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