a k e
m er and I was able to grasp on the project as
boring
g
tin
exci
PAIGE Frame
WITH
by Angie Farnworth
FACE IT: NO ONE READS
From employee handbooks, to the Owners
Manual, to the Terms of Service Agreementall
of us just roll our eyes and nod our head yes, that
we have read all the terms and conditions, when in
reality, we didnt get pass the first two sentences
if that! Companies claim that these documents are
for the employees and customers benefit, but if
no one reads these documents, then how beneficial
are they? Fortunately, there are some writers out
there are on a mission improve the communication
within companies, and making sure that custom-
ers receive clear and concise instructions on how to
best use a product.
Meet Paige Frame, President of McKinnon-
Mulherin Inc. Her goal is to help companies create
the right solution by focusing on the clients ideal
outcome, rather than the specific deliverables. Its
important for companies to understand some of
those grammar rules that most people dont care
about, but according to Frame, a certain comma
placement can be the difference between fine
and a lawsuit. Its those tiny errors of unclarity
that can cause grief. Its a hard industry to stay on
top of, but its important.
Recently, Frame and her team of writers com-
pleted a pro bono project for Planned Parenthood
of Utah. They had an employee handbook that
hadnt been updated in years, explained Frame,
and whenever they did update the handbook,
it was because of a new regulation, or their
lawyer saying, you need to put this in,
and it was just dense legal language, and
when Planned Parenthood would hand
their handbook out to their new employees
joining the team, and the employees were
just like, this is the worst. This is torture
to read this! One of the goals that Frame
and her team wanted to help Planned
Parenthood achieve with their new em-
ployee handbook, was to capture the idea
of people who are passionate about com-
ing together to do good in this communi-
ty. Even though it was still a handbook
that had legal language in it, we made it
easier to read. Which is important, so now
the employees are absorbing the rules and
concepts better, and they can feel excited
about their work. Thats what made this
a fun project, because a lot
of people think that busi-
ness writing is boring, and
just being like, we have to
say this to employees so
lets just say it, instead, [I PAIGES
try to think,] how can we tips
write this in a way that em-
BE CONFIDENT.
ployees can see the impor- Fake it til you
tance of it? Its enforcing make it.
the idea that we are in this
together, and were doing
READ, READ, READ!
Absorb as much
great things. I love taking information as you
something that might seem can.
boring and giving it a spin GET A MENTOR.
that is now easier to absorb Let them review
and people can get excited your work.
over something that is bor-
ing!
Frame has been writing for McKinnon-
Mulherin for ten years. When I started
out, I was hired as a Tenchnical writer, but
I didnt necessarily do a lot of technical
writing. What I did do was a lot of proof-
reading! I would read facilitator guides for
trainings or web-based trainings, and man-
agement planswhatever the project was,
I proofread all of it. Even though I wasnt
writing, it helped me become a better read-
a whole, because I had to read every part of MAKE YOUR WRITING
it. It was a good starting point to see what CONVERSATIONAL
we did, and what good writing looks like.
Did you get
Eventually, Frame did get to write her content cant be or shouldnt
my email? Yeah.
be compelling, clear, and
own projects and became project leader.
well written; it simply means
Unfortunately, when the recession hit, that its important to keep the
McKinnon-Mulherins writing team dwin- flash and sizzle to a minimum
so that it doesnt distract from
dled. When that happened, I became the
ADVICE BY TODD WERKHOVEN
the message and facts.
Project Leader of all of our projects, be-
cause we were so small. Eventually, when
KNOW YOUR
KEEP IT
our company grew back up again, it became SIMPLE
AUDIENCE
Understanding your customers
is the cornerstone of success-
A general rule is that the
more words there are, the
ful marketing. When youre fewer of them will be read.
Dont take 10 words to say
intimately aware of your
customers needs, you will be what can be said in 5. This
able to create content that proves to be even more
speaks to them effectively important with technical
content writing. By its nature
and efficiently, and in a way
that is meaningful to them. it is not very exciting, so the
temptation to spice it up is
always there. But technical
DONT BE
writing is not a place to show
FLOWERY off prose or clever turns of
Technical audiences want phrase: its to convey explicit
and exact information. Edit,
technical information. Many
cut, condense, and make sure
businesses try so hard to dress
up their technical writing that every word has a clear and
direct purpose.
it wildly misses the audience
that matters most: the techni-
cal professionals. This doesnt
mean that your technical
todd werkhoven is a digital marketer for the graybox blog.
IS YOUR WRITING PERSONAL AND EFFECTIVE?
MAKING JOKES MULTIMEDIA
PERSONAL
PROFESSIONAL LANGUAGE
difficult for me to be the Project Leader
for all projects, so I became Director of
Operations, which essentially was general
operations, keeping my eye on operations
LEGAL LANGUAGE
and making sure the project leaders were
in place. Since then, our Founders have TECHNICAL TERMS
semi-retired, and in January I took over as WITHOUT EXPLAINATION
President.
Frame grew up in West Valley, Utah and
EFFECTIVE
 tions. If you say you can do it, then you
feel like you can! Fake it til you make it. It
works. Another tip of advice is to read ev-
erythingin every sense of that. If youre
new in any companyespecially ours, read
everything on our server, any kind of tools,
graduated from Utah State University with a any marketing materials, websites, proj-
degree in Technical Writing. However, Frame ects, and just immerse yourself and absorb
never once dreamed that she would manage a that information. And even outside of the
company. Growing up, Frames father used to organization, read the newspaper and busi-
own a mobile truck washing company, he had ness articles. I think you can get more than
a dream of having his own physical building you think you are getting. And finally, find
where trucks could come to him to get washed. and take advantage of getting a mentor.
But it just didnt work out. It sunk him. My Find anyone who has been in the company
dads an over-achiever, and instead of realiz- for a while and ask them questions, have
ing that his company was sinking, he just kept them review stuff for you. I think the more
putting more energy, more heart into itbut you can take advantage of that and get in-
eventually he ended up put from someone who
going bankrupt. And its
kind of affect my mind- It is rewarding to has been doing this
stuff for a long time is
set as I am now managing see how our work will key. I feel like people
my own company. Grow- get really nervous to
ing up, we did live a nice, help the employees, have someone look at
privileged life where we
could eat-out once a week and how to improve their work, because
they dont want it to
and get new clothes for communication within get rip apart, but it has
school, and then to have to get ripped apart if
that moment where it was the company. It is youre going to learn!
like, this Christmas we
got home-made quilts... exciting! I think everyone
can learn to be a good
It helped me understand PAIGE FRAME writer, but you have
a bit of what its like to to want to be a good
struggle, and to see my writer, and be open
dad and realize those signs of when you need to criticism, and to learn new skills, and
to pull the plug, or know when to say this isnt adaptable. I think it is an interesting in-
working anymore and manage that the right dustry, because you have to remember a lot
waywhich is scary, but I am glad that I got of grammar rules, and be flexible about it,
that experience, because if he had always been because each client might follow a different
successful, I think it would have felt like, any- style guide. So you need to know APA for
one can do this and running a company is not one client, Chicago for another, and then
big deal and life is peaches; its nice to have on top of that, those styles are always up-
that background of knowing that it can fail, dating and changing. So just be flexible,
and it lights that fire under you of being care- and keep an open mind, and stay current.
ful and making sure that these clients and con-
tracts are solid, and having a backup plan in
case something falls through.
Paige Frame offers some advice for any
writer. Be confident. I think that you should
always try to project confidence and ask ques-