Five Dos and Don’ts of Responding to Analyst RFIs

If you’ve led the response to an RFI for a Gartner Magic Quadrant, IDC MarketScape, Forrester Wave or similar report, you know that it can feel like a gargantuan task. The long questionnaires combined with the detailed demos, elusive customer references, and tight deadlines are enough to fluster even veteran analyst relations pros. In organizations without a dedicated AR function, completing an RFI that shines might feel nearly impossible. Regardless of the size of your team or the depth of your AR function, there are best practices that can set you up for RFI success. In this article, we’ll cover some key dos and don’ts when completing analyst report RFIs.

Do: Communicate proactively with the analyst firm

In an ideal world, you’re already having regular conversations with relevant analysts in your market. However, if you’re beginning a new relationship or working with an emerging firm, it is important not to lose sight of communication during the RFI period. Whether asking a clarifying question, scheduling an RFI review call, or asking for a deadline extension, be as proactive as you can. This helps the analyst manage their report and shows that you take their research – and the relationship seriously.  

Don’t: Ignore the invitation to participate

There are many reasons why it might make sense not to participate in a report. The market category may not be a great fit for your product. Or, the reporting firm might not have a strong presence in your market (in this case, still consider participating if capacity allows). You may have been asked late (in this case, I would still recommend saying yes and asking for deadline flexibility). Whatever the case may be, if you absolutely cannot participate, be upfront with the analyst about your decision and keep the door open for future contact. 

Do: Implement the vocabulary of the requesting firm

As a marketing professional, I am no stranger to eating my own dog food or drinking my own champagne. When responding to an RFI, it is wise to partake in some of the analyst’s bubbly. For example, don’t use Gartner terminology for IDC RFIs. If using a neutral term and you see that there is an analyst term that fits organically, use that instead. Speaking to the analyst’s view of the world can accelerate their understanding of how your solution fits and succeeds in their market category and ultimately makes their writing job easier.

Don’t: Force things that don’t fit into the analyst terminology

Given the above, it might be tempting to see how far you can stretch analyst concepts to cover your product. However, if you’re not careful about precision and accuracy, this can backfire massively. Using analyst-coined terms incorrectly can make your team look less knowledgeable. Worse, it can give the appearance of obscuring product deficiencies.  

Do: Leverage existing content to ease completion

There is no need to recreate the wheel. If you’ve produced good content for marketing, technical documentation, or other analyst RFIs, feel free to use it where it fits. Some organizations leverage internal wikis to ease the completion of RFIs. This is a good strategy - with the caveats that you edit banked answers where needed and don’t force responses that are a poor fit.

Don’t: Reuse materials from a different RFI verbatim 

Reduce the amount of unnecessary work by leveraging past outputs. However, avoid reusing materials without editing them to reflect the name of the requesting firm and the nuances of their questions. Analysts know immediately when past responses are being reused out of context, and in many cases rehashed responses aren’t really answering the new questions.   

Do: Align your RFI team and assign clear ownership

Just as you communicate proactively with the requesting firm, also make sure you’re aligning your team early. Typically, it makes sense to delegate sections based on technical or go-to-market expertise as well as managing workload. Create workflows that ensure clear ownership but allow for all stakeholders to review for accuracy. And don’t forget about the demos and customer references! However, do ensure that one person is in charge of managing the overall project and editing the RFI into a cohesive and mistake-free body of work.

Don’t: Allow the RFI to be siloed to one person

While someone will need to take the lead, RFIs are a team sport. Product and marketing teams are busy and can be tempted to leave RFIs with their point person (typically an analyst relations manager). Not only does this create a potentially smothering workload for that person, but it can prevent the development of a cross-functional point-of-view that resonates well with the evaluating analysts.

Do: Reward customers who participate as references (after the fact)

Asking customers to speak to an analyst on your behalf is a big deal. The actual end-user customers are busy keeping their IT org or line of business running and could have an emergency pop up at any time. Once a reference interview is complete, it is often acceptable to share a small token of appreciation for their time, such as a piece of company swag or a small gift card. Keep this in the spirit of “surprise and delight” and veer away from upfront incentivization. Also be aware of any policies or customs that restrict gifting and act accordingly.  

Don’t: Use rewards as a way to recruit customer references 

In the spirit of contributing to good research, it is important to choose customers who are good representatives of your target market and typical users. Your customer marketing and advocacy efforts should be cultivating these positive, but honest, references. Avoid leading with rewards and incentives to ensure that all references act with the right motivations. 

Conclusion

Responding to analyst RFIs isn’t just about checking boxes — it’s about telling your company’s story in a way that resonates with the analyst and aligns with how they view the market. By communicating proactively, aligning your internal team, customizing your responses thoughtfully, and respecting both analysts and customer references, you set yourself up for a more impactful presence in these influential reports. Whether you're working on a Gartner Magic Quadrant, Forrester Wave, IDC MarketScape, or any of the other myriad analyst market assessments, these dos and don’ts can help you navigate the process more effectively. Ultimately, outstanding RFI execution supports stronger analyst relationships and better outcomes for your business.

Need help prioritizing your company’s analyst activities? Contact Greenefield Consulting for a complimentary exploratory consultation today.