7 Tips to Maximize your Gartner access

You have the world's most respected technology research at your fingertips, and unlimited access to the analysts that write that research. So how do you maximize that access and get the most out of your Gartner partnership?

1. Know what Gartner can (and cannot) do for you. Analysts can give you industry best practices (that are being executed right now). They can recommend pricing and packaging options based on what your other technology buyers and sellers are telling Gartner. They can recommend partnerships to consider or help you shortlist vendors for a purchase. They RARELY make introductions (100% up to the individual analyst). They cannot give you leads or promise your company a spot in research. Lastly, they won't make the decision for you...but they can speed up your decision making process by providing accurate and timely information.
2. Read the research. Duh, right? But when there are 100,000+ Gartner research notes, it can be overwhelming. Magic Quadrants, Hype Cycles, Marketing Insights, toolkits...it can be paralyzing. Work with your account manager to set up alerts for specific topics you care about. Or simply search for key words on the priorities or challenges you are working on and you're almost certain to find relevant insights. At the bottom of each document, the analysts recommend what research you should read next. Reading the research will identify gaps in your knowledge that will fuel valuable analyst conversations.
3. Brief the analysts. Anyone can request a Vendor Briefing. As a client, it's even more important to ensure the analysts understand your company, product, and customer successes. The more they understand you, the more they can help you. I have been on the call when analysts recommend entirely new target customer or product features after learning something new during a briefing. If you're reading the research on your market, customers, and technology then you will know who to brief. You should typically request a briefing 1-2x a year or after any major product launch, merger, or acquisition.
4. Ask the analysts. You are wasting a HUGE opportunity if you only want the analysts to know about you. Unless you ask for the feedback or insight on a specific topic you will not get insights tailored to your company. Don't just ask, "what do you think about us?" Way too broad. Instead, maybe, ask: "what additional features do our prospects ask you about?" or "do you think that our messaging and pricing will resonate with that type of buyer?" The analogy our team uses is this: what's the best way to learn about a car? Work on it. Open the hood and tinker with the engine. When you "open the hood" of your product or strategy and let the analyst "tinker" with it, they understand your company SO much more. Naturally, they also get bought in to your vision when they see a piece of themselves in it.
5. Engage your Account Manager. Every Gartner client has several people supporting it. Your Account Manager is your primary point of contact and will ensure you get everything possible out of your Gartner services. Ensure they are on every Vendor Briefing and inquiry. Have regular (1-2x month) calls to check in with them. Keep them updated on your customer wins, product launches, and expansion plans. The Account Manager is likely interacting with analysts every day. They're certainly reading research everyday. When they fully understand your company plans and strategy, they'll be sure you are getting the relevant Gartner resources to support your leadership team.
6. Meet the analysts. You can attend Gartner events or work with your Account Manager to meet the analysts during their individual travels. Both options give you the chance to interact with the world's top analysts in a private face-to-face setting. This helps them get to know YOU, not just your company. It also gives you the chance to see the non-verbal cues when discussing your company. The best place to meet multiple analysts in one week? Gartner Symposium, October 20-24th.
7. Quote (or host) Gartner research. You have access to trusted insights on market and technology. Why keep that bottled up? Pull the relevant insights from research and share with your Sales and Marketing team. Your BD reps will LOVE the ability to quote Gartner when they get questions from prospects. Your marketing team can quote Gartner in content marketing (just get it approved by our PR team). When you see the traction that 3rd party validation gets your sales floor then talk to your Account Manager about hosting Gartner research as a lead generation tool.