| Unlike other products, a medical device presents | | | | outline of the paper and discuss and approve it with |
| special challenges to a white paper writer. For | | | | the manufacturer. The writer, however, should advise |
| example, writing methods that effectively sell DVD | | | | these people that a lead-generating paper needs to |
| players are ineffective for selling MRI machines to | | | | focus on a device's benefits, rather than just its |
| hospitals. Why? Because a medical device directly | | | | features, or how great the company is. The outline |
| interacts with human bodies, and therefore gives rise | | | | will establish the paper's direction, focus and final |
| to risks of injury. Actually, the main concern of | | | | destination before the writing even begins. |
| medical device manufacturers is to mitigate the risks | | | | Once the outline is approved, the next step is to |
| to patients or users while delivering the maximum | | | | interview subject matter experts who have an |
| benefits. All medical device manufacturers are | | | | intimate knowledge of the topic. They are the design |
| required to comply with the medical device | | | | engineers, scientists and other professionals working |
| regulations that ensure safety and efficacy of | | | | for the medical device manufacturer. Nobody knows |
| devices. Hence, when writing for the medical | | | | the device better than the people who designed and |
| technology industry, a writer enters a highly regulated | | | | made it. For this reason, a writer must take these |
| world where even marketing collateral tends to be | | | | interviews seriously and allocate sufficient time for |
| written in an academic style. | | | | them. He has to polish his interviewing skills and |
| This means that to write a successful medical device | | | | prepare for the interviews well in advance. |
| white paper, a writer needs not only good writing | | | | Besides interviewing, a writer should also access the |
| and marketing skills, but also a thorough knowledge | | | | relevant product documentation. The law requires all |
| of engineering and the regulatory environment. A | | | | medical device manufacturers to maintain a Design |
| writer should be able to grasp the complex science | | | | History File, which contains product development |
| and technology behind the device, and translate them | | | | documents, such as product specifications, drawings, |
| into persuasive writing without any hype. The paper | | | | validations, operator manuals, and so on. Many |
| must appeal to the logical mind of scientific readers, | | | | questions also can be answered by simply searching |
| not so much to their emotions, which is the opposite | | | | the Internet. And, of course, a library or bookstore |
| of methods used to sell consumer goods. | | | | also provides valuable information. |
| A lead generation white paper for a medical device is | | | | What is a white paper's structure? It naturally begins |
| a hybrid between an educational essay and a sales | | | | with the title which is a crucial part of the paper. This |
| brochure. It educates and gracefully sells at the same | | | | can make or break the paper, and must be relevant, |
| time. The writing process starts with determining the | | | | compelling, and engaging, enticing the readers to read |
| topic, the released device, or the scientific principles | | | | further. It should be simple and focus on the benefits |
| and technology used (or to be used) in the device. | | | | that the device delivers. |
| The next step is to identify the ideal target reader. | | | | Then comes the first page, which sets the stage. |
| This is crucial. The writer must clearly see who the | | | | The remainder of the paper evolves from the first |
| paper's audience will be. A medical device paper is | | | | paragraphs. The paper can be only as good as its |
| usually written for a diverse audience of professors, | | | | first page. Readers will continue reading only if the |
| doctors, medical physicists, scientists, technologists, | | | | first page convinces them to do so. |
| hospital administrators and regulatory agencies. | | | | The rest of the paper is divided into manageable |
| Knowing the audience sets the paper's level of | | | | sections. As with any writing, the process is |
| sophistication, scope, tone, structure and vocabulary. | | | | repetitive: writing drafts, refining, editing, and |
| Audience-based communications is key in this market. | | | | re-editing many times until the paper is nearly perfect. |
| In the case of a medical device, a white paper usually | | | | The writer must stay focused on appealing to the |
| talks to two predominant groups. One includes | | | | target audience, and strike the right balance between |
| readers with a scientific mind who are mainly | | | | the benefits and features. |
| interested in the device's features and an in-depth | | | | Sentences and paragraphs have to be concise, with |
| analysis of its technology, often at the atomic level. | | | | wide margins around the page. Bullets and headlines |
| The other group comprises administrators looking to | | | | should be used generously, instead of long passages |
| grasp a device's business benefits and see how it can | | | | of uninterrupted text. The paper needs to be laid out |
| save labor, cut costs and improve regulatory | | | | so that a reader can quickly grasp the gist of it just |
| compliance. Hence, a writer is challenged to strike a | | | | by scanning the sub-headlines. |
| balance between discussing a device's benefits and | | | | The end of a white paper is a call to action, which |
| features. In fact, it is not unusual for a writer to be | | | | asks readers to contact the manufacturer for a |
| pulled in opposite directions by a device's | | | | meeting, demonstration, evaluation, analysis, |
| manufacturer; engineers and scientists want a | | | | discussion or some sort of next step(s). |
| technical paper, but marketing managers want a sales | | | | A lead generation white paper is typically 5 to 12 |
| document. It's vital to get the balance right. | | | | pages long, and mostly comprises text with minimal |
| So how is a writer to successfully resolve this | | | | graphics. |
| dilemma? A good starting point is to prepare an | | | | |