TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: Marketing and document design From:Thom Randolph <thom -at- HALCYON -dot- COM> Date:Mon, 3 May 1999 07:48:37 -0700
Peter:
You're very welcome; I'm glad to have helped. During my Marketing
years, I never came across a book that talked about these issues.
There probably ARE such books, however. My understanding was gleaned
from many long hours talking with my "mentors" about the positive
roles of Marketing in a company, and in talking with our Technical
Publications and Engineering teams.
One thing most Marketing people enjoy is talking (er, schmoozing).
Have occasional informal talks with the ones responsible for the
products you're also working on, and you may find them very
receptive to ideas about how the documentation can be used to
tune the company image and product positioning. They also tend
to have more involvement than Engineering when it comes to thinking
about who the customer is, and how the product is used. Sounds
counter-intuitive, but it's usually true. After all, that's what
they are there for.