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Subject:RE: techwr-l digest: December 04, 2002 From:"Blount, Patricia" <Patricia -dot- Blount -at- ca -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 5 Dec 2002 14:22:20 -0500
Michael Shea wrote:
So our customers are in layers, starting with
1. Your boss (I want my name at the bottom of each page!)
2. Internal reviewers (My second grade teacher says you are misusing the semicolon.)
3. The people presenting the product to others (Can you make our logo flash red and blue?)
4. Potential customers evaluating your product (Get rid of the flashing logo and replace it with ours)
5. The decision maker (He who holds the purse strings)
6. The poor schmuck who actually has to use what you write (I can't find the index!)
[end snip]
I just spent all semester in a graduate writing course learning to apply just this philosophy. Coulda saved me some tuition bucks, eh, Michael?
Your layers are what my professor termed "customer roles". To increase our liklihood of making any sort of persuasive point, be it closing a sale, winning an argument or yes, writing a technical document, we all need to be mindful of the various roles or layers likely to receive our message.
Now, who can tell me how to handle Layers 3 and 4, or any of the others that seem to be in constant competition?
Patricia A. Blount (going back to the woodwork from whence she came)
Computer Associates, Inc.
Supervisor II
Technical Writing: CA Education
One Computer Associates Plaza
Islandia, NY, 11749
+1 631. 342. 3528
patricia -dot- blount -at- ca -dot- com
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