Category: Sales & Marketing

In the previous post, I talked about focusing on some of the more fundamental and helpful components of a document (charts, figures, images, flowcharts, pictures) and their usage. My next favorite tool along this line of usage is the application of tables. Using tables for simplifying the presentation of data provides a comprehensive arrangement of a structure, outline, pattern or order of what is being focused on. It is a great presentation tool and visual aid for comparisons, breakdowns, lists, functions and descriptions.

Tables come in all sorts of sizes and shapes. You can highlight specific headings or columns or rows or even highlight diagonal sections or even just certain individual cells of a table. Think of a tic-tac-toe game for highlighting cells to distinguish relevant elements.

As an example, use this particular form of highlighting when you have a table denoting products features versus competitors’ features. You can show similarities of a product vs. dissimilarities by highlighting just those cells containing items you want to point out like pricing of one vs. another. Usage of this type of table is great for marketing or creating a proposal depicting, e.g., the pros and cons of a product or project.

Tables are noted for data display and also for their ease of use and flexibility for allowing the inclusion of graphic charts (pie, bar, scatter, etc.) to reemphasize or to give anther representation of what is in the table for further clarification.

Tables can also be created with separated but adjacent columns to present a more visual appealing look. By using your imagination, you can have tables in the form of tables within table cells or figures, text boxes, or even images within table cells. This is really useful if you wanted to for example, put borders around certain portions of text located within a cell for emphasis.

You can also create your own table styles, e.g., you can insert columns and then select borders and select dashes, or zigzags for vertical break points. Just use your imagination and create your very own unique tables. The zigzagged portion of the table could be used to show what is to be eliminated or cut off from a product. You can color portions of cells for emphasis to give it more weight or prominence.

There are many things you can do using a table. We are surrounded by table designs; look at the periodic table filled with our chemical makeup. When working with data structures, table sets are automatically created using embedded tables. When we impart descriptions, we use table formatting for our columns and rows. Use them whenever you can. Design and shape the tables any way you wish. You can shape them in the form of alphabets or some similarity to reinforce something you might be teaching.

Tables will help you present the information in a user-friendly way and keep you organized. It will take patience to create the table style you want to use or, you can just apply any pre-formatted table and customize it to what you need. They are worth applying to your documents.

Perfect Rehearsals

When you are preparing for a really important presentation, and you want it to be just right, what special steps should you take? Here are some tips that will help ensure that practice makes perfect:

Say it out loud. Just as soon as you have your main ideas on paper, begin practicing out loud. Work on the spoken version rather than seeking a word-perfect script. Rehearsing in your head is not the same as making yourself do it out loud.

Start to finish. Rehearse the entire presentation, not just the opening lines or the first half. If time is short, run through the whole thing once, then focus on practicing the beginning and end. Note that we too often assume the ending will take care of itself, and we are so relieved to get there we often drop the ball. Plan and rehearse the ending.

Start early. Rehearse with visual aids as soon as you can, so that you are comfortable with them from the beginning. You can continue to make refinements as you go. The more times you verbalize it, the better. And by making refinements and verbalizing again, you are less dependent on the perfect words.

Seeing is believing. Record or videotape your presentation, so you can hear or see it as the audience will. This will help you accurately pinpoint strengths and weaknesses. It should help you build your confidence as you see the things you are doing well. And help you shore up any weak spots.

Get input. Invite a small group to attend a rehearsal. They can ask questions a real audience might, and give you feedback on both content and delivery. Be sure to work on the questions they pose so that you are prepared for pretty much any question that arises.

You might be thinking “this is going to take some time.” True, but if the presentation is important, then the preparation is worth every minute of your time!

How to Read Your Audience

How do you know what your audience is thinking, how engaged they are, or how well they understand your content? If you are a novice speaker, keep in mind that while you want to be responsive, too much focus on the audience can be a huge distraction. Once you know your material really well, and have built some confidence, you may be able to begin periodically “checking in” to see how the audience is responding.

Be aware that it is very difficult to know what someone else is really thinking. Does arms crossed mean they are resisting your ideas, or that the room is too cool. Does lack of eye contact mean they are bored silly, or that they are thinking about another pressing matter? Does tapping at their phones mean they are tuned out, or are they taking notes on a smart phone? Each of these examples can be confusing and distracting, so just be aware that audience reactions can have a number of meanings and reasons.

