The IIAR> Institute of Influencer & Analyst Relations / How to structure an analyst briefing?

James McGovern (@mcgoverntheory, LinkedIn) asked here how to structure a briefing.

Before you actually get started, figure out what you’re trying to achieve. Simply “engaging” and “developing the relationship” or “outreach to analysts” aren’t AR tactics that deliver outcomes, it just conveys you’ve got no clue of what needle you’re trying to move. Check the AR Compass for some thoughts on analyst relations impact.

Here are some of the past posts on the IIAR blog that dealt with the subject (full list below):

Suggestions for vendors (must have been before Gene Hall thought vendors were fruit machines?) by Carol Rozwell / Gartner
Briefing tips and best practices from Lisa Rowan / IDC

There are also tips hidden away on the Gartner website:

Slide 13 in this preso >Vendor Briefings Overview< is a useful checklist on content (also available as a standalone Word >Sample Agenda<)
Michael Maoz, provides some best practices for effective vendor & analyst engagement during briefings in this >written overview<, but more on a software standpoint

Kevin’s got a point that briefings have to be remembered and it can pay to change the order. I’d say it depends on your spokesperson: if you do something too un-natural and un-comfortable it’s most likely to backfire and you won’t get a good result.

In terms of content, there’s nothing wrong with the good old funnel structure, even if you change the order:

vision: I always add a positioning slide (i.e. we aim to make the most enjoyable fruit machines of the industry)
strategy, inc. GTM: how can you deliver the vision?
issue, business problem: can go in there first, the key here is not to teach grannies (analysts) how to suck egg -it’s their job and they can get incredibly precious if your execs lectures them
solution, product, capabilities: what do you actually do and how it solves the problem at hand?
differentiators: why should your clients actually care?
use cases, credentials: does it really work in the real world?
architecture and the rest of the technical aspects, delivery model, pricing aspects, ROI: how do it work
wrap-up and summary

It’s not any more complicated -but often quite hard already!

One more thing, as would Columbo say: have 3 key messages and repeat them three times.

AR pros: how do you do it?

Analysts: what do you like to hear?

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