![[Small Business Services]](bizlogo.gif)
The main reason for the existence of an ad is to sell something. Now, there are several ways to go about this job. One is hard sell, another is soft sell, and yet there are recognition ads that are only intended to make people aware of the company or product exists.
The hard sell ad comes right out with its intent and uses several hard-hitting devices to gain attention, inform, persuade and then ask, tell or command the reader or viewer to take action. That action might be to call an 800 number, log onto a web site or send in a coupon and outright buy the product or service. Another ploy might be to persuade the reader to go to a store and make a purchase or to simply ask for more information as is the case with many large ticket items. Asking for further information generates a "lead" which opens the door for a sales person or telephone marketer.
The soft sell ad is more indirect in its purpose. This sort of ad makes use of seemingly unrelated information that eventually allows the writer to sneak the product or service in more unobtrusively. Consider the V.W. ad where the announcer talks about arches in the foreground while someone drives up to and parks a new-style V.W. under an arch in the background. The ad sounds like it is explaining the history, value and strength of arches while it's really relating the V.W.'s design strength to that of an arch. Cute.
The recognition ad, hopefully makes people aware of a person, place or thing. Nothing is outright sold by the ad, but its intent is to make people aware and comfortable with something. Often, these ads accomplish positioning by comparing one item to another. For example, if one company starts making a luxury car, they may want to compare or position their product with other luxury products, fine art or life styles. The management of the Grey Poupon Mustard Company has positioned itself as a luxury product by associating it with the people who drive luxury automobiles.
Ad space costs money, so it's best to start selling immediately, beginning with the headline. The idea is to attract attention and then hold it. Let's face it, newspapers and magazines are full of ads, so why should readers take time to read yours? Now, you get it! You have about four seconds to capture your readers' attention and lure them into reading your ad- one strike, and you are out! Better make that headline work for you, right?
State your case, tell a story, draw interest! "Get Softer Skin With Skingel!" "Fly High With Bongo Airlines." "Armor Golf Balls Soar Farther." Who want's softer skin? Women. Who uses airlines? Travelers. Who buys golf balls? Golfers. "40% of Teenagers Like Candy." "Taking Aspirin Can Save Your Life!" That's right- shoot for the market you want to sell to. Think about it! Would basketball players want golf shoes? "Jump higher with Air Buds!" Know your market! It wouldn't hurt to place your ad in the proper publication either.
Try to tell as much of the story as you can in your headline, as that is the only hope you have of people reading your ad. If your headline fails to perk their interest, they are gone. Obviously, "Buy Hanson Siding" is not going to draw interest near as well as, "Dress Up Your House For Spring!" Readers will find out about Hanson Siding within the body of your ad. "30% of Roofs Leak!" is a good hook for selling shingles. "Yard Pests Attack Peoria!" might work for selling insecticide. "Put A Shine On Your Driveway!" could announce a new car sale.
API- Hoards of cicadas invade Mesa Arizona. They are everywhere, in your yard, in your house, in your soup, and you want to scream! Instead, why not reach for "Snuffit" 40 Day Bug Spray? One good dose of Snuffit, and your worries are over. All you have to do is apply Snuffit today, and it's good for weeks. No more bugs. Period. Snuffit is organically compounded to snuff bugs on contact, and that's a fact. It's harmless to you and your pets, but good-by bugs! Pick some up today at Barnworthy's Feed and Seed, S.W. corner of Fairmont and Sky Blvds. or Call Stan at 222-5499 for delivery right to your door!
Recognition ads are mostly display visuals or TV offerings. They generally show something interesting or just a lot of white space with minimal inference to the company or product. If any copy is used, it is only a few words. Does that tell you something? If there are only going to be a few words, you had best get your mileage out of them. How about, "You Deserve A Break Today!" Or, "We Try Harder!"
Ad copy is best and most appreciated when it is simple and informative. Look at a newspaper page. It's mostly headlines, a few photos and lots of print. People buy newspapers because they want lots of information in a short time. Hey, it takes 30 seconds to watch a 30 second TV commercial, but you can scan an ad in 5 seconds and come away enlightened.
