Thursday, April 01, 2010
Interesting Observation regarding Analyst Relations Professionals
Several weeks ago, I had a great conversation with a person in charge of marketing for a large vendor (and former Forrester analyst) regarding a whitepaper on Federated Identity for the Insurance Vertical I authored. The conversation was productive, but in hindsight, there were several missed opportunities that analyst relations professionals should noodle...
During the call, I gained insight into how vendors prioritize industry analyst briefings. The important but otherwise missed perspective was in how she was keenly aware of not only her coverage area but which firms were short-staffed either due to departures or the creation of new positions.
It is fascinating how many software vendors steal great resources from their end-customer base but few ever to think about figuring out how to get them installed as analysts within analyst firms. Wouldn't the absolute best way for a vendor to be certain that their product offerings are seen in a positive light would be to advocate for users of their technologies to get hired as an analyst?
Why would an analyst relations professional sit back and wait for a "problem" to emerge such as the challenges of working with a "difficult analyst" as described by Carter Lusher? A selfish posture would encourage proactive behavior. A quick browse through websites such as Gartner, IDC, Yankee Group and other analyst firms show that there are lots of positions that could be filled by end-customers who would make great analysts.
For those who are reading this post and thinking it is all about me; nothing could be further from the truth. This post is all about taking your customers and leveraging them for competitive advantage where I am simply introducing another technique to your playbook...
| | View blog reactionsDuring the call, I gained insight into how vendors prioritize industry analyst briefings. The important but otherwise missed perspective was in how she was keenly aware of not only her coverage area but which firms were short-staffed either due to departures or the creation of new positions.
It is fascinating how many software vendors steal great resources from their end-customer base but few ever to think about figuring out how to get them installed as analysts within analyst firms. Wouldn't the absolute best way for a vendor to be certain that their product offerings are seen in a positive light would be to advocate for users of their technologies to get hired as an analyst?
Why would an analyst relations professional sit back and wait for a "problem" to emerge such as the challenges of working with a "difficult analyst" as described by Carter Lusher? A selfish posture would encourage proactive behavior. A quick browse through websites such as Gartner, IDC, Yankee Group and other analyst firms show that there are lots of positions that could be filled by end-customers who would make great analysts.
For those who are reading this post and thinking it is all about me; nothing could be further from the truth. This post is all about taking your customers and leveraging them for competitive advantage where I am simply introducing another technique to your playbook...
