By Ed Gandia
If you like to cook-and if you enjoy watching cooking shows-you’ve probably heard of the term mise en place.
This is the technique professional chefs use to assemble meals quickly and effortlessly. Sounds complicated, but it’s actually a very basic idea. Mise en place simply means having everything “put in place.” In other words, having all your ingredients measured, cut, peeled, sliced, and in the order you’ll need them before you begin cooking.
What does this have to do with writing white papers? Quite a bit. As with cooking, when you take the time to gather your writing “ingredients” upfront, you will write faster, more efficiently, and with less stress.
Here is the seven-step process I use when writing write white papers and other complex documents:
Step #1: Gather and Read All Existing Information on the Product or Service
This can include (but is not limited to):
- Brochures
- Data sheets
- Product specs
- Articles
- Product reviews
- Analyst coverage
- Customer testimonials
- Web copy
- Sales data
- Previously written white papers on the product or related product
- Sales presentations (i.e., PowerPoint slides)
Step #2: Assemble a Creative Brief
Next, I forward the client a creative brief to fill out and send back (or sometimes we’ll just discuss it over the phone and I’ll fill it out myself). I’ll customize the questions to the nature of the project and the type of white paper. Questions typically include:
- What is the main purpose of the piece?
- What are the secondary goals and objectives?
- What key problems does the product/service help solve
- What is the value proposition (or unique selling proposition)?
- What key facts support our claims?
- Who are the decision makers and influencers the paper must be written for?
- Who is our competition? Their biggest strengths and weaknesses?
- Competitors with strong white papers?
- Desired length of white paper (and other mechanical considerations, such as illustrations)?
Step #3: Conduct Additional Research
After reviewing the client-submitted materials, I will also do some additional research. This typically includes a review of competitors’ white papers, online product brochures and website copy. It’s also helpful to read articles in trade journals, especially those that discuss the challenges the product addresses.
Step #4: Take Notes
Once I’ve completed my research and have fully reviewed the creative brief, I’ll type several pages of notes in a MS Word document. I also like using a nifty little program called Writer’s Blocks. It’s an “electronic index card” tool that can sometimes help me organize thoughts and ideas more efficiently than through word processing software or index cards.
Step #5: Schedule a Q&A Session
While background materials, the creative brief and additional research are all critical steps in this process, the answers they yield usually lead to some follow-up questions. And regardless of how thorough these background materials may be, there are always information gaps no source has completely filled. That’s when I’ll schedule an on-site or telephone Q&A meeting.
I find these Q&A sessions are most helpful only after I’ve had a chance to read and study all the research materials-and during the first conversation on the project. This allows me to use the entire meeting to focus on follow-up questions and information gaps.
Step #6: Write an Outline
I think of an outline as a working road map; its purpose is to guide my writing. However, as I write my first draft, if I find that modifying the outline will improve the piece, I allow myself the flexibility to change it as needed.
While outlines provide direction when writing a white paper, they can also become a liability if they’re too rigid. Of course, sometimes you’ll have to stick with the outline the client has approved. But whenever possible, try to allow for a certain degree of flexibility.
Step #7: Write Your Draft
Finally, once you have all the pieces in place and organized, then-and only then-should you begin writing your first draft.
Trying to assemble a complex meal without the proper planning-and without having all your ingredients measured and ready-can be a headache. Emeril Lagasse would never attempt it. And Rachel Ray wouldn’t have too many “30-Minute Meals” to her credit.
It’s the same when writing white papers. Doing the prep work upfront will help you write stronger, more compelling documents faster, and with less stress.
About the Author: Ed Gandia helps software and hi-tech companies write direct-response and MarCom pieces that feed pipelines and drive revenue.
DISCUSSION: Discuss this topic at the WhitePaperSource forum.