That said, here are some strategies to help you begin to “read” your audience in order to increase awareness and the ability to adjust as needed, without losing focus:

Watch for trends. One person yawning does not mean you are boring. But if you see lots of yawns, crossed arms or lack of eye contact, prepare to take action. For example: ask open ended questions, suggest a “pop quiz” or announce a quick break.

Seek the real reasons. A quiet group might be dealing with issues that have nothing to do with you—or might just feel like being quiet. A lot of yawning might mean the room is too warm, or there was a late event the night before. Action: move your presentation to discussion. Pair people up and have them discuss what you just told them.

Ask questions. Try asking for a show of hands. Use open-ended questions, and be prepared to wait for answers. If your group is really silent, ask them to write their questions on a note card, or have them pair up and discuss their reactions. Or have a case study ready for them to work on.

Chat ‘em up. Visit with people before the presentation and on breaks to get a more informal “read.” Also check in on break; I once had an audience member who looked like he was disagreeing with everything I said. While visiting on the next break I realized he was squinting to see better and that he was perfectly comfortable with the content.

Put it in writing. Ask for feedback throughout your presentation via comment cards, Post-it™ notes, a straw poll or a vote. Read and respond to this feedback periodically.

While you need to keep your focus and not get too distracted, you can stay tuned to your audience’s needs and level of interest. Use these tips to be sure you have an accurate “read” before making dramatic changes in your presentation.

Now what about handling questions when they come your way? Some of us love questions and answers. Others freeze or get defensive.

Here are three tips for preparing to answer questions from your audience, whether they are easy or challenging.

1. Think ahead. The worst questions are the ones we didn’t see coming. Take time during your preparation to consider your audience and what they are likely to ask you. If you aren’t sure, ask someone else to help you dream up the tough questions. Then prepare a great response.
2. Stay calm. When you get the tough question, the one you really didn’t want to hear, take a breath. Relax your body. Open your hands. Put an interested, neutral look on your face. Tell yourself you will be able to handle it. You will!
3. Handle with care. Take your time, even though adrenaline is coursing through your body. Rephrase the question using a neutral bridge, such as “the question in about _____________.” Answer if you can. Or say you don’t know and you will get the information for the audience. Then move on to the next question.

By planning, practicing and keeping your cool, you will be able to handle even the toughest questions that come your way. Get started today.

One of the most essential components of a document is charts. As Technical Writers, we always write concisely, and clearly, but there will be times, when we need the assistance of charts to communicate what was written. Whether it’s for qualitative or quantitative explanations we sometimes need charts to truly present the whole picture. There are many types of charts.

• Graphic Charts are great at immediately presenting visual quantitative analyses at one glance. We use bar, pie, line, graph, spacial charts to show percentages, amounts of data, comparisons, changes in data, compositions, etc.
• Charts are effective for organizational charts by displaying the chain of command within a company. They are also known as hierarchical charts when we need to describe data structures.
• Pyramid shaped charts are used to show relevancy (most to least valuable assets), how one moves from top to bottom, or for showing relationships of how one element is connected to another.
• Gantt charts are used for scheduling project start and finish dates (managing project time lines), problem areas, different tasks, historical events and how one project might lead to another or intersect.
• Flow charts show how one occurrence leads to another. It clearly defines what occurs at various stages of an event. As an example, for any complex process, break it down into components. For each component, you can again simplify it further. When the images cannot fit on a sheet of paper or on one screen, you can use numbers or alphabets to point to another location to continue the diagram.

Charts are one the most common graphics. The type of chart you are going to use depends on what you need to define, explain or outline to the audience. Make sure it’s applicable, meaningful, and clear. Some graphic designs are more flexible than others. As a simple example, to show percentages, a pie chart would be appropriate, but you could also have used a scatter diagram with characters or figures instead to provide more interest. Scatter diagrams unlike the pie chart, can be used to also show a comparison over time using different colors for each entity. For this example, you could also have applied a line graph and blend colors using another graphic pattern to display overlaps. The best graphic image to use to get your explanation across to the audience is up to you.

To make it more appealing, think of how you would like to see the data and how the audience would like to see it.

• Sometimes adding pictures of items or subjects are helpful to make the chart or image more appealing.
• Use color, but not too much as it can cause confusion.

