| Yes, white papers are an effective way to | | | | papers, too. In every white paper title he tries to |
| generate leads with business buyers. But the | | | | put the following: |
| tricky part is getting your white paper into the | | | | |
| hands of those buyers in the first place. | | | | 1. the sales objection raised by management |
| The best place to start is the topic and title of | | | | 2. the job title of the management prospect who |
| your white paper. You need a relevant topic and | | | | raises that objection |
| you need a compelling title. A poor topic with a | | | | 3. the industry of that management prospect |
| great title will perform just as poorly as a great | | | | Here is an example of how this works: |
| topic with a poor title. | | | | Industry: Restaurants |
| How to choose your white paper topic | | | | Product: Automated time and attendance system |
| My thanks go to Paul DiModica, President of Digital | | | | Buyer title: Payroll manager |
| Hatch, an IT sales and marketing consultancy, for | | | | Sales objection: Can't afford it |
| his insights in this area. When Paul sits down to | | | | White paper title: How Restaurant Payroll |
| create a white paper aimed at management | | | | Managers are Recovering their Investment in |
| prospects, he picks a topic that answers the | | | | Automated Time and Attendance Systems Within |
| most common sales objections that sales people | | | | Months. |
| hear. | | | | DiModica says this method works because |
| Here's what he does. He gets together with the | | | | prospects see their job title, industry and sales |
| sales people who move the product or service he | | | | objection in the title of the white paper, and are |
| is promoting. He asks them to list the top 20 | | | | thus more inclined to read it than they are to |
| sales objections that they hear from | | | | read a product brochure. Managers pass white |
| management prospects. Then he writes white | | | | papers along to their peers. But they file |
| papers to answer these objections, one white | | | | unsolicited product brochures in "the file that is |
| paper for each objection, being sure to keep the | | | | emptied daily," says DiModica. |
| discussion in each one objective and free from | | | | If you'd like to learn more about Paul DiModica's |
| self-promotion. | | | | innovative approach, read his excellent book, How |
| The secret to a successful white paper, says | | | | to Sell to Management. |
| DiModica, is to address the one reason that | | | | And if you need help crafting that white paper, or |
| management is reluctant to buy, while avoiding | | | | the sales letter that offers it to your business |
| any mention of features and benefits offered by | | | | prospects, give me a call. My number is 1 877 |
| what you are selling. | | | | SHARPE COPY (742-7732). |
| How to name your white paper | | | | © 2006 Sharpe Copy Inc. |
| DiModica has a unique way of titling his white | | | | |