You know how it works: Acquiring a sales lead means give to get.

Your hoped-for lead provides you contact information - and perhaps answers qualifying questions - in exchange for something of value.

And that “something of value” needs to be a qualifier in itself. Something only a person in your target audience would want. Something that shows you know a thing or two about the topics that matter to them.

Eureka... give them a downloadable report! This can be a white paper, tip sheet, how-to guide, case study, or any other information product. Yes, there are lots of white papers out there. But people love them. They're tangible and have perceived value.

Now comes the intimidating part: Putting one together. Here are the answers to 7 commonly-asked questions about effective white papers.

1. What approach should my report take?

A good report:

- Answers a pressing question
- Distills a fuzzy topic
- Clarifies a misunderstood topic
- Explains a trend, and/or
- Gives step-by-step advice to help the reader accomplish a specific task—or, several levels higher, illustrates how a larger business activity can be improved

That’s just a few examples. Whatever approach you choose, you want your target reader to come away thinking, “That was well worth reading. This company certainly ‘gets’ what I do.”

Now you’re probably not the first in your industry to produce a downloadable report. So before you start, look at reports your competitors have put out. You’ll undoubtedly see ads for them in publications you and your audience read (maybe even WordBiz Report!). And you can also find them via directories such as www.bitpipe.com.

Take notes. What do you like? What don’t you like? What’s missing? From the perspective of a member of your target audience, do you think you would have learned something? What you discover will help you write a report that stands above the pack.

2. How much can I promote my own products and services?

Beyond some “About Us” copy at the end, you don’t need to promote them at all. Here’s why.

By definition, whatever topic you’re talking about reflects what you do. After all, you wouldn’t offer a tip sheet with “ten ways to improve the ROI (return on investment) of your next direct mail campaign” unless you sell direct marketing services. You wouldn’t write a white paper about protecting a wireless LAN (local area network) unless you’re in the wireless networking business. And so on.

Plus, YOUR company’s the one with its name on the report...

Finally, remind yourself: Most of your potential leads aren’t ready to buy. And they may not be for awhile. So they’re not looking for one vendor’s sales pitch. They’re looking for information that will help them do their jobs more effectively and make better decisions.

Give them what they what and your company’s name will stick in their minds.

3. How long should my report be?

As a general rule, subscribe to the “less is more” philosophy. Consider 5-10 pages a good benchmark.

A tip sheet might be a few pages or less (given the name “tip sheet”). I’ve seen white papers that push 15-20 pages.

Why 5-10? You can cover a lot of ground yet you’re forced to focus.

More importantly, you need to think long term. One report won’t fulfill your needs - you’re perpetually looking for new leads and so you’ll need to offer new incentives.

Plus, your content may have a limited shelf life. Particularly if you’re writing a technology-focused white paper.

So don’t cram everything into one report. Save ideas for future ones.

4. What other guidelines should I follow?

Use visuals wherever appropriate. Whether it’s a screenshot, graph, chart, or timeline, a good illustration will help your reader understand and absorb your material.

And for the same reason, break up sections into subsections. (This of course may not apply to a tip sheet or other report shorter than 5 pages.)

Also: Use lots of white space. Wide page margins and generous gaps between text and visuals will ensure your report is easy on the eyes.

5. OK, I’m ready. I know what I want to write about. Yet I can’t get beyond a blank screen. Help!

Start by outlining your report in as much detail as possible. Write bullet points. Try to define your report’s major sections.

Don’t worry about whether anything “sounds right.” Most of it won’t. But you’ll get there. At this point you’re just trying to put down raw ideas and organize them.

Do this as long as you need and eventually your rough notes will evolve into sentences, paragraphs, and completed sections.

6. How long is it going to take to get this thing done?

Depends on 1) the type of report and 2) whether you’re starting from scratch.

Regarding #2, you probably aren’t. If you haven’t already, look at content you already have, from PowerPoint presentations to internal email discussions. Maybe there’s material you can reuse or repurpose.

But generally speaking I’d suggest giving yourself 5-6 weeks. Minimum.

Sound like a lot of time? You’ll need it.

For one, your first draft will take longer than you think (it always does). Then you’ll want to solicit detailed feedback from colleagues inside and outside your company.

And even if your first draft achieves the thrust of what you want, you’ll still go through a few more before you’re satisfied. Plus extra rounds of feedback in between.

After you reach THAT point, you’ll need to incorporate everything into an appealing PDF design template.

And before you know it, you’ve hit your deadline.

7. I’m all done. I’ve written this report you’ll consider an essential read. And it’s FREE! Just answer a couple of questions for me.

Surprised that I slipped that in? Don't be. This is one way you might get direct feedback based on your white paper. Remember give to get at the top of this article?

If you're giving away valuable information, it's appropriate - even respectful - to initiate a dialogue with your reader. Ask for her take on your topic. Offer an easy way for her to give it to you (a fax number, a phone number, a form on your Web site, an easy-to-spell email address).

And now you've created a relationship with a potential customer.


Useful Link:

White Papers: B2B Email Marketing's Best Friend
By Debbie Weil in ClickZ

This article was first published in the Nov. 19, 2003 issue of WordBiz Report