As a final note: There are a number of open source applications or tools which can be used to help you display your data. Make use of these tools and suggestions to clarify your document.

As a Technical Writer, we cannot forget about writing for the Call Center teams who have to answer to clients, buyers, or users of a product or application. They have to be patient, understanding, knowledgeable, and diplomatic. To assist them, the Technical Writer has to be able to create the materials needed by them. Training material, marketing material, analytical check lists, request forms all have to be created by the Technical Writer with the Call Center respondent’s profession in mind.

Call Center personnel need to be kept up-to-date on all products. To accomplish that, we can have training sessions, and to maintain communication, we can send out notification updates.

For notification updates, the following should be included:

• Version #, ISBN #, or any distinct code that distinguishes which product or application being affected,
• previous function vs. the new,
• new benefits, advantages, improvements,
• solution to problems, relevance, purpose, etc.

For training sessions, include:

• within the script the demonstration and explanation of all major components or facets that constitute the product or application.
• emphasis of what the product or application can or cannot do and especially what should not be done to prevent problems.
• a review of what is in the Appendix section to ensure that the glossary of terms and definitions are understood.

For the training packet:

• Include a diagram of the product or application.
• Create a highlighted features section that shows the products benefits and advantages, and especially what was requested from previous customers.
• Show a flowchart of the major stages of assembly of the product, or the major views of the application.
• Show an image of the major features of the product or the major elements of the application.
• Include a Resolution section containing a checklist of questions to ask in order to resolve the issue, e.g.,
  – How long have you had the product or application?
  – What steps led to the problem?
  Ask questions from as simple as ‘is the product plugged in’ to ‘what was the sequence of steps taken’.
• Create a section with diagrams depicting a bunch of frequent scenarios or questions and responses and use arrows pointing to the next question to ask depending on what the prior response was. For each scenario, you should end up with something similar to a hierarchy diagram. A hierarchy diagram is shaped like a pyramid or triangle where one point at the top leads to a wider base on the bottom. But instead of a solid form, you’ll be creating text boxes containing questions and responses and will depict how one response leads to another question or resolution.
• Include a section that lists all unresolved issues or problems that occurred during the testing phase of a product or application and indicate to whom the problem should be directed to or notified and create a response that will show the problem is known and is currently being corrected.

I think one of the most difficult jobs is being a Call Center respondent. If you have any more suggestions for the Call Center team, please leave a comment.

During your presentation you ask a question…nothing. You crack a little joke…crickets. You start to sweat a little. What is happening? Is this a hostile audience? Did you just offend someone? Is there something in your teeth?

Before you go into a tailspin of doubt and worry, ask yourself if it is possible that you are dealing with a quiet audience. Audiences can be quiet for a number of reasons, many of them having absolutely nothing to do with you.

Many years ago I was working with a group from an energy company who didn’t respond to anything I said. They sat there passively until the first morning break. Over coffee I asked one woman about the “silent treatment.” “Oh,” she said, “it’s nothing personal, we just don’t like outside consultants very much.” I am not sure if that was supposed to make me feel better, but once I understood it, I relaxed, and once I did, they seemed to warm up too.

On another occasion I was conducting a workshop when a major layoff broke. People were being called out of the training and not returning. It was quickly obvious that this group was completely distracted and it wasn’t because of me at all. Luckily, once I learned what was happening I was able to adjuste the discussion—and my expectations.

So, when a group is quiet, take heart. They might be distracted, upset, tired, or just plain quiet.

That said, there are many things you can do to head off the silent treatment, for example:

Ask your sponsor. Recently a client confided that her group often started out quiet, but would eventually warm up and become quite talkative. Knowing that, I was in the room early and walked around the room meeting and chatting with people before the session started. At the kickoff of the session I asked people to write down their name, years of experience in training, and their goals for the day. I then asked them to circulate around the room, connecting with one person at a time, then moving on to another until they had shared this information with three other people. Once they were out of their chairs, the room exploded with energy. There were handshakes and hugs, and never a dull moment the whole day.

Start out interactive. If you do all the talking for the first hour, you will probably find it difficult to get much discussion going. Plan for some kind of interaction in the first fifteen minutes. I sometimes ask audience members for their thoughts even before I have talked about the agenda for the day. This way I signal that what they say and want is important. And if I reference their opinions in my description of the day, they know I have listened. All this makes it more likely that they will be willing to participate later.