Keep your sentences short and your words simple. Simple reads fast and gets the point across. That is the point! Buy Bud! Surveys show that Educated people don't mind reading simple copy, but only a fool would make people try to figure out what was said. People have had about enough fabrication and are mistrustful, so keep your copy simple, believable and informative. If you want to win a creative writing award, enter a story or a poem in a writing contest.
Aside from fulfilling legal requirements, an annual report tells the company story in plain English. More than that, a major purpose of an annual report is to convince current shareholders to let their money ride where it's at and to attract new investors. That means an annual report is a very important corporate sales tool and must be treated with respect. Such reports will open with a company profile, feature a letter from the chairman and establish a theme for telling the company story. Such reports will run from two to twenty pages or more in length, be peppered with photographs, bar and pie graphs with attendant tables plus the above mentioned underlying theme. Annual Reports can be printed on plain paper, glossy, one hundred pound book stock or on anything in between. Here are some basic guidelines for creating one.
Collect background information and familiarize yourself with the company by studying past annual reports for style, content and thrust. Study analyst's reports to find out what the investment community has to say about your company. Then check other competing companies' past annual reports for positioning. Listen to conference calls on tapes to discover current trends and tone. Then investigate what's been written about your company in the financial press. Remember, the annual report is above all a selling piece aimed at satisfying current investors and attracting new money.
Conduct personal interviews with department heads. Then interview the Corporate Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer. Ask a lot of questions. Not just mindless questions, but pertinent questions as to what happened, is happening now, and what is likely to happen in the coming year. Something of interest had to happen during the last year, and that "something" is likely going to be the main theme of your piece! That "something" is the thrust of the company, moving from point "a" to point "b". If they were successful, they will be proud of their efforts and on their way to point "c". This corporate journey and the money made or lost along the way is what an annual report is all about.
Listen well! Zero in on what your contact is telling you and interact at the appropriate time with pertinent questions that will either clarify or spur the person on to cover new ground. You want all the information you can get. Later, you can pick through it, selecting the best examples that will enhance the chosen theme. Gathering accurate and coherent information is paramount to success.
Be professional in your bearing, your appearance and your actions. The corporate people you interview are anxious to help you produce the best possible report, as their future depends on it. So, don't be nervous about dealing with such people. Turn the experience in to a win/win situation! If they wear suits or business clothes, you do the same. Position yourself on their level, and be a professional! If the person you are interviewing is the C.E.O. of a company, fine. You are the C.E.O. of your company- shake hands, and say hello.
Your research and the accompanying interviews will provide all the timely information you and interested investors will need to know about the company, where it's been, what it is doing and where it's going. Your research will raise questions for you, so write them down as they present themselves. Remember, these executives are busy people, so have a well thought list of questions ready, a legal pad for notes, and a portable tape recorder for backup in case memory fails- after all, you are dealing with a lot of information from several sources. Having to meet again to go over information these people have already given you would be unprofessional. However, if you need elaboration or confirmation on specific points, by all means call them. Be courteous, and ask for permission to use your tape recorder during your interview or on the phone, as some people have an aversion to them. Watch out for conflicting information and deal with it appropriately by pointing it out to the annual report team leader in a tactful manner. Shoot for consistency.
Be a team player! You'll be working with senior officials, department heads, accountants, a photographer, a graphic designer and a printer, so do your part to make the project unfold as smoothly as possible. Pay attention to detail, be helpful and interact positively with the other team players. Above all, complete your work on time! Missing deadlines will hold up the process. Your job is to write the theme section and perhaps the Chairman's letter. If not, you'll probably edit it and maybe clean up the company profile on the inside cover of the report as well.
Sometimes, you'll be asked to help select or create the theme of a report. If so, here is where you can show your creativity, however, place your client's goals first. A company's annual report is a major sales piece. It can make a difference in your client's success, so it had better be good. Mess it up, and it will affect your career too! Remember, your job as a writer is communicating with investors, not trying to win some kind of an industry award, so stay focused. Keep it clean, keep it simple! That's right, don't make readers scratch their heads trying to figure out what you are talking about.
Show some class and do the job right. There is no place for mechanical errors in an annual report. Poor writing suggests poor management and could defeat the mission of this most important sales device. Get up to speed on grammar and spelling. Get a modern style manual and study it until you understand what it is trying to teach you. If you have any doubts, hire a professional editor to double check your work for accuracy.
