and communicators, and suggest some ways you can build that characteristic in your own speaking.

If you want to play along, suggest your own great words starting with the letter for that week. Better yet, help me out by suggesting a word for the next letter of the alphabet! And let me know how you are using these ideas to build your own habits and characteristics for great speaking.

A is for:

Authentic. Great presenters are real, genuine. They don’t put on an act when they speak. They are with the audience, not performing or speaking at the audience. They are transparent, honest. They are direct, truthful, and kind. They make mistakes and are human. What you see is what you get.

Agile. Great presenters are nimble, quick on their feet. The only way to get that is to know your content backward and forward. To be in the present moment. To prepare for contingencies. And to trust yourself and the audience. To recognize that being with your audience imperfectly is always better than a word-perfect, canned speech.

Adaptable. Great presenters know when to stick to their guns and when to adapt. When you face an audience, you have already prepared your content based on what you want to say and what you think they want to hear. But things change. Your audience may have a different agenda than you. If you stick to your script, you may have a very unhappy experience. Perhaps you can adjust to meet their needs while still getting your point across. A win-win!

Attractive. That is, you attract and hold the attention of the audience by speaking their language, by connecting with them at a personal level. That you are willing to use charm and humor as well as fact and detail to win them over. It also means you believe in what you are saying, and that belief and passion can be very attractive to your listeners.

Your turn: How have you been able to live out these qualities? What other words starting with the letter “a” come to mind when you think of great presenters? What are some words starting with “b” that I can write about in the next installment?

A company should always have a process in place whenever changes occur. This should be noted in a department Style Guide as a process. If it already exists, make sure that document revisions are part of the change process and that all necessary people are notified of changes. The change process will ensure that the process of updating the document is completed smoothly and without any consequences. The reason behind the update, the result desired, and the accuracy of the change has to be documented and distributed to all involved.

Updates

As an example, when an application request comes in and an application has to be modified, the reason behind the request as well as how it changed and who was involved has to be noted before any steps are taken. From the onset, to ensure a smooth transition, the appropriate people should be notified as soon as word of a possible change might occur. This will provide ample time for the technical writer and project planner to prepare for the updates. The writer can pull the necessary, essential, or any related documentation that will be affected and the planner can add the project to his schedule with adequate resources. Note: This is why a list of documents, their location, related projects, dates and last updated date should always be noted for the technical writer, researcher, and developer.

Organization

Organize or categorize documents on a list (i.e., a spreadsheet or a table) according to what is most suitable for the organization or for you. If images or graphics are involved, these should also be located in one folder and then broken down by project with sub folders if needed. Add links to these images, figures, or graphics within your table. This way, they can be easily located and retrieved, and have appropriate updates completed.

Check List

For each of the updates, validate them using a check list that was created to ensure that all relevant information was noted and modified with accuracy. It is a good idea to also include the following categories to the checklist along with any sub items: notifications, tests, approvals, projects, locations, users, etc. We want to be absolutely sure we did not omit anything.

To maintain documentation accuracy, remember to always get it verified upon completion and signed off. If you have additional tips, please leave a comment.

Whenever I ask people what, in their opinion, makes for an appealing speaker or presenter, the first word out of their mouth is usually “confident.” We all want to look and sound confident, and we all fear looking, well, nervous and scared. One of the easiest ways to express confidence in your voice is to avoid the dreaded upward inflection, you know, the one that makes it sound like you are asking a question with each statement you make.

Consider the following:

“Hello? I am Jane Jones? And I work for Brown Packaging? I was just calling today to introduce myself? And see if I can help you with your packaging needs?”

Whoa! I hope you could hear the questions in your mind as you read this dialog. Now imagine it again with more powerful inflections.

“Hello! I am Jane Jones from Brown Packaging! I am calling today to introduce myself, and to see if I can help you with your packaging needs!”

All right, everything you say doesn’t need to have an exclamation point after it, but my hope is that you “heard” a much different sound this time. One that is confident and enthusiastic. By the way, when you are holding a virtual conversation, presentation or meeting, your vocal inflections and habits are more important than ever.

Having just facilitated a workshop with a group of people who nearly all had this questioning inflection in their speech, I have to wonder if we use this inflection when we hear it around us. I think we do. So a good start would be to listen for it in others, and then if you hear it around you, listen for it in your own speech.

