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How Technical Writing Will Impact Your Everyday Life

Online shopping, electronic mail, cloud computing, chatbots, and virtual reality are changing our everyday lives. But these technological advances would not be the same without technical writing.

Technical writing – including software documentation – is the instructions, user guides, and more that impact our use of these tech services. As our reliance on technology increases, so will our need for technical documentation.

Here are several ways that technical writing will influence and improve your everyday life.

What is technical writing?

Some people think that technical writing is as boring as watching paint dry. Unlike fiction, technical writing is stripped of descriptive language and lively metaphors. In contrast to poetry and narrative, in technical writing, sentences are unambiguous.

There is a crucial reason for the plain language.

Technology is global, so we need a language that conveys the message to everyone. Technical writing must use language that everyone, both native and non-native speakers, understands. How important is plain and simple messaging?

For example, imagine reading instructions so confusing that you delete a critical file at work! Someone could be fired.

Technical writing is clear communication.

The Society of Technical Communication, which is a professional association in the field of technical communication, gives this definition:

Technical communication is a broad field and includes any form of communication that exhibits one or more of the following characteristics:

Communicating about technical or specialized topics, such as computer applications, medical procedures, or environmental regulations.
Communicating by using technology, such as web pages, help files, or social media sites.
Providing instructions about how to do something, regardless of how technical the task is or even if technology is used to create or distribute that communication.

Technology and technical communication go hand-in-hand. The need for technical writing is expected to increase over the next ten years as our reliance on technology increases.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Employment of technical writers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2019 to 2029, faster than the average for all occupations. Employment growth will be driven by the continuing expansion of scientific and technical products. An increase in Web-based product support should also increase demand for technical writers. Job opportunities, especially for applicants with technical skills, are expected to be good.”

Why do we need technical writing?

Technical writing is a part of our everyday lives. Everything has gone or is going online. With the increased use of tools and services, we have an increased need for instructions and user manuals. Here are some situations in which you may have come across technical writing:

When you log into a company’s website to use their services, you follow directions on entering your personal information.
When you use new software, you may refer to the user manual or FAQ page for answers to your questions. The increase in cloud-based services and SaaS (software as a service) as more employees work from home or communicate online will increase the need for user-focused documentation that is easy to find and understand.
When you shop online or read the news, precise and detailed infographics provide you with product information or statistics.

Now imagine all these situations without clear communication. Imagine reading confusing directions as you fill out your application on a company website. Imagine searching endlessly through a user manual and not finding the answer you need.

Technical writing clarifies and explains. It also provides us with important information, as shown in the following examples.

What are some examples of technical writing?

Technical writing is more than user manuals and software instructions. It includes reports, data sheets, and procedures. For example:

Manual for using a device or program

A manual that explains all the features and uses for your house alarm, which has remote access through your phone.
A manual that answers questions on how to use CRM tools such as Slack or Trello.

Technical report

A report by an engineering company that includes research, design criteria, images and illustrations, and data relevant to a project.
A report about scientific findings.

An email about new changes to company policies.

Technical specification data sheets

Your computer’s technical specification data sheet which has detailed information about the operating systems, warnings, and compatibility for connecting to the company network.
A material safety data sheet (MSDS) with details about a product’s hazard information, measures for accident prevention, and what to do for first aid.

Manuals that document how to write documents:

The MLA Handbook (Modern Language Association Handbook) which documents how to cite sources for scholarly writing, such as research papers.
The Chicago Manual of Style which is a style guide for writing and citations for publications.

Standard operating procedures (SOPS):

Standard protocols for completing tasks according to agency standards, such as the Food and Drug Administration’s SOPs for a food business’s operating procedures.
A flowchart that illustrates the SOPs for how a call center processes open tickets from customer issues.

Plain Language Versus Simplified Technical English (STE)

We need user manuals. Some people toss manuals aside to muddle through learning how to use a new smartphone on their own. However, not everyone knows how to operate an aircraft. Not everyone knows how to register their business.

And not every parent knows how to set up their child’s PlayStation or bouncy house.

Businesses want to sell things that people understand how to use and repair. They need user manuals that are easy to read and understand.

Plain language clarifies written communication as much as possible so that both native and non-native speakers of English can communicate with each other. Standardized language eases communication, despite differences from region to region.

This clarity is especially vital for highly technical industries, such as aerospace. Explaining the intricacies of building a plane is not easy, and ambiguous communication can result in serious errors.

Simplified Technical English (STE) was created to simplify communication for the aerospace and defense industries. It is also similar to plain language in its structure.

Here are some characteristics of STE and plain language. Notice the emphasis on clarity:

Active voice: the subject or doer of the action is in the sentence or clearly implied.

(You) enter your last name in the first cell.