Heads up! Double check all dates and numbers in your text against any tables or other supportive information supplied by other team members. All examples must agree or someone will surely notice, and heads will roll. If any other team members' numbers differ, find out why! You don't want to shoulder the blame for such an error, especially after printing. Life's too short!
Grant or proposal writing is not creative writing. Reviewers appreciate grant requests that are simple, concise, consistent, and organized in a linear fashion with adequate supporting information. In other words, your proposal needs to make sense and give a vision of what you intend to do. It must show how you intend to proceed, what will happen along the way and what will happen after you finish. You are selling an idea, so think benefits. Who will benefit and how much? The more the benefits, the better chance you will have of gaining success.
Wordiness, vague sections and fluff are not appreciated. Do not give reviewers any more or any less information than they need. Say what you mean, and mean what you say, but be a miser with words. Before you start, study the criteria, and get your project firmly established in your mind. If you don't understand it, no one else will. Do a trial run by writing out a rough, for-the-heck-of-it draft, just so you can see it on paper and fill in the blanks. Every step brings you closer to success.
Divide and conquer! Take your proposal section by section and get your project laid out so it makes sense. Let others read it, and see if it makes sense to them. If you don't have all the supporting information at hand, get it now. Do the necessary research or interviews, hunt down engineering specs, environmental studies and whatever else you might need. Think about charts and graphs if you intend to use them. Secure resumes. A grant or proposal is a plan, and the more complete the plan, the better chance grantors will buy into it.
Write your proposal as simple as possible, using plain words. Keep your sentences short and meaningful, conveying thoughts directly. Paragraphs should be short too, maybe four or five sentences. Break up the elements of your request, and leave plenty of white space between them. The more you try to cram on a page, the more confusing your request will become. That could cost you a grant. Paper is cheap.
Once you have your proposal laid out, simplify it. Let the dust settle so your mind can reset, and you can look at your proposal objectively. Put yourself in the position of your reviewers and remove as many possible objections to your plan as possible. Is your proposal strong on benefits? Will it create lots of jobs? Is your project self supporting once completed? Consider the upside and the downside. Minimize the downside. Simplify your project, and then simplify it again. Remove the dog legs and obstructions, making the road to success as straight as you can.
Polish your writing too. Seldom is there a sentence or idea flow that can't be refined or simplified. Remove difficult, hard to read, sentence construction and unnecessary multi-syllable words. Pluck out buzz words and jargon, and use plain English instead. In other words, fine tune your project and the language you use to describe it. The idea is to win the prize, not befuddle your reviewers. Focus upon your project and complete it in a workman-like manner! "A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step."
All right! The first step before writing a proposal or grant is to research the project and understand its goals. Contact the grantor and ask for any information alluding to their requirements, style of submission and goals. The idea is to match the project's goals with the grantor's requirements or failure will surely result. Often, the grantor will mail you a "kit" containing the pertinent information.
The proposal summary appears at the beginning of the proposal and should outline the project. Make it a cover letter or a separate page. Make the summary brief, no longer than three paragraphs. Usually the writer finishes the proposal first and then writes the summary to match. Reviewers will consider your summary as their first impression of your proposal, and it will be the hook that causes them to read the main document or reject it on the spot. Your proposal summary had better be good, very good!
Proposals should include a description of the applicant organization's past, present and projected operations. Create a brief biography of board members and key staff members. Include the organization's goals, philosophy, record with other grantors plus any success stories. This information should be relevant to the goals of the granting organization and its grant program. Also, it should establish the applicant's credibility.
The Problem statement or needs assessment is a key element of a proposal. It establishes that something needs to be done or fixed or changed. There has to be a reason why a funder would grant your project money. Give them a good one. Address this section in a clear concise, well documented statement of the problem to be rectified using grant moneys. Use data collected in a needs assessment that would illustrate the problem(s) to be addressed. The information provided should be factual and closely related to the problem addressed by the proposal.
Describe clearly the goals of the project. Explain the expected results and benefits of each objective. The writer should also list the specific criteria of the grant program, then describe how the proposal meets each criterion.
The project method outlines the tasks that will be accomplished with the available resources. It is helpful to structure the project method as a timeline. Early in the planning process, applicants should list the tasks that will have to be completed to meet the goals of the project. They can then break these into smaller tasks and lay them out in a schedule over the grant time period. This will provide a chance to consider what personnel, materials, and other resources will be needed to carry out the tasks.