Generally, awareness is the most important step. If you suspect you may have this habit, check your voice messages, informal conversations, and meetings to see if you do, and how frequently you hear it. Or ask a trusted colleague to listen to you and see how often they can hear it.

To improve your sound patterns: When you are recording a voice message, listen to it before you send it, to be sure you sound confident. When you are rehearsing for a major presentation, record your practice and listen for upward inflections. Stamp them out in your next rehearsal. Then start with everyday communication. When you catch the upward inflection sound, correct it and move on. Try to insert those more positive sounds. “Absolutely! Of course! Yes!”

With practice and a little patience, you can fight the dreaded upward inflection, put more positive power in your voice, and maybe even spread this good habit to those around you.

A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) contains a list of steps or directions to follow for accomplishing a particular task. It is a set of approved guidelines consisting of steps that have to be followed from inception to completion. Having an SOP standardizes tasks and eliminates confusion about particular tasks.

Up front, an SOP contains the same information as Business Requirements (with the Scope and Purpose) and ends with information as if you were writing Functional Specifications (Glossary, Appendix). Begin with the purpose of the document and include who authorized, approved, and formulated the SOP. (It is a good idea to include the people who will be affected in brain storming sessions when the standards are beginning to be developed.) Within the scope of the SOP for a, e.g., product, describe what the procedure entails, list any other products, departments, etc. that are involved, and the history behind it. While writing, simultaneously begin to include a section at the end for an Appendix for Company Policies as well as a Glossary section for definitions or terminology as these can become difficult to grasp depending on the industry you are writing for. Pharmaceutical, Financial, or Insurance institutions for example, have a wide range of terminology which the average person may not be familiar with.

An example of an SOP for:

• System managers are the steps needed to perform backups, system recovery, start-up, shut-down, performance monitoring, notifications, etc.
• Developers are the steps involved when producing an application through its complete development life cycle, creating prototypes, etc.
• Retailers are the steps involved for handling inventory, returns, losses, layaways, etc
• Pharmaceutical manufacturing are the steps for clinical trials, adverse effects, data collection, regulatory requirements, etc.
• Insurance claims are the steps for policies, appraisals, reinsurance, settlements, etc.
• Accountants are the steps involved in payroll, disbursement of funds, inventory, purchases, receipts, etc
• Testers are the steps involved within test plans, test cases, system acceptance criteria, etc

SOP’s should also include the following:

• People involved/affected
• Responsibilities and consequences
• Quality control to ensure tasks have been correctly completed
• Check lists to ensure all tasks have been completed
• Instructions for revising the SOP to ensure up-to-date accuracy
• List of requirements to accomplish a task
• Illustrations if needed
• Table of Contents
• Appendix
• Glossary

Having Standard Operating Procedures eliminates guess work and helps in creating quality work. They answer questions and clarify answers. It is not easy to develop an SOP, but if you are a curious person, then you will have no problem in gathering information to create one. And always remember to write for your target audience and be concise and to the point in explanations.

There is something about our crazy busy work life that works to our disadvantage; we sometimes feel so rushed and hurried to accomplish more and more, that we start moving at the speed of sound. And it’s not always a good sound. When you have no time to think, to breathe, or to express positivity, communication can get ugly. And, what’s worse, we can negatively impact others without meaning to.

In this series, we are going to slow down just long enough to observe our own communication behaviors and see if we can keep a positive approach going. My hunch is it won’t take you any more time than a rushed or negative approach, and that the results will be incredible. More clarity, more harmony, and who knows, maybe getting more done with less effort.

Next time your communication begins to feel stressed and negative, try these:

1. Say what you will do not what you won’t do. Many times we get hung up on what we can’t do, or what we aren’t providing, and put the focus on the negative. “I can’t get you that information this afternoon because…” could just as well be “I can get it to you tomorrow morning. Will that work?” Notice that the because phrase in the first version causes you to justify or explain. Now you have to have a good enough excuse. Avoid that by substituting the positive approach.

2. Avoid apologies. Too many of these and you are seen as a sorry person. (“I’m sorry, what did you just say?”) Try something really different; instead of an apology, try thanks. Instead of saying, “I am sorry I’m late; traffic was terrible” you would say “Thank you for your patience; I see we are ready to begin now.” A positive approach instead of a negative one, plus a smooth segue to the business at hand.

