Once you’re convinced that analyst relations will reap you tasty benefits, the next question is how to make that happen. It hardly ever makes sense for emerging vendors to hire a full-time specialist.
A fractional resource is the perfect solution. AR consultants/freelancers come to the rescue.
Here are seven criteria to help you select the best partner to launch and run your program.
An expert in the analyst relations game
Find a consultant that lives, breathes and loves analyst relations, and knows how to apply it to your specific market segment. A great partner knows the business dynamics and human interactions necessary to get the most for you out of Gartner, Forrester, IDC and all the others.
2. Uses creative approaches to analyst relations
A great analyst relations expert is always thinking about how you can involve analysts in specific aspects of your strategies and tactics and deliver tangible benefits. Sometimes you’ve gotta take a fresh approach to make an impact.
3. Focuses analyst relations on your bottom line
AR for the sake of AR helps no one. An analyst relations pro knows the specific activities that will achieve tangible movement toward achieving your business goals. Put your energy where it makes a difference.
4. Has done analyst relations for a variety of vendors
Your AR consultant must have experience with startups to the behemoths, with the leaders to the followers, with the bootstrapped to the international giants with oodles and oodles of cash to throw around. Analyst relations plays out differently in different scenarios. Broad experience matters.
5. Has AR expertise in your domain
The right AR consultant has experience in your general domain and the smarts to master your specific one. Your expert should have a thorough understanding of the analysts, competitors and issues of your market space. You get the most value from the consultant when they’ve learned on the job – as long as it’s someone else’s job, not yours.
6. Understands YOU
You are busy. It is overwhelming to run a fast growing business, and the last thing you need is to take on another responsibility. Get an analyst relations consultant you trust to handle high level strategies, low level administrative, and everything in between. Make sure they merge beautifully with you and your company’s operations and style.
Sometimes you gotta stop taking yourself so seriously. There’s no such thing as an analyst relations emergency. Nobody’s going to die. Make sure the person who does AR for you is someone you want to spend time with on your bad days.
Analyst relations is a complex and nuanced skill. It takes focus and expertise to make it work. Don’t sell yourself short. Get the best consultant you can. Find the fractional resource that fits into your team and helps leverage the powers of AR to best achieve your goals. Check out the wide range of Schaffer AR services and book a chat.
About the author
Robin Schaffer leads Schaffer AR, an analyst relations agency supporting B2B tech vendors, especially startups and scaleups.
Robin is a predominant voice in the analyst relations community and the author of Analysts on Analyst Relations.
Great title, we thought alike last month with our 7 WONDERS OF OUTSOURCED ANALYST RELATIONS.