How to Optimize Your Relationship with Analyst Firms · 2019-04-04 · Portfolio Strategy Sales and Channel Strategy Acquisitions and Alliances Sales Effectiveness New Product Launch

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How to Optimize Your Relationship with Analyst Firms

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Gartner Research Supports Buyers and Sellers of IT Products and Services

$1.14 Billion Total

2009 Revenues

Consulting

Events

Research

$753M

Technology & Service ProviderTechnology & Service Provider

CIO andExecutive LeadershipCIO andExecutive Leadership

IndustriesIndustries

Burton Group ResearchBurton Group Research

ITL Systems, Securityand RiskITL Systems, Securityand Risk

AMR Supply ChainResearchAMR Supply ChainResearch

ITL Enterprise SoftwareITL Enterprise Software

ITL Architecture, IT BusinessITL Architecture, IT Business


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Perception of Analyst Firms Varies:Consumer Reports for Corporate IT

CHALLENGERS

VISIONARIESNICHE PLAYERS

LEADERS

AB

ILIT

Y TO

EXE

CU

TECOMPLETENESS OF VISION

CHALLENGERS


LEADERS

AB

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Y TO

EXE

CU

TECOMPLETENESS OF VISION


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Perception of Analyst Firms Varies:Strategic Advisor to Help Your Business Grow

HIGH

LOW

SPENDING

CURRENT FORECAST


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The Reality is That Analyst Firms Support Multiple Roles in Technology & Service Providers

How do we win more business?

How do we educate our sales force?

How can we leverage technology for sales enablement?

How do we survive and thrive inthis economy?

What are the best investments we can make?

What is our growth strategy?

Senior Executive

What products should we build?

Which emerging technologies should we exploit?

What do our customers care about?

How do we improve our value proposition?

How do we generate demand?

How do we position ourselves competitively?

Sales

Product

Marketing


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Three Ways to Optimize Analyst Firm Relationships

1. Set realistic expectations.

2. Segment target analysts.

3. Engage with the analysts.


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1. Have Realistic ExpectationsAnalyst firms influence; CIOs, CFOs and

consumers decide.• We reflect what we hear from end-users far more than

what you tell us in a briefing. Delight your clients – their testimonials weigh more heavily than your marketing.

If analysts pan your product/service then either:• We don't get it. Help us. Give us briefings, demos and

references.• We get it and think you don't. We will help you find the

right message and the right audience for your solution because we think your current pitch is off-target.


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2. Segment Target Analysts in Key Firms

Tier 1:Primary Analysts

(1-2)

Tier 2:Referral Analysts

(2-10)Tier 3:

Adjacent Mkt Analysts (20+)

The markets in which you currently compete

The market(s) in which you want to compete

Your “lead analyst”


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2a. Your Primary Analyst• Who? The analyst who knows you best. When other

analysts want to know about you, they call this one. When clients call in to discuss you, they speak with this analyst.

• Objective? Eliminate surprises.- You know what they think, learn from their perspective- They know what you are doing, understand your strategy

• Engagement:- Read what they publish, know what they plan to publish- Regular inquiry- Quarterly briefing- Strategy consulting


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2b. Your Referral Analysts• Who? The analyst who has conversations with clients

where you may/should be mentioned- May cover other ways of solving the same issue

- May cover your partners

• Objective? Awareness- They know who you are and when to mention you

- You know which conversations the analyst has that include you

• Engagement:- Annual update briefings

- Occasional inquiry


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2c. Your Adjacent Market Analysts• Who? Analysts covering upstream and downstream markets.

- Are there darkhorse competitors that I need to be worried about?- Will my key OEM partner be acquired? - What are my customer’s customers doing?- What impact will technology being developed now in Japan or Korea have

on US markets in 18 months?

• Objective? Innovate and anticipate• Engagement:

- Read Hype Cycles and Emerging Trends content (or equivalent)- Attend conferences- Inquiry as often as required - Target Asia for equipment, US/EMEA for software


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PEAK OF INFLATEDEXPECTATIONS

TECHNOLOGY TRIGGER

TROUGH OFDISILLUSIONMENT

PLATEAU OFPRODUCTIVITY

VISI

BIL

ITY

MATURITY

SLOPE OF ENLIGHTENMENT

PEAK OF INFLATEDEXPECTATIONS

TECHNOLOGY TRIGGER

TROUGH OFDISILLUSIONMENT

PLATEAU OFPRODUCTIVITY

VISI

BIL

ITY

MATURITY

SLOPE OF ENLIGHTENMENT

2c. Use Hype Cycles, Other Tools to Understand Adjacent, Disruptive Technologies


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3. Engage With the Analysts (And You Needn’t Be a Client to be “Covered”)

Industry AnalystOne-Way Access

Vendor Briefings• Scheduling a vendor briefing (equally available to any

technology and service provider—client or non-client)• Educating analysts on your company’s direction and/or

new product announcements via a vendor briefing

Strategic AdvisorInteractive Access

Analyst inquiry and one-day consulting sessions• A two-way consultative relationship whereby analysts

advise you on your go-to-market strategies and growth plans

• 30-minute phone calls or face-to-face strategic sessions with analysts, to receive feedback on your ideas, conduct business planning or prepare for shareholder meetings

You Analyst

Research ProviderRapid Access

Research services• Online access to research documents and databases,

enabling you to make decisions in real time• Market research on your customers and competitors,

markets and technologies

You Analyst

You Analyst


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3a. Engage via Vendor Briefings

• The objective of a vendor briefing is to provide answers to these questions for analysts:- What client need do you best fit?

