Don’t Bore the Jury: 4 Simple Steps to Getting Your White Paper Read
Because my background is in the legal profession, I tend to think of the white paper as though it was an attorney’s summation and argument to a jury. A good lawyer knows that he must be well-organized, and get his points across succinctly and quickly or he’ll lose the jury’s attention.
A white paper audience is much like those people on the jury. Don’t bore them with too many details, and don’t use a lot of words that sound important when simple language would have worked just as well.
Thinking about your paper in this way can be helpful in the writing process, because people today don’t have the time to thumb through a long report, picking out the most important details. We have become a society of “get-it-fast; get-it-now” readers, and we want the bottom line without all the fluff.
The road to a good white paper (or legal argument) can vary depending on the nature of the topic. However, the basics begin with the following four steps:
- State (or introduce) the problem
- Explain the background issues pertaining to the problem within that industry
- Outline the solution, or solutions, to the problem
- Give facts to substantiate the resolution
Sticking to these basics when fleshing out your white paper can keep you from going off on distracting tangents. It’s important to stay on target in order to get to the point in a reasonable amount of time. Remember to periodically ask yourself: “Why does this matter to my reader?”
Keeping your reader in mind as you write will help you focus. But two more important things to consider are visual impact and brevity.
Presentation is Everything
In both the legal profession and writing white papers, presentation is very important. A pleasing presentation gives the reader or and listener an easy way to digest the information. This will have an impact on their ability to reach a decision or verdict.
Nothing will send your white paper to the garbage can quicker than using a font that is too small, or cramming text together so tightly it gives the reader a headache trying to follow it.
Leave enough white space so that the reader’s eyes can move quickly and easily across the page.
Cut to the Chase
In the end, the main purpose of the white paper is to offer a solution to a problem. It’s your job to make sure it is written in such a way that makes it easy for your audience to understand your arguments and come to the right conclusion. After all, they are your jury. Win your case with a well-prepared white paper.
