Michael Belfiore

Selling Breakthrough Technology

10 Secrets to Writing Better Press Releases, White Papers & More

by Michael Belfiore

Arthur C. Clarke, author of 2001: A Space Odyssey and inventor of the communications satellite, noted that every revolutionary idea goes through three phases on its way to acceptance.

(1) When innovators introduce the idea, most other people think it’s a crackpot scheme that’ll never work. (2) After some intrepid soul proves the feasibility of the idea, people say, ‘Well, of course it works, but what’s the point?’ (3) Finally, after someone puts serious investment and effort into getting the thing to pay off, everyone else insists that they thought it was a good idea all along.

This paper is for anyone working to shift public opinion from recognizing the feasibility of an advanced technology to actually embracing it.

Whether you’re the communications director for an advanced technology firm publicizing your company’s unique offerings, an engineer angling for a hearing by funders, or a manager making the business case for a new idea, your work depends on good public relations and marketing communications.

Of course every business venture or nonprofit lives and dies on its ability to communicate well with prospects and funders, but an organization engaged in advanced technology development faces special challenges.

You not only have to do all the usual work of differentiating yourself from the competition and driving sales with your communications, but you also have to make complex technical subjects easily understood and even inspiring to lay people, while often at the same time justifying your company’s reason for existence.

The 10 straightforward ideas presented here can greatly improve the effectiveness of your written communications, including one central tenant that may just change your whole approach to high-tech copywriting: To communicate effectively about advanced technology, you must focus on people.

This paper draws on my 14 years of experience as a business and technical writer, my five years of experience as a freelance journalist covering technological breakthroughs for major media outlets, and my conversations with communications managers at trailblazing technology organizations.

1. Get the Story

Your main task in communicating to the press, investors, and potential customers is to tell a compelling story.

How did a product or breakthrough come about? Whose vision was it? Who are the people who could be helped by this breakthrough? How might the world change because of it? The answers to these kinds of questions make up the story you need to tell to get the public interested in your company’s work.

You do have to explain in clear, easy-to-understand language what the product is and describe how it works. But if you can anchor those details in the context of who created the product, why, and for whom, you’ll go a lot farther toward generating outside interest in it.

“Say your company is developing new-technology batteries,” explains Douglas Graham, communications director for XCOR Aerospace.

“You could say that you want to develop batteries that are lighter and hold more energy than anything currently on the market. That’s fine.

“You could say you are designing these batteries to help improve the environment. That’s OK too, but lacks any punch.

“People will be much more interested if you say, ‘We are building batteries that will finally make it possible to build an affordable electric car. Just think, you will be able to charge your electric car up for pennies, instead of spending $50 every time you fill up your SUV.’

“If you put it that way, everyone will understand why your new battery is a big deal, and they will be eager to see you succeed.”