How to have a Successful Briefing with me

Briefings are a core part of being an analyst, this constant input fuels me with new ideas, examples, and vendors to recommend to our vast client base in our inquiry calls, speeches research reports, and even blog posts.

I want you to be effective and efficient in your communications, although keep in mind that each analyst may have their own preference.

Thanks to all who have requested briefings to meet with me, here’s a few things to know that’ll help you to quickly communicate your value proposition to me, so I can best understand your company. First of all, see this list of the dreamteam, in many cases, I may not be the right analyst to cover your company. In most cases, I’m limiting my briefings to 30 minutes rather than an hour, if you can’t communicate your value in that time, we’ve other issues to consider. Powerpoint slides are good, but only as a supplement for discussion, allow me to ask questions, I can learn far more when it’s a dialog. Rushing through your presentation just to make sure you hit each slide isn’t going to do you –or me– any good, I can read slides on my own.

Lately, my schedule has gone awry, (my lack of blogging is one indicator) and I’m on average 30 days out for most briefings. I’m very unlikely to blog about your announcement for a few reasons: 1) I leave that for the smart bloggers with far more traffic and press folks to break news, but I’m happy to provide them with 3rd party quotes 2) In most cases, I just don’t have the time. With that said, I’ll likely link to an announcement from Twitter if I think it’s relevant (so be sure to include URLs).

As an analyst, I serve the Interactive Marketer at Enterprise class companies, and I primarily focus on social media, with a primary focus on social networks, communities, widgets therefore, on a briefing, I’m going to filter your company that way. I’ve been getting quite a few briefing requests, I hope this helps you to understand how to best approach me.

I really look forward to learning about your company, I hope these suggestions help make your time –and mine –efficient and effective.

14 Replies to “How to have a Successful Briefing with me”

  1. Thanks for the reminder on tailoring one’s message to one’s audience. Too often I get caught up with trying to make an exhaustive post or presentation when I should really focus on making it effective and memorable instead.

  2. Jeremiah – what are the “break through” points that make a presenter and their value proposition stand out for you? In other words, what does a newcomer to the enterprise social media space have to demonstrate to you?

  3. Thanks for this, Jeremiah. Always helpful to hear how best to interact with analysts, bloggers and media generally. While others may let their frustration lead the message, you’re always measured in your delivery. Maybe there’s another post for you – how others can follow your lead in providing good counsel, rather than ranting on what not to do. The latter does no one any good in the long-term.

  4. Great stuff, Jeremaih. Thanks for posting. Can you share a bit more / be a bit more prescriptive about what you’d like to see and what you don’t in the deck or conversation?

  6. Jeremiah – I just wrote a piece on my experience presenting Connectbeam to the Gartner team: http://bit.ly/18XMUW My first effort at AR, and I think it went pretty well. Like your thought on the PowerPoint – I prefer discussions to presenting any day. Also like to hear about the half hour limitation, with which I agree. This stuff should be digestible in that amount of time. Of course, we’d never turn down an hour!

  8. One of the things they taught us in all of my Army Officer courses re: briefings was NOT TO READ THE SLIDE. How insulting is that to someone’s intelligence (plus, what do they even need you for if all the info is on there?).

    Slides should include either key points or else information that enhances what you are saying in your dialog. They should be clean and uncluttered and for goodness sake, don’t do those stupid noises and have items flying in and such.

    phew. Sorry. Had to get that off my chest.

  9. Christian,

    I alluded to my focus in the fifth paragraph, but to be specific, I’m looking to understand companies that will best serve my clients: Interactive Marketers at Enterprise class companies.

    If you can help marketers reach customers using social media, I want to know. Of course, many make this claim, but only few can truly offer a true solution, has measured their return, and have repeatable offerings.

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