How analysts & Analyst Relations can drive growth in times of turmoil

Technology markets are in turmoil, and industry analysts are a vital part of the fabric needed to prevent vendors from tearing the industry apart. Many vendors are decelerating sales and marketing more aggressively than their customers are decelerating purchasing. That produces a huge competitive advantage for analyst firms who can help service providers and vendors to better explain the value of technologies. In this webinar, tech industry veterans will share their insights on why analyst relations can play a key role in helping analysts, vendors and buyers more clearly understand the value of technology investments.

- Solutions providers: Vendors, service providers and distributors often misunderstand their realistic growth options. Although Market Development Funds (MDFs) should support universally available solutions, many tech providers struggle to make the sales teams and solution delivery where the demand is.. Universal vendors often fail to provide intelligent pricing, which forestalls arbitrage opportunities.

- Buyers: Buyers don't always accept that analysts can teach them about their business. Aspirational buyers are a global phenomenon, meaning buyers self-serve to get information and involve vendors later in the buying cycle. However, buyers often do not know the right criteria for picking a vendor. Although many buyers of manufacturing technologies over-extend their dependency on China, others are following analysts’ guidance for global manufacturing to diversify from China and the US.

- Analyst firms: Analysts generally have weak vertical knowledge, because of limited buyers and end-user interactions. That’s reflected in different ways. Forecasts so often come out just before the end of the quarter, making it harder for vendors to plan strategically. It’s also hard for analyst firms to sell, especially as they move outside their domestic market. The bigger the buyer, the harder it is for an analyst firm to penetrate that organization.

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