- If you claim that your product is the "world's only" or the "first," I will be tempted to prove you wrong, and nine times out of ten, I can.
- Please don't assume that I'm not technical. Make your presentation detailed, and I will ask you if there's something I don't understand, but starting out by explaining what a firewall is does not win any points.
- You know how some vendors send out a marketing email using the latest headlines as soon as they come out? That's ambulance chasing. Don't be that guy.
- One-way webinar-style briefings are a waste of your time and mine. We have a chance for a good, personal dialogue; don't throw it away on a cattle call.
- I'm happy to hear about any factual errors I've made in a report about you, but if you object to an adjective I used ... sorry. Not changing it to fit your marketing better.
- Yes, I talk to your competition. Don't worry, I love you all equally.
- I try hard to find something positive to say in all my reports. If I can't, then I don't write one. If I haven't written about your latest ... you might try asking me why before complaining.
- Yes, it's very nice that you're in the Magic Quadrant. It doesn't have anything to do with my analysis, though.
- If you want to meet up at a conference, that's great, but please book EARLY. Especially for RSA.
- At the end of the day, this is only my opinion. As an analyst, I reserve the right to be wrong.
Because I'm all about the "good enough."
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
What your analyst wishes you knew.
Not naming names here, but these are a few things that some industry analysts would like you to know: