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How to Fix Corrupt & Damaged Microsoft Word Documents – Part 2

July 9th, 2010 · F R E E

Post by Ivan Walsh. Follow me on Twitter.

Last week we showed you how Bullet Lists can crash MS Word. We outlined some techniques to reduce the file size, mostly by creating pre-formatted bullet lists in advance. But what happens if you’re given a Business Plan that’s already bloated to massive proportions. It’s too late to create new styles at this stage.

Here’s what to do.

1. Open the User Guide in Microsoft Word.

2. Cut and paste every graphic from the file into an image-editing tool, such as Snagit.

Create a naming convention, (e.g. Page1-A.gif, Page1-B.gif etc) and name each graphic using the same naming convention.

WARNING: DON’T SAVE THE FILE YET!

3. In Word, select File, Save As HTML.

Name the file with an HTML extension, e.g. Proposal.html and then close Word.

4. Re-open Word. Select File, Open and select the Proposal.html file.

5. Select File, Save As and save Proposal.html with a .doc extension, e.g. Proposal.doc.

TIP: This process of converting the Microsoft Word file into HTML and back into Word, removes unnecessary (i.e. corrupt) code in the file and will significantly reduce the file size.

6. Insert the graphic back in the correct order.

I’ve seen Word files larger than 20 MB reduced to less than 3MB in less than one minute by using this technique. Might be worth a try!  The reason you don’t save the file at Step 2 is because this would trigger Word into action (e.g. I WILL now save this file etc) and as it struggles to save the oversized file, will probably crash the application.

I hoped you enjoyed these articles on fixing corrupt or damaged documents. What’s been your experience using Word?

FYI: Want to learn more? Our Facebook page is here.

About the Author: Ivan Walsh shares Action Plan Tips  at Klariti. He also creates Business Plans for SMEs

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S.P.E.E.D. Writing: 37 Tips to Boost Your Business Writing Productivity

July 1st, 2010 · F R E E

Post by Ivan Walsh. Follow me on Twitter.

37 Tips to Boost Your Business Writing Productivity This article on business writing reminds us that our sales, marketing, business, and proposal development does not stand alone. It is process of a larger process that involves planning, research, writing, editing, proofing, submission and acceptance.

This list gives 37 ways to improve your next proposal. Scroll through it and tell me what I missed.

  1. Show that your response is logical and organized
  2. Make the information easy to find. Cross reference against the Request For Proposal
  3. Include a table of contents for proposals over 10 pages in length
  4. Ensure that your Proposal is in compliance with the RFP
  5. Arrange material in order of priority to the reader (see Audience Analysis guidelines)
  6. Arrange everything in the order that’s most important to the client
  7. Arrange the response in accordance with their requirements
  8. Number pages and sections consecutively; do not re-number each section
  9. Use headings (see Action Plan tips)
  10. Each section title should stresses the main benefits
  11. Each section title should help readers orient themselves
  12. If possible, express the key point of the section in the headline, or immediately after it.
  13. Highlight important points
  14. You can emphasize the most positive points by using bold, underlining, different fonts, spacing, titles, bullets and summaries
  15. Content – Sell the Message
  16. Respond completely
  17. Answer every question in the RFP. Failure to respond correctly to the RFP may disqualify your proposal. The client put these questions in for a reason, and expect an answer.
  18. Avoid banal headings and titles
  19. Rather than say “Development Section,” say “Ten Ways to Improve Your Processes”
  20. Use action verbs in heads, especially verbs that stress a benefit for the client
  21. Avoid boilerplate
  22. Don’t recycle resumes and corporate profiles from previous proposals; modify them in accordance for the proposal at hand. Using old, tired resumes will be perceived by the reader, and will count against you when they can making the final judgments.
  23. Avoid hype, padding and other self-congratulatory drivel. Remember that the proposal is a legal document that becomes part of the contract if you win
  24. Support your recommendations
  25. By giving specific details and quantifying the benefits whenever possible
  26. Don’t just say that you will comply with a requirement — say how we’ll do so
  27. Don’t attack competitors. Refer to rival products if you must.
  28. Point out the weaknesses of alternative solutions.
  29. Use a strong closing statement
  30. Ask for their business; tell the reader exactly what you want him or her to do
  31. Remind the reader of the benefits of taking action
  32. Avoid business cliché’s
  33. Avoid hackneyed openings and closings that clients have read a thousand times. Avoid “I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for considering the enclosed . . .” Get to the point: “Here is your proposal.” Avoid “If you have any questions, please feel free to call.” That closing has been done to death, so avoid it and write something more genuine.
  34. Make your proposal easy to understand
  35. Use the same terms and jargon that appear in the RFP. Don’t try to impress the client with your own special brand of buzzwords or TLA (three-letter acronyms)
  36. Use simple, direct language
  37. Wrap up the Proposal with confidence

