Did you know that a good white paper can put your firm in a position where you don’t even need to submit a proposal?
According to Hinge Marketing research on high-growth, high value professional services firms, buyers of professional services firms want a firm that:
- Understands and can solve their problem (or problems)
- And can make their life easier
According to Lee Fredericksen, Managing Partner of Hinge, firms that “own the narrative to describe the situation and the solution” have a significant edge over their competitors.
A white paper can set you apart from your competition if it meets the following tests:
- It clearly presents a solution to a problem that the prospect faces
- It makes an intangible service tangible by showing the prospect how the firm/author works and thinks
- It tells a story
- It has a compelling call-to-action
For more tips on how to write compelling content, see my guest post Quality Content Rules! on Alan Vitberg’s Professional Services Marketing Digest. Also see Alan’s recent post on how to write white papers that generate leads.
What do you think? Have you written white papers or articles on subjects that are relevant to your clients and prospects? How did they support the sales process?
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Nice post. I think your perspective on White Papers is spot on…lwf