This document provides vendors with guidance on effectively working with industry analysts. It outlines best practices such as knowing the analyst's areas of coverage and what they want to learn, providing clear graphics and proof points to illustrate value proposition and market fit, and getting feedback from analysts throughout the product development process rather than just for briefings. The goal is for vendors to proactively use analyst insights to help with product planning, messaging, and competitive positioning.

1. Working With Industry Analysts 101
Erin Kinikin, Vice President
John Ragsdale, Director
Technology Advice.
Business Results.
®
Giga Information Group
© 2002 Giga Information Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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2. Top Six Things We Wish We Knew When
We Were “Vendors”
 Analysts are not paid to do briefings
 Analysts know more than you think they do
– Markets, trends, mainstream demand
 Analysts know less than you think they do
– Case studies, technology details, vendor differentiation
 Analysts are “from Missouri”
– Value proofpoints, not opinions
– Roadmaps only in rare cases
 Analysts are interested in what they cover, not what
you sell
– Coverage is dictated by client demand – it’s a data point!
 Analysts are most helpful if used proactively
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3. First Things First: The Right
Presentation
 Know your audience
 Ask the analyst what they want before
starting
 Tell them:
– The business problems you solve
– Who your competitors are and how you position
against them
– Total Economic Impact/ROI
– Customer success stories / Proofpoints
– Demo--and consider leading with it
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4. “Let Me Show You A Graphic To
Illustrate…..”
 Crisp clear graphics
– To explain products and packaging
– To illustrate the market or market changes
 Spend the cash to get a strong graphic you
can reuse in sales presentations and
collateral
 Analysts will use this to understand
– What you sell
– What you think is important
– Where you fit
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© 2002 Giga Information Group, Inc.

5. “A Little Market History for You……”
 Don’t give the analyst a history lesson
 Don’t slam competitors without facts
 Don’t brag about features you can’t explain
 Don’t exaggerate
– “Customers haven’t asked for it,” is a good
answer
 Customer examples are the best proofpoints
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© 2002 Giga Information Group, Inc.

6. Visual Clues it is Time to Move On
 Putting down the pencil
 Watching the clock
 Fidgeting
 ….and if the analyst asks you to move on,
please do
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7. Get the Most From Analysts: Good Client
Practices
“Follow the Project”
Market Requirements Trends, client requirements, market demand
Product Planning Feature priorities, strategy validation
Message validation, Go to
Product Launch
market strategy
Competitive Differentiation,
Analysis Client feedback
Value
ROI
Justification
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8. Recommendations
 Build relationships with the primary analysts
covering your area
 Pre-brief on significant announcements
 Ask for input BEFORE finalizing release
priorities or launch messaging
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© 2002 Giga Information Group, Inc.