It is crucial to create industry analyst briefings that mutually benefit the analyst and the tech company presenting. If you get this briefing right, the next one will be better... and vice versa. The key to securing subsequent briefings is to provide valuable information that analysts can use in their research or discussions with end-users.
We reviewed a recent SageNote that aims to help marketing leaders understand the significance of relationship building in this context. It advises maintaining a balance between relationship and content is crucial for success. It also discusses the ideal frequency of briefings: A briefing is contingent on having substantive updates to share, suggesting a quarterly to monthly cadence, depending on the relevance and importance of the information to the analyst.
According to the SageNote, indicators of a briefing that has 'fallen flat' include:
- Overly Sales-Oriented Pitch: If the briefing becomes too salesy, it's a clear sign that it's not going well. The speaker should be addressing the analyst's needs rather than broadly pitching the business as if trying to make a sale.
- Lack of Analyst Engagement: Another indicator is a lack of engagement from the analyst, such as not paying attention or showing disinterest. This can be particularly evident if the analyst has no questions or seems uninterested when asked if they have any questions or when trying to conclude the briefing.
These indicators suggest that your next briefing needs to meet the analyst's expectations or provide the value they seek, which can lead to a lack of interest in future briefings with the company.
The key factors that contribute to a successful analyst briefing include:
- Mutual Benefit: The briefing must offer value to the analyst, providing them with useful information for their research or discussions with end-users.
- Relationship Building: Establishing and maintaining a relationship with the analyst is crucial. The initial briefing should make a compelling case for why the analyst should care, and subsequent briefings should build upon that foundation.
- Relevance and Frequency: Briefings should be frequent enough to keep the analyst updated with significant developments, but not so frequently that they lack substantive content. Quarterly updates are recommended, or monthly if compelling and relevant updates exist.
- Credibility and Validation: Companies should present proven case studies, especially from enterprise clients, to demonstrate validation and credibility. This is particularly important for companies in later funding stages (B or C rounds), though early-stage companies with significant enterprise customers can also be compelling.
- Content Focus: The briefing should focus on the present and future of the company, with a brief introduction to its historical roots. Many analysts are more interested in current capabilities and prospects than past achievements.
- Speaker Traits: The characteristics of the speaker are important. A good speaker should be able to engage the analyst effectively, even if they might not match all the ideal criteria on paper.
- Preparation: Companies should prepare for briefings by understanding the analyst's background, interests, and point of view. This includes conducting a prep call to discuss logistics, objectives, and how to communicate the value to the analyst.
- Presentation Structure: The briefing should have a clear introduction, a focus on business objectives, and a conclusion with key takeaways. The presentation deck sets the conversation framework and serves as the analyst's reference.
- Asking Questions: While some interaction is encouraged, companies should avoid asking business-type questions meant for paid inquiries. Instead, they should clarify questions that do not require the analyst to render opinions.
- Follow-Up: The briefing should end with a polite close and an attempt to elicit follow-up actions, such as scheduling another meeting or offering to keep the analyst updated with new developments.
- Avoiding Sales Pitches: A briefing should not be overly sales-oriented. It should focus on informing the analyst rather than trying to sell to them.
- Demographic Alignment: While not a primary factor, demographic alignment between the speaker and the analyst may impact the briefing's success.
These factors collectively contribute to the effectiveness of an analyst briefing, with the overarching goal of fostering a productive and ongoing relationship with the analyst.
The SageNote recommends that if a briefing submission is not accepted by an analyst, it should not be immediately assumed that the content was not compelling or that the analyst was not interested. For example, at Gartner, analysts have a 48-hour window to review and accept a briefing request. It is automatically declined if the analyst does not accept it within that timeframe. Therefore, a declined briefing does not necessarily indicate a lack of interest from the analyst.
In such cases, the respondent advises waiting a bit and then resubmitting the briefing request, possibly on a Monday, with refined and more compelling language to capture the analyst's attention. If multiple declines occur, that may indicate that the analyst did not find value in the briefing content.
To access SageNotes, read about our SageInsight service: https://sagecircle.com/portfolio/sage-insight-new/