What did I miss?

About the Author: Ivan Walsh is a left-handed technical writer who writes business proposals for clients. He also shares business writing tips for smart people at Klariti.

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Review E-junkie v Clickbank: Selling digital goods?

June 30th, 2010 · Business

Post by Ivan Walsh. Follow me on Twitter.

There are three ways to make money online. Products. Services. Advertising. The real money is in selling products. You own the product, make 100% of the sale, and can setup affiliate programs if you want. You can also create upsell opportunities with your newsletter. Sounds good? So, how do you do it? I started with Clickbank. It’s very good, not perfect, for selling digital goods. I’ve used it for nine years and seen it improve dramatically. E-junkie is another site that lets you buy and sell digital goods online. Let’s compare them and see which is best.

clickbank-sell-digital-products-online

Why I like E-junkie to sell digital goods

E-junkie is less well-known than Clickbank but has some powerful tools for upselling, digital delivery and secure downloads. It’s not free but at 5 USD per month for 10 goods, it won’t break the bank.

  • Cost – It costs $5 dollars a month to sell 10 goods. The pricing structure is staggered depending on the number of products you sell and/or bandwidth you want.

ejunkie-sell-digital-goods-online

  • Quality – The quality of the information products and digital goods is high. The marketplace is smaller than Clickbank, I think. I stand corrected on this.
  • Delivery – Downloads are sent by email. With Clickbank, you have to create a web page where the customer goes to buy the product. Some customers don’t get it and expect an email with the digital good. Customer support can take time and time is money. 
    ejunkie-sell-digital-products-online2 
  • Affiliate – You can setup affiliate programs in a snap. Couldn’t be much easier.
  • Product Listing – you can add multiple digital products to its online marketplace. With Clickbank, you need to apply/create a master account and then link different accounts to each product. Takes time.
  • Guarantee – no guarantee. It’s up to you to resolve with the affiliate manager.
  • PayPal – integrates with PayPal, which also allows you to upsell digital productsl.
  • Upsell – it has a built-in tool that lets you create a shopping cart and upsell other products. Possibly the one reason to choose E-junkie over Clickbank.

Why I like Clickbank to sell digital goods

  • Cost – Clickbank is free!
  • Quality – The quality of the digital goods may not be as high. However, the range of products is larger.
  • Guarantee – you get a minimum 60 day guarantee on all products.
  • Affiliate – You can setup affiliate programs, add commissions and get tips in the affiliate newsletter.
  • Product Listing – you can add one core product to its marketplace. However, you can create a Master account and add different products. It’s doable but a little cumbersome.
    clickbank-sell-digital-goods-online                                                              Clickbank Analytics Page
  • Delivery – you have to create a web page where the customer goes to buy the product. Some customers don’t understand this and expect an email with the digital goods. Customer support can take time and time is money. Also, some close the download page and don’t receive the product, then request a refund. With E-junkie, they get an email with a link to the product. There is also a limit on the number of times/days they can attempt to download the product.
  • Upsell – Clickbank has a manual system that lets you upsell digital products. I got the PDF with instructions but never actually tried. Too much coding and testing involved. I want something that’s automated.
  • PayPal – integrates with PayPal and 2Checkout.
  • Shopping Cart - built-in shopping cart that helps upsell products and increase sales. You can do this manually on Clickbank (e.g. hardcode HTML pages) but if you change the prices, then you need to go back and manually change the web pages.

Which is best for selling digital goods?

