|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
ISSUE 2: DECEMBER 2005 In This Issue: CURRENT ISSUE FROM THE ARCHIVES JOIN US |
TOP 10 TIPS FOR STELLAR CONTRACTORS By Mary Rosberg, Director of New Business Development, Oak Hill Corporation Want to be a rock star? I'm talking about you, a sought-after writer who stands out in the technical communications field. My company assembles and manages teams of independent contractors for companies that need technical documentation, training or marketing materials -- and we've noted the qualities that shine through in our favorite people. These are the contractors we trust with our most critical projects, the ones we work with over and over. Whether we are managing or contracting, we can all learn from our projects to see what we can improve. Use these tips as a guide and a check list as you review your own working style with a clear eye, and enhance what you're already doing right. 1. Communicate. Respond quickly to any query, even if it's to say "I don't have the answer, but I'll look into it today." Whether you've received an email or a voice message, or have simply been asked in a meeting to pursue something, let the key player(s) know they’ve been heard. If possible, include a time frame when you will next respond. Be sure to check in, stay in contact as the project goes along -- be available online or by phone, so nobody has to wonder if you're on the case. And cultivate those listening skills. 2. Commit. Say what you can do and stick to it. Make sure you deliver what you've promised, no matter what comes up in your life -- even if you have to subcontract or pay someone to help you (see Tip #10). Your reliability is your calling card and your client will appreciate that you've made their project a priority. 3. Manage client expectations. For everybody's sanity, if you don't receive a project agreement from your client, write one up delineating your understanding of what has been agreed to. This attention to detail can be a great service to a client in the full press of mustering forces to accomplish a product launch. Include scope, schedule of deliverables, who is handling what, a contact list of key stakeholders, your rate and a payment schedule for yourself, and a project budget, if applicable. Present it for review, ask the client to add to or adjust any part of it, and then send a finalized version to every stakeholder once everyone has agreed to the project details. Work in some wiggle room. For example, if you know you can deliver a project stage sooner than a week's turnaround time, make the deliverable date in a week. You can deliver the stage early and give your client the gift of feeling ahead of schedule, or finish early and give yourself time to check it over for accuracy -- or both! 4. Use examples. Help spell out what you will deliver by using an example: "You'll get the beta doc on X day. For this project, beta quality means all features are described briefly, but only 70 percent have procedures documented and the index is minimally developed." 5. Be honest. Outline what you can do realistically in the timeline the client provides, ideally with metrics, depth and breadth. That is, when you tell the client what you can deliver, quantify that promise in measurable terms. Say: "I'll deliver the 50-topic, TOC-driven, cross-platform Help system, with no context-sensitivity." That's more informative than, "I'll deliver the Help system." Even go so far as to detail what you won't deliver. This definition can be part of the project agreement. If the client suddenly piles more work into the time frame, you've got a very specific reference in your agreement and you can amend the deliverables -- either you become a hero and do more work on the same deadline, or you negotiate for more time or money. It's also okay to let a client know their project involves a particular area that is not your expertise. If a client spends time with you to evaluate your skills, leave them with something: Help them locate the resources or people they need and you'll create a relationship that may bring you work in the future from that client or someone they know. Your name has a star by it in their Rolodex, even if you could not deliver the project this time. 6. Create quality. By realistically presenting yourself and taking on what you can do well, you have a much better chance to deliver the kind of quality that will result in a client asking for you again. During the initial project negotiations, focus on your strengths and suggest names of other contractors who can do what you can't do because of your schedule or your skills. 7. Be positive. Always look for possible solutions, even when you bring up a problem. Brainstorm with someone else on the team, call up a colleague who may know more than you, help find a way to resolve a dilemma. Be independent and show initiative, but act as a team player who brings others on board by acknowledging what they're doing right. 8. Be a people person. Figure out who you need to bond with to get the job done, whether it's an engineer, a marketing exec or a project manager. If you're on the shy side, in this business you must be a snake charmer who says boldly: "I'm a writer just getting myself up to speed on this technology. Can I schedule a half hour of your time to ask some specific questions, or would email be easier for you?" Then come prepared: Have all your questions ready for one session with your experts, so they don't have to handle lots of back and forth. Emailing questions ahead of your meeting helps them prepare with thorough information in time for your call. Ferret out the communication style people are comfortable with -- some have to start with small, scattered concrete bits that you can assemble; others need to paint the big picture and work their way to the details. Your job is to adapt to the style that works for each person. No prima donnas allowed, and old-fashioned manners go a long way. If somebody forwards you the FTP password or answers a question, say, "Thanks!" 9. Be flexible. If you can graciously adjust to changing project deadlines, added deliverables, new stakeholders who must approve copy -- whatever crops up in the moving target that any project can become -- you will be a great ally for your client. That doesn't mean screw up other projects or your life. Adjust what you need to be paid. Renegotiate a deliverable you can achieve when a whole new section is added to the original scope. Attitude is the key -- your client contact has enough to handle without you projecting stress into a project launch that's behind schedule or reacting when a difficult VP shows up in the mix. Be a seamless part of the team -- take on a task or two to ease somebody else's burden. 10. Stay afloat. If you get in over your head, call in your own troops. You may realize mid-stride that you cannot possibly deliver what you've committed to, even if you stay up all night for three 24-hour shifts. A good consultant has a network of people with similar or supplementary skills -- subcontract; find a reliable colleague with a little time to ghostwrite or edit a piece of the project for you. You can make a quick call and ask, "Do you have two hours to help me out today, or six hours through tomorrow?" I could name other qualities that I admire in a stellar contractor. But these 10 add up to a rock star colleague in my book. If you've thought of another that rates right up there, I'd like to hear about it. Email me at maryr@oakhillcorporation.com. ______________________________________________ Mary Rosberg, Director of New Business Development for Oak Hill Corporation, has 15 years experience managing projects for Autodesk, Adobe, America Online, Brocade and others. Assembling teams of writers, illustrators, editors and production specialists for companies' business needs is Mary's forte. President of the board of San Francisco Women on the Web, and a senior member of the Society for Technical Communication and the National Writer’s Union, Mary is a relentless networker -- if you need contacts, Mary’s got the database. |