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How to Write Product Documents
Three-Tiered Approach to Product Marketing Documents
for Potential High Technology Customers
The Overall Document Goal – Get the potential customer interested
enough in the solution Your Company provides to call Your Company and talk to a
live human being.
General Document Format
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Header should contain Your Company’s name and/or logo.
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Footer should contain Your Company’s general contact information.
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At the end of each piece put in some direct personal contact information,
that is a Sale Manager, Sales Representative or Technical contact. If
the goal is met, the potential customer will want to talk with a person not
a machine.
-
Keep the figures, tables and graphs colorful and eye-catching, but don’t
make them “Too Slick”, leave “Slick” to brochures and ads.
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Keep the entire document as short as possible. There is too much to read in
the world already.
Individual Document Format
Tier One - Product Benefit Announcement
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Intent
– Provide a brief description of Your Company’s solution to the customer’s
problem(s).
-
Target Reader
- All levels in your potential customer's organization.
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Size
- Single page, front and back sides, but keep it as short as possible.
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Content:
·
Title or Headline stating the
problem(s) being solved. One line if possible, large font, bold type.
·
A sentence or two to explain
any necessary background for the customer problem(s) you are addressing.
·
Bullet points or one-liners
stating your product’s features and the customer’s derived benefits.
·
One graphic, table or picture
that shows your solution. It should be colorful and eye-catching.
·
Contact information for a
Person with direct phone and e-mail.
Tier Two - Product Bulletin
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Intent
- Provide a reasonably detailed description of Your Company's solution to
the customer's problem(s) and a single datum for proof of each solution.
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Target Reader
– The Buying Decision maker(s), the Buying Coaches, the scientific and
technical staff, and the end user.
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Size
- 2 pages with up to four sides.
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Content:
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Title / Headline describing how your
product solves the customer problem(s).
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One or two paragraphs describing
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One or two paragraphs listing Your
Company's choice of problem(s) and how your product solves them.
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One or two sentences stating a
specific product feature and data showing proof of that solution.
Repeat for all relevant features.
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Graphics, tables or pictures should
be colorful and eye-catching.
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Product Specifications, Training requirements, Validations, etc.
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Contact information for a Person with direct phone and e-mail.
Tier Three – Scientific / Technical Article written in the
format of a scientific journal article.
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Intent
- Describe all important aspects of Your
Company's product solution.
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Target Reader
- Customer company's scientific and technical staff and the end user.
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Size
- As long as it takes to be thorough but concise.
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Content:
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Introduction
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Methods and Materials
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Results
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Discussion
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Product Specifications, Training requirements, Validations, etc.
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Contact information for a Person with direct phone and e-mail.
*****
Of course, surveys say that 98% of all scientists and technical buyers use the
supplier’s web site to obtain detailed product information. The Product
Marketing Documents also fulfill that goal. Be prepared. Generally, by the
time a potential customer is at your web site, they will be asking for the
Tier Three and Tier Two documents and any other product
specifications available.
****
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