Step by Step guide to Industry Analyst Evaluations

Let’s talk about evaluations. It is top of mind for me this week. How do you prepare? What are the best practices? When do you start?

After years of managing evaluations with the major analyst firms like Gartner’s Magic Quadrant, Forrester’s Wave, IDC’s Market Landscape, and many others, here is what I’ve learned.

Success starts way before the evaluation kicks off.

Before the evaluation even begins:

1. Get to know the Analyst: Start by getting to know the lead author. Read their research, schedule inquiries, briefings, or consulting sessions, and establish a relationship early.

2. Understand Your Market Category: Be clear on the category you play in. What sets you apart? Why does the market need you? How do you make your customers successful?

3. Know your Strengths and Weaknesses: Be honest about where you excel and where you’re weak. If you can showcase progress in weaker areas, it demonstrates commitment and growth.

4. Review Previous Evaluations: Where did you excel? Where did you lack functionality? What competitors made it in the evaluation, and how did they do? Did you meet your previously stated roadmap and strategy goals? If not, why?

5. Storytelling is Critical: Build a compelling narrative that ties together your questionnaire, strategy, and tech demo. Ensure everyone involved understands and can articulate this storyline.

6. The Timeline is Key: Map out when you expect the firm to start the process and build a plan from there.

7. Identify Strong Spokespeople: Choose people with experience in analyst meetings who can pivot during tough questions and highlight customer use cases. If possible, schedule inquiry time with the analyst for them beforehand.

8. Get Leadership Buy-In: Leadership can help create alignment and secure resources. Block time on calendars for your team and plan weekly syncs.

9. Build an Internal Team: This is a cross-functional effort that will likely require help from outside AR. Assemble a team that includes: product marketers or technical product marketers, strategists, customer reference managers.

10. Don’t Forget the Customers

Start Early: Engage with customer advocates well before the evaluation kicks off.

Offer Incentives: Show appreciation for participating customers. Offer swag, leadership engagement, or discounts to your user conference.

Track Advocates: Identify customers who can validate your solution, explain why they chose your company, and share ROI stories. Look for those who can speak to their journey, from challenges before working with you to results after.

Gartner: While Gartner may pull from Peer Insights, live customer conversations carry more weight. Try to get customers to engage with the lead analyst throughout the year to build trust and context.

Forrester: Forrester typically asks for 3-5 references. Make sure your selected advocates can validate your solution, share ROI details, and discuss why they chose to work with you.

When you are in it…

1. Assess the Invite: Not every evaluation is worth your time. Be strategic.

2. Clarify and Push Back: If criteria are unclear or missing, discuss with the lead author. Bring data and proof points to advocate for your position.

3. Keep Everyone Aligned: create regular internal check-ins to track progress.

4. Reviews & approvals: Have someone less immersed in the process review all materials for objectivity.

5. Team Prep: Schedule a session a few days before the evaluation to get everyone energized and aligned.

6. Think Beyond the Process: If you’re confident in your positioning, start planning your reprints and promotional strategy early.

After you complete the process…

1. Courtesy Review: Use this time to review and validate your results.

2. Messaging Strategy: Regardless of your placement, having a clear messaging plan is important to owning the narrative: If You Did Well: How will you amplify your success? Define your strategy to promote the results internally to your team, externally to customers, partners, and the press, and across all relevant channels. If You Didn’t Place as Expected: Take control of the conversation. Focus on your strengths, highlight progress, and position your company’s direction confidently. Be prepared to address questions and respond strategically to competitors.

3. Leverage the Results: Consider lead-gen activities like webinars or ads. Create press releases, gated content, blogs, or social campaigns.

4. Organize Quickly: If purchasing reprints, gather your team early to plan and approve promotional materials. This allows you to launch on day one.

5. Streamline Approvals: Make it easy for the analyst firm to approve your materials by bundling references into one or two emails.

Analyst evaluations take a lot of time. Starting early, aligning your team, engaging your customers, and crafting a strong narrative are key to turning evaluations into strategic wins.

What strategies have worked for you?