By: Robin Schaffer
As an analyst relations professional, it’s crucial to understand analysts in various ways. Handling analysts well and creating good, lasting relationships with them can enhance business value, manage first-class executions, secure needed investments, maximize analyst influence, and attain the internal recognition of business contributions.
On the flip side, not having a good understanding of analysts can lead to a considerable loss, as analysts’ reports and views greatly influence the market’s direction. To understand analysts, we need to understand the analyst firms first. The three major analyst firms— Gartner, Forrester, and IDC—employ a huge number of analysts, all of whom can heavily influence the market.
Gartner emphasizes technology, while Forrester focuses on how various technologies impact businesses. IDC has a massive volume of data, influencing the way in which the media reports multiple market trends and technologies.
These three firms have a massive impact on buyers. Aside from these firms, there are other relevant and influential firms, such as Omdia and Constellation. It is essential to forge good relationships with these analysts as well.
Every analyst has biases. We need to use these to our advantage.
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Robin Schaffer guides AR and influencer relations teams in strategy, execution and value creation. She has led transformative analyst relations and marketing leadership for three decades, most recently with Kea Company, Alteryx, Glassbox, and the Analyst Observatory. Her prior experience in the technology industry includes Collibra, Unit4, NICE Systems, and AT&T.