white papers in your future © 2003 by beau cain. all rights reserved. 1 white papers in your future...

White Papers In Your Future © 2003 by Beau Cain. All rights reserved. 1

White PapersIn Your Future

What they are and aren’tWhy they’re important to you

How to compose the rough draft


Contents

• Presentation Goals• Definition of White Paper• Importance of White Papers• Composing the Rough Draft• References• Goals Summary• About Beau Cain


Presentation Goals

• Understand what white papers are– Recognize similar documents that aren’t white

papers

• Understand their importance to managers• Recognize their potential importance to

corporate writers• Demonstrate a method of drafting white

papers• Introduce you to white paper resources


Definition of White Paper

• What’s a White Paper?• Two of the 6 “W”s• What Do White Papers Do?• What’s Not a White Paper?


What’s a White Paper?

• For the purposes of this presentation, a white paper is…– …an essay…– …about a problem (or a few very closely

related problems)…– …and it’s (or their) probable solutions…– …and designed to entice the reader to

embrace a particular perspective.


Two of the 6 “W”s• Who, What, When, Where, Why, and

How• Most tech writing focuses on how• Marketing communication (MarComm)

and white papers in particular focus on why

• If procedures or processes are important considerations for a business decision, how supports why


What Do White Papers Do?

• White papers lead decision makers…– by identifying a problem (or a set of

closely related problems)• the problem or problems may be

requirements

– then describing solutions• and possibly critiquing those solutions

– including the preferred solution.


What’s Not a White Paper?• Datasheet

– Not an essay– Very little MarCom, mostly specs– Focus is on product's components and potential

performance, not on solving problems or satisfying requirements

• Product Brief– May be an essay, but can also be other narrative form– All MarCom, rarely technical– Focus is on product's capabilities, not on solving problems

or satisfying requirements

• Advertisment– Rarely an essay– Usually relies on emotional appeal rather than rational

argument


Importance of White Papers

• Why Are White Papers Important to Corporate Writers?

• What Else Do White Papers Do?


Why Are White Papers Important to Corporate

Writers?• Tech Comm is mostly post-sale how-

to documents– Installation and Configuration guides– APIs and other SDK documents– Instructions and Procedures

• White Papers help make the sale– Influences decision-makers– Refines why-to (or why-not-to)

arguments


Writing white papersmakes you

indispensableto management

and to other decision-makers!


What Else Do White Papers Do?

• Provide concise marketing statements for datasheets

• Serve as foundation for product briefs

• Guide the focus for advertisements


Composing the Rough Draft

• How To Compose a White Paper• Seven Kinds of White Papers• Eight Kinds of Essays• A Method For

Composing Essays


How To Compose a White Paper

1. Decide what kind of white paper to write

• There are seven kinds of white papers

2. Decide what kind of essay it should be

• There are eight kinds of essays

7 X 8 = 56 varieties of white papers

(Your mileage may vary…)


Seven Kinds of White Papers

Pricing and financing

discussions

Provide a framework for evaluating the return on the investment.ROI Analysis

Mid-developmentProvide a thorough explanation of features, functions, and positioning.Evaluator’s Guide

Early reviewPosition the company and define its strategy.Corporate Overview

Early reviewClarify the organization’s position on an issue relevant to the purchase, such as a standard or regulation.

Position Paper

Early reviewPosition product and differentiate from competitors.Competitive

Review

Early reviewEstablish the reasons why the organization needs this product.Business Benefits

Early review

Establish the organization or product as a leader, define the playing field, set the agenda, and specify decision criteria. Establish the credibility and authority of the organization.

Thought Leader

Prod. Dev. & Sales Phase

Function Type

*

* These five can be combined into a Marketing Requirements Document


Eight Kinds of Essays

• Definition

• Classification

• Description

• Comparison/

Contrast

• Sequence

• Choice

• Explanation

• Evaluation


A Method ForComposing Essays

• Develop the thesis• Develop the conclusion• Write either the opening statement

or the closing statement• Write the other• Choose the supporting points that

will be discussed between the opening statement and the closing statement


Thesis

Conclusion

Opening statement

Closing statement

Supporting point #1

Supporting point #2

Supporting point #3


White Papers Inform Decisions

• Management• Marketing• Design• Engineering• Finance• Sales• Support

Technical Communication Professionalscan insinuate themselvesinto each of these areasby writing white papers

for each phase of product development and sales


References

• Contact Me!• References, slides 1 through 3


Contact Me!

Beau [email protected]

My thanks to STC NorthBay for hosting my presentation August 17, 2006and to STC Orange County for hosting my presentation November 14, 2006


References, slide 1 of 3• Society for Technical Communication

– Silicon Valley Chapter– www.stc-siliconvalley.org

– NorthBay Chapter– www.stc-northbay.org

– Orange County Chapter– www.ocstc.org


References, slide 2 of 3• Writing White Papers, Stelzner, Michael

• www.writingwhite papers.com/book• White Paper Source, Stelzner, Michael

• www.whitepapersource.com• The Art of the White Paper, Gordon, Manuel and Gordon Graham

• www.gordonandgordon.com• The Free Online Dictionary of Computing

• www.dictionary.com.• How to Write a White Paper, Perry Marshall

• www.write-a-white-paper.com• Accelerating the Production of High Quality White Papers: the

Benefits of the FastDraft™ Methodology, The Appum Group• http://www.whitepapercompany.com/pdfs/FastDraft.pdf


References, slide 3 of 3• Writing White Papers, Forrest Warthman, Warthman Associates

• www.warthman.com• Guidelines for Writing White Papers, Ivan Walsh

• www.klariti.com/business-writing/guidelines-white-papers.shtml• Mastering the Requirements Process, “So What Is a

Requirement?”, Robertson, Suzanne, and James Robertson, Addison-Wesley, 1999, page 5

• The White Paper White Paper: How to Produce a Successful White Paper, and Why, Radding, Alan, Larry Marion• www.triangle-publishing.com/services/whitepaper.pdf

• Using White Papers to Market Healthcare Products, Delatorre, Tammy, HealthLeaders News• http://qhr.healthleaders.com/news/


Goals Summary

• Do you understand what white papers are?– Can you recognize similar documents that

aren’t white papers?

• Do you understand their importance to managers?

• Do you recognize their potential importance to corporate writers?

• Can you demonstrate a method of drafting white papers?

• Do you know some white paper resources?


About Beau Cain

• Taught Writing White Papers for Product Development and Sales at San José State University’s Professional Development Center

• Taught Presentation Skills at San Jose City College’s Institute for Professional Development

• Developed SJSU-PDC’s Advanced Technical Writing and Tools Certificate

• STC’s last Region 8 Director 2004 – 2007• Community troubleshooter, Leadership Resource

Community

white papers in your future © 2003 by beau cain. all rights reserved. 1 white papers in your future...

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