The Simons Group transforms technical into readable

The problem: PDI Global Inc. sought to make its technical newsletters more appealing and reader-friendly for lay audiences. Topics such as accounting, finance and tax planning can be difficult to distill into copy that is accurate, engaging and sophisticated.

The solution: PDI sought the creative, seasoned flair the writers and editors at The Simons Group bring to newsletters for a variety of technical fields. PDI relies on The Simons Group to develop fresh article ideas and compelling content for several industry publications.

The story: Chicago-based PDI is the nation’s leading source of integrated marketing and management solutions for accounting and consulting firms, law firms, banks, financial advisers, insurance providers and the financial services industry. The company discovered that relying solely on industry professionals such as certified public accountants and lawyers for newsletter articles resulted, at times, in technically sound but dry copy.

“While their articles are technically accurate, they sometimes lack readability,” says Dianne Ransom, assistant managing editor at PDI. “We learned that having nontechnical people writing about technical subjects opens the door to creativity and makes stories more understandable to a wider audience of readers.”

PDI approached The Simons Group for help and wasn’t disappointed. Ransom and her colleagues were impressed with the professional research, reporting and writing skills the company brought to the table.

“The Simons Group has a real knack for delving into technical subjects and presenting them in a way that lay people can understand,” Ransom says. “Technical experts sometimes assume everyone reading their articles already understands the topics. The reality is that’s not always the case.”

PDI’s editors are challenged with finding timely, newsy topics for newsletter readers, so they count on The Simons Group to do the research and supply a variety of subjects from which to choose. The writers and editors at The Simons Group stay abreast of industry changes and events and regularly look for hot topics in trade publications and on industry Web sites.

“Our editors are responsible for overseeing publications in certain industries,” Ransom says. “When you edit numerous publications in one niche, say construction, you tend to see a lot of similar articles. While those articles are needed, the fresh eyes of The Simons Group can often bring new topics and new approaches for covering important issues.”

The professionals at The Simons Group also work closely with PDI’s editorial advisory boards to fine-tune article topics and make sure they address critical points readers look for. Board members sometimes suggest topics of their own and The Simons Group follows up on those ideas with interviews and in-depth research.

Technical subjects don’t have to be dull, as PDI can attest. The writers at The Simons Group make optimal use of their professional reporting experience to turn the seemingly humdrum into inviting and memorable copy that has depth and breadth.

“They make the copy come alive,” Ransom says. “We are very pleased with the level of expertise and creativity they bring to the process.”

Finally, The Simons Group understands the necessity of meeting all-important publication deadlines. The process never ends; as one publication is wrapping up, another is just getting started. The Simons Group meets these deadlines head-on.

“Deadlines are king, and we appreciate working with a firm that keeps the process moving forward,” Ransom says. “Sometimes The Simons Group even gets us things ahead of schedule. And when we change the schedule to shift up deadlines, they still come through for us.”

To learn more about how The Simons Group can help you with technical publications, contact Lee Simons at (312) 252-8900 or lsimons@thesimonsgroup.com.