  • While Clickbank is free, the five dollars for EJ shouldn’t stop you. Not if you’re serious about selling goods online.
  • Quality is hard to tell until you buy. Clickbank’s reputation is better than it was and they are trying to give extra support to power users. I have a dedicated Relationship Manager, for example.
  • Clickbank gives you a 60 day guarantee.
  • E-junkie is a little easier for setting up affiliate programs, especially as you can separate out different products. How sure how to do this with Clickbank, tbh.
  • Clickbank lets you add one core product to its Marketplace. You can apply for a Master account and add different products. With E-junkie the process is much simpler.
  • Delivery – Clickbank makes you create a web page for every product, which must be open 24*7. Security issues here. The link can also be passed around. Not ideal! Many customers expect email delivery. After the purchase, some close the browser and don’t receive the product – request refunds. E-junkie sends them an email with a link to the product. Limit on the number of times/days they can attempt to download it. You can update this.
  • E-junkie has a nice tool for creating a shopping cart and upselling.
  • Both integrate with PayPal.
  • E-junkie has a built-in shopping cart that links to PayPal. Great for upselling information products and long-tail products. You have to do this manually on Clickbank and if you change prices etc, then you need to locate, change and ftp the web pages.

Which do I use to sell digital products?

Both. I have so many products that moving them to E-junkie (mostly for the shopping cart feature) takes time. Some friends suggested that I use 1Shopping Cart to sell my digital products instead!

What do you suggest? Looking forward to hearing from you.

About the Author: Ivan Walsh is a recovering technical writer who develops internet business plans for savvy clients .He also shares business tips for smart people at Klariti.

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Stop Your Business Plan From Crashing – Part 1

June 29th, 2010 · Business

Post by Ivan Walsh. Follow me on Twitter.

Is there anything worse than writing your Business Plan all afternoon and then… Word crashes! If your Microsoft Word files suddenly become huge and start crashing, here’s one way to fix it. I’ve creating some very large business proposals in Microsoft Word and learnt a few ways to control these documents.

microsoft-word-style-menu-clear-all

MS Word. Click top red arrow to expand/show the Style Menu.

And it’s not just business writers, in the world of technical publishing, Microsoft Word also gets a bad rap. Many feel that it’s unstable and crashing. It can also bloat in size until your operating system grinds to a halt.

the Problem with Bullet Lists & Large MS Word files

The first offender is Bullet Lists. If there is one thing that’s guaranteed to crash Microsoft Word, it’s bullet lists.

Here’s what tends to happen.

When you click a Bullet List from the Word toolbar, Word points this Bullet List to the Normal.dot file. In other words, it uses the default settings in Normal.dot and then applies these. Fine.

No problem! That’s what it’s supposed to do.

But….

If you cut and paste a Bulleted List from one business report into your working file, then Microsoft Word has a problem.

Which Bullet List is the Master Bullet List?

It can’t tell because suddenly you have two bullet lists in your document.

And…

If you add a third bullet style, maybe with nice styling or cool fonts, it has a nervous breakdown. Microsoft Word can’t tell which is which and begins to struggle.

How to stop Word Crashing & Losing your business plan

Here’s what to do:

  1. Open Word and create a separate Style for each type of bullet lists you need. For example create a Bullet Regular, Bullet List Indent, Bullet Square and so on.
  2. When you need to use a bullet list, select the appropriate style from the Styles drop-down menu.
    This is the Home tab in Microsoft Word 2007.
  3. If you want to import a bullet list from another document,
    Copy the text into a blank document.
  4. Select it, and in the Style menu, select Clear All.
    NB: This removes all formatting.
  5. Paste it into the working document.
  6. Apply the correct style.

I know this seems like more work but it’s not. Just paste into a blank document, remove the formatting and then paste it in. Your files will stop crashing and will be easier to manage.

You can get a set of User Guide templates with pre-formatted style here.

In the next article, we’ll look at other ways to reduce large Microsoft Word files.

Let me know if you’ve any problem with this. Our Small Business Page on Facebook is here.

About the Author: Ivan Walsh shares business tips for smart people at Klariti. He also runs a Blog for Business Planners

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Kate Winslet’s 7 Secret Ways to Revise User Guides

June 22nd, 2010 · User Guide

Post by Ivan Walsh. Follow me on Twitter.

