In the world of analyst relations, one of our main responsibilities as AR professionals is to act as our company’s megaphone. We share imperative information with key industry analysts that range from upcoming product releases to our organization’s vision for the future. Analyst briefings are one of the essential tools that AR pros leverage to help communicate these messages to the analyst community. At Spotlight, we work with our clients to help prepare subject matter experts so that they are successful during each analyst speaking engagement.

How to make the most of every analyst briefing

When preparing for an upcoming analyst conversation, we recommend doing a little leg work leading up to your scheduled engagement. Taking the time to strategically craft your slides, think through potential questions, and make the content analyst-friendly will ultimately lead to a conversation that benefits both your speaker and the analyst listening in. Below is our Spotlight list for the top 10 things to consider prior to joining the analyst call:

• Keep it brief – Summarize the slide by hitting your main points. You don’t need to read every bullet on the slide.
• Pause for questions – Give the analyst a chance to chime in if they need clarity or would like to provide feedback.
• Prepare – Don’t wing it. Make sure to read the analysts’ research and review prep notes to understand their point of view, then cater the presentation to what they’d be most interested in.
• Read the room – The analyst may be inspired to dive deeper on something you’ve presented. It’s okay to provide more detail as long as it’s an area you’re comfortable speaking to.
• Be transparent – Providing the analyst with an accurate view of the product helps to build rapport. Their credibility is on the line, as is yours. 
• Avoid marketing language – Create analyst-facing materials that strips out any sales-focused phrases.
• Insider perspective – Don’t be intimidated by sharing information or initiatives that aren’t fully baked. Give the analyst a peek behind the curtain.
• Anticipate questions – Before the call, all speakers should brainstorm questions that the analyst might ask and align on a point of view to take when answering.
• Sincerity and respect – Provide your point of view, but be open to receiving feedback to continue building your relationship with the analyst. 
• Call out confidential information – Generally, analysts are very respectful if something is not intended for public use. Before you make the statement, first let them know it’s confidential and they cannot share with others.

Once you’ve successfully crafted your overall message for the briefing, we recommend sending the content to the analysts 24-hours in advance. This allows time for the analysts to review, understand, and proactively think through questions they want to ask during the briefing.

Interested in learning more? Check out our Insights-Driven Analyst Relations webinar series where we talk about other ways to impact your overall program engagement strategy.