| Make sure your instructions are written
| |
| | ** Use simple, plain language in short
|
| for your audience, not your organization.
| |
| | sentences
|
| People who buy products need to know how
| |
| | ** Use "active voice," not "passive
|
| to assemble/install/use the product as
| |
| | voice" (e.g. "take the lid off now"
|
| easily as possible. And because many
| |
| | rather than "the lid should be taken off
|
| people are technodorks like me,
| |
| | at this point
|
| instructions need to be understood by the
| |
| | ** Keep each step separate, no matter
|
| lowest common denominator.Logically,
| |
| | how simple you think it is
|
| then, you might think the best person to
| |
| | ** If you use illustrations, make sure
|
| write instructions for technodorks like
| |
| | they're clear and uncomplicated
|
| me is someone who knows every last detail
| |
| | ** If using translations, get each
|
| about the product, how it was made, how
| |
| | language version "reality checked" by a
|
| it works, what it does, and what its
| |
| | native speakerFinally, you need to test
|
| inside leg measurement is.In other words,
| |
| | the instructions on people who are
|
| an expert. This could not be further from
| |
| | genuinely typical of the target audience.
|
| the truth.Instructions should never be
| |
| | And that means, preferably, people
|
| written by experts Quite simply, experts
| |
| | outside your organization. Someone in the
|
| know too much. Consequently they are very
| |
| | next office may not have tried assembling
|
| prone to making the mistake of assuming
| |
| | the item before, but is still likely to
|
| the reader knows a little bit about the
| |
| | have some prior knowledge.Keep an open
|
| subject matter already. To an expert, the
| |
| | mind Still following along the same
|
| fact that before you begin assembling the
| |
| | lines, for any product to be used by
|
| bookcase you need to align sections A, B
| |
| | ordinary folks in the street, try also to
|
| and C with each other may be so
| |
| | get the instructions written by someone
|
| blindingly obvious it's not even worth
| |
| | from a totally unrelated department or
|
| mentioning.To someone like me it's not
| |
| | even from outside your organization. No
|
| merely worth mentioning, it's absolutely
| |
| | matter how thoroughly you know your
|
| essential if I'm not to spend the next
| |
| | product, a fresh outsider's view will
|
| three hours wondering why on earth I
| |
| | often pick up on ways to improve the
|
| can't find any bolt holes that line up.
| |
| | instructions--or even to improve the
|
| Equally, instructions should not be
| |
| | product itself.There is nothing that will
|
| written by the sales people, the
| |
| | blacken the name of your product and your
|
| marketing executives, the guys in the
| |
| | company faster than a customer like me
|
| lab, the production staff, or anyone else
| |
| | not being able to put your product
|
| - even you - if there's a risk they might
| |
| | together easily. Although customers like
|
| have become familiar with the subject
| |
| | me will get over it after taking a cold
|
| matter. Familiarity can breed if not
| |
| | shower and asking the brainy next-door
|
| contempt, at least wrongful assumptions
| |
| | neighbor to interpret the instructions,
|
| about the audience's existing
| |
| | we'll probably remember all those bad
|
| knowledge.Instruction writing must match
| |
| | things next time we're shopping for the
|
| your target audience Wherever practical,
| |
| | sort of products you sell. And we'll buy
|
| instructions should be written by someone
| |
| | your competitor's.Canadian-born Suzan St
|
| who knows as much as, but no more than,
| |
| | Maur is an international business writer
|
| the audience. For any form of
| |
| | and author based in the United Kingdom.
|
| instructions to be followed by
| |
| | In addition to her consultancy work for
|
| non-technical users, the writer should
| |
| | clients in Europe, the USA, Canada and
|
| assume zero prior knowledge and the best
| |
| | Australia, she contributes articles to
|
| way to ensure s/he does that, is if s/he
| |
| | more than 250 business websites and
|
| doesn't have any prior knowledge her
| |
| | publications worldwide, and has written
|
| himself.Key tips for well-written
| |
| | twelve published books on business
|
| instructions: ** Approach it with logic
| |
| | writing, marketing, publishing and humor.
|
| and common sense
| |
| | Check out all her current books here.To
|
| ** Don't assume any prior knowledge on
| |
| | subscribe to her free biweekly business
|
| reader's part
| |
| | writing tips eZine, TIPZ from SUZE, click
|
| ** Start right at the beginning of the
| |
| | here.
|
| process
| |
| |
|