What can Kate Winslet teach you about proof-reading technical documents? Watch the movie The Reader and it will make sense. If she was writing this blog, she’d probably say: “Don’t do it all at once! One of the biggest mistakes you can make when revising any technical document, is to do it all in one go. You can’t!” And she’d be right.

7 Ways to Revise user guides

technical-writer-kate-winslet

Make it easy on yourself and focus on one area at a time. Instead of revising the document in one session, break out the tasks and revise the document by task. For example, start with checking the facts, then the spelling, how the document flows, cross-references, footers, index entries and so on.

Seven Ways to Check Technical Documents.

  1. Overview – In the opening section, do you have a statement, a sentence or two that states the main point or argument of your document? Likewise, is there a conclusion that ties together all the points made in your document?
  2. Tasks – Does your user guide address the user’s requirements? Check the document to see if you addressed each task and provided enough information for the user to perform the task.
  3. Structure – Does the document flow? Make sure each topic connects clearly and logically. Do the topic sentences of each paragraph relate to the subject matter?
  4. Accuracy – Is the information correct? Is it adequately documented? Have you tested the document so that it helps the reader to perform their tasks?
  5. Language – Do you use specific language? Avoid vague terms such as in the event of, thing, factors, and over reliance on unclear pronouns like "this" and "it."
  6. Drafts – Technical Writing involves writing multiple drafts. This means that after each draft, you need to check that the edits have been included in the correct draft.
  7. Read Aloud – Get into the habit of reading your documents aloud. If you have trouble reading a sentence clearly and smoothly, it probably needs to be rewritten. And if it sounds wrong to your ear, then that’s a warning sign that something needs to be corrected.

PS – I also use a checklist to check off the different tasks as I revise technical document. This is especially helpful if you’re working late or are revising several documents in succession.

One mistake to avoid is to focus on one area, for example spelling, and overlook other areas, for example, the accuracy of the material. While the reader may forgive you for the occasional spelling mistake, they won’t be impressed if the material itself is incorrect.

How do you revise your documents? What mistakes do you see most often?

About the Author: Ivan Walsh is a 40 something technical writer with a weakness for documentation plan guides. His other obsession is video blogging at http://www.videocameraschool.com/

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Finding Hidden Styles in Microsoft Word 2007?

June 6th, 2010 · User Guide

Post written by Ivan Walsh. Follow me on Twitter

Sandra wants to know where is the Styles menu option in Microsoft Word 2007. She wants to update her new business plan and add Notes, Messages, Quotes and other pre-formatted styles. The Styles in Microsoft Word 2003 and 2007 seem to be different.

He’s right. The Microsoft Word user interface in 2003 and 2007 is very different.

1. The best way to add Styles, such as Notes etc (2007) is to go to the Home tab. It’s the default.

2. Click the little arrow button under Change Styles.

3. This opens the Styles menu along the right-hand side of the page.

4. Select the text you want to change.

5. Scroll down and find the Note style, for example.

6. Change the text.

Does it work?

<styles would be saved but in my "styles" drop down menu, I do not see these styles. 

Do you see the little arrow under Change Styles. Click this and the Styles will appear! If not, drop me a line.

PS – if you’re looking for tips on writing user guides, then check out I Heart Technical Writing.

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How to Fix Corrupt & Damaged Microsoft Word Files

June 4th, 2010 · F R E E

Post by Ivan Walsh. Follow me on Twitter.

Last week we showed you how Bullet Lists can crash MS Word. We outlined some techniques to reduce the file size, mostly by creating pre-formatted bullet lists in advance. But what happens if you’re given a User Guide that’s already bloated to massive proportions. It’s too late to create new styles at this stage.

Here’s what to do.

1. Open the User Guide in Microsoft Word.

2. Cut and paste every graphic from the file into an image-editing tool, such as Snagit.

Create a naming convention, (e.g. Page1-A.gif, Page1-B.gif etc) and name each graphic using the same naming convention.

WARNING: DON’T SAVE THE FILE YET!

3. In Word, select File, Save As HTML.

Name the file with an HTML extension, e.g. Proposal.html and then close Word.

4. Re-open Word. Select File, Open and select the Proposal.html file.

5. Select File, Save As and save Proposal.html with a .doc extension, e.g. Proposal.doc.

TIP: This process of converting the Microsoft Word file into HTML and back into Word, removes unnecessary (i.e. corrupt) code in the file and will significantly reduce the file size.