Accurate word choice

Turn the red switch to the right until you hear three clicks. Then press the square button.

Important information is written in the main clause.

The first stage of the experiment was successful, despite the concerns of three researchers.

Brief, not wordy

All employees must register for the training before Thursday.

Avoid jargon

The patient had peripheral oedema (ankle swelling).

Key Takeaways

The need for technical writing will increase with our reliance on technology for working from home, SaaS, cloud computing, and other services like online shopping. As technology becomes more integrated into our lives, we can expect technical writing to improve user experience with clear instructions and product information.

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What Are the Four Stages of Editing?

Thinking of hiring an editor?

You wouldn’t make a major purchase without becoming a bit of an expert on the topic yourself, so you shouldn’t hire an editor without first learning some editing basics.

Learning the lingo is essential to getting on the same page with the editor you want to work with, and to figure out what services you want and what rates to expect. If you write a lot, it’s useful to know these editing stages and apply them when checking your work! Here are the four main stages of editing.

Structural Editing

Structural editing: also called substantive editing, developmental editing, content editing, and manuscript editing.

This editing stage is like deciding where you’re going to place every box and piece of furniture on move-in day. It’s big-decision time.

Your editor will step back with you and look at your project from a big picture perspective. Recommendations are given and decisions are made about how to organize and revise your ideas. It’s like deciding which rooms you’ll be placing your belongings in. You may need to throw out some things that no longer suit your new home and make a list of things you still need to buy.

The editor will make a list of changes for the writer. These structural edits may include:

revising, reordering, cutting, or expanding material
recasting or revising material for another project or medium (such as taking parts of a book to use for a video or web copy)
expanding or writing original material
clarifying the plot, characters, or thematic elements (for a novel or short story)
deciding if permissions are necessary when using facts, data, or quotes from third-party material
creating an outline if one hasn’t already been made
ensuring that content, language, and style suit the audience and purpose of the material

When this stage of editing is completed, your project is ready for a stylistic edit.

Stylistic Editing

Stylistic editing: also called line editing and may include copy editing.

Stylistic editing is similar to making a sandwich. Most people have a concept of what goes into a basic sandwich but have different opinions about the details. Should the sandwich have many toppings or just a few? What condiments will give it a spicy or salty flavour?

Making a sandwich is like a stylistic edit. Different toppings can affect the flavour (mood and tone) of what you create. The editor clarifies meaning, checks for coherence and flow, and fine-tunes the language. This stage includes:

editing and adjusting the order and length of paragraphs and sentences
establishing the style, tone, mood, voice, and level of formality of the material
maintaining the language level appropriate for the intended readership, purpose, and medium (blog, novel, white paper, or report)
checking for cliches, euphemisms, and jargon (jargon in technical material should be defined somewhere in the text)

After a stylistic edit is complete, your project is ready for a copy edit.

Copy Editing

Copy editing: also loosely includes stylistic editing, structural editing, fact-checking, and proofreading.

A copy editor focuses on details: accuracy, consistency, completeness, and correctness.

In this sense, copyediting is similar to scrutinizing a painting with meticulous precision. It’s like noticing the brushstrokes, the colours, and the layers. You’re looking at details in a person’s face or the veins in each leaf of trees!

Copyediting is about precision and cohesion and includes:

developing a style sheet or following one that is provided
editing for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and word usage
checking for consistency and continuity of mechanics and facts (a character’s age and eye colour are consistent throughout the story, the same font and style is used for all tables and charts)
editing tables, figures, and lists (and sometimes indexes)
correcting or querying information that should be checked for accuracy
checking front matter, back matter, cover copy, and web links
obtaining or listing permissions needed
checking for consistency for localizing language (Canadian spelling for a Canadian audience, converting to Imperial measurements for an American audience)

Copyediting doesn’t involve any heavy rewriting or heavy reorganizing of material. You are taking your work and putting it under the microscope. At this stage, it’s about the details. When the copyediting is complete, your project is ready for layout and proofreading.

Proofreading

Proofreading is done after editing. At this stage, you’re checking that the material is ready for publishing. Often “proofreading” is a term used to describe any editing or is another name for copyediting.

Think of proofreading as that quick check in the mirror that you do before you go out: Hair looks good. Nothing in your teeth. Shoes match the outfit. Phone, check. Keys, check. Wallet, check. You’re good to go.

At this point, you’re not going to redo your makeup, change your shirt, or (gasp) change into a whole new outfit.

