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Re: Is Marketing and Technical Writing compatible activities?
Subject:Re: Is Marketing and Technical Writing compatible activities? From:Max Werkenthin <mwerkenthin -at- GCSINC -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 8 Jan 1998 17:37:35 -0600
You write for a living?!
-----Original Message-----
From: David Fredericks <davidf -at- APC -dot- NET>
To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU <TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU>
Date: Thursday, January 08, 1998 3:22 PM
Subject: Is Marketing and Technical Writing compatible activities?
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>Some TWs, amazingly, see marketing and technical writing as water and =
>oil . . . activities that don't mix. But such thinking betrays a naive =
>and damaging level of thinking that explains why many technical =
>companies don't make it in the marketplace. Engineers and programmers =
>are more likely to perpetuate this myth than are writers and artists (I =
>was a field engineer for years). This is a residue from an ancient era. =
>Any writer with a modicum of creativity (salesmanship) and knowledge of =
>how business works understands that the marketing perspective is =
>important to everybody, from the janitor to the president.=20
>
>The truth of this should be obvious to all writers because marketing is =
>the sum total of activities that has to do with the transfer of goods =
>and services from the seller to the buyer. Nobody works if companies =
>don't do everything possible to market and nurture their products and =
>services to all users. Naturally, a company's written communications, =
>internal and external, is a big component in marketing.
>
>Unlike many technical writers, I have for 20-plus years straddled the =
>disciplines of technical writing and marketing/public relations/ =
>advertising writing. Which has been wonderful.=20
>
>1) it prevents burnout.
>2) it broadens your ability, writing, skill and knowledge.
>3) it fattens your paycheck.
>4) it gives you job security.
>5) it adds tremendous value to your writing talent and service.
>6) it add visibility to writing activity, thereby adding to the respect =
>of our profession.
>
>And anybody who has ever worked with a technical writer who also writes =
>print ads, brochures, proposals, articles, direct mail, etc., knows the =
>technical writing skills of these people is markedly superior than that =
>of those who cannot, especially those troglodytes who are contemptuous =
>of the people who can communicate on a human level.
>
>
>
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><DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>Some TWs, amazingly, see marketing =
>and technical=20
>writing as water and oil . . . activities that don't mix. But such =
>thinking=20
>betrays a naive and damaging level of thinking that explains why many =
>technical=20
>companies don't make it in the marketplace. Engineers and programmers =
>are more=20
>likely to perpetuate this myth than are writers and artists (I was a =
>field=20
>engineer for years). This is a residue from an ancient era. Any =
>writer=20
>with a modicum of creativity (salesmanship) and knowledge of how =
>business works=20
>understands that the marketing perspective is important to everybody, =
>from the=20
>janitor to the president. </FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>The truth of this should be obvious =
>to all=20
>writers because marketing is the sum total of activities that has to do =
>with the=20
><FONT color=3D#000000>transfer </FONT>of goods and services from the =
>seller to the=20
>buyer. Nobody works if companies don't do everything possible to market =
>and=20
>nurture their products and services to all users. Naturally, a company's =
>written=20
>communications, internal and external, is a big component in=20
>marketing.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT size=3D2>Unlike many technical writers, I have for 20-plus =
>years <FONT=20
>color=3D#000000>straddled </FONT>the disciplines of technical writing =
>and=20
>marketing/public relations/ advertising writing. Which has been =
>wonderful.=20
></FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT size=3D2>1) it prevents burnout.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT size=3D2>2) it broadens your ability, writing, skill and =
><FONT=20
>color=3D#000000>knowledge</FONT>.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT size=3D2>3) it fattens your paycheck.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT size=3D2>4) it gives you job security.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT size=3D2>5) it adds tremendous value to your writing talent =
>and=20
>service.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT size=3D2>6) it add visibility to writing activity, thereby =
>adding to=20
>the respect of our profession.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT size=3D2>And anybody who has ever worked with a technical =
>writer who=20
>also writes print ads, brochures, proposals, articles, direct mail, =
>etc., knows=20
>the technical writing skills of these people is markedly superior than =
>that of=20
>those who cannot, especially those troglodytes who are contemptuous of =
>the=20
>people who can communicate on a human level.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
>
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