6. Insert the graphic back in the correct order.

I’ve seen Word files larger than 20 MB reduced to less than 3MB in less than one minute by using this technique. Might be worth a try!  The reason you don’t save the file at Step 2 is because this would trigger Word into action (e.g. I WILL now save this file etc) and as it struggles to save the oversized file, will probably crash the application.

I hoped you enjoyed these articles on fixing corrupt or damaged documents. What’s been your experience using Word?

FYI: Want to learn more? Our Facebook page is here.

About the Author: Ivan Walsh shares Action Planning Tips  at Klariti. He also creates Business Plans Models for SMBs

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How do I add fields to the Table of Contents in Microsoft Word 2007?

May 26th, 2010 · User Guide

JL asked me ‘How do I add fields to the Table of Contents in Microsoft Word 2007?’ The problem is that this is easy to do in Microsoft Word 2003 but not so obvious in 2007.

This is the best way to do it:

  1. Add a new Chapter Heading to your user guide
  2. Or Copy and Paste an existing heading
  3. Rename the Heading to the new title
  4. Go to the Table of Contents page.
  5. Right-click on the Table of Contents
  6. Click Update Field
  7. Click Update Entire Table

This will update the Table of Contents.

If you add Heading 2s and 3s, then just do the same and it should work.

Does it work?

PS – if you’re looking for tips on improving your technical writing documents, then check out I Heart Technical Writing.

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Learn more about robots.txt from Matt Cutts

May 9th, 2010 · F R E E

via mattcutts.com

Posted via web from Technical Writing Tips

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14 Questions For Interviewing Technical Writers

April 27th, 2010 · F R E E

Here are some tips for interviewing tech writers, for example, if your company needs to hire a contractor to complete some documentation. I’ve worked on both sides on the fence in the past, (i.e. interviewed and been interviewed) and picked up a few things in the process. Hopefully, these will be of some help.

A technical writer, as the name implies, creates documentation of a technical nature. They write text that is accurate, readable, accessible, and helpful to its intended audience, usually end-users or developers.

How to Test Technical Writers

How much time should be allotted to complete an assessment test?

I’d suggest one hour. Some people will race through it, while others will deliberate over the grammar questions forever. Nonetheless, one hour should be sufficient time for them to complete the test. By allocating this amount of time to the test, you are also emphasizing its relative importance. If it were a simple 10-minute quiz, it wouldn’t carry the same weight. Here is a suggested approach for administering the test:

  1. When advertising the vacancy, highlight that an evaluation test is part of the assessment process.
  2. By saying this upfront, you will weed out under-qualified writers who know that they would not pass the test.
  3. When scheduling interviews, remind the applicants that there will be a 1 hour test.
  4. Explain to them what this entails, for example, that there is X number of questions on grammar, procurement, technology etc. Among other things, this illustrates your company’s professionalism as you are helping the applicants to prepare for the interview.
  5. In turn, it would be unprofessional to spring the test on applicants when they turn up and catch them by surprise. Completing the test takes about 90 minutes. Some applicants may have other arrangements to consider, such as day-care, commuting etc.

When they arrive, interview them first and then do the test.

Software Development Templates

If they are unsuitable for the position, cancel the test and say that it is not necessary at this point.

For those who are suitable, I’d do the following:

  1. Give them a pen and paper (always helps).
  2. Glass of water/coffee.
  3. Find a quiet room with a PC or laptop.
  4. Give them a printout of the test (most writers like hardcopies).
  5. Walk through the test so that they understand what s required. They can ask any questions at this point.
  6. Once they are ready, leave the room and let them do the test.
  7. After 20 minutes, drop in to see how they are doing. This is not to police them, but to see if they genuinely need any assistance.
  8. After 60 minutes return and print out their test.

At this point, I’d suggest that they have a break so that you can score the test. Once you’ve completed this, sit down and go over the scores. As everyone likes to know how they performed in a test, I’d walk through the results and discuss them with the applicant. For example, if they scored poorly in one section, ask them how this area could be improved. And finally, thank them for taking the time to do the tests and hope that they have gained from it.

