How Providers and Analysts Should Work Together

Institutions are often curious about how we work with solution and service providers, and those providers are also interested in learning how to best engage with analyst firms like the Tambellini Group. To help demystify the process for both parties, I recently explained key aspects of the dynamic vendor-analyst relationship as a contributor to the second edition of Robin Schaffer’s book, Analysts on Analyst Relations.

Schaffer’s book is a helpful resource for anyone seeking guidance on how to work with analysts effectively and includes tips and advice from numerous expert analysts on how to manage expectations and relationships with them. Here are some of the top insights I shared:

Supporting Analyst Research

Providers can play a vital role in supporting and enhancing analyst research by:

• Providing timely answers to analyst queries
• Regularly engaging in analyst briefings
• Proactively sharing information on products and services, including market focus, pricing strategy, implementation approach, customer success, and product roadmaps

By keeping analysts informed and promptly sharing key changes and announcements, providers contribute to unbiased research that can help the analyst firm’s clients make informed decisions about their technology and services investments.

Investing Time to Engage with Analysts

Analysts have their finger on the pulse of the industries they serve—in Tambellini Group’s case, the higher education industry. Our analysts meet with college and university leaders daily to help them make better strategic decisions faster. Through our regular interactions with buyers, we have a birds-eye view of market trends and preferences, along with unparalleled competitive insights on their perceptions and experiences with higher education technology products and services.  

To develop a valuable relationship, service and solution providers must invest time and effort by diligently preparing for meetings, respecting scheduled appointments, and demonstrating consistency and reliability in the relationship and their communications. When providers plan to unveil new products or services or modify existing offerings, they should be prepared to openly discuss the rationale behind these developments and provide relevant historical context to support them. By prioritizing each meeting and nurturing their analyst relationships, providers can foster a strong, long-term, and mutually beneficial relationship with analysts.

Gaining Visibility and Awareness

Tambellini Group is an independent research analyst and advisory firm committed to providing our clients with objective research and predictions on higher education market trends, providers, and offerings so they can make the best-informed decisions for their institution. We maintain our neutrality because we do not partner with technology or service providers and do not have a financial stake in the outcome of our institutional clients’ purchasing decisions. It’s important that solution and service providers understand an analyst’s role before engaging with them. For example, if they ask an analyst for a client lead, it’s clear that they do not understand how analyst relations firms work.

While we do not have formal partnerships with providers, we do work closely with them to best serve our institutional clients. At Tambellini, we do this by ensuring we thoroughly understand every aspect of each provider’s offerings, including:

• Product development roadmaps
• Company goals and strategy
• Organizational mission, vision, and values

When analysts are impressed by a provider’s products, services, and organizational ethos, they are likely to mention them in research and conversations with potential clients in the market. It’s easy to see how this helps solution providers reach audiences who may not have otherwise been aware of their solutions and services. By regularly providing analysts with relevant information and updates, solution and service providers can greatly boost their chances of gaining more exposure to potential buyers, which can be instrumental in increasing their market reach and credibility. 

Takeaways

When technology solution and service providers proactively collaborate with industry analysts, they can build a valuable, mutually beneficial long-term relationship. Providers position themselves for success by supporting analyst research, investing time and effort in engaging analysts, and leveraging the resulting visibility. Analysts can better achieve their goal of helping clients find innovative solutions and make faster, smarter investments when vendors are transparent and thorough about their solutions and strategies. Ultimately, a strong relationship and effective communication between providers and analysts benefit the entire industry community.