Uh-oh! Divergence alert! Divergence alert! I absolutely hate the "docs as sales tool" model. :-)
Seriously. As much as it can be nice to slam that tome down and show some meat for their dollar, there's a flip side to that model. "Holy crap, this product must be complex!" A better sales tool is to set up the product and have the client try it out - no explanation, no docs immediately given to them. If they can approach it, understand it, and begin to use it without explanation, THAT is a sell. And, you (collective you for your company) have done your jobs right. There will always be a need for supplying information with a product in some manner, but I prefer the approach: "If we do our jobs right, it will look like we've done nothing at all." People buy tech products to solve problems (even entertainment products). A solution that comes with more problems (train people to use it, remember procedures, maintain and update the solution, change your routine or environment to fit the solution) is not an ideal solution. No one wants that. We take this as normal because it's common, but it certainly doesn't mean it's correct. On 1/11/07, Beth Agnew <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Documentation is a great sales tool. I've worked for software companies > that had a long sales cycle and individual sales in the hundreds of > thousands and upward. One of the first things the technical buyers want > to see is documentation. When the sales people can slap a hefty and > well-written manual down on the desk, they're that much closer to making > that sale. I've seen sales contracts where a review of existing > documentation was a condition of the sale. If the docs didn't pass > muster, the sale would not close. Docs are concrete and something people > can get their hands on. That's very reassuring to buyers who see a 1/4 > million dollar product on a CD-ROM. -- Bill Swallow HATT List Owner WWP-Users List Owner Senior Member STC, TechValley Chapter STC Single-Sourcing SIG Manager http://techcommdood.blogspot.com avid homebrewer and proud beer snob "I see your OOO message and raise you a clue." ______________________________________________ Author Help files and create printed documentation with Doc-To-Help. New release adds Team Authoring Support, enhanced Web-based help technology and PDF output. Learn more at www.doctohelp.com/tcp. DITA West 2007--Use a discount code of "TECHCOMMPROS" to get a discount rate of $200 off the $800 price if you register before close of business January 15, 2007. http://www.travelthepath.com/conf/dita2007.shtml _______________________________________________ Technical Communication Professionals Post a message to the list: email [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, account options, list info: http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com Subscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Need help? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] Get the TCP whole experience! http://www.techcommpros.com
