Talking to tech analysts ft. Neil Shah

The second installment of a “Talking to… <insert community>” in bullets.

What’s this about?

• Establishing rapport with tech analysts
• Who? Tech analysts: devices, telecoms infrastructure, tech trends
• How to best build a rapport? Neil Shah gives tips.

Who’s Neil Shah?

• Analyst and Co-Founder at Counterpoint Research
• Telecom engineer & passionate about wireless technologies
• Responds faster on Twitter than Whatsapp (Gerry: It’s true.)

Connect with Neil Shah at @neiltwitz and on LinkedIn!

How do you build a rapport with a tech analyst?

• Personally invite to briefings and give executive access for discussion
• Converse on social media (for new age analysts!)
• Be on their mind but don’t make them drink the kool-aid

What are tech analysts like, any demographical profiles?

• Good ones have normally been US-UK based in late 40s and balding but this is changing fast
• Emerging set of younger, well-informed analysts with a global, geo-rounded rather than US-UK only centric myopic view
• Very few are engineers and further a very few understand tech+business, pick those who understand the tech and are equipped with a business acumen.

What are some common behaviors/traits of tech analysts?

• Love to use words — “evolution not revolution”, “it depends”, “this is interesting” — weed those out.
• Love to go to tech conferences and also collect swag
• Have an opinion on everything — though those who hold it lightly are the best ones.

What’s top of mind in the analyst community now?

• 5G networks
• Semiconductors
• Metaverse

What do analysts like?

• Intelligent discussions
• Answering the “Why?”
• Attention

What do they NOT like?

• Drinking the Kool-Aid
• General, Marketing BS-type briefing
• Unresponsive and unstable AR/PR team

Advice for reaching, talking to and connecting with analysts?

• Follow their beat — track, interact on social, email and comment on their research
• Set up 1x1 catch up calls at least twice a year
• Invite them to in-person events, meetings or for a coffee at a conference, etc

Any last bullets?

• Comms and Analyst community is small and can be tight-knit
• Regular feedback and commentary (good or critic) on analyst’s research, blog, opinion, tweet is essential
• Balancing out and spreading love among multiple analysts is better than just sticking to 1–2 mouthpieces for the company

There you have it. Want to discuss some of these points? Probe further? Connect with Neil, myself, or comment here. Bye!