Tech Comm Tools clients love to talk about us! Some get so much out of the training that they come back for three, four, or even more different courses and projects with us.
Our team got so much out of this
When GPI looked for FrameMaker training for our internal staff, we looked to Matt Sullivan, author of FrameMaker - Creating and Publishing Content, who has been our “go-to” FrameMaker resource for a few years now.
We chose to attend Matt’s FrameMaker Creating and Editing Content course, mainly because it allowed our team access to the most in-depth content, without impacting our normal production schedule with full-day classes.
Personally, as a new FrameMaker user, these tools and skills have been very valuable in doing desktop publishing, especially in the localization field.
In fact, as a whole, our team got so much out of this first course, that we immediately signed up a group of us for his FrameMaker Template Design workshop.
Kim Harris
Manager
Global Partners International (GPI)
Localization Industry
Online course, October 2016
Most appreciatively yours, Marlon
Dear Matt, I can't tell you how lucky I am to run across you. I was lost in cyber jungle, just about ready to check out, when just by chance I followed a hunch and got you on the phone. You were day for night.
Thanks very much for your expertise and kind patience. I'm sure all your other clients are going to benefit as much from your astonishing abilities as I have.
If you ever get up in this neck of the woods, give me a toot and we'll talk some trash.
Most appreciatively yours,
-Marlon Brando, actor
Consult, January 2000
I could not have managed without it!
I bought Matt Sullivan’s FrameMaker Structured EDD Development workbook when I needed to move from unstructured to structured FrameMaker. It has been invaluable in helping me to achieve this goal.
The book is laid out clearly, with plenty of worked examples to explain the exercises. The hardcopy and PDF versions of the book (I have both) include downloadable exercise files.
Using Matt’s book I was able to write an EDD totally from scratch. I have modified it over the years, but this EDD still forms the basis of my day-to-day working files.
My hardcopy of the book is very well thumbed after all these years but I still find myself referring to it when I need to refresh my memory or I have a particularly knotty structuring problem.
I have recouped the cost of the book many times over in the time it has saved me. I could not have managed without it!
Thank you, Matt!
Sue Thomson, MISTC
Online consult
July 2022
I always have a breakthrough when I reach out to you
Hi Matt,
I just want to thank you again for the 1/2 hour consultation time today.
I have been wresting with how to add a paragraph format into the Reference Page for at least a couple of weeks with no success. I always have a breakthrough in my work when I reach out to you for assistance.
I appreciate your guidance, patience, and humor as we work together to find the answer to my questions. Your assistance today in helping me use the paragraph catalog vs. the Reference Page to produce the formatting I am looking to use was amazing!
I cannot express my gratitude enough and am looking forward to using the information to create a more user friendly solution for my fellow Instructional Designer. A life-saver as usual.
Thank you,
Edrice L. Angry
Training Specialist II
Contractor to the United States Department of Energy
Matt is a RoboHelp Rock Star!
I just completed a RoboHelp session with Matt Sullivan. He immediately saw a solution to my question about reusing condition tags in more documents, as well as recognizing that other users may have the same need. He provided a method to solve the issue, and plans to create documentation to describe how to import a set of condition tags into more projects.
This was an excellent use of my time, since he also provided me with resources to find answers for future questions. Matt is a RoboHelp Rock Star!
Christine Krueger
Documentation Specialist, Knowledge Management
Kaiser Permanente
April, 2022
A teacher with great patience
As an engineer that was backfilling for a tech writer who had recently left my company, I was assigned a project in Frame Maker with zero prior experience with the software. Matt was instrumental in getting me up to speed in record time and helping me deliver on the project. Without Matt's help and expertise, I would never have completed the project on time.
Matt is a teacher with great patience. He made sure that each recommendation he made as we progressed through the software was worthy of the time I was spending with him and was aligned with the expectations of my company's project. He was patient when I pushed the software in the wrong direction and helped me fix the bugs that I created along the way.
When asked by my management to create a guide on how to use Frame Maker for the next person in the company to use the software, I simply replied that the only guide I could recommend was working with Matt.
