I write technical documentation, heuristic reviews and terrible puns.
My solution brief approach
Solution briefs require a mixture of technical knowledge and marketing copy to provide a concise and accurate overview of a solution. I have written numerous solution briefs, designed to appeal to potential customers, decision-makers, and technical teams.
How I create a solution brief
Sales and marketing team consultation
My first priority is to identify what customer needs are being addressed with the brief. These documents are generally used during sales and marketing activities, so they need to be laser-focused on matching specific customer contexts with solutions.
One way I look at customer context is their starting point:
Do they have an existing solution, but are looking for migration pathways towards a solution that offers additional features or other benefits? For example, a growing career counselling organisation looking for a replacement customer relationship management (CRM) system that is charged at a flat monthly rate rather than a per-user rate.
Are they already using a particular product, but could meet business requirements more effectively by integrating it with my client's product? For example, a company operating a high performance computing environment that does not currently have a fully automated approach to managing their backups.
Are they researching building a solution for an entirely new project? For example, a university that wishes to create an online platform to manage all student communications with faculty staff in combination with tracking grading.
Subject matter expert consultation
Next, I'll work with my client's subject matter experts (SMEs) to obtain the information needed to fulfil the objectives identified in the previous step. This can involve being the middle man for conversations between the sales, marketing and technical teams, as sometimes there are communication gaps within an organisation that can be a barrier to properly marketing a product.
My combination of communication and technical skills makes me an ideal bridge between these two groups.
During this stage, I may also:
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Work directly with the product to deepen my understanding of how it is used.
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Collaborate with SMEs on rough diagrams and flowcharts relating to a product.
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I then collaborate with the client's graphic designers to ensure that technical diagrams retain their intended meaning while being visually polished.
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At the end of this stage, I will produce a draft solution brief, which will then go to the sales, marketing and technical teams for feedback, and I will refine as-needed based on that feedback until the copy is finalised.
Example solution briefs
Below are examples of solution briefs I have written over the years. All of these briefs were publicly available to download online and can be shared without conflicting with client agreements.
“[Wendy's] ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear, concise, and accessible content for a variety of audiences has been a great asset to SoftIron.”
Kenneth Van Alstyne, Chief Technology Officer