1. Sales Training Module Competitive Intelligence
Put in opening welcome sequence
For this presentation’s slides, click on ATTACHMENTS (upper right).
Gartner Studio 56

2. Agenda How to: Manage your business with competitive effectiveness
We will review:
Gartner’s global competition
Competitive threats
How Gartner sets itself apart
Welcome to Winning with Competitive Focus for New Hire Training!
As a Gartner Account Executive, you are the single biggest competitive differentiator Gartner has. Today we are going to look at how to manage your business with competitive effectiveness. We will also review Gartner’s global competition, competitive threats and the ways Gartner sets itself apart.
Let’s get started!

3. Every Deal Matters Focus on every deal It affects your income
It sets a precedent with competitors
Our competitors will
Work hard to win your business
Form new relationships with your existing clients
Focus on free trials, discounting tactics, and low-cost products
Slide 3: Every Deal Matters
Managing your business with competitive effectiveness means focusing on every deal. It not only affects your income, it sets a precedent with our competitors. They fight hard for every dollar, and so must you. This training will help educate you to respond to questions about our competition.
Remember, our competitors will work hard to win over your business. They will attempt to form new relationships at the expense of your existing ones. And their focus is on free trials, discounting tactics and low-cost products.
As you understand how our competitors work, it will increase your confidence. The more knowledge and confidence you have, the more wins we can generate!

4. Managing Your Business
You have competitors in your accounts
Trials:
May be priced at 50% of what your client is paying
May be conducted elsewhere in the corporation
Low-cost competitors focus on procurement
Focus on C-Level relationships
They help us understand Gartner’s impact
Give you the latitude to sell at a strategic level
Remain vigilant and take pre-emptive steps
Create new relationships
Reinforce existing ones
Slide 4: Managing Your Business
It’s a fact: You have competitors in your accounts.
A competitor will disrupt your existing client relationships through a trial. Trials may be priced at fifty percent of what the client is paying Gartner. And oftentimes a trial is being conducted elsewhere in the corporation and your client isn’t even aware of it!
Low-cost competitors tend to focus on a client’s procurement area or lower-level management decision-making. As you approach your client, try to determine the best target for your value conversations and focus on C-Level relationships.
The CIO, for example, helps us understand Gartner’s impact on their business. Rather than participate in a win-at-all costs mentality, establishing a relationship with the CIO gives you the latitude to sell at a strategic level.
VIDEO: Kaisin Valerie How do you build strong C level relationships (talks about not “selling” to the CIO, rather letting them BUY from you.)
Our job is to remain vigilant about our competitors. If we’re taking pre-emptive measures such as creating new relationships and reinforcing existing ones, it doesn’t matter which new competitor shows up on our clients’ doorstep. You will be ready to take them on.

5. Winning Strategies Answer these probing questions
How is your client consuming information?
Is your client team-oriented and project-based?
Where are they sharing and collaborating?
Who is working on the solution?
Are they internalizing the research and distributing direction out to the organization?
What motivates the CIO?
Who does the CIO rely upon internally to help reinforce his strategy?
Slide 5: Winning Strategies
Winning Strategies can give you an edge with your client or prospect. Answer these probing questions:
• How is your client consuming information? • Is your client team-oriented and project-based? • Where are they sharing and collaborating? • Who is working on the solution? • Are they internalizing the research and distributing direction out to the organization? • What motivates the CIO? • Who does the CIO rely upon internally to help reinforce his strategy? The more we understand his or her leadership style, the better.
VIDEO: Irwin Andrea_AE Sales Kickoff_General_How have trusted client relationships led to your success Take 2
VIDEO: Hodgins Ursula AE C Level Relationships Best practices contributing to success with C levels