Applicants should develop evaluation criteria to evaluate progress towards project goals. It is important to define carefully and exactly how success will be determined. Applicants should ask themselves what they expect to be improved once the project is complete. Also ask, "Who cares?" and "So what?" What is the impact of your project and how many will it affect?
Applicants may be asked to list expected sources of continuing funding after the conclusion of the grant. The applicant may also be required to list other sources and amounts of funding obtained for the project.
Particular expenses should be outlined in detail in the project budget. It
can also be helpful to divide the budget into categories, such as personnel,
salaries and benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, contract costs, etc.
Many grant applications request a line item budget. The budget should show
how funds will be spent and by whom. The budget should also demonstrate
consistency with project activities.
Typically shown in three parts:
People are always needing their yard cut, bushes trimmed, windows washed or minor repairs done around the house. You can make fifteen to thirty dollars or more an hour by filling these needs on a regular basis without paying for expensive advertising or incurring heavy start up costs. All you need are some basic tools, an inexpensive vehicle and maybe a cell phone to get started.
Call yourself a fix-it man, yard man or window washer as you will, but not a home repair specialist or handyman. Most states require contractor's licenses for repairmen and handymen. Unless you want to become a contractor, don't advertise yourself as one. The intent here is to start up an easy, profitable business that can make you quick, easy money when you need it. Of course, if you like the work, by all means pick up an appropriate contractor's license, expand your business and go for the gold.
Dress like a workman, and look like you know what you are doing. A mini van and some tools helps a lot too. You can buy all kinds of mini vans these days for very little money, and they are an ideal work vehicle that is cheap on gas, has lots of room, is easy to park, and will carry your tools locked up so they won't disappear every time you turn your back. Choose a light colored or plain white or gray van as they are more professional looking. A delivery van with no side windows is best, but if you get a smoking deal on a van with windows, just paint them out by painting them a matching color on the inside. You don't want people looking in and taking inventory of your tools. A ladder rack can be hung just under the roof to keep everything inside as much as possible. If you can't afford a van, just use whatever vehicle you have to get started. You can do without the cell phone too, but without it, you'll lose a lot of come-back, referral or residual business. The next best choice is a regular house phone, but you will miss a lot of calls, as when people want something, they want it now. They will call around until they get a live one to talk to them. Believe it, the cell phone will more than pay for itself. Too, it is lot easier to have people come to you, rather than going out and hustling up business. Take your advantages where you find them!
The basic idea is to go from door to door, handing out your flyer and business card to drum up business, but we have a different twist that will pay off in spades! While introducing yourself to your customer, offer to do a simple job for $5.00 while you are there. That simple job can be as basic as painting their house address numbers on the curb in black and white paint. The job will only take you ten or fifteen minutes, using easy-to-make plastic templates and is an important feature of this plan. It will help get your foot in the door and begin a working relationship with the people. Once they get to know and trust you, the work will come pouring in. Start small and grow large!
Get a three pieces of 0.30 thousands, stiff but flexible transparent or translucent sheet plastic about 12"X 18" and cut a 6"X10" rectangle out of the center of one with a razor knife to use as a background mask. Cut a 6"X12" rectangle out of the other for longer addresses. The plastic sheeting doesn't need to be thick or clear, as you just need to be able to see outlines through it for positioning- you want your numbers lined up straight and properly spaced.
Take another piece of the same plastic and cut out 10, 4"X6" rectangles, all the same size. Draw or trace a set of 4" high numbers, 1 through 0, about a half in inch in from the left of each clear plastic rectangle and cut out the individual numbers for use as stencils for painting your numbers.
Now, all you need is some paint and odds and ends. Get one quart each of good exterior white and black acrylic paint and a couple of cheap, 1" synthetic paint brushes and a plastic bucket with a lid to hold wash-up water. The lid keeps the water from splashing around on the inside of your vehicle. Also, collect some old towels or rags to use as wipes. A wire brush, whisk broom or stiff brush is handy in case there is dust or dried mud on the curb. You want to paint on a clean, dry, warm surface.