3. Say please and thank you. Take a look at your sent emails from the past three days. Do you take time for pleasantries, or just bark out orders like a drill sergeant? Is that really you? Take a second to add a greeting, or a word of thanks. Ask with a please. Be nice. And check your behavior on the phone and in person. How many times a day do you smile or say please or thank you or well done? Great leaders and positive communicators do these things intentionally and with heartfelt authenticity.

What do you do to maintain positive energy and positive energy, even when you are working under stress and deadlines? How do you instill positive habits and make them a part of who you are? I would love to hear your examples and stories of positive communication.

How do you get information to document when there is resistance? One of the many reasons comes from not understanding the importance of documentation. There are also those who are not used to having documentation. They were trained by others so why waste time to put it down on paper? They do not understand the need for it nor why you want to know. They need to understand that documentation is way of archiving information.

How do you get others to share information?

You need to identify with them and acknowledge their fears and questions and make sure they understand you are there to document procedures and processes so that no knowledge is lost and that ownership is recognized and that no consequences will occur because of inaccuracies.

What if they are hesitant because some of the information they give you may not be correct?

Let the information providers know that their knowledge is needed for company improvements and growth. Assure them that everything will be double checked to ensure that what is written by the writer is correct and that any inaccuracies will be on the writer and not the respondent. Assist them by first coming up with an outline or a diagram or flow chart and then have them help you fill in the blanks or make changes.

There are those also, who worry about job security. Are you going to use it against me?

Be aware of how they perceive you. During a meeting you could compliment them for a task or for some knowledge that they did impart to you. Show them you respect them for their knowledge and that you are only there to learn and nothing more.

What if they feel as if you want to change the process that they began and you want to take their ownership away and reduce their status?

Assure them that you’re just documenting processes so that no one will veer from their original procedure and that they are respected for their knowledge. Ask them questions, such as how they think a process could be improved or what they think are the current benefits and drawbacks. Make them feel important.

Sometimes it’s because they just don’t like to answer questions. How can you meet with them if they are always busy?

Analyze the situation, listen, and decide on the best approach to take for meeting with them. While getting coffee, ask how their day is going, be interested in them, and try to find some common ground. Try using the same method while walking into a meeting or while leaving work. Anytime you run into them, start up a conversation unrelated to work. Or, you could make sure your desk is near the most resistant SMEs (Subject Matter Experts).

There are many other reasons as to why you cannot get certain information. Persistence is the key and understanding the work environment is another. But no matter what they are, you have to break down those barriers and get the information you need. Treat them the way they would like to be treated or the way you would like to be treated. Also, get management to support your work and make sure they introduce you to others so that the individuals know you are there because of management.

The bottom line is you need to have an effective, direct, and everyday interaction with these individuals.

Many times when we are called on to introduce ourselves, we feel self-conscious or tongue-tied, and wish we could have a “do over.” It doesn’t have to be that way. Whenever you meet people for the first time, whether they are audience members, prospective customers or colleagues from other organizations, you’ll want to introduce yourself in a way that creates a positive first impression. Here are some tips on acing this part of your communication.

When introducing yourself:

• Develop an elevator speech. Create two or three different self-intros you could use in different situations. Rehearse these out loud, preferably on video or with someone who can give you feedback. First impressions are so important you may not want to leave this to chance. Don’t try to memorize a script word for word, just work to increase your comfort and fluency.
• Plan ahead. If you know you will be doing intros, think about the environment and the audience and decide which parts of your background will be most interesting and pertinent. Speak to those points, and don’t try to give your entire life history.
• Listen while others speak. If everyone is introducing themselves, listen to them rather than thinking about what you are going to say. Give them the courtesy they deserve, and the gift of your focus. You won’t forget who you are.
• Speak your name clearly and firmly. If it is unusual, spell it out or tell what it rhymes with. You will make yourself more memorable that way. You might even refer to your name one other time to cement it in their memories.
• The law of three. Provide 2-3 brief facts about yourself, and include one personal fact, such as your passion for technology, or your love of travel. This can create a bridge to your audience, as long as you select a personal tidbit which might appeal to them, or at least one that won’t be offensive or off-putting.
• Say it like you mean it. Use downward inflections, which sound certain, rather than upward inflections, which sound like questions. (“Hello? I am Susan Jones? and I work for Brown Packaging?”) Instead, state each sentence as an important, sure thing.
• Be cool. Remember to relax, breathe, and smile, even if you are feeling uncomfortable. You are making new friends, not taking a test.

