If we would receive a free lunch every time a Tech SME owner says “So you are in Analyst Relations, so mainly high-end customers, right?”, we’d be eating for free the rest of our lives. Why is this perception there? Why don’t people see that Analyst Relations is not about how many employees a company has or how high the revenue is. You don’t have to own a big office and be on top of the world (yet). In every stage there is value to be added by communicating with analysts worldwide.
It is all about what you have to offer, and how you can communicate that to the world. It isn’t about what your competition is doing or how big they are in comparison to you. Of course it all relates to one another, but these should not be the reason not to undertake the steps needed to communicate to the outside world via the professional channels. You need to benchmark your vision and product with outsiders who’s job it is to know what is happening in the world. These analysts judge you based on their twenty something years of experience. Yes they can be critical, but that is what you look for in feedback. If you can’t handle that, quit being an entrepreneur.
If you feel that you don’t need any help than that is completely up to you. Personally I don’t think it is about needing help, but leveraging every opportunity you get and about making an extra effort to introduce your company to the world via independent experienced professionals, who know what they are talking about. Yes they are still only human, but we all have our core business and this is how we help each other. Make a 25K reservation in your budget and show the world what you have to offer, you’ll end up saving time and money. If you are a parent, you’ll be amazed by The Children’s ISA. Working smart, efficient and listening to others is something anyone can do, not just billion dollar companies.