Find a place on the curb near the edge of your customer's driveway and brush the cement clean. Place your background template, square and level on the curbing and apply your white paint within the rectangle with one of your brushes. Make sure the concrete is clean, warm and dry so the paint will stick and dry quickly. Two thin coats are better than one thick coat. You want this job to last, as it as a reminder of the good work you do and will bring you more work in the future. This is one reminder your customer won't lose. Water base paint dries quickly on a warm, dry surface.
As soon as your white paint background is dry to the touch, paint on your black numbers. Be sure and get the address correct the first time. Ask what it is, if you are not sure, then write it down for luck. Don't take chances!
Position the first number a bit in from the left and an inch down from the top. The idea is to end up with a white background upon which the address in black numbers is centered, top to bottom, left to right. A couple of practice tries will make you an expert. Make the job look good, as it is your advertisement for future business. Your customer will see it every day, and so will their neighbors. They are all potential, future customers, and you want their business.
In actual use, you will lay down a 4"X6" stencil with the proper number cut out of it and brush in the number, up to the inside edges of the template with black paint. When finished, lift the template straight up so as not to smear the painted number. You will then take the next number template and position it next to the first painted number, paying attention to the spacing and paint the second number and so on There should be about a half inch of space between numbers. That's why you need the half inch space or leader on the left edge of your number stencils.
A basic tool kit is all you need. This might include a hammer, saw, pair of pliers, broad knife, putty knife, a crescent wrench or two, a set of screw drivers, a pocket level, plum bob, broom, dust pan and tape measure. A set of files and chisels, an electric drill, a 50' cord, a circular saw and whatever else can be added later along with plastic sheeting, a step ladder, bucket, squeegee, sponge and cleaning supplies. If you are going to do painting, you'll need some brushes, a mixer, sand paper and so on. Of course, a few fasteners, nails, screws and so forth would be of use and good to have on hand. There are many good books on home repair at the local library, so studying them will get you up to speed fast even if you are a bit out of practice.
A couple of plastic buckets or a professional window cleaning bucket, a squeegee or two that will fit on a pole, a sponge, some spray glass cleaner, some newspaper, some white vinegar, some liquid glass cleaner, and a ladder for second story work is about all there is to it. You are not planning on doing tall buildings, so scaffolding probably isn't needed. The glass cleaner will handle most dirt and dust, and the vinegar will remove hard water spots. To remove stubborn calcification, mix some corn starch or flour with white vinegar into a paste, spread it on the afflicted area and let it sit while you do something else. Later wash it off.
Should you live in an area where gutters are common, they will need to be cleaned periodically. One can buy a gutter spray wash tool for about twenty dollars that screws onto a hose and cleans the gutter by water pressure. It has a long handle, so you don't even need a ladder when using it on a one story house. The same tool or other long reach spray tools will clean siding and screens. Often, tools of this type can be found in the auto washing section of auto supply stores. Siding stores or big building supply stores are a good bet too. Some, tools even have liquid soap dispensers built right in. For really hard jobs, one can rent or buy a pressure washer, but be careful with those as they can remove paint as well as dirt.
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step." Get yourself and your tools together. Make up a street address template set and go from door to door passing out your flyer and business card. Chat people up and offer to paint their house address on the curb for $5.00. Tell them you'll do it right now, cheap and cheerful- all work guaranteed! This ploy will soon get you working and establish a working relationship with your customer and everyone they know! This step is invaluable to the overall process. OK, while your customer is reading your hand bill, go out and paint their address on the curb in 4" black numbers on a white background. Do it neatly with good, long-lasting paint, as every time they see that address, they will think of you. When finished, clean up, go back and ask them if there is anything else they need done.
Tell them you have special running on window washing, gutter cleaning, crack fixing, cooler cleaning, front door painting, tree trimming or whatever it looks like they might need. Or, look for something obvious that needs fixing and offer to do the job for a reasonable price. Right! Keep your prices friendly to start. You can raise them later when you get busy. Chances are, after they have had time to read your flyer while you were painting the address on their curb, they will have thought of something else for you to do while you are there. Ask for that job! When you finish one job, ask for another. Never be bashful. Being at the right place at the right time can be a winner! Often, you can turn an introductory visit into a full day's work or even more! That is where it's at and what you are looking for! At $15.00 an hour, you can make $120.00 a day, at $30.00 and hour, you are good for $240 for a day's work. That sure beats working at the car wash!
