How do you prepare for an online analyst briefing vs an offline one?

Preparing for an analyst relations (AR) briefing starts with thoroughly researching your audience—the analysts themselves. First, understand their areas of expertise by reviewing their recent reports and industry perspectives. Next, examine how they view your competitors, which will help you shape your message to address key differentiators. Tailor your presentation to align with their research interests and industry trends. Lastly, familiarize yourself with their preferred communication style. For more tips, check out our blog on Tailoring AR Messages for Analysts.

Knowing to whom you are speaking along with knowledge on frequency to match for achieving common objectives is MUST. The speaker should have objectives clearly defined in mind which helps to stay focused while engaging with the analyst. Understanding of analyst’s objective is equally important to create a win-win situation or else, both parties keep coming to their respective objectives & may create challenging conversations. Virtual connects have few limitations on understanding human behaviors which can be easily gauged during in-person meetings. Some research on respective behaviors, their span of control/influence, social media impact, areas of specialization, etc. to help in navigating your conversation to the desired outcome.

Analyst-facing speaker training is a must. Whether the spokespeople are highly experienced or not used to presenting, everyone can use advice on what not to say in an analyst interaction. 90% of my clients' briefings, inquiries and advisories are online. Face to face meetings usually happen at events or analyst days and the conversations are more relaxed and personal. To prepare for every kind of scenario ensure that you know your analysts and their background - specifically as it relates to your technology/vertical. Know what you want to get from the interaction. Do you want them to know you better or do you need insights or both? Be real. Being your authentic self is always a win.

Before planning your online briefing, research target analysts' preferences, expectations, and interests by reviewing their blogs, reports, social media, and previous interactions. Tailor your message based on their familiarity with your company and products. Provide background for new analysts and focus on recent updates for familiar ones to ensure relevance.

Hi all. Online vs offline analyst briefings require different approaches even though the message is the same in my opinion. For online briefings I focus on tech prep, ensuring the sharing platform I am using is reliable and sharing materials in advance. I keep engagement high with interactive elements and clear concise communication. After the session I follow up with thank you emails, recordings and personal touches. For offline briefings my focus is to create a comfortable professional setting, prep materials and build rapport through conversation. I use face to face to adapt and engage deeply. Follow up is personal often with handwritten notes to deepen the connection. Hope this helps

Collaterals leveraged over virtual connect would differentiate from the one done in person meetings. One can opt for a slide pack & reference of a few independent research during virtual connect while in-person meetings may have relevant reference materials shared with them for their later usage/referencing, demos of products/services, etc. All these have to be planned in a particular timeframe and a logical flow to make conversations engaging & interesting and not sound like a SALES PITCH or FUNDRAISING PITCH which eventually leads those routes.

Online briefings can take various formats, such as webinars, video calls, demos, or slideshows. Choose a format that aligns with your content and analysts' preferences. For product demonstrations, opt for live demos or screen sharing, while strategic insights may suit slideshows or webinars. Consider duration, frequency, and timing to match analysts' schedules.

During online briefings, the attention span of any person is very less. There are primarily two reasons - less duration of the session, and nature of the session (proactive briefing/ assessment briefing). When it is an assessment briefing, the chances that the analyst will have prior context is very high, thus, presenting content revolving around the same structure as the previous iteration won’t make sense. There has to be extra emphasis on newer stories, cases, & successful integrations. But, for a proactive briefing, it would have mostly been scheduled as a result of an inquiry about a particular topic & therefore, the analyst is eager and looking forward to innovative stuff. Being aware of this mindset is important to grab eyes.

At LTK Advisors, we tailor online briefings to fit the content, goals, and preferences of our audience. For product showcases, we prefer live demos or video calls with screen sharing to provide real-time insights. For presenting strategy or vision, webinars or structured slideshows are more effective. We carefully consider the duration and timing of each briefing to ensure we maintain engagement while respecting the analysts’ availability. By selecting the right format and balancing frequency with attention span, we ensure our briefings are both impactful and efficient, delivering the information our clients need in a clear and engaging way.

Whether you use a handful of slides (and I do mean a handful, 3 to 5) or not, always deliver a clear and logical story: the business challenge, how it was addressed, the results (with metrics), and the solution you provided. Wind up with how this fits into your strategy, and what's next on the horizon.

Make sure all of your subject matter experts (team members) know the slides on which they will speak, and the amount of time they have to present. I've created briefing decks with color-coded quote bubbles that clearly indicate which team member is presenting which slide. You can have fun with personalizing the quote bubbles; for example, if one of your team members is a Harvard grad, their bubble is crimson (R-165, G-28, B-48).

