How to Pay Attention to “Performance Objective” of Your Writing

Today as I was driving past the firehouse in my neighborhood, I saw an electric billboard with the following message lit up on a bright red LCD screen and aimed at the motorists:

“NEVER PLAY WITH MATCHES!”

Who usually plays with matches?  A child.

Who is driving past that billboard? Adults.

Would a child ever drive a car? Never.

Would a child who is riding in a car (usually in the back seat) ever see and read the sign? Perhaps; if he or she knows how to read.

That ill-suited sign reminded me of the way some technical documents are equally ill-suited for their end-users.

You have to consider the PERFORMANCE GOAL of your audience.
You have to be clear about what your audience wants to ACCOMPLISH by reading your manual; otherwise, it will be an effort gone to waste.

If you are writing a hardware “User Manual,” for example, tell them how to turn on the system, operate it, and turn it off.

But save the description and diagram of how Wire A connects to Terminal B to the “Installation Manual” because that’s the kind of information an installer, and not a user, would love to have.

Serve your audience well by finding out what they’re hoping to do with your information.

That way you’ll always be on target and continue to be a technical communicator in high demand.