At this stage, the editor checks the material – after layout is completed – for errors in textual and visual elements. The material may be checked against the original or previous version. When editing for online copy, proofreading is the final stage before you hit the publish button. This stage includes:

checking all elements of the document are in proper order
changes have been made and amendments have been inserted
checking for minor mechanical errors (such as spelling and punctuation mistakes)
consistency and accuracy of elements in the material (such as cross-references, headings, captions, and hyperlinks)
adherence to design (consistency in font style and colour)

Proofreading doesn’t involve any heavy editing or rewriting. It’s the final check before you head out the door – before you hit the publish button or send the material off of the publisher for printing.

Proofreading is also the most exciting stage! After all your hard work (both the writer’s and the editor’s), your project is ready to share with your readers.

Bottom Line

Understanding the four major stages of editing is crucial when you’re ready to work with an editor. Becoming familiar with the jargon and what happens at each stage prepares you for what revisions to expect. These stages are also a great checklist for reviewing your written work before sharing it with your audience.

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10 Quick Grammar Tips that Make You Look Smart

Grammar is a tough subject, wouldn’t you agree? Even if you’re a grammar nerd (cough) expert, you’ll find that rules change. English is a living language, and what wasn’t correct before can become accepted!

On the flip side, some mistakes are repeated so often that people think they are correct when they aren’t. Here are ten quick grammar tips to avoid common slips and make you look smart.

Tip 1: its/it’s

Wrong: Its rare to see an egg that laughs at it’s own jokes.
Right: It’s rare to see an egg that laughs at its own jokes.

To apostrophe or not to apostrophe? When in doubt, say it is in the sentence because it’s is short for it is. Its shows possession for animals and inanimate objects. It sounds strange to say the cat licked it is paws, but you can say the cat licked its paws.

Tip 2: must’ve, should’ve, would’ve, could’ve

Wrong: They should of purchased the home when it was a buyer’s market.
Right: They should have purchased the home when it was a buyer’s market.

These words are misused much more often than they should! Must of, should of, would of, and could of were born when we started to spell these expressions the way they sound. Contractions such as must’ve from must have became must of. Time to change should of and would of and could of back to should’ve, would’ve, and could’ve!

Tip 3: there, their, they’re

Wrong: There staring out the window at they’re friends over their.
Right: They’re staring out the window at their friends over there.

These three words sound the same but have different meanings. Remember that they’re makes sense if you can replace it with they are in the sentence. There and here both have “ere” and refer to places. You use their to show possession, such as when someone is the heir to something.

Tip 4: than/then

Wrong: That insurance plan was more expensive then that one.
Right: That insurance plan was more expensive than that one.

Quick tip to remember which is which: then with an “e” is used for time while than with an “a” is used for comparisons.

Tip 5: literally

Wrong: My head literally exploded from all the new information during class that day.
Right: I was overwhelmed by all the new information from class that day.

Some people like to use literally to emphasize what they are saying. But this word means that what you are saying is what really happened. Your head actually exploded, which would have been gruesome. The opposite is also true. Saying you “literally ate three hamburgers in one sitting” is a great accomplishment. But eating is eating.

Tip 6: lie, lay

Wrong: He wanted to lay down and sleep under the desk where his boss wouldn’t see him.
Right: He wanted to lie down and sleep under the desk where his boss wouldn’t see him.

Here’s how to remember the difference between lie and lay. The past tense of lie is lay. The past tense of lay is laid. That alone is confusing. Try the following tip.

Lie doesn’t require a direct object but lay requires a direct object. You lie (no direct object) down on the bed. You lay the book (direct object) on the table. Yesterday you lay (no direct object) on the bed. Last night you laid the book (direct object) on the table.

Tip 7: whet or wet

Wrong: She wanted to wet her appetite by taking a sniff of her mom’s food.
Right: She wanted to whet her appetite by taking a sniff of her mom’s food.

There is no moisture involved when you are trying to arouse your desire for food! The expression whet your appetite originated sometime in the 1600s when “whet” referred to making one’s interest or desire more acute.

Tip 8: could care less

Wrong: I could care less if you could melt gold with your mind.
Right: I couldn’t care less if you could melt gold with your mind.

I couldn’t care less means I couldn’t be less interested in something. If I could care less, I still have a bit of interest in something. You could still convince me that melting gold is even less interesting if you tried hard enough.

Tip 9: I or me?

Wrong: Mario talked with Luigi and I about the mushrooms.
Right: Mario talked with Luigi and me about the mushrooms.

A tip that will help you to remember whether to use “I” or “me” is to take the other name out of the sentence. Does it sound right to say, “Mario talked with I about the mushrooms”? It sounds better to say, “Mario talked with me about the mushrooms.”

Grammar nerd tip: the rule to remember is that the object pronoun “me” always follows a preposition, such as “with.”

Tip 10: due diligence

Wrong: She did her do diligence and looked into the history of the company.
Right: She did her due diligence and looked into the history of the company.

