RE: Issues with distribution of technical documents

[david -dot- locke -at- amd -dot- com]

On the doc-per-user issue, it should come down to a doc-per-seat. Does your
software licenses really let your customer install an infinite number of
seats. No hardly. Every seat should get one set of doc regardless of the
role of that seat. I think role-based documentation is best, but you can
leave the security issues evolved to the customer. 

I don't see manuals as a way to reduce technical support calls. Even with a
book, you will get calls on covered topics, because most users don't look
for the answer. They expect that the technical support rep can tell them, if
they can't find a local expert. And, in some small percentage of calls, just
hearing someone on the other end of the phone is enough--they don't need an
answer, they need psychological support. 

You could create a technical support package for in-house technical support,
and offer a price cut for customers that are willing to self support. But,
just like the reduce tech support call strategy, you lose contact with users
when you insulate your company from them. Most of the time the initial sale
is made to an economic buyer. That economic buyer doesn't really listen to
the end users. The economic buyer has the power to enforce their decision.
But, when follow-on sales are made, it is the end user that drives the
purchases. The vendor needs to know how to reach the end user. That's why
software registration is done by the end user. This provides the vendor with
visibility in the economic buyer case, and the distributor seller case.
Without the registration card the vendor wouldn't see the end user. 

Linking content omissions in books to specific requests made to technical
support is another way in get visibility and reach into the end user
community. Developing end user expertise fosters end user loyalty. And, that
loyalty can translate into a 60-90% savings to the vendor in terms of cost
of sale. The vendor has to work to make this happen. 

Stop thinking about TW as a cost, or TW as a means to save other user
support departments costs. Try to find the sale or revenue generation in TW.
And, no, I don't mean charging for books, or only shipping pdfs. We already
make the money. What we have to do now is claim it as ours. 

David


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

*** Deva(tm) Tools for Dreamweaver and Deva(tm) Search ***
Build Contents, Indexes, and Search for Web Sites and Help Systems
Available now at http://www.devahelp.com or info -at- devahelp -dot- com

Sponsored by Cub Lea, specialist in low-cost outsourced development
and documentation. Overload and time-sensitive jobs at exceptional
rates. Unique free gifts for all visitors to http://www.cublea.com

---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot-  Visit 
http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.