I work with a lot of B2B tech companies that need to participate in the analysts community. Analysts such as Gartner, IDC, Aberdeen, Forrester, Celent, etc., are a must. I sort-of think of them as a 'necessary evil'. On the one side, you want to make sure they are always updated on your company, your growth and your solutions within your market. Yet on the other hand, rumors imply their reports are disingenuous and favor paying clients.
Today I want to give you the best tips for preparing for a killer analyst briefing from who should present and be included to what you need in the presentation to how to end the call.
Identifying the Analysts
Before you do anything, you need to do some research and discover which firms are the right ones for you to contact. Take a look at their research, how they group vendor categories, even ask your customers if they work with any analysts. Once you have done that, identify which analyst(s) within each firm you should be connecting with.
Requesting a Briefing
Analysts will have areas on their websites to request a briefing. You will need to complete a form, send an email or call. Be ready to share who you are, who you want to talk to and why you think it's important for them to spend time learning more about your company.
Preparing Your Team
You will be on a phone conference and understanding teams are often in many locations, I caution inviting more than 3 people from your end. You do not want to be talking over each other and the more people on, the more you run the risk of this. Here is who I like to have on the call; CEO, CIO, CMO. Or another way to think about it - who can introduce the company, who can introduce the product and who can explain the go-to-market strategy.
Presenting to the Analysts
You will likely have about 30 mins and this is your show. The analysts may or may not ask questions or even comment on what you are presenting. Be prepared to have enough material to cover the time booked. Your presentation should include the following - at a minimum:
1. Company overview including year founded, number of employees, revenue, number of customers
2. Where you fit in the market and why you feel you fit there
3. What is your strategy to go-to-market
4. How are you different than your competitors
5. What are your goals or expectations for growth
6. What are the key features of your solution
7. What does your product roadmap look like - what's coming next
You may or may not get to do an actual live demo. If you do, keep it very buttoned-up by focusing on the best features you have. If you don't, always have product screenshots ready.
TIP: Have fun and practice. A briefing is not a job interview and we tend to get nervous and walk out of the meeting wondering if we 'passed.' Consider it another way to get your brand and solutions known by at least 1 more person :)