Sometimes you can tell, after the fact, whether your materials are working or not if your brochures are not picked up, or people stop buying your newspaper, or your customers complain they cannot understand the instructions for the new DVD player they have just bought from you. It is, however, more cost-effective to get it right before you have printed thousands of copies.
Focus groups
Focus groups are one way to test materials. There are commercial agencies
that can arrange these for you. Sometimes you can also tap into the goodwill
of an organization that works with the readers you are targeting, and they
will help you put together a few focus groups. I have done this with immigrant
groups when I have written for that population. Most are very willing
to help.
If you are writing for a particular business, ask for time at a staff meeting to present the materials and encourage feedback. Of course, receiving such feedback can be hard on your confidence, but always remember that your writing is not the total of who you are. Put your ego aside and listen to the suggestions. They may be really useful in improving your writing. If you don’t like what you have heard, think about it for a while. Maybe there is yet another way to say something that is different from your original version but sounds better to you than the critics’ suggestions.
If it is a health brochure you have written, it is sometimes possible to do some informal checking by asking patients at a clinic to read it over while they wait to see the doctor. There are also organizations specifically for particular health problems (such as diabetes, arthritis or cancer) which may be able to help you with testing if the topic is relevant to them.
Seniors lodges may be a good source of volunteers for focus groups if the topic is of interest to seniors. Some retired people have more time to give you and may be enthusiastic about helping.
If your target readers are parents, it may be possible to send letters home from school with the students, asking for volunteers to critique a new publication.
Testing with people who have developmental disabilities
Testing your work is particularly important when your readership will be
people with developmental disabilities who have limited literacy. As the
writer, you probably have a higher reading level than they do, so you can do
no more than guess at what they understand. Most writers overestimate,
partly because we are comfortable using words and partly because of the
care most of us take not to sound patronizing. I would go so far as to say that
a document intended for this population cannot be guaranteed as plain until
it has been passed by readers with developmental disabilities.