 |
|
Phone: 512-215-4329 |
| Publishing Consulting | Content Development | S1000D, DITA & STE | Policies & Procedures Compliance | Marketing Consulting | Training Courses |
| 4J's
Focus Archives
Coming Soon (PDF files) 2006
2005
If you would like to receive 4J's Focus each month just send an e-mail with the subject "SUBSCRIBE"
|
4J's FOCUS
The Monthly E-Mail Newsletter from 4J's Group 4J's Group LLC
The specialists in Corporate Publishing Consulting & Services
SEPTEMBER 2006
4J's GROUP NEWS - New website rollout / Newsletter service. PUBLISHING TIPS - Shelve those assumptions. MARKETING MOMENT OF THE MONTH - Best. Superlative. Ever WHY'S IT CALLED THAT - M&Ms BOOK SIGNING - Book People, Nov 18th =======================================================
NEW WEB-SITE
This month sees the roll out of the new look 4J's Website. If you haven't checked it in a while, please "click by" and let us know what you think of the new look and new content.
The website is now divided into six main sections highlighting our various consulting and service offerings: - Publishing Consulting - Content Development - S1000D, DITA and STE - Policies & Procedures Compliance - Marketing Consulting - Training Courses
It's all at http://4jsgroup.com
NEWSLETTER SERVICE
Over the last few weeks I've had several people let me know how much they enjoy the 4J's Focus Newsletter. It's always good to know that it's read and to get positive feedback.
Remember, if you enjoy this Newsletter, that we can also help produce a regular Newsletter for your organization - either on-line, e-mail or blogs. Contact us at info@4jsgroup.com or give us a call at 512-215-4329.
========================================================
SHELVE THOSE ASSUMPTIONS
My wife recently attended a training course for a new software system and was so taken with the individuality of the training manuals that she bought them home to share.
The manual starts on the first line of Page One with an instruction something like this.
(1) On the XYZ input screen insert the value of process ABC.
There is no introduction to the system, no overview of what it does. There were no instructions on where to find the application once it was installed, how to launch it, log-in or how to get to the "XYZ input screen" mentioned.
The more I read through the manual it became obvious that it had been written by someone who knew the system well. - Really well. As a result it omitted all the small but necessary steps and information that they took for granted.
This is far from the first time I have seen this. It's very easy to write from your own level of knowledge and make implicit assumptions about the audience's level of knowledge, even on non-technical documents. (And yes - I still do it too).
I have found the best way to combat this is to give the document to someone who has no, or little, knowledge about the subject, system, equipment etc and ask them to either read through it and highlight things they don't understand, or in the case of manuals with instructions ask them to actually use the book to carry out a task.
That way you will very quickly discover just how many assumptions you have made.
In fact we have helped a few customers develop "verification programs" designed to address just this issue.
==========================================================
BEST. SUPERLATIVE. EVER
Walking around downtown Austin the other weekend I was struck by the amount of signs advertising "Luxury Apartments" and "Deluxe Condos." It wasn't the number of them that caught my eye, although as Austin is in a period of accelerated growth there are a lot, it was the use of the words "Luxury" and "Deluxe."
Every single sign had some sort of superlative on it, in most cases the same one. Take all those "luxury" apartments, what was it that made them "luxury"? Is there some formal definition of the word that if you have certain amenities then its classified as a "luxury apartment" - if so where were the ordinary apartments or the extra special ones.? Is every apartment in the city the same standard?
If everyone uses the same superlative it becomes meaningless and ends up being ignored.
Even when not overused, superlatives are still dangerous. Calling something the "Ultimate" or "Best Ever" product means you can't improve it.
Remember the line from that wonderful animated movie "The Incredibles" - "If everyone is special - then no-one is." ? It applies to marketing messages as well as superheroes.
============================================================
Continuing our series on the stories behind those familiar company and product names.
This Month : M&Ms
In 1928 Forrest Mars, heir to the Mars candy empire had a falling out with his father, company founder Franklin Mars, and was basically told that if he left the US he would be given the manufacturing rights for the Milky Way and Three Musketeers bars for which ever country he decided to settle in. Forrest headed for England where he started his own "Mars" company and began to manufacture the licensed candy. Confusingly his British "Milky Way" was in fact a "Three Musketeers" and the equivalent of an American "Milky Way" was dubbed a "Mars Bar." While in England Mars also stated the country's first pet food company (Pedigree Foods - still owned by Mars) as well as managing to secure the rights for manufacturing certain English candies should he ever return to the US.
With war looming in 1939 Forrest Mars did return to the United States and among the rights he bought with him was an English treat of a hard candy shell wrapped around a chocolate center known as "Smarties" which were sold in paper tubes. Mars set up a new business with a partner named R. Bruce Murrie (who just happened to be chocolate king Milton Hershey's adopted son) Unfortunately the name "Smarties" was already in use by another American candy company so the two men needed a new name.
The solution was a simple one as the new candy from the company of Mars & Murrie was simply renamed using initials of the two men's surnames - "M&Ms"
The new M&Ms candy received an enormous boost when the army started to issue them in ration packs during the war and by 1945 the company had adopted the informal war time pitch line "the milk chocolate melts in your mouth - not in your hand" as its official slogan.
Bringing the story full circle when M&Ms began to be imported into England they were once again renamed as "Treats" and competed against the original Smarties on the candy store shelves.
In 1962 Forrest managed to gain control of Mars Inc and brought the two sides of the Mars empire together as a result over the last thirty years the differences between the US and English candy names have largely disappeared.
(As an aside - have you ever wondered why a candy company like Mars owns Uncle Bens Rice? - Well that's because Forrest Mars also perfected the boil-in-the-bag cooking technique for rice. - Clever guy.)
======================================================
We are in the process of developing a new series of training courses to assist people with Various aspects of the Corporate Publishing business.
The courses under development are:
- Developing a Content Strategy - Making Sense of Standards - Choosing a Content Management System - Business and Technical Writing - Writing in a Controlled Language - Editing for Technical Authors
You can find more details on the website (http://4jsgroup.com), or if you are interested please contact us at info@4jsgroup.com
=====================================================
For those in the Austin area, I will be doing a signing at BOOK PEOPLE at 6th & Lamar on Saturday November 18th starting at 5:00pm.
I will be signing copies of BEFORE THEY WERE BEATLES: The Early Years.
As part of the festivities we will have a Beatles trivia Q&A and music from Local Beatles tribute band - DAYTRIPPER
===================================================
Thanks for taking time to read this newsletter and a special thanks to those that take time to comment each month, your feedback is greatly appreciated.
======================================================
All the best
Alan J. Porter
===============================================================
If you enjoy 4J's Focus, please feel free to forward it to friends and colleagues. It comes to you every month from Alan J. Porter, President / Founder of 4J's Group LLC (e-mail: ajp@4jsgroup.com )
You can find out more at http://4jsgroup.com
===========================================
If you have been sent this Newsletter in error or wish to be removed from the mailing list, please send an e-mail with the subject "Remove-Newsletter" to info@4jsgroup.com
|
(c) 2006 - 4J's Group LLC, Round Rock, TX