With reference to analyst relations:
1. Make an effort to understand the technology your clients develop, and the ecosystem around the company product. This is the most important tip.
2. Get one-para quotes from your clients on major industry developments so that an analyst knows the overall stance of your client on the subject. This could sometimes result in a phone briefing.
3. Get the photos of products / diagrams / senior management on something like Flickr. Make sure there is a good variety available.
4. Turn white papers into short video presentations. I would rather go through a short video describing a company’s position than download a pdf (and print it, and then read it). For now, videos might be watched by fewer. But they stick. If you want to continue with the pdf white papers you can now include Flash in pdf files. So perhaps some video content could be added inside these pdf files.
5. Keep a list of available figures/numbers handy during a briefing instead of saying I will get back to you on that one. Percentage that ‘get back on that one’ is less than 10%. Follow ups should be a priority - follow ups on questions unanswered and numbers pending.
6. Do not ask the analyst/writer if you could preview the writeup. If this thing keeps repeating, the person will give up on providing you coverage.
7. Do not talk about stuff and then say it is embargoed till Monday. Better talk on Monday instead about the announcement.
8. Always ask the analyst for an outline of discussion prior to the call. A good writeup depends on how far you add to the knowledge of the analyst. So the speaker should be well prepared.
9. During the call ask the analyst for his opinion on certain things. This keeps the conversation interesting.
10. Get some male staff on board. You seem to have an inordinate gender bias. Shame on you! Men do a great marketing job. If they invented Sales, surely they can handle Marketing!
Comments (4)
Some of your ideas are interesting, however I find #7 quite curious. All the analysts that SageCircle has surveyed and interviewed hate it when they only learn about something when it comes off of embargo. Rather, they want the information as early as possible in order to think about the implications of the information, develop talking points in case IT buyers or the press calls, draft first takes if relevant and so on.
In fact, the most consistent advice we provide both AR and PR professionals is the imperative for "early and often" interactions with the analysts.
Posted by Carter Lusher | June 28, 2008 9:06 PM
Posted on June 28, 2008 21:06
Good advice. I do recommend telling the analyst in advance if there is an embargo and giving him the opportunity to decide if he wants the news in advance.
Based on my experience, you probably are in the minority on number 7. Usually, analysts choose to get the news earlier, and have time to digest and analyze it.
Posted by Rob Adler | July 9, 2008 3:48 AM
Posted on July 9, 2008 03:48
Tip #1 should be: Ask for help from somebody who does AR for a living. If I was thrown into a PR situation no amount of tips could save me - I'd find a good PR person to bail me out.
Tip #2 should be: Never pitch analysts, they will smile and be polite (well most) and leave the interaction thinking you are full of it, and you will have forever blown your credibility and perhaps hurt your company's credibility. In most cases, analysts know more amount the market or the technology than you ever will.
Tip #3 should be: Understand where this analyst fits into the overall realm of influence - if this is a highly influential analyst and you really don't have your act together, postpone until you do.
Oh, then you can consider the other 10, if you really have the time.
Posted by Evan Quinn | July 30, 2008 4:53 PM
Posted on July 30, 2008 16:53
I join the others in disagreeing on #7. Analysts need time to reflect on what they hear, ask questions about it, get answers to those questions, and figure out what they think of it. If they don't hear about something until the press does too, they won't have time for this before the press calls for comments. What they say under those conditions is likely to be something your management won't like. This is not career-enhancing for the analyst liaison.
#6 is also often not so. If the interaction is for a report, you should always ask for a chance to review it - for factual content, not to change the analyst's position. The analyst has as much interest in getting the facts right as the vendor. (This review will have a tight schedule, so line up reviewers ahead of time.) An analyst report with a negative position is bad enough; a negative report based on factual errors is far worse.
Posted by Efrem Mallach | August 1, 2008 1:48 PM
Posted on August 1, 2008 13:48