Doug Patteson
Drilling Technical Authority
BPX Energy
March, 2022
Recordings of my Robohelp training sessions saved the day
I was working on a very complicated merged Help project in RoboHelp 2019 when my client had to completely move the project to a new environment with little notice and no other support – I was on my own.
With such a structure/path- dependent environment, the videos that Matt recorded as part of our training saved the day for me.
All the notes that I took during the training coupled with the videos allowed me to re-create my needed environment and structure and essentially compress 2 months of work into a week and get a rough draft out for the client ahead of schedule.
It was a very tense, stressful time, but with all of Matt’s information, I survived!!! Thank you Matt!
-Tammy Van Boening
Principal/Owner
Spectrum Writing, LLC
August, 2020
PDF Publishing with FrameMaker Webinar
Good morning Matt,
Thank you very much for putting on that webinar the other day. I have now seen it twice, once live and once in review from the website. I appreciated the detailed tips and nuances and as usual, you did a fabulous job.
-Alan G D Hoffman MD, PhD
Technical Writer & Publisher
SkeenaGraphics Publishing
July, 2021
I owe you dearly
Matt,
I spent last weekend re-working some on the online examples and homework. By late Sunday night, I finally was able to complete both a template with master pages, paragraph tags, and character tags that I could use in my projects. That said, my first online training project is close to completion – thanks to your mentorship and training. I will send you a pdf copy of my first complete 3-hour class soon.
Once finished this class will be put up on Teachable and the FrameMaker work will provide students with the pdf documents necessary to complete the course.
Thanks for the many breakthroughs I enjoyed last weekend. That also means that my longer-term book project is now nicely underway!
Bottom line – I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am without your tutelage! I owe you dearly for what I have received through your classes and for the resultant accomplishments that are finally being manifested!
Thanks again and stay well!
-Forrest L. Barbee
Corporate Broker
May, 2020
engaging, approachable style ...even fun
Matt is a lifesaver! I’ve worked with him in both online courses and one-on-one training. I can say without hesitation that he’s one of the best instructors I’ve ever worked with, and certainly the best FM instructor out there.
Even though I started as a complete beginner, he was able to impart all of the knowledge and skills I need.
Before working with Matt, I was completely intimidated by FM, but now I feel confident and proficient.
Best of all, working with Matt was a great experience. His engaging, approachable style made a potentially overwhelming process easy (and even fun)!
I can’t recommend him enough!
-Emily Nill
Technical Communicator working abroad in Germany
Consult and training in Structured FrameMaker, August 2019
it was like having a writer sit beside me
I purchased Matt’s online Framemaker course for my entry-level tech writer and although he had never used FM before he was able to easily absorb the content.
Right now he is working on converting some of our InDesign manuals to FM and Matt’s course seems to have given him a leg up. He had also completed an online InDesign class that was extremely dull compared to Matt’s course. I took both of the courses as well and can appreciate the value of Matt’s class in comparison to the ID course.
I found Matt to be very engaging in his training sessions, it was like having a writer sit beside me and show me step by step how FrameMaker works.
-Donna Venter
Aviation Technical Publications Team Lead, Garmin
Online FrameMaker Course Attendee, July 2019
The template course has been especially useful
The template course has been especially useful because I can actually follow along on my other PC computer while I am watching the video on the Mac. Your step-by-step-by-step instructions are as clear as anything. I do not feel that I am taking a course in German grammar anymore.
-Dr. Alan G D Hoffman
MedSleep Prince George
Adjunct Professor, Respirology & Sleep Medicine, Thompson Rivers University
Template Design workshop, June 2019
easy to follow
Matt, I have to say I like the way things are presented in your Introducing RoboHelp 2019 online course. It's chunked in easy to follow sections that you can fit into your schedule when it suits. It's also nice and easy to follow you. You have pitched it beautifully.
Nice work sir.
Peter Grainge
Legendary RoboHelp Professional
April 2019
Thank you again
Hello Matt,
Just wanted to thank you again for coming to Columbus last week. The training will greatly benefit the teams by getting us up to speed in FrameMaker 2019 quickly. Look forward to working with you as we continue to find our way with FrameMaker.
