Can you share your tips on making a great analyst briefing deck?

The best analyst briefing decks that I've either seen or helped build are not filled with marketing messaging. They clearly layout what analysts typically care about, which could include the following: trends you've observed in market you operate in, the challenges your product(s) solves, overview of your growth trajectory, industries you touch plus key use cases for each, unique differentiators, and insight into the product & (high level) GTM strategy and company vision.  Other elements I'd ...Read More

I covered the basic flow of an introductory briefing deck in another question. I'd be happy to connect with you 1-1 to walk through yours and share a bit of mine :) Find me on LinkedIn! I've found 3 things that have really helped me have good analyst briefings. Being very thoughtful and very direct about why I've requested a briefing with that analyst. This gives the analyst context on why they should care about your solution, i.e. if you do a good job connecting the dots. As an example: You wro ...Read More

Afraid that this is a confidential item I can't share---sorry! A few thoughts though about how we do this well (and I have to credit a colleague, Michael Dunne, who does this work and is an exceptional AR expert). 1) Sales slides: If they're good enough to sell with, they should be good enough for the analyst. 2) Growth & leadership: Show your momentum, your success, your profile in your market. Anything you'd show to a potential investor here too. Be bold without lying... 3) Format like the ...Read More

I think the mistake here is making it too long. I’d suggest an inverse triangle approach, and keep it short depending on the length and purpose of your briefing, probably no more than 5-10 slides. My typical lay out is: Company slide (founded in, team, key logos, etc) Market context (TAM/SAM/SOM as needed) Problem statement: Key persona & pain points Unique perspective: What’s your thesis/why you Product overview: Perhaps a traditional marchitecture slide to start and then some screenshots o ...Read More

There are three types of analyst briefing decks you need to be able to prepare. The first is a quarterly update. I use these quarterly briefings to stay in touch with my analyst community and share new things that have happened in the quarter. I usually do them at the end of the first month of the next quarter so the revenue numbers are ready. My agenda for this type of briefing deck is: Quarter Business Momentum - use this to communicate any growth and numbers you can share. I've found that eve ...Read More

While briefing decks may vary, I believe there are a few key elements that you should consider to make it a 'kick-ass' deck: - company overview - solution overview - competitive landscape - customer proof points - demo - Q&A First, you start with an overview of your company. You don’t need to tell the entire founding story and should focus on the key facts to tell the analyst how long you’ve been in the market, how many employees you have, how much revenue - if you can share - and key market ...Read More

I've been on both sides of the table. Before you set pixels to powerpoint... #1 - What questions do you have for the analyst to help validate or refute your assumptions about the market?  #2 - Can you describe the customer problem and your offering clearly enough that when a customer who fits your ideal target calls the analyst, the analyst thinks of you. #3 - Do you have a unquie perspective or better yet data on customer behaviors that would help the analyst do their job more effectively? #4 - ...Read More

Just like with a good pitch deck, think about what those analysts care about. Their job is focused on identifying and learning about market trends and industry pain points/challenges, and the best ways to solve that. So here's what I would recommend (as a general outline): Start with the Big PictureLay the groundwork with trends you’re observing in your market—what’s changing, why it matters, and how these shifts are shaping your business strategy. Analysts value a nuanced view of the landscape ...Read More

Jackie's breakdown by briefing type and Dana's point about keeping decks free of marketing messaging are both essential. With 30+ Magic Quadrant cycles across Microsoft, Tableau, Salesforce, and UiPath, I'd add three things that consistently move the needle. First, the primary goal of a briefing is to get the analyst to understand your positioning deeply enough to represent it accurately on unsolicited inquiries. Not to get a quote. Not to improve your Quadrant placement directly. When a custome ...Read More