You just got the fact check on a MQ , Wave, etc. It's bad. Your company looks bad.
Ugh. We AR people hate when that happens.
First off, NEVER promise an evaluation outcome. Results are out of AR's control. That makes the bad rating less painful personally.
Second, at this point there's little you can do. Try to respond with factual evidence that conflicts with the analyst opinion. Try to work your magic.
But, for the company, a bad evaluation can be a wake up call. It could mean a few different things, like:
The company is not aligned with the analyst's opinion of the space and customer needs.
The company has promised execution and not delivered.
AR has had a shortage of resources to work the relationship properly.
The process wasn't managed properly.
Little of this is AR's fault. To have a positive evaluation you need:
A year long process of relationship building and concept alignment.
Executive commitment and support.
Company execution on promises.
Proper AR resourcing.
Use a bad evaluation to get attention for the importance of a strong AR program, truly taking input from the analyst, using their terms and concepts and overdelivering on promises. Use it to move the company and your program forward.
Remember, for a bad evaluation it is essential to arm the salesforce. Competitors will use this against them and you have to enable them to respond with strong points and alternative research.
What do you think?