System Admin Guide

Technical Writing Skills

Technical writers often have a degree in English, technical writing, the technical field for which they are writing, or a combination of these.

It is most important that they have enough expertise to understand their audience’s background and needs.

For example, writers who develop documentation for software APIs, microcontroller operation, and other technical subjects are often paid more than those who write guides for a non-technical audience (for example, how to use email), because it is difficult to find good writers with advanced technical knowledge.

Desktop publishing tools

After the documentation is written, using a desktop publishing tool or a help authoring tool, it is normally reviewed for accuracy by one or more “subject matter experts” (SMEs).

Functional Requirements

Technical Communication

Technical communication is the process of conveying information about technology to an intended audience. A technical communicator is a person whose job involves technical communication. Technical communication jobs include the following:

  • Technical writer
  • Technical editor
  • Information architect
  • Usability expert
  • User interface designer
  • Technical artist
  • Technical trainer

The technology can be of any kind, including the sciences, high technology including computers and software, consumer electronics, and so on.

Role of Technical Writing

Technical communications are created and distributed by most employees in service organizations today, especially by professional staff and management.

Effective communications require quality content, language, format, and more. The entire point of communications is to disseminate information; this is where written content comes in. To present the appropriate content, it is imperative to understand one s audience and writing purpose.

If a document does not communicate the information that the writer intends and what he or she wants the reader to understand, then the communication is meaningless.

The writer has a self-interest in making the extra effort: Looking credible is as important as being credible and getting results in business.

Respect and credibility of the writer/speaker are integral to effective communications. Readers will not trust the information from an author if they do not believe that author is a valuable source of information or the purveyor of worthwhile ideas.

Statement of Work Template


Furthermore, being respected is essential to being persuasive, a key ingredient in business.


About the Author


Ivan Walsh teaches people how to develop their Technical Writing Career. Read how he makes over $175,000 as a Technical Writer on his blog. You can also catch him on Twitter @ ihearttechdocs

Posted via email from Technical Writing Tips

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Ten Tips When Writing for the Web

April 27th, 2010 · F R E E

Writing for the Web requires new a different approach to the writing process. Before you start writing web content, try to understand the basics of information architecture and how navigation systems work. As readers scan text on the Web, make sure that you:

  • Write short paragraphs instead of large blocks of text

  • Use bulleted lists to break out the key points

  • Give one subhead for each idea.

  • Add H2 and H3 to highlight the key points

  • Use simple, everyday language. 


    • How to Write for the Web

    On the web, one page on print media requires two or three screens.

    1. Write in small digestible chucks, which fit into the information hierarchy. To create your hierarchy, outline the website as you would for printed material.  
    2. Examine the site’s purpose and outline the main sections (e.g. words people use to navigate) and the links within those heads. Test it before it goes online.
    3. Write headlines and links on Post-IT sticky notes and put them on a chart. Show the chart to sample users. Ask them how to get from one section to another.
    4. Run a usability test.
    5. Put the outline of each webpage on a sheet of paper.
    6. Stack the pages and, sitting next to the user, hold up the pages. Tell them what to find and ask them to “click” the headings to get there. If they choose the right pages then continue; otherwise go back and make notes.
    7. Don’t give any hints or clues on how to navigate.
    8. Sit back and watch. You’ll be amazed how their approach differs from what you had expected. Make notes for later revisions. This paper model helps you see how people navigate through the site.
    9. By writing concise, descriptive headings, you will lead users to the content that they are seeking. For example, do visitors expect to find phone numbers, under “Who we are” or “Contact us”?
    10. Planning is 80 percent of the work. Once you’ve created a good outline, the writing will have more impact.

    About the Author

    Ivan Walsh teaches people how to make money writing Technical Documents. Read how he makes over $150,000 as a Technical Writer on his blog. You can also catch him on Twitter @ ihearttechdocs

Posted via email from Technical Writing Tips

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18 Guaranteed Ways to Improve Your Case Studies

March 1st, 2010 · F R E E

You’ve never written a case study before, right? You wish there was some nice, easy way to get a handle on this. So, wouldn’t it be very nice if someone –guess who! – put together fifteen of the best articles on case study writing? Well, you’re in luck, we have!

