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Subject:Re: Why marketing should make the user manuals From:Al Geist <al -dot- geist -at- geistassociates -dot- com> To:TECHWR-L <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Fri, 01 Sep 2006 08:17:16 -0400
I read an article once (in INC magazine) about a guy who bought an
envelope manufacturing company. His company was barely making a profit,
until he realized that every employee and every product was part of the
company's marketing/sales mix, and he set out to inform all his
employees how they fit in the overall scheme of things. When his
employees realized that they were all (even marketing) actively involved
in the success (or failure) of the company, profits started growing
until the company is now one of the envelope industry leaders.
The user guide is as much a marketing tool as anything else and tech
writers are as important as marketing in presenting the best image to
the existing and potential customer. If you competition has better
documentation (or better looking documentation), and if all other things
are equal, then they have a marketing advantage. I agree with Bill and
others that color in a user guide is not as important as content and
usability; however, Gene has a point. If your primary form of delivery
is a PDF, and most of your source illustrations are delivered in color,
why not use it to your marketing advantage. A properly designed color
user guide, full of accurate, usable content will always have more
marketing value than a plain properly designed B&W guide full of
accurate, usable content.
Unfortunately, the problem is not the marketing department as much as it
is the sales process. Most buyers are not end users. Wow the buyer
with some color user guide that has a snazzy layout and a package price
within their budget...and you have a better chance of getting the sale,
than your competitor who's user guide is far more accurate and usable,
but printed in plain old B&W. The end user may complain, but by then
it's too late to send the product back.
I've worked as a tech writer, marketing writer, sales manager and end
user. Unfortunately, the end user is often the last person consulted on
what products to purchase.
Al
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Al Geist
Technical Writing, Online Help, Marketing Collateral, Web Design, Award
Winning Videos, Professional Photography
Voice/Msg: 802-658-3140
See also:
URL: [3]www.geistimages.com (fine art prints for home or office and note
cards for all occasions)
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