When your customer has given you all the work they have for you to do at this time, hand them a few of your business cards and ask them to tell their neighbors and friends about your service and offer a reward for doing so. The reward can be anything you want from a commission to a service or a half hour or more free repair labor, depending upon the size of the new job. You can buy casino coupon books for a small price to cover the printing. A coupon includes a bus trip, a room, a couple meals and a handful of chips. They are promotional devices, handed out by casinos, so make use of such complementary gifts. "If you get me a job, I'll give you a free trip to Las Vegas or the nearest casino or whatever the coupon includes." Hey, it sounds good to the customer!
After you have completed all the chores you or they can think of for you to do, make out your bill. List each item and price separately, total them up and present the bill. Be friendly, and leave on a pleasant note. Tell them you are pleased to have worked for them, and are looking forward to working for them again in the future. Tell them when they or any of their friends or family need something done to call you any time, and you'll be glad to work for them again. On the way out, check to make sure you have cleaned up any mess you have made. Leave a good impression. A good fix-it person is an asset, and before long, you'll have all the business you can do. Play your cards right, and you might even have to hire a helper.
Make up a hand bill that lists your services with a memo box at the bottom that shows your phone number. As you drive around neighborhoods and see something that needs fixing, stop and write an estimate for that job, give a price and hand it to the property owner or leave it on their door. Being in the right place at the right time can be rewarding. Never leave money laying on the table. If you don't get it, someone else will.
Once you are working for someone in the neighborhood, and they are satisfied with your work, move on to the other houses, and tell them that you have been working for Ms. Johnson or whomever, and would like to work for them. Offer them your flyer and business card and offer to paint their house number on the curb in front of their house. Then repeat the process.
In years past, I have turned such simple tactics into a six figure income, became a contractor and went the whole route. Once you set the process in motion, you can make your business as large or as small as you like. It's all up to you, like Will Shakespeare once said, "As you like it."
Overview: technical writing is not creative writing, so forget the cute stuff and deathless prose. Such would not be appreciated. Instead, technical writing is more like textbook writing, except you are required to explain a method, product or process in such a manner that end users might understand how to perform an operation, expedite a process or use a product or piece of equipment. Use the simplest, most straightforward language and descriptions you possibly can, using a minimum of words. Make your words count. Also, avoid jargon and buzz words, unless you are sure that everyone who will read your manual will understand them. Even then, if used at all, it is best to define such words the first time they appear. The same holds true for Acronyms which are a set of initials, usually the first letter in each word of a name. Factuality and Clarity are of utmost importance, and there is little room for imagination. Most technical writing will be in manual form, consisting of several sections or chapters, progressing from the beginning of an operation to the end in linear fashion. The finished product should be readable, clear, concise and understandable.
Technical writing must be done in a clear, concise, non-sexist language and manner that is readable and understandable by the persons who must read it. Obviously, if you are writing a training manual intended for building maintenance personnel, you would write it quite differently than you would a manual dealing with shutting down a nuclear reactor. However, there are all kinds of people of various skill and comprehension levels, and writing a manual above their comprehension level is a waste of time. They couldn't read it. However, seldom do people of a higher comprehension level complain when a manual is well written in an easily understandable manner.
For example, handouts from many state agencies such as social services agencies will be written in sixth grade level language as are most newspapers. Conversely, the "New Yorker" magazine is written mostly in eighth grade level language which is suitable for most technical work. One good way to gauge language level is to visit a public library and spend some time in the youth section. There, you will find books written for most grade levels. You'd be surprised at the vocabulary in fifth grade level books. Just collect a book or two from the sixth, eighth, tenth, and twelfth grade levels and read a bit of each to familiarize yourself with the vocabulary, grammar, and usage, paying attention to the sentence structure and thought patterns.
Another good idea is to buy copies of such books for your reference shelf. That way, before writing a document, you can read a bit from the correct grade level book to get into the "swing" of the writing. Also, MS Word and other modern word processors which include a grammar checker will likely also include a statistics summary that will give you an idea of the level and the readability of any article. This section is written at grade level 9.2 with a readability of 68 which is about right. A readability level of 100 would reveal that you were writing for morons. I suppose that style of writing is valid, but such writing really slows the reader down. Anyway, use good sense when writing any article, but pay close attention when writing technical material, as should your readers fail to comprehend your instructions, trouble would surely be in the brew. Usually, I talk to several examples of the personnel who will be reading the manual, so I can get some idea of their competency level before I start writing a piece. Usually, I can do that while researching the subject material, so no time is lost.