1. How to Write a Case Study

Case studies and white papers are very effective tool to promote the benefit of a product or services. Case studies are the first most popular device used to promote the business.

Case Study template

How to Write a Case Study

2. Case Study: Focus To Be More Effective

As mentioned earlier, a case study is a soft-sell sales document. Its role is to highlight your abilities without resorting to market-speak and sales clichés.

3. Using Case Study in Your Marketing Plans

Case Studies are one of the most effective tools you can use to promote your products and services, especially if you are on a limited marketing budget.

4. What is a Case Study?

In general, case studies are made up of four sections: 1. Situation, 2. Problem, 3. Solution, and 4. Evaluation.

5. 5 Reasons To Write a Case Study About Your Business

There are several reasons you should publish a case study, for example to generate market awareness,  raise your profile, or demonstrate thought leadership. Here’s how to do it. 

Case Study template

Case Study – Sample Templates

6. How to Construct your Case Study

In the opening section of your case study, Situation, you describe the rationale for the case study, your background, current market position, areas of expertise, and what makes your company different from the competition.

7. Case Study: Length, Format, Style, and Presentation

Most case studies are between two-or-three pages and in the range of 500-900 words, although some tend to run longer. Try to aim for three pages, and include one large graphic per page.

Case Study template

Case Study – Sample Templates

8. Transform Case Studies into Success Studies

A case study should start with a powerful headline highlighting the major result or benefit of the project.

9. Writing Case Studies for Medical Products

These medical case studies are 500 to 800 words and describe how the device improves the diagnosis or treatment of patients.

10. How to Prepare Case Studies

A case study can be described as the study of an object, person or situation in its natural habitat in an uncontrolled and observational manner.

11. Writing Case Studies That Convert Prospects into Customers

Case studies are a very effective promotional tool, especially when your products and services are intangible, expensive, technical or provide benefits that are not instantaneously derived upon purchase.

12. Making the Business Case for Case Studies

Case studies are much more effective because they offer quantifiable success stories told from the perspective of current satisfied customers.

13. Trade Show & Case Studies

Trade show case studies can only benefit your company. Learning from past companies’ efforts and strategies adds to your own experience, almost as if you lived through their successes and failures with them.

14. How Freelance Writers Can Make Money from Case Studies

I remember the first time a client offered me a case study writing assignment. “What the heck is a case study?” “How long is it?” “What is the format?” “How much do I charge?”

15. Case Study for Market Research

There is another method of gathering information which is relevant and must be described. It is called case studies and it is the most adjustable of all research designs.

16. Case Studies as a Marketing Tool

An effective case study highlights how a specific situation was originally identified, what solution was selected for the problem.

17. How to Market your Business with Case Studies

A great way to increase the credibility of your marketing is to let your satisfied customers sell your service or product for you. Case studies are a wonderful way to do this.

18. Case Studies Research and Writing

The problem section of your case study has to have a ‘punch’. It has to signify something to the reader, something that can relate to, something that makes them take action.

Case Study template

Case Study – Sample Templates

If you have any questions about case studies, please contact me here or visit our blog.

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Case Study Part 3: How to Structure your Case Study

February 11th, 2010 · F R E E

Case studies and white papers are very effective marketing tools if you want to promote the benefits of your product or services. Case studies are the first most popular device used to promote the business. If you plan to write a case study, this article will give you a better understanding  about this type  of business writing.

What is a Case Study?

Case studies demonstrate how a business condition was identified, how you identified the main issues, and the summarized your  results.

Case Study template

How to write a Case Study

Case studies tend to be short – between 500-1000 words.

In general, aim for three to five pages, and use one image per page at most. Case studies adopt a soft-sell approach.

How to Structure your Case Study

There are three sections to a case study.

1. Problem
2. Implementation
3. Results

The ‘problem’ section has to have a punch. In other words, it has to signify something to the person who reads it, something that they are able to relate to.
Focus on how the topic impacts the reader.

Demonstrate how your product resolved the business problem. The more explicit the case study, the more successful it will be.

Highlight the Benefits

Answer: how the solution, or service, addresses an issue.

Be careful here, as the whole case study is built in the region of this single issue.

Don’t dilute the case study by addressing more than the single issue – stick to one area and show how you can resolve the issue in measurable and proven terms.

