Who reads white papers?
White papers are read by almost anyone contemplating the purchase of a relatively new, complex, or high-priced product or service for their business. White paper readers play a number of different roles in business, such as: Corporate executives (decision-makers) Finance executives (financial recommenders) IT managers and staff (technical recommenders) Line-of-business managers (managers) User representatives (users) In-house supporters of the purchase (“champions”). In larger companies, all these people may sit together on a selection committee that makes a collective decision. In smaller firms, some people may wear several of these hats, and meet informally to discuss their purchase. White papers are especially well-read by IT managers. One study showed that they read a median of 30 white papers a year, with some reading more than 50 a year… that’s one a week! As well, business people routinely passes good white papers up and down the food chain, to both their managers and their st
