This post is one in a series where SageCircle pulls out the crystal ball and looks ahead to what happens in the analyst ecosystem in 2010. See below for links to all posts in this series. 
With the IT and telecommunications analysts using social media more extensively and in greater diversity, enterprise technology buyers will be exposed to more analyst opinions. This will occur whether or not the enterprise buyer is actually a client of an analyst firm. The open and public nature of social media with therefore increase the potential influence of savvy analysts.
As a consequence of this increased analyst social media usage, vendors will start experiencing more instances where active sales deals are being impacted, for good or bad, by analyst commentary delivered via social media. The typical vendor sales force will not be in the habit of inquiring about prospect, client, and customer use of analysts or social media in the purchasing decision making process. This will lead to situations where a vendor will be put in a competitive disadvantage in a sales opportunity because its sales team will not be aware of the role of analyst commentary in purchasing decisions.
SageCircle Technique:
- AR needs to put into place a simple social media monitoring program for its most relevant analysts – in 2010 this would be a relatively small task for most AR teams
- AR needs to include analyst commentary on social media in its pipeline of information to the Sales organization – which can leverage positive commentary or be prepared to mitigate negative commentary
Bottom Line: Buyers use of analyst social media commentary in purchasing decisions points to the need for AR to have both an AR-Sales Partnership program as well as a social media plan. However, neither initiative should be considered “special,” but part of the overall AR strategic and tactical plan. These activities should dovetail with other AR initiatives in order to maximize efficiency and effectiveness.
Question: AR – Have you seen analyst commentary in social media that you thought an enterprise buyer might use in a purchasing decision?
Looking ahead to 2010 Series
- Analyst Market…
- Social Media…
- Events…
- Analyst relations…
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Increasing number of enterprise technology purchases influenced by analyst social media commentary – Looking ahead to 2010
This post is one in a series where SageCircle pulls out the crystal ball and looks ahead to what happens in the analyst ecosystem in 2010. See below for links to all posts in this series.
With the IT and telecommunications analysts using social media more extensively and in greater diversity, enterprise technology buyers will be exposed to more analyst opinions. This will occur whether or not the enterprise buyer is actually a client of an analyst firm. The open and public nature of social media with therefore increase the potential influence of savvy analysts.
As a consequence of this increased analyst social media usage, vendors will start experiencing more instances where active sales deals are being impacted, for good or bad, by analyst commentary delivered via social media. The typical vendor sales force will not be in the habit of inquiring about prospect, client, and customer use of analysts or social media in the purchasing decision making process. This will lead to situations where a vendor will be put in a competitive disadvantage in a sales opportunity because its sales team will not be aware of the role of analyst commentary in purchasing decisions.
SageCircle Technique:
Bottom Line: Buyers use of analyst social media commentary in purchasing decisions points to the need for AR to have both an AR-Sales Partnership program as well as a social media plan. However, neither initiative should be considered “special,” but part of the overall AR strategic and tactical plan. These activities should dovetail with other AR initiatives in order to maximize efficiency and effectiveness.
Question: AR – Have you seen analyst commentary in social media that you thought an enterprise buyer might use in a purchasing decision?
Looking ahead to 2010 Series
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