Analyst relations at vendors is never an easy job. Sitting between big egos of analysts and just as big egos of their executives is always uncomfortable. They are supposed to be mind readers: “Why did he write this?” or even more “why did she not write about this?”
In recent years, the analyst landscape has changed so much – newer firms (by definition, smaller), bloggers, new media. The communication modes have changed – press releases used to work just fine. Their products have become so much more complex. AR communication is exponentially more difficult than it was a decade ago.
The toughest job they have is often to mask the inefficiencies of their back offices. Most vendors try to sell efficiency and innovation to clients but the expression “shoe maker’s children” applies in spades in many of them. AR folks often run circles to play travel agent, contract negotiator and debt collector on behalf of analysts.
So, I have been impressed as I wrote recently that even mired with tactical stuff, many are showing creativity in analyst summits. Hopefully, that fun planning is a fair trade for the press releases they have been forced to abandon
So, on behalf of vendor executives and my big-ego colleagues, here’s a hat tip to my AR friends.
PS – next time, I talk to you please let me know if you used this to get a raise!
