I know, the title seems contradictory, but that is exactly what you will have to do if you are dealing with the corporate world. So how does that work? Easy…you write a white paper.
Okay, I’m sensing the furrowed eyebrows and the question mark expressions.
According to Wikipedia, a white paper is “an authoritative report. The white paper is used to educate customers, collect leads for a company or help people make decisions”. So, isn’t that a sales paper, you may ask. No. It is not. A sale often tends to be hard, fast and to the point. A white paper, on the other hand is sophisticated, informative and artistically persuasive. If well written, it is used for reference and has a long life. It brings a solution to a problem. It is the ideal strategy to sales and marketing – an opportunity maker.
So, how do we sell without talking sales?…content – pure and simple content. What is required in white paper content? It has to be educational, relevant, and focused. You have to prioritize the readers needs, (a perfect attention getter). This way everyone understands that there is a challenging problem that needs to be solved, but you are not stating it in an accusatory manner or implying inadvertently that the client is incompetent. If the tone is friendly and the information is relevant, problems can be placed on the table with no consequence.
Once you have their attention give them an elegant, well-researched solution to their problem. It doesn’t matter if you sell a technical product or a service, the approach is the same – (1) keep the tone friendly, conversational, (2) know your customer and your product; (3) and persuasively craft your paper. Also, publicize it well, and the readers will flock. In one fell swoop you have generated sales leads, educated customers and instituted thought leadership. That is a lot savvier than your typical sales pitch.
Be willing to commit to an investment in research and writing time. Make sure there is something unique about your product or service and give the client information that they do not have. It gives you necessary credibility. Additionally, it is mandatory that your writing be interesting enough to grab the reader’s attention in the first paragraph. It doesn’t matter if you’ve found the perfect solution to the most challenging of problems. If you don’t hook them in the beginning, you don’t hook them at all.
It would be good to do a search on Michael A. Stelzner, who I call the Guru of white papers. I find his information easy to read, professional and informative. Reading is vital to being a good writer. So take the time to read. There are many online newsletters that will keep you abreast of trends, changes, of white paper how-tos and how-not-tos that will be important to your career. Reading really is “fundamental”.
Okay, so how do we format a white paper? Well, it follows this order.
1. Introduction
2. High Level Solution
3. Solution Details
4. Business Benefits
5. Summary
This site, http://www.klariti.com/white-papers/How-to-design-White-Papers.shtml provides a very simple, detailed, clear explanation that defines the above steps. Log on. It will make you a pro.
So, last but not least, here is help for the visual learners – templates, glorious templates. My motto is, “When ‘know-how’ fails you, grab a template”.
If you have this ultra curious mind and want to know more, make use of our magnificent information highway. Just put “white paper” in your favorite search engine and the results will amaze you.
The typical white paper can range from one page to many. I found the following well-drafted templates. Templates are the best guide for visual learners when written directions are confusing. If you are a techie who for some reason is required to write a white paper, and writing is not something that you generally do, (but you’re pretty decent at it) this link will be useful:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/Bb742431.aspx
Look into e-mail courses. There are plenty on the internet. You will find them easy, (some of them free) and they will keep you abreast of tips and changes.
I find the best way to keep on the cutting edge is to take courses from those who have been there, done that and know how to succeed. Study and brush-up is a little time consuming, but think of it this way, if you make the time, you’ll make the money.
White papers are here to stay. If you have to write one and don’t know how, this article will point you in the right direction. You don’t have to be a research pro, just type in the keywords, point, and click. Some of the information retrieved will be over your head, but just keep looking because someone out there was in the same boat that you are in right now. They struggled through it, succeeded, and have written step-by-step guides to help you to do the same.