Thanks,
Krist Geyer
Toyota Material Handling USA
Onsite training/consult, FrameMaker Output of Context-Sensitive Help, February 2019
Thanks again for your amazing books and classes!
I can't thank you enough for the FrameMaker 2019 Intro course as well as your FrameMaker books. This is something I really needed to master but was struggling with. I've dedicated a few weekends to your materials and am now able to write a book that I've needed to write for the past couple of years. I really needed your tutelage to progress to the next levels.
Thank you so much, Matt and there are one or two online classes that I will most likely take from you in the near future.
I appreciate that you work with larger organizations. I'm not one of those, but I am just appreciative of who you and what you do!
Thanks again for your amazing books and classes!
Forrest
Online FrameMaker Course Attendee, February 2019
I kept having “ah ha” moments
I had a couple of breakthrough moments today in FM! It took me all morning to read Working with Content Chapter 05 because I kept having “ah ha” moments. This afternoon, I started reading Chapter 06 and had more lightbulbs going off!
I created paragraph tags today – deletion arrows and the rest of the NOTE tags. They work!
I’m so excited! Thank you for being an amazing mentor and providing great resources!
I’m creating an EJR Company Manual and testing out the template at the same time. I sent our CEO a copy of what I have created so far and he loves the layout and formatting! Thank you!
-Angie Dowell
Technical Communicator
EJR Aviation Consulting
Online Consult, January 2019
You are amazing
Thank you Matt, what a huge help today's online session was!!!!
You are amazing.
-Emma Miller
Sr. Technical Resources Writer
Synrad
Online Consult, January 2019
Matt is a lifesaver
Matt is a lifesaver. His patience, humor, and excellent instructor skills allowed me to learn the basics of Adobe FrameMaker in a few hours. I had a deadline to meet and he was able to work from my attempts and show me how to create a template and he worked with me to design and create a User Guide.
I highly recommend Matt as a trainer and consult for gaining the necessary knowledge and skill set for using Adobe FrameMaker.
Thank you Matt and I look forward to additional sessions and training classes.
-Christine Rick
Technical Writer/Trainer
vMOX
Online Consult, October 2018
I was looking for the best, and Matt’s course was the obvious choice
I was looking for the best online Adobe RoboHelp course, and Matt’s course was the obvious choice, for several reasons: he is a leading RoboHelp expert, he is a very skilled trainer, and his online delivery format provides great flexibility for students. Now that I’ve taken the course, I can attest to its quality, as evidenced by the great skills I have learned.
If you need a very affordable, efficient, and quality online RoboHelp course, then this is the one to take!
Best wishes,
-Barbara Beresford
Sr. Pr. Technical Writer
Idemia
Online RoboHelp course, January 2018
Thank you, Matt
Thank you, Matt, for the well-designed structured FrameMaker class several of us took from you this past year. We really appreciate the ongoing connection that working with you offers us since there are always new challenges in the localization industry. We look forward to taking the EDD development class!
Dana Morris
DTP Specialist
United Language Group
Localization Industry
Online course, December 2017
Matt is ‘The Alexa of FrameMaker’
“With the advent of cloud-based voice services, Matt is ‘The Alexa of FrameMaker’. Via several courses and consultations Matt listened, diagnosed and provided well-informed recommendations to resolve my conundrum of creating and managing content for my company’s numerous products and product configurations.”
Jeanette Buenger,
Online consult
December, 2017
thought-provoking and enjoyable
Matt's classes were thought-provoking and enjoyable. Now translate a two- or three-day crash course into an online format that can be easily reviewed as needed, and you can expect an incredibly effective learning experience!"
-Randall Bassin
Tech writer/Currency transactions industry
Online FrameMaker course, June 2017
An online class that was as good as the classroom
Great course and instructor a.k.a. An online class that was as good as the classroom in every way!
The coursework/textbook was all very useful and the technology worked very well (which is a first for me!). Matt Sullivan is a great instructor who took plenty of time to answer all of my questions. He helped me in my weak areas and gave me extra knowledge in my work specific areas.
I can honestly say that this was the first online course that I've ever taken that was actually equal in quality and quantity to live classroom training. It was even better in fact, as the class was small.
Chuck Lively Jr.