Going back to Point # 1, clarify that objectives matter the most & your content should be aligned with them. Advisable is the content gets verified by the SME (Subject Matter Expert) to make sure it covers the spectrum of the prism to get RAINBOW out of it as an outcome. SME needs to validate content in line with the product, its USP/differentiator factors, its market acceptance, product competitors, price range & reasons to substantiate each of it with internal (product related) & external (market intelligence) data/facts. It will be the SME who will have a detailed briefing before analysts connect to make sure each point is clarified to its core with the required clarification & confidence.

After choosing your format, prepare your content for the online briefing by crafting a clear, concise, and compelling story that emphasizes your value proposition, differentiation, and proof points. Avoid jargon or overly technical details, and anticipate potential questions or objections. Rehearse thoroughly, test technology, and have a backup plan for disruptions.

Everything is a story. Even briefings. Make sure you know what the message is you want to convey to the experts you are speaking with, then make that the golden thread throughout the presentation. Also, make sure your format is clear, concise, your slides legible and not too overcrowded. What the content will be will depend on whether it's your initial briefing or an update, with something more specific, but it pays off to have one or two slides that sum up the gist of it, so that the analysts can come back to it if needed, without having to reread all of what you send over. If you finish in time, you'll have more time for questions, and to elaborate on the things that the analysts are interested in.

During your online briefing, engage analysts with a confident, friendly tone, avoiding reading from a script. Use visual aids like charts, graphs, or videos to support your points and maintain interest. Encourage questions and feedback, responding appropriately. Eliminate distractions and focus on building rapport and trust throughout the briefing.

It's time to play as ONE TEAM and make sure individual objectives are also achieved, tough task but must happen. The positive start may make analyst feel appreciated/valued for their work & set objectives to get something similar outcome from the briefing planned now. It brings them in a positive mode of thinking & makes them a good listener which avoids many unwanted tough questions. Also, back each claim with internal & external data to show the horizontal & vertical coverage of efforts invested. Demonstrate your readiness to take questions either at interactive conversations (a little risky if not handled smartly) or at the end (to minimize the list of questions itself… 😊)

At LTK Advisors, we prioritize engaging analysts during online briefings to foster meaningful conversations and build trust. We use a confident, friendly tone and avoid reading directly from slides, making our delivery more authentic and conversational. Visual aids, such as charts, graphs, and videos, are incorporated to capture interest and support key points. We actively invite questions and feedback, responding thoughtfully to show we value their input. By eliminating distractions and staying fully present, we create a focused, professional environment that encourages dialogue, builds rapport, and strengthens relationships with our analysts.

After your online briefing, promptly follow up with analysts, thanking them and providing any requested information or resources. Solicit feedback on your content and company, and track their coverage and recommendations. Keep analysts updated on relevant news and maintain regular communication, inviting them to future briefings or events to build ongoing relationships.

At LTK Advisors, we recognize the importance of following up with analysts after an online briefing to strengthen relationships and ensure ongoing engagement. We promptly thank them for their time and provide any additional information or resources requested during the session. We actively seek their feedback to understand their impressions and improve our content and delivery. By monitoring their coverage, ratings, and market insights, we stay informed about their views on our company and competitors. We maintain regular communication, sharing relevant updates and inviting them to future briefings, fostering a long-term, collaborative relationship that supports mutual growth.

Follow-up is to cement the gaps for a better & stable foundation/outcome; this is a must but to happen collaboratively. Proactively share artifacts presented during the connect with a few add-on details on source/reference, especially for external data. Proactive sharing will depict transparency in the engagement & trust for collaboration. Be prepared for the follow-up session if required and convey the same to the analyst giving enough confidence to make the outcome successful for both, the analyst and you. Follow-up needs to be done with adequate lead time for analysts to consume, analyze, and understand information collated during the connect, any early feed of additional help may create confusion too!

A very efficient way to introspect and look back at the briefing is to take 10-15 mins or even more after the briefing and sit with the speakers to strategize on what could have gone right or wrong, which sections garnered the maximum interest of the analyst, which was the most unclear piece of information provided or the perfect data point shown during the briefing that might’ve caught the eye of the analyst. Strategizing on these aspects has proven very effective as it gives us ideas, if not major, on how we can improve the way to throw the information out to the world.

Be it online or offline, you should be prepared with your content, be confident about what you are presenting. Don't come with half-baked weak stories which neither positions the organization correctly and shows that you are not focused or clear in your approach.

🚀 Here's how to ace both online and offline formats: 📍 Know Your Audience: Tailor your approach to their preferences and needs. 💻 Choose Your Format: Online? Focus on interactive, tech-friendly content. Offline? Make it personal, deep, and insightful. 📝 Prepare Your Content: Tight for online, comprehensive for offline—always be clear and compelling. 🤝 Engage Your Analysts: Drive meaningful conversations with the right questions. 🔄 Follow Up: Keep the momentum going post-briefing for continued collaboration! Master these, and you’ll leave a lasting impact!