Here are the top mistakes by IT vendors when using SAS (aka analyst consulting days) as a tool for briefing the analysts, marketing support or as an advisor.
5) Not using preliminary phone briefings and inquiries to set the groundwork before the analyst shows up for the on-site day.
4) Not getting a full day’s worth of time and effort when using an analyst as a speaker at a marketing event.
3) Not doing sufficient planning in advance including agenda setting.
2) Not being disciplined about sticking to the agenda (e.g., wanting the analyst to contribute to your strategy and plans in order to get psychological buy-in but spending the entire day briefing the analyst on less important issues).
…and the number one worst practice is
1) Having the wrong reason for doing analyst consulting days in the first place. Too many IT vendors think of paying analyst consulting day fees as some sort of a bribe to get favorable coverage. The reality is that a consulting day is a way to get the analyst’s uninterrupted attention for an in-depth briefing and dialog. If executed well – and the vendor has a good message and product/service – then an analyst consulting day can be a great tool for achieving favorable coverage.
Related posts:
- Give analysts time to think toward the end of an analyst consulting (SAS) day
- Why do analyst consulting days? [AR Practitioner Question]
- SAS day success – ruthlessly drive value
SageCircle Technique:
- Be clear about your goals for the SAS / analyst consulting day
- Structure the engagement to achieve those goals
- Make certain that you get the analyst you really want
- Conduct phone inquiries before and after the engagement to manage expectations
- Ruthlessly drive value – it’s your day
Bottom Line: SAS days can be incredibly useful or painful failures. There is only one way to ensure success and that is for AR to take complete charge and drive the process from beginning to end.
Question: Analysts – Does your firm have a formal process to drive client value from analyst consulting days? AR- Do you have experiences with analysts not delivering value for a SAS day?
Don’t have a process for SAS days? SageCircle’s Online SageContent™ Library and Training can get You Up-to-Speed Fast and Efficiently
SageCircle has proven best practices, tools (e.g., check lists and decision frameworks) and advice for maximizing SAS days. For example, why “re-invent the wheel” when the Online SageContent Library has six articles and twelve check lists – downloadable in Word format – ready to go?
Index – Analyst Consulting Days
- What is an analyst consulting day?
- Potential goals for a consulting day?
- What motivates analysts?
- Picking the right firm and analyst
- Negotiating and Setting Expectations
- Tips for Successful Execution
- Checklists
Beyond the ready-to-use content in the Library, SageCircle also has training on Effective SAS (Analyst Consulting) Days, which is delivered as a public webinar or AR Team Briefing scheduled just for your team. This 90-minute session was developed to provide actionable, practical best practices in a short and succinct manner. There is ample time for questions and answers to complement the presentation.
But wait, there’s more! SageCircle Advisory offerings give clients access to our strategists to obtain advice on a variety of SAS related topics, such as:
- Reviewing plans, agenda and execution steps
- Educating participants on the best practice for creating content and being a spokesperson
- Critiquing presentations
- Negotiating with firms and analysts
To learn more about how SageCircle can help you save time, save money, reduce aggravation while maximizing value of SAS days, please contact us at 503-636-1500 or “info [at] sagecircle [dot] com”.
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