Make it easy at first. Don’t ask the deepest, most challenging questions until you have built some trust and credibility with your audience. Ask an easy, non- threatening question, and then ask for a show of hands. Hold your hand up so they know you are looking for an answer. Wait for their response. Ask again if needed, nicely. Once you get the first response, it will be easier to get another.

Keep it safe. Don’t ask them to reveal too much, do a role play, or speak in front of a large group, at first. Start with a pair-share, or table discussion. Select topics that are challenging but not threatening.

Jot it down. Asking people to write down their answers first is a great technique, because it helps people to gather their thoughts first. If you see them writing down their thoughts, you know they have something to say.

Give positive feedback. When people do respond, find something good to say about their response. Thank them for their answer. Thank them for volunteering to speak. Words like “I am so glad you said that” or “I understand what you mean” go a long way toward encouraging others to speak. And do it with a smile, too. Essentially you are rewarding them for responding. (By the way, some leaders use candy to reward people for responding. I don’t. It feels a little too much like training dolphins to me. But if you think your audience might enjoy it, give it a try.)

Whatever you choose, make it easy and safe for your audience to get involved. Stay calm and positive. Enjoy.

It’s almost a nonsensical thing to say these days. It seems everyone know the benefits of Branding. For those who don’t know it, by golly, we should train it.

This article will sound a bit like another one I wrote some time ago having to do with not being eliminated from the job pool because you didn’t fit in: called To Eliminate, or Not, That is The Question. I noticed this article because it up jumped in hits. Let’s put some perspective on it. Of course, there are similarities to the article and the book I reviewed, but forget all that because it’s a matter of semantics. It’s only so important now because there are so many candidates for one job in this economy and more to come as servicemen. We have to do a better job selling our whole self–that’s our Brand.

I just finished a review of a book very similar in content, but focusing on Branding and how important it is today. I doubt anyone would argue that with that fact today so my title is more of an attention-getter. I found this book a good choice to spell it out for and keep it simple. Those looking hard for jobs don’t have time to read more scholarly books. This book is fun to read. It even has cartoons and stories. The book’s not out now, but it will be soon.

Write this Down, You’ll Need It Later by Joel Quass may be all you ever wanted to know about Branding: What it is—education isn’t enough to get what you want. How you discover your personal brand, how do you keep it, how do you use it. You’ll learn it here.

I have been a big fan of Branding before we called it that, but I didn’t know what it was. Joel Quass tells us in no uncertain terms how it helps to get the most out of life and what we want. Why? Because our Brand is who we are—not just our resume—not just a list of responsibilities, but what we actually do and helps others see a more complete picture.

Joel Quass puts it in perfect perspective. “You Need It Later” simply because you start now. I started later and it took 30 years of figuring myself out—my “Brand”–and the market out before I began to see the how the Brand was so important. I wish I had started earlier. Quass puts it in such a way with dynamic examples and prose that makes it user-ready, people-friendly. As a college professor, I intend to share it with my students; It’s valuable information this day and age.

Who doesn’t want to get ahead, find out where they really belong? Write this Down, You’ll Need It Later is the answer. You find your Brand and the way to use it land jobs, succeed at interviews, even consider your dream jobs once you figured out your brand, and Joel Quass makes it easy with real life stories, examples, even cartoons. He tells you how maintain your brand and continue to use it beyond getting the job. To get that promotion, to apply for that job no one feels qualified, to tell the types of stories that win you over to fit into the company this is the book you need.

I hope you learned something more, someone else to go to on the subject. He made it easy for me; I liked that. By the way he reviewed my book, but I can tell you this: he and I wrote our reviews without see the others. It only made sense. My five-star-rated eBook Cave Man Guide to Training and Development is available Free this month with a coupon YJ55S from Smashwords, and my novel, Harry’s Reality is also free with a coupon MK42F for a limited time. If you like thinking about what the future might be, this is the book for you. My website is also for you. Working on a new Cave Man book–this one I think “on communicating.” And a new novel taking place in Central America filled with adventure, superstition, humor, a love story, and lots of action. A mistaken identity and a jaguar bring an unusual twist to this book.

Happy training.

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