- Where is your “sweet spot”?

- Whom are you targeting? Whom are you not targeting?

- What makes you different?

• VBs contribute to an analyst's overall impression of your organization — simple steps can help you improve the desired impact .

You Analyst


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3a. Vendor Briefing Best Practices• Be consistent and top of mind

- Present more than annual updates on your business- Include VBs as component of your product release schedule

• Focus on a key objective- Narrowcast your message; narrow the audience- Speeds scheduling and improves efficacy of the briefing- Fit into an analyst’s agenda – changing customer requirements, emerging

market trends, competitive shifts, cool new technologies (ie target “Cool Vendors” special report)

• Be concise- Focus; less is more- Maximum 2O SPH (slides per hour)- Build in time for questions

You Analyst


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3b. High Tech & Telecom Research AddressesKey initiatives for your Business

New Market Opportunities

Portfolio Strategy

Sales and Channel Strategy

Acquisitions and Alliances

Sales Effectiveness

New Product Launch

Marketing Operations

Market and Competitive Intelligence Management

AR Program Effectiveness

Go-to-Market Planning

Brand Strategy

Campaign Management

Lead Generation

Positioning and Messaging

Growth OperationalGo-To-Market

Gartner delivers world-class objective research and advice to help you grow your business. Our insight aligns to your key initiatives to ensure you make the right technology-related business decisions every day. Here are the top key initiatives for high-tech and telecom clients:


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A Selection of Gartner’s Top Predictions For 2010

2011 20122013

20142015

• Cloud

• Sustainability

• Consumer Technologies

• Emerging Markets

• Marketing Essentials

• Small and Midsized Business

Strategic Themes for Tech & Svc Providers:

• By 2012, India-centric IT services companies will represent 20% of the leading cloud aggregators in the market (through cloud service offerings).

• In 2012, 60% of a new PC's total life greenhouse gas emissions will have occurred before the user first turns the machine on.

• By 2013, mobile phones will overtake PCs as the most common Web access device worldwide.


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3b. If You Are a “Reference” Client, Read Relevant Research

Your CustomersKnow what your customers care about. Understand their mind-set and decision-making behaviors.

Inquiry Analytics Search AnalyticsReadership Analytics User SurveysGartner for IT Leaders toolkitsIT Key Metrics Data

Your MarketsIdentify market and growth opportunities and prioritize investments.

Market Segmentation Market ForecastsMarket Trends Emerging Markets

Your CompetitorsPosition your company and your products most effectively. Understand your competitors’offerings and strategies.

Magic Quadrants MarketScopesSWOT analyses Vendor RatingsMarket Share Critical Capabilities

TechnologiesGain a deep knowledge of the technologies you focus on. Be aware of emerging technologies.

Hype Cycles Cool Vendor ReportsEmerging Technologies

Marketing Essentials Achieve success in your role through best

practices, case studies and how-to frameworks.

You Analyst


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3c. If You Are an “Advisory” Client, Have a Dialogue

• Less than 30% of what an analyst knows ever gets published.

• Telephone inquiries are the primary channel for two-way interaction.

• A two-way relationship enables clients to engage analysts on key market issues, trends or observations, before an expensive launch.

• When used effectively, inquiries are an excellent way to obtain deeper insight, apply published research to your situation, and learn more about an analyst's views.

You Analyst


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3c. Advisory Service Best Practices• Pick a primary objective or question – data, insight, advice, or validation?

- Ask questions that help you make decisions about your product plan — in early, in often

- Validate client need before solution is developed

- Understand expected volume, segmentation of those needs

- Gather input on customer, competitor reactions to your proposed solution

- Test competitive positioning and messaging as go-to-market plans are being finalized

• Remember – this is a dialogue, not a briefing- Use analysts as inexpensive, rapid market research – we talk to your customers every day

- Tell us if content is not for public disclosure – our reputations are based on impartiality and trust

• "We shouldn't be surprising each other"- By the time you launch, the analyst should understand your view of client need, solution

strategy, and competitive positioning

- By the time you launch, you should understand the analyst’s opinion of your solution

You Analyst


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Summary: Three Ways to Optimize Analyst Firm Relationships

1. Set realistic expectations.

2. Segment target analysts.

3. Engage with the analysts.


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Appendix: Magic Quadrant Details

CHALLENGERS


LEADERS

AB

ILIT

Y TO

EXE

CU

TE

COMPLETENESS OF VISION

CHALLENGERS


LEADERS

AB

ILIT

Y TO

EXE

CU

TE

COMPLETENESS OF VISION

Completeness of Vision• Market Understanding• Marketing Strategy• Sales Strategy• Offering (Product) Strategy

• Business Model• Vertical/Industry Strategy• Innovation• Geographic Strategy

Ability to Execute• Product/Service• Overall Viability

(Business Unit, Financial, Strategy, Organization)

• Sales Execution/Pricing• Market Responsiveness

and Track Record• Marketing Execution• Customer Experience• Operations

Process• A 26-step explicit

process that begins 16 weeks prior to publication

• Key elements include inclusion criteria identification, weightings and ratings of criteria listed

Documents

How to Optimize Your Relationship with Analyst Firms · 2019-04-04 · Portfolio Strategy Sales and Channel Strategy Acquisitions and Alliances Sales Effectiveness New Product Launch