Reduce Barriers

Case study writers need to demonstrate how their solution improves the situation. For example, how does it improve a business process?

This is an excellent area to state how your product integrates into other applications. You must use your conclusion when compile the last case study document. Avoid make it too technical or using too much statistics.

Case Study template

Case Study – Sample Templates

Compose the statistics set out so that the person who reads be able to easily grasp them and then memorize them later on.

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Case Study Part 2: Why You Must Focus On a Single Issue

February 11th, 2010 · F R E E

As mentioned earlier, a case study is a soft-sell sales document. Its role is to highlight your abilities without resorting to market-speak and sales clichés.

An effective approach to catch the reader's attention (who is frequently a potential client) is to explore how the solution helped end-users and the target group.

How to build your case

Support your argument with direct quotes (with their names, if possible) from personnel who've adopted your system or use your services.

To make this work, concentrate on how the solution resolved one very specific issue and then build the case study around this.

Warning: don't complicate the case study by addressing multiple issues; stick to one subject and explain how you solved the problem in measurable and quantifiable terms.

Case Study template

How to write a Case Study

How to support your case

Support your case study with statistics, figures and tables.

Areas to focus on include:  

Return on Investments – how did the investment in your product pay for itself. For example, it increased productivity by 50% within 2 months. Explain how you can substantiate this; otherwise, your argument loses credibility.

Cost Containment – how does the solution help companies contain costs? This area is very important as budgets are always a sensitive issue. If you can illustrate how another company who adopted your solution saved money then you will keep the reader's interest.

Reducing Barriers – explain how your solution improves internal operations and assists management planning. For example, how does it fit into the system workflow and business procedures? Alternately, mention how your system integrates with other applications and business critical applications.

When compiling the final draft, avoid making it too dry and overwhelming the reader with excessive figures. Rather, keep the tone light, easy-to-read while highlighting the key points.

Remember: case studies that oversell themselves by proposing to solve all problems to all people don't work. No-one believes such claims. 

How to refine your case study

Perfecting your case study takes hard work. But, once you refine the words and polish the edges, you have a very powerful marketing tool.

Indeed, those who download your Case Study will keep it on file and use it as a reference.

Case Study template

Case Study – Sample Templates

Once this occurs, the reader sees you as a credible, trustworthy and reliable source of information, the type of company people want to do business with.

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How Many Hours Per Week Do Actually Spend Working?

February 10th, 2010 · F R E E

How much time do you spend working every week? I don’t mean being in the office, but actually working. You have 37.5 hours every week, but how much is actually spent doing what you’re paid to do? When I say working I mean developing real outputs (e.g. content); this includes illustrations, diagrams, publishing etc – whatever goes into the final deliverable. Christine, my former manager, kept a record of all the tasks she did during the week. Here’s a breakdown of how much time was actually spent writing.

  • Technical Writing – 15 hours (includes all writing tasks, such as release notes, developing videos, converting material from Word to FrameMaker and screen capture work)
  • Email – 12 hours (includes correspondence to programmers, team members, sales, customers, mgt)
  • Project Management – 6 hours (includes status reports, scheduling, document distribution & include feedback etc)
  • Timesheets – 45 min (including revisions that need to be made so we can bill the customer correctly and allocate resources to the correct ‘bucket’)
  • Internal Meetings – 6 hours (Mon & Fri office meetings, Tech Publishing Thursday meeting & meetings with HR (assessments) and project coordination meetings with Development)
  • Customer meetings – 4-10 hours (this includes conference calls, status reports, emergencies, monthly conf calls with global depts, and project handovers. Mostly status updates)
  • Travel – 6 hours (i.e. to customer sites or downtown to our HQ)

Total – 43-49 hours (50+ if you add in the travel)

Does this surprise you?

Less than 15 hours (30% approx) was spent on documentation. The rest was sucked up with email and meetings. While there are ways to reduce time spent on these, other areas are outside her control.

5 Mandatory Tasks

She has to:

  • Go to customer sites
  • Submit Status Reports
  • Attend conference calls
  • Deliver updates
  • Create documentation

There is no wiggle room there.

How about you?

How much time do you spend actually doing what you want to do? How do you stop others from wasting your time and pulling you away from your goals?

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