Online RoboHelp class
Quality instruction
Matt has a rare talent as a teacher: An approachable style that focuses on the students' needs, regardless of their level of experience.
Delivered in an easy manner, with depth of knowledge, Matt will elevate your understanding of FrameMaker.
As a working professional taking this course, I can attest to how Matt brought me forward in my career.
Thank you, Matt
Steve Wilson
Online course, February 2017
more in two days than several months on our own!
My team was fortunate enough to attend a two day FrameMaker class with Matt Sullivan. My team members were the only attendees, so Matt was able to tailor the class to our needs. We achieved more in two days with Matt than we had achieved in several months on our own!
The team loved this class so much, that when we added two new team members, I had to order two more copies of Matt's FrameMaker book.
Everyone is clamoring to take Matt’s FrameMaker Template workshop. No, the team are not gluttons for punishment, Matt is that good.
The current refrain when we deal with the template is, “Matt said…”
We can’t wait to take another of Matt’s classes.
Cathie Yago
Technical Publications Manager
Scientific Games Gaming
In-person training class, January 2017
Matt Sullivan was an invaluable resource
Matt Sullivan was an invaluable resource for our technical publications group when we first began using FrameMaker and RoboHelp to generate help files for our products. Matt was very knowledgeable about these software products and was able to get us up to speed with a couple of online training sessions!
-Carole McCormick
Radiation Oncology Quality Assurance
Online consult, November, 2016
the ultimate combination
Matt demonstrated the ultimate combination I like in an instructor: someone who understands what I want to accomplish and the types of documents I produce; someone who knows the software; someone who sets reasonable learning goals and tasks to achieve in a reasonable timeframe and at a reasonable price; and someone who teaches in a friendly style.
Jeanette Buenger, AMSAFE
Online course, October, 2016
All-Things-FrameMaker
Thank you very much for your helpful and generous conference call today – it provided me with an excellent reminder of why people look to you (and should) for your expertise on “All-Things-FrameMaker”
-Randall Bassin
Tech writer/Currency transactions industry
Online consult, August 2016
I needed to learn FrameMaker but I was lost in the sea of information and didn’t know where to begin until I saw Matt’s online courses.
In my first course, I was impressed with Matt’s depth of knowledge on using FrameMaker to make my job easier. That wasn't surprising...during one of his classes, Matt talked about how he works directly with Adobe’s developers!
Matt taught me about styles, tables, cross-references, graphics, media, text insets, variables and digital publishing.
He demonstrated the ultimate combination I like in an instructor:
- someone who understands what I want to accomplish and the types of documents I produce
- someone who knows the software
- someone who sets reasonable learning goals and tasks to achieve in a reasonable timeframe and at a reasonable price
- someone who teaches in a friendly style.
So, when Matt offered his second course (Template Design) I instantly signed up and again, I learned a lot about FrameMaker (e.g., . workflows, paragraph and character tags, body and master pages, tables, variables, cross-references and conditional text).
In the end, the daunting task of learning FrameMaker wasn’t daunting because I had Matt on my side.
-Jeanette
Content author/Aerospace industry
Online course, June 2016
recommend that you look to Matt R. Sullivan as your guide!
(FrameMaker) can be intimidating for anyone who isn’t familiar with how all the pieces of the FrameMaker puzzle fit and work together. If you’re among this group (as I was), I strongly recommend that you look to Matt R. Sullivan as your guide! An accomplished subject matter expert and author/co-author of FrameMaker - Creating and Publishing Content and Publishing Fundamentals Unstructured FrameMaker 11, Matt’s experience as a FrameMaker implementation specialist and trainer goes back to FrameMaker 5.0, so he knows what to look for, and what to watch out for. As one of his students and a FrameMaker user since version 5.5, I have yet to encounter a single issue using FrameMaker that Matt didn’t know how to resolve - he knows FrameMaker software cold! I’m confident that Matt’s FrameMaker online courses can help lead students through the FrameMaker jungle like a roadmap to create the kind of quality technical documentation results that Adobe FrameMaker can help them achieve.
-Randall Bassin
Tech writer/Currency transactions industry
In-person class, March 2016