Thursday, 12 June 2014
Unlike
other products, a medical device presents unique challenges to a white
paper writer. For example, writing methods that effectively sell car
transmissions are ineffective for selling radiation therapy systems to
hospitals. Why? Because a medical device directly interacts with human
bodies, and therefore gives rise to risks of injury. Actually, the main
concern of medical device manufacturers is to mitigate the risks to
patients or users while delivering the maximum possible benefits. Hence,
when writing for the medical technology industry, a writer enters a
highly regulated world where even marketing collateral tends to be
written in an academic style.
This means that to write a
successful medical device white paper, a writer needs not only good
writing and marketing skills, but also a thorough knowledge of
engineering and the regulatory environment. A writer should be able to
grasp the complex science and technology behind the device, and
translate them into persuasive writing without any hype. The paper must
appeal to the logical mind of scientific readers, not so much to their
emotions, which is the opposite of methods used to sell consumer goods.
A
lead generation white paper for a medical device is a hybrid between an
educational essay and a sales brochure. It educates and gracefully
sells at the same time. The writing process starts with determining the
topic, the released device, or the scientific principles and technology
used (or to be used) in the device.
The next step is to identify
the ideal target reader. This is crucial. The writer must clearly see
who the paper's audience will be. A medical device paper is usually
written for a diverse audience of professors, doctors, medical
physicists, scientists, technologists, hospital administrators and
regulatory agencies. Knowing the audience sets the paper's level of
sophistication, scope, tone, structure and vocabulary.
In the
case of a medical device, a white paper usually talks to two predominant
groups. One includes readers with a scientific mind who are mainly
interested in the device's features and an in-depth analysis of its
technology, often at the atomic level. The other group comprises
administrators looking to grasp a device's business benefits and see how
it can save labor, cut costs and improve regulatory compliance. Hence, a
writer is challenged to strike a balance between discussing a device's
benefits and features. In fact, it is not unusual for a writer to be
pulled in opposite directions by a device's manufacturer; engineers and
scientists want a technical paper, but marketing managers want a sales
document. It's vital to get the balance right.
So how is a writer
to successfully resolve this dilemma? A good starting point is to
prepare an outline of the paper and discuss and approve it with the
manufacturer. The writer, however, should advise these people that a
lead-generating paper needs to focus on a device's benefits, rather than
just its features, or how great the company is. The outline will
establish the paper's direction, focus and final destination before the
writing even begins.
By: Alec Alpert and published by S.M.Naveed Ahmed
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