the inside scoop on industry analysts and how to work with them
TRANSCRIPT
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Industry Analysts: The inside scoop and how to work with them
Scott Liewehr | President and Principal Analyst | @sliewehrMay 6, 2013 | J.Boye CMS Experts Group
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About Digital Clarity Group
DCG helps business leaders navigate the digital transformation and create competitive advantage from disruption.
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First, the obvious… We are individuals
(with varying expertise, backgrounds, interests, personalities…)
We have biases, opinions and world views(the good ones among us do, anyway)
We are not the press(not timely, bias will be evident, and we cover what interests us)
We are not product experts(how can we be with so many to cover?)
We do not have a crystal ball(study tons of data and some predictions come easy, but Confucius
we’re not)
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Business Models
Buy-side vs Sell-side Syndicated research and data Open research Advisory Consulting Events
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Things we spend time doing
Learning about the space we cover– Taking briefings, reading, researching,
working with buyers Advising
– Advisory days, inquiries, consulting projects
Broadcasting– Writing, speaking, multimedia, social
media
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For vendors (tech and services)
Understand our business model– Pay-to-play: Myth or reality?
Research us – know what makes us tick
Decide what you’re looking for:– Influence – Collateral– Advice
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For vendors seeking influence…
Select the firm(s) / analyst(s) Build a relationship with us, individually Have a plan Brief us regularly Solicit advice from us Send us press releases in advance Request feedback after a selection
project
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An aside about briefings Don’t pay…you shouldn’t have to Request the specific analyst(s) you want to brief Plan the agenda and determine your desired outcome Bring your A-team …and your A-game Skip the setup (we can probably tell it better) Go beyond 101…and probably 201 too Tell us what you do *distinctively* well Check in: Are we there? Hearing what we want? Answer our questions honestly Solicit our input Deliver follow-ups
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For vendors seeking collateral
Understand what you are buying Understand our research agenda
– Multi-client research– Industry studies– Licensed research– Sponsored research– Custom research
Multimedia events– Webinars, webcasts
Speaking engagements
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Vendors | Seeking Advice
Critique during briefings / inquiries Advisory (SAS) day / hours Networking Consulting engagements
– SWOTs – Positioning– Competitive intel
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For Buyers
Know what you want Understand your options Identify the individual analyst(s) Take a test run Choose a product / service mix:
– Reports and research– Inquiries– Advisories– Consulting engagements
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Other Points to Consider
Most people who criticize the analyst profession have never been analysts and don’t understand the business.
Integrity is key.