To write a cogent technical article, writers must be familiar with what they are writing about. Guesswork just won't do. That means doing some research, interviewing people and even gaining some hands-on experience or a first-hand viewing and good explanation of the process or product from a qualified technician. When and where possible, get in there and get your hands dirty. Try to see what is going on and try to understand it. If you don't, how can you expect to explain it to someone else? If nothing else, try to understand the theory behind whatever it is you are addressing. The better you understand the product or process you are writing about, the more understandable will be your documentation. Technical manuals are written to train, advise and impart necessary information. Fail on any of these counts, and the piece is worthless.
On a large project, don't try to comprehend it all at once, attempting to learn in a short time what others have spent years assimilating. Instead, try to gain an overview of the product or operation from those in the know. Cultivate these people, gain their confidence, and let them guide you through it. "Divide and conquer!" Break the process up in to manageable sections or modules and then tackle each one separately. Remember get an overview first, so you understand the beginning, middle and end result.
"In this plant, we make boxes. We start with these sheets of cardboard, cut them to size, and then run them through our offset printing press to apply the required labeling and registration marks. Then, they travel down this conveyor belt to the die stamping machine where they are creased for easy folding. Next, they are flat-folded and the edges taped together with brown, reinforced, paper packing tape. The handler then stacks them. After that, they travel by conveyor belt through that binding machine, twenty-five at a time. It ties them and then offloads the bundles onto palates, ready to be loaded onto our fleet of trucks for delivery. The whole process is automated. What we need is a set of training manuals that will teach our employees how to setup, maintain, adjust, and operate the various components of the system."
*Already, you should be able to see that the die cutting and creasing could be done in one operation, so make note of that for later use. Such a change could be worth considerable savings to your employer over the years. Not only would your suggestion lower costs, save time and increase production, but it would obviate the replacement cost of one machine and eliminate one conveyor belt system.
After you have firmly grasped the overview, you will want to break the system into related sections and learn the specifics of their care and operation. You are traveling from the general to the specific. You may then outline each module separately.
All right! Once you have a basic understanding of the product or procedure, lay out a rough, but organized draft as best you can. There will probably be a lot of missing information in your piece, but that is why you are writing your rough draft. The object is not to prove what you know, but what you don't know. Next, get back out there and fill in the holes. Read up on what you can, and ask questions about what you can't find out otherwise. Right! Fill in the holes until you know in your heart that you have everything you need to do a top grade job.
Now, working from your rough draft, you can refine your finished product. Remember, every process has a beginning, a middle and an end. Learn to think in this linear manner. A manufacturing process starts with raw material or a preformed or machined piece, upon which further operations are to be performed. Begin at the beginning and work your way through each operation or process so that any personnel attempting to learn may easily comprehend what you are trying to teach them.
Let's assume the process involves a machine or series of machines. In such case, address first the setup of each machine or component in the process. Is there a start-up procedure? Does it involve a sequence of events? What about preheating or adjustments or measurements? What about end play and run out? How about the conveyance method between processes? Is there a check list? What about safety? What precautions are necessary to keep the operators breathing? Is there an inherent danger to be avoided? A wedding ring caught in a stamper, press, conveyor belt, pulley or gear, can cost someone a finger or worse. Don't even think about getting a necktie caught.
Somewhere in the progression, the material or part to be processed must be made ready. Oddly, this is called "Make Ready." How is the material fed into the machine? Is any preparation necessary? What about temperature? If you are injecting or extruding a liquid material from a container into some sort of mold, at what temperature must the material be maintained to facilitate the operation? To cast lead type or monotype, a temperature of around 540 degrees F will likely be used. More than that, the mold must be preheated to near that temperature in order to produce a smooth casting. What about moisture? How about separation? If you have a stack of paper to be fed into a printing press, you may have to fan the leading edges of the stock to allow a fine film of air between the sheets to facilitate continuous feeding. Should you be stamping or forming a product out of a thick paper, you might need to maintain a constant moisture content. How does humidity affect the operation and feeding of the equipment? Should a humidifier with an automatic sensor be used? What about automatic oilers? To seat a steel piston sleeve into an air-cooled, aluminum engine block, the block must first be cooled with liquid nitrogen to shrink the aluminum away from the bore so the sleeve may be inserted. A technical writer must consider all stations of the process to be dealt with.
