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Unlike other products, a medical device presents special challenges to a white paper writer. For example, writing methods that effectively sell DVD players are ineffective for selling MRI machines 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 benefits. All medical device manufacturers are required to comply with the medical device regulations that ensure safety and efficacy of devices. 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

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