Most enterprise software companies write up a special Release Notes document to accompany a new version of their product. The majority of Release Notes that I have come across are filled with the obligatory "fixed bugs" and "new features" lists.
I know for a fact that most customers do read Release Notes. They need to in order to check for bug fixes that impact their implementation or to learn about features that might help their users.
What a great opportunity to shine a spotlight on your application, regardless of what's new or fixed?
Who says the Release Notes have to be exclusively about that release? Why not emphasize new features in the context of existing ones? Or highlight fixed bugs and how they now allow for increased productivity in your product.
In other words, give the facts but don't miss an opportunity to show your customers the bigger picture.
1 comment:
Great post. The people who interact with doc--the users-- are not always the same people who sat through the sales pitch. Users may hear the pitch during training, but they are truly engaged with the product when looking at doc.
You are right, it is a great time to reinforce the big vision. If the users get bought in, then the chances for a good return on investment are higher, and the process change that always accompanies new software is more likely to succeed.
Software vendors should absolutely view doc as a sales and marketing tool. The more value you deliver within an organization, the more you will see in follow-on orders, glowing reference calls, positive case studies, enthusiastic presentations at your user conference, etc. etc.
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