Due diligence is a legal term that means a person will take reasonable steps to satisfy legal requirements, especially when buying or selling something.

Key Takeaway

Many common grammar mistakes have made their way into our written communication. Check your hastily written texts and your rushed emails to ensure you’re not guilty of making these mistakes! Follow these ten grammar tips to make your grammar look polished.

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Fun With Language

How much fun can you have with words? As much fun as your imagination can create!

Many languages have homonyms. But be careful how you use them. For example, watch how you use they’re, their, and there in English. These are misused more often than they should!

Can you think of any homonyms from other languages?
Comment below.

3 Tips for Selling Effectively

People hate being sold to. If you tell them your product is an “awesome buy” and “there are only two left,” people will raise their hackles. Just think of the times you threw up a stop sign when someone tried to sell you services, gadgets, or discounted items you didn’t want.

Regardless, everyone should learn how to sell because the ability to persuade and negotiate is necessary in both your personal and professional life. The reality is, you’re always selling. If you can’t sell, you’ll limit your success at getting hired or being the person friends want to spend time with.

Whether you’re a novice or an expert, you’ll find selling strategies that work for you. Let’s start with three quick selling tips that’ll make you successful, even if you are already a master at sales.

Tip 1: Listen to what the customer wants

Being a great listener surpasses listing all the features and benefits of the service or product you are selling. Think about how you want your needs heard as a customer.

For example, I used a skincare brand for several months without seeing any results, so I stopped using it. The associates who sold me the products immediately asked if I had used the items exactly as instructed. They said I needed to give the products more time to see the desired improvements. I could speak to one of their skincare advisers to get some advice.

Interestingly, however, not once did they ask what I wanted, or why I quit using the products!

If they had taken a minute to ask, “What do you want the skincare to do for you?” or “Why did you stop using the skincare?” I would have told them I had an allergic reaction. Their products weren’t advisable for someone with my skin condition.

Listening to what the customer wants is vital.

Listening to what the customer wants is necessary if you want to sell.

The skincare associates were trying so hard to show how their products would benefit me that they didn’t consider the possibility that I wasn’t a fit. They didn’t even ask why I quit, but if they had, they would have found out the products had caused me a month of pain.

So the first quick tip on selling is to listen and really find out what’s going on. If a customer isn’t interested in buying, pushing features and benefits won’t get you the sale. Learning their story, however, will get you closer to success.

Tip 2: Build rapport and trust with the customer

Back to the first rule of sales: Don’t push features and benefits.

Last month, I was roleplaying with a friend who was practicing as an insurance agent. He was nervous, trying to remember every point he was supposed to cover in the sales presentation. Accurate recall was necessary for him to be in the field with clients. He was so focused on getting all the elements of his presentation right that he didn’t listen to my answers. He simply fired off each line of questions from his sales script.

Building rapport and trust with the customer is important if you want to close the deal and get the sale.

Approach the customer as though they were a friend but do it professionally. Before starting the presentation, ask some quick questions. Talk about the weather, weekend plans, family pictures in the hallway, how the day went … anything to keep the conversation light. Get to know the human sitting across from you before you start to make any sales pitch.

When a customer feels that you’re interested in their well-being, that you mean more to them than some income in your pocket, then they are more likely to do business with you.

You close more deals with genuine conversation.

I remember feeling impressed with the decor and the atmosphere of a client’s apartment. I gave them honest compliments as we had a brief conversation about their family, career plans, and what brought them to the neighbourhood. The information they openly shared with me helped to customize my presentation so that I was able to sell them a plan that best suited their situation.

When you know more about your customer, you can customize your service or product to their needs. For example, when I found out a client was expecting to have a child later that year, I highlighted the benefits of getting a plan to help the client invest twenty-five years into the child’s future.

Tip 3: Respect each other’s time

Set a clear start and end time for your sales meeting. After you set a time, confirm it with a reminder text or email a day to an hour before the meeting.

Arrive at the meeting on time.

It shows you respect your client’s schedule and demonstrates your professionalism. Wear a watch so that you can discretely keep track of the time at strategic points in the meeting. Checking every fifteen minutes makes you look disinterested. Checking during a pause in the discussion will show that you have a schedule to keep. Explaining that you have an appointment after the current one gives the impression that you are busy.

Bring a watch. Look busy. Look professional. Stay on schedule.

Another reason for keeping tabs on the time is your customer will lose focus and not buy if the meeting is more than two hours long. In my first week in sales, I had an appointment that was three hours long, and by the end of it, the client was exhausted and so was I!

Key Takeaway

I’ve come across many great books on sales, as well as tips and tricks. In this blog, I’ve featured only three quick tips, but these are key to getting a sale. Listen to your customers, get to know them, and then sell them what they need.

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