After gathering information from Chapter 3 in our text book, Technical Communication Today, I realized that the ideas discussed could be apply to many different situations. Chapter 3 is titled "Readers and Context of Use" the context of the chapter focuses on Knowing your audience as a writer, getting your point across with the most efficient layout, and how your writing will be analyzed. I will focus on how the information in chapter 3 can be in the manufacturing world. The context in chapter 3 is valuable for any writer, whether the letter is to your boss requesting a raise, or a letter to your grandmother thanking her for birthday present, The ideas addressed apply both situations.
Knowing your audience is important in writing as well as other fields. In the manufacture field know your consumer may be the most important. A reader profile is used to gain information about the subject(s) reading whatever was written. What do they need?, When will they be reading?, and why they will be reading?, are just a few questions that should be asked in a reader profile. These questions should also be asked about the consumer in the manufacturing world, what does the consumer need/want?, What is the most efficient way of getting them what they want?, How will we develop/implement what they need?, etc. The book also suggests grouping your audience in a chart of how they will influence your writing, or how your writing will influence the them. Primary readers and secondary readers are examples two of the groups that can be charted. In manufacturing there are also different groups your product will go through, shipping and advertising agents are some of the groups in manufacturing. It's all about understanding your audience and designing and constructing your writing or product in a way that will most efficiently carry your intended purposes, whether its passing a bill in congress or getting a "Firby" to 20 million kids.
There are so many other places that that these ideas can be applied rather than in writing. However, because this is a writing class and writing is such an important part of communication today it is important to apply these principals to your writing. I hope to do it more myself!
Types of writing
I like how you tied in personal and business examples of knowing you audience. Knowing that you wouldn’t write your grandmother in the same context as writing your boss is specifying different intentions of the w letter types of writing. Although you would still start with the same type of lay out, who is the letter for, what are you saying, when will they be reading, and why are they reading the letter.
After reading your response, it clicked for me that this is they way that you do address every letter before writing rather it be for a friend, relative, a superior, or request for a grant.
Zebulon Rouse
Response
I like how you related the knowing your audience for writing to how you must know your audience for marketing. I had been just thinking about how you need to know who your writing is targeting and for what purpose. I now realize how it is just as important to analyze your target audience for writing as it is for advertising. I could just imagine how hard it would be for a consumer to understand how to use a new product if the makers of the product didn’t think about their target audience. The few people who actually read manuals with new products wouldn’t understand a thing that they were reading.
-Chris
I really liked the way that
I really liked the way that you showed other situations where this idea of "knowing your audience" can be applied. When I first read the chapter, the importance of knowing your audience when writing documents of any kind seemed obvious once I thought about it, but I did not even consider other ways in which this strategy could be applied until reading your response. It seems that by applying this idea to all aspects of the business and technical world can help ensure success whether you are writing an internal memo, a manual for a new product, or trying to market your product to new customers.
Patrick Griffin
pgriffin@purdue.edu
Applying principles to sales
I really related with how you tied the reading in with your job field. I have been in sales for the last four years and knowing your audience is the difference between being a good salesmen and looking for a new job. Though my training, we used "customer profiles" instead of charts to better understand our customers, but the idea was the exact same. By understanding your audience and working to relate to them, you gain trust in the same way writers gain trust with readers. Working with your gatekeepers to establish a plan of action can also be a usefull tool in written communication and in the real world.
Mike Sheridan
Reading Response
After reading your response to Chapter 3, I really thought your comments on profiling your readers had excellent points. Know who your audience is can simply be applied to virtually anything. It doesn’t matter whether you’re writing your technical document or selling “Firby” to 20 million kids.
I could really relate to a lot of your points in how they pertain to my career path. As a web developer I have to do hours of research in order for the client’s website to properly reflect their needs, values and attitudes. If I were to design a website based on my preference with what I thought was acceptable, could possible hinder the client business.
Response
Your comments on selling Firby to kids and you experience in marketing brought an interesting point that a large majority of the advertising is not targeted at the people necessarily buying the product. This doesn’t only go for advertising, but writing as well. Toys for instance are marketed for to kids, even though their parents are the ones purchasing them. I also have seen a similar trend recently with medications for the elderly. Even though doctors are the only one allowed to write prescriptions, drug companies are running ads for individual drugs targeted at people with specific problems and at the end they always say “ask your doctor for more.” It’s to the point were they actually want you to go to the doctor with a problem and ask for a drug by name, not for help. And with more and more of the ads appearing, they must be working.
Response to a Response
That is a very good example. I was going to add more examples about advertising because it is very relevant, but I felt I already had enough points. The advertising with medication, which you brought up, is a perfect situation where you can see a different target audience than what one might expect.