Remember that introducing yourself can be fun and easy if you stay calm and help put others at ease.

Documentation is a form of communication that allows us to share knowledge across all levels of an organizations structure, is readily available at all times, and is an essential part of a company’s best practice and improvement process. For example, through documentation, companies, employees, and clients are kept informed of business requirements for new or revamped deliverables. Information gathered from subject matter experts, from shadowing others, and from hands-on experience is explained in clearly written documents that are created for specific target audiences.

But what is the Return On Investment (ROI) of documentation? What if we didn’t have any?

Without any documentation:

• Stakeholders, clients, managers, developers, analysts, testers, etc would not have the necessary information needed to get their jobs completed with accuracy. They need technically precise information that is written in a logical and concise manner. Documentation thus breaks down highly complex models into simpler easy-to-understand concepts, processes, and procedures via workflows and content for specific targeted audiences. As an example, if test cases were not documented, Testers would not know what scenarios or scripts to work on for their user acceptance testing to ensure quality products.
• Legacy information would not be available to denote a systems structure or architecture, or to list original developers, or to communicate the knowledge for reproducing a similar system. If any developers or analysts were asked to create a similar model or project, time would be lost in researching information. They would not know, e.g., which database, platform, or system structure to use. They would have to spend time to initiate several meetings to gather all relevant information and would lose project time when all they would have had to do was refer to existing documentation. In other words, documentation saves the company time, money, and effort when processes need to be revisited.
• Guides, manuals, marketing material, etc. would not be available to pass knowledge to consumers, clients, etc. Clearly written guides and training material are needed to provide basic understanding of fundamental key processes and concepts of the end product.
• Any new users, hires, managers, developers, etc would not have the necessary resources to assist them in understanding the functionality of existing applications. Documentation walks users through various manual processes and provides best practices for using and building products.
• Information transpired during time consuming technical meetings would be lost. Documentation is gathered for a products life cycle beginning with gathering requirements to passing data to the development team, to the testing phase, and finally to production. The content can consist of anything from its purpose to resources to various platforms and architecture.

Technical Writers use documentation as a tool to help readers see and understand technical information more easily. As a rule, documentation should be part of a company’s standardization process in order to avoid reinvention and duplication of a process, application, product, report, etc. This is especially needed in large corporations where there is a lot of information spread across multifunctional divisions or departments.

There really isn’t a mathematical way that I am aware of that currently measures the ROI of documentation. We know its value by the support it provides and its accomplished goal.

If you have ideas for the ROI of documentation, please leave a comment.

So it is your turn to introduce the speaker before your next meeting. Here are some pointers to make sure you create a warm welcome:

Prepare:

• Ask the speaker for information well ahead of time. They may provide you with a bio or even a prepared introduction. Read it ahead of time and edit it for those points that will be of interest to your audience.
• Write a short script. This is one of the very few presentations that you should script, and then stick to the script, rather than just “winging it.”
• Plan to provide two or three short facts about the speaker and why they have been asked to speak.
• Share your own experience with the speaker – perhaps you have heard them speak before, or you know firsthand of their expertise.
• Build them up, but don’t oversell them. This makes it difficult for the speaker to live up to the introduction.
• Rehearse – out loud. Be sure you rehearse your introduction out loud a few times, so that ultimately you will be able to say the introduction with ease.
• Check to be sure you are saying the person’s name correctly, and that you have your facts right.

Deliver the introduction:

• Smile. You may feel nervous, but put on a welcoming smile anyway.
• Speak up. Slow down slightly, and speak slowly and clearly so everyone can catch your announcement.
• Say the person’s name clearly. If you are not sure how to say it, be sure to ask and practice if you need to.
• Be brief. If you spend too much time on the intro, you are eating up the speaker’s time, and possibly stealing their thunder.
• Connect with eye contact. Connect first with one person, and then move your eye contact slowly from one person to the next.
• Save the speaker’s name until last. The speaker’s name is usually recognized as the signal for him or her to rise and come forward. Don’t embarrass him or her by giving it before you are ready for him or her.
• Remain facing the audience until you have finished saying the name, then quickly turn to the speaker in welcome and start the applause. Your enthusiasm will spread to others.

After the presentation:

• Be prepared to thank the speaker after he or she has finished, and if appropriate, offer a few positive comments on the presentation.

Learn to make a gracious introduction—so your speakers feel welcome and can do their very best.