Most machinery must be maintained, lubricated and adjusted. To perform these operations, certain tools must be used, so appropriate sections of your working documentation must include such tools, their usage, and the methods of use necessary to bring the machine within working tolerances. If micrometers are needed, the measurements or gaps must be indicated along with instructions on how to read a micrometer. If shims are needed, it would be well to provide a table showing the range of such devices. Often, endplay or run out must be adjusted, so specifications or methodology must also be included to achieve successful operation. Of course, if there is a separate maintenance crew, then this information would be included in their documentation. However, an operator should be able to recognize when the machine or system needs attention so it doesn't malfunction or eject unusable product.
Your documentation should include methodology and guides for spot checking the system output and the specifications for the finished product. A day's run of unusable product would result in quite a loss. There is no excuse for such a loss, and the cost of quality control is miniscule compared to such a catastrophe. Murphy's law hasn't changed much over the years. "If anything can go wrong, it will." Make sure anything that could go wrong is not left unattended or unnoticed.
What happens if something goes wrong? Did a belt jam? Did material get caught somewhere in one of the system modules? Did an adjustment work loose or, did a system failure occur? Ask questions about problems and their fixes. Spotlight troublesome areas and system parts prone to failure. Ask about replacement parts and alternatives. Often a nonproprietary replacement part can be obtained from a third party supplier at a greatly reduced price. This is especially true for pumps and electric motors, as seldom do manufacturers go to the bother and expense of making such readily available accessories. Collect a list of symptoms and fixes from an "old timer" and include them in your manual.
It is difficult to explain tweaking, as this involves hair fine adjustment to the system that would allow for atmospheric changes, static charges, material, temperature fluctuations and or idiosyncrasies or variances due to surface wear or minor damage to feed or transport surfaces. Tweaking is akin to adjusting a carburetor or distributor advance on an automobile for optimum efficiency. Tweaking is also necessary to fine adjust the fountain solution on an offset printing press. Tweaking is learned by experience, trial and error. Therein lies the value of trained personnel. It would be possible, however, to allude to the controls that would make such adjustments possible.
*Seeing as how you are investing time to learn the product or process, and your employer is paying you for that time, try to look beyond the surface, and if you can, figure out a better way to achieve the final outcome or remove a dog leg in the process. Should you find such a condition, mention it or turn in a preliminary report to your management contact. Often technicians do the same job year after year, never seeing an obvious possibility for improvement. Sometimes, a fresh set of eyes can spot a problem area that can be removed, rerouted or rectified. Often, such information can result in a worthwhile increase in production and profitability while lessening downtime or equipment failure.
"A picture is worth a thousand words," say the Chinese, so the inclusion of a few photographs of strategic operations might well be worth their weight in gold in aiding comprehension. This is particularly true in revealing the intricacies of adjustment and feeding procedures. Few operations can be more confusing than the installation of serpentine belts which twine around a series of pulleys, so a good photograph of a correctly installed belt system can be invaluable.
Once you've done your homework, understand your project fully and have a good, complete rough draft, containing all the necessary information, check its hierarchy to make sure each section is in place and flowing in a linear fashion from beginning to end. This document should be made up of several sections, so begin refining each section separately to streamline the thought process and language at whatever level it is written. Cull any unnecessary words, restructure awkward sentences and proofread for mechanical errors and content. Remember, the object is to present the end user with understandable documentation. Assume the end user has no experience what-so-ever, which will probably be the case, so conveying the information in a reliable and understandable manner from beginning to end is all important.
When you have finished your final draft, try to have experienced personnel read and evaluate it. Make corrections, and then present it to your management contact so further input and suggestion might be implemented. Once the documentation is in its highest state, have management OK and then sign off the project that it is to their satisfaction. Turn in the masters, and that's it. You have completed your project in a workmanlike manner.
![[Contact Information]](contact.gif)