How to Write a Technical White Paper
- Goal - Information. To provide the reader with a clear understanding of a company's position on specific issues of technical importance or controversy.
- Intended Audience - Customers. Trade and business press. Prospects. Employees. Decision-maker and user/specifier level.
- Function in Sales Cycle - Minimal except to clarify issues for customers and prospects, thereby potentially leading to less resistance during a sales call.
- Strategic Considerations - White papers can be abused. Make sure that what you have to say is important or controversial enough to discuss in this type of piece. Once the topic is chosen, make sure that your argument is coherent, convincing and backed up by substantial factual evidence. Readers should also be made aware of why you selected a particular position and approach, how that has been reflected in the company's efforts and products, and what this all means for the future of the company, its products and its customers.
- Evaluation Criteria - Is the topic worth a white paper approach? Does the company have a sound basis for the position it has taken? Is this position and the basis behind it clearly and convincingly explained in the text? Since white papers tend to be long, is the text broken up into manageable sections with effective sub-heads summarizing major points?
Has the audience for this white paper been well identified (don't send white papers to people who couldn't care less about the topic being discussed)? Have trade/business press editors been consulted and notified? Is the company spokesperson (or author of the white paper) known by and credible to the audience? will this thing make an impact on the target audience and the technical marketplace?
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