Re: Portfolio (was Writing samples)

[Rebecca Rachmany <purple -at- NETMEDIA -dot- NET -dot- IL>]

> >This is fascinating, especially since I've NEVER put together a true
> >portfolio--meaning a big black book with writing samples artfully
arranged
> >in a pretty package. I've usually grabbed 3-5 pieces ... <snip>
>
> Every time this topic is discussed I feel bad, like I do it wrong. Yet I
> continue to do it the way I do it, <snip> Frankly, the reason I do it
this way is > because I just can't carry a
> portfolio showing samples of all the different types of documents I've
> written/edited. It would simply be too heavy, and I'd probably fall on my
> face as I came through the door.

We go to our potential customers with a big bag or two of finished
documents we have produced. This approach stems from one customer whose
assistant liked us enough to tell us why they chose the competition. She
said we had made a very professional impression but the other company
"plopped down a big pile of books on his desk". We tech writers know that
size doesn't count, but it does make a good initial impression, so to
speak.

I have found that showing up with a stack of books makes the right impact.
Quite a lot of my potential customers are impressed at least with the fact
that I stay in good enough shape to lug around 20 kilograms of books <g>.
Very few of them know how to look at the samples. They just kind of flip
through and look at the pretty covers.  Practically nobody ever looks at
the on-line help stuff. They can't be bothered to actually stick a diskette
into their floppy drive.

Rebecca Rachmany
General Manager
TECH-TAV technical and end-user documentation
P.O. Box 2419, Tel Aviv 61024
purple -at- netmedia -dot- net -dot- il
Phone: 972-3-6090416
http://www.tech-tav.com