Nailing Analyst Vision: A Practical Guide for Major Evaluations

I’ve been working with a client recently on a vision workshop for some upcoming major evaluations, and it struck me how often this piece trips teams up. So I wanted to take a few minutes to talk about what makes a compelling vision for an analyst evaluation—because, honestly, I think this is one of the hardest things to get right when you’re pulling together your evaluation package.

Here’s how I approach it:

1. Is It Compelling and Succinct?

First and foremost, your vision needs to be compelling. But it also needs to be succinct. This is not the place for paragraphs of vague ambition. Your vision should be something that we can articulate in a sentence or so. Where are you going? What’s the destination?

If you can’t get it down to a clear, sharp statement, it’s going to be hard for anyone—let alone an analyst—to really grasp where you’re headed, synthesize it for their report, and repeat it to buyers. Also keep in mind this is not the same thing as the “Mission” statement we repeat at company meetings - your vision is meant to resonate for Buyers.

2. Could Only You Write This?

This is the part I’m always hammering on with clients. Too often, I see visions that sound like something any competitor could have written. “<Our space> has a prominent place on the C-Suite Agenda.” Sure—but everyone is saying that.

A good vision is grounded in who your company is. It reflects your ideal customer, your approach to differentiation, and how you think about your roadmap. In short, it should sound like you and only you.

Because what you’re really selling here is your unique way of thinking about the market. Your differentiated approach is what’s going to lead this space forward. Your vision should make that clear. Only you could write it.

3. Show the Market is Buying In

Once you’ve got your vision nailed, the next thing you need is proof that the market is picking up what you’re putting down.

This is where evidence comes in—things like:

• Cross-sell rates

• Upsell rates

• Win rates

• Growth rates

• Retention rates

These metrics show that when you talk about this vision, customers respond. They buy. They renew. They stay with you. Whatever the relevant metrics are, this is your chance to prove that your vision resonates in the real world.

4. Be Specific with the Roadmap

Here’s another common pitfall: when companies get to the roadmap section, they get vague. You hear things like, “This year we’ll do X, and next year we’ll do Y.” But that’s not specific enough.

We need to see quarter-by-quarter progress toward the North Star you’ve laid out in your vision. What’s the next thing you’re going to build? When will it happen? Ideally, your roadmap should show at least quarter-level specificity (though you can reassure your CPO that it’s ok if things sometimes shift 18-24 months out).

Your analysts need to see that you’ve called your shot and you have a real plan to get there.

5. Align with the Analyst's Worldview

Finally, and maybe most importantly, you need to align your vision with how the analyst thinks about the market. Of course, you’re not going to match up perfectly on everything—but you can (and should) highlight the places where your worldview aligns with theirs.

In your roadmap, in your evidence, in the parts of your vision you emphasize—lean into the alignment. Show the analyst that you get how they think about the space and that you’re building in a way that resonates with their perspective.

In Summary:

If you’re prepping for a major evaluation and feeling stuck on the vision, start here:

• Make it compelling and succinct.

• Write a vision that only you could write.

• Prove the market is buying in.

• Be specific with your roadmap.

• Align with the analyst’s worldview.

Hopefully, this gives you a place to start and helps you feel a little more confident as you pull together your evaluation package.

Need more help? I love workshopping this with my clients - you can book some time on my homepage.