In a world of increasingly complex products and services, users often want to just “strap it on and go,” as test pilots might say. They’re not interested in reading all the useful documentation that accompanies the product or explains how to best use the service.
I’ve been there. Often, I’ll get a product that requires assembly and the first thing I want to know is whether it is intuitively designed—that is, something for which I don’t need instructions, such as putting the red plug in the red socket.
But not all products and services are intuitively designed. Instructions are necessary, and can be a liability issue. If you provide written instructions, and people follow them, chances are you’ll have many more happy users of your product.
Yet with so much information out there, it becomes critical to make your message stand out. You do this by being and making sure your information is accurate, current, and simple to both understand and follow.
Follow these tips to improve your tip sheets:
- Focus your tip sheet content. You can offer procedures (“How to maintain freshly planted grass”), general tips (“Things to consider when creating your lawn maintenance schedule”), or warnings or how NOT to do something (“Things to avoid when maintaining azaleas”).
- Cut the corporate jargon. Many readers will not know, and likely not care, for it.
- If your tip sheet includes pictures, make sure they are clear and legible.
- Use the front and back of your tip sheet for content, but keep it at no more than a page.
- Include your contact information. Many times, tip sheets serve as sales literature and introduce your company and product line.
Consider these tips the next time you create tip sheets.