6. Winning Strategies Convey your personal Value Proposition
You are the relationship manager, shape your future path
You are the biggest competitive differentiator!
Consider these strategies as well:
Create a side-by-side comparison of Gartner Analysts versus competing analysts
Present Gartner Analyst Bios
Create a proof of concept for your client
Use an Impact Assessment and treat our impact as a deliverable
How are the initiatives affecting their business?
Slide 6 (sub-slide of 5): Winning Strategies
Another winning strategy is to convey your personal Value Proposition. What does it mean to your client to have someone with your level of commitment? You are the relationship manager — you must build trust and shape your future path together. Remember, you are the biggest competitive differentiator Gartner has.
VIDEO: Hodgins Ursula AE C Level Relationships Story that illustrates quality of relationship with C level.mov (family, business and gartner at retirement party)
Here are a few more strategies that AEs have found to be extremely useful:
1. Create a side-by-side comparison of Gartner Analysts versus competing analysts 2. Present Gartner Analyst Bios 3. Create a proof of concept for your client 4. Use an Impact Assessment and treat our impact as a deliverable 5. Research the client’s key initiatives based on their priority and risk. How are the initiatives affecting their business?
Download Slide “CompetitorEngagementTactics)
(ADD IN 3 QUIZ QUESTIONS)

7. Managing Your Relationships
What will make you most effective?
Focus on early renewals and future start dates
Get familiar with Gartner’s new deliverables and innovations
Link Key Initiatives to your client’s project plans, timelines and milestones
Understand our competition.
Gartner analysts
Benchmarking
RFPs
Research and toolkits
Nurture your internal relationships here at Gartner
Slide 7: Managing Your Relationships
As you manage your business, you’re managing the process by which you approach your business. What will make you most effective?
1. Focus on early renewals and future start dates. This will defend against competitor trials and renewal delays. Reassure your client that you will always strive to bring that business forward. It’s key to disrupting our competitors’ sales strategy.
2. Get familiar with Gartner’s new deliverables and innovations, and point out that we consistently meet the demands of our clients.
3. Link Key Initiatives to your client’s project plans, timelines and milestones. Owning these collaboratively creates a better opportunity for a renewal.
4. Understand our competition. It consists of a vast number of internal and external consultancies that focus on a very structured statement of work. Remind your client that Gartner delivers against their initiatives strategically by utilizing Gartner analysts, benchmarking, establishing RFPs and leveraging existing research and toolkits.
In the End-User Market, our three largest competitors are Forrester, CEB and Infotech. In High-Tech, they are Forrester, IDC and iSuppli. Let’s take a look now at how these research and advisory services position their products against Gartner.
5. Finally, nurture your internal relationships here at Gartner. There are plenty of opportunities to share information and get help from your colleagues.
VIDEO: Gupta Rashmi leveraging internal resources to support c level relationship
(ADD IN 3 QUIZ QUESTIONS)
(The following are EU Competitors. We will swap out Forrester, CEB and Info-Tech for HTTP Specific Slides)

8. Forrester Forrester Facts:
85 Analysts (Gartner has Analysts and Consultants)
They are a lower-price provider
“The Wave,” (Forrester’s Magic Quadrant)
“Tech Radar,” (Forrester’s Hype Cycle)
Their Analysts carry a consulting quota
Their pricing and licensing model is similar to Gartner’s
Slide 8: FORRESTER (GENERAL FORRESTER for EU and HTTP)
Forrester has eighty-five end-user IT analysts. We have more than 1200 analysts and consultants. Although Forrester has a very aggressive sales strategy and approximately $300 million in revenue, they produce less than one-tenth of the IT research that we do.
A few facts about Forrester: • Their pitch is that they are a lower-price provider • Their Value Proposition includes “The Wave,” which is their version of the Magic Quadrant and “Tech Radar,” which is their version of Hype Cycle • Forrester’s Analysts carry a consulting quota, which means they sell themselves rather than answer the questions in the way the client needs for actionable results • Forrester’s pricing and licensing model is similar to Gartner’s
Show the KICKASSet tool
Download slide: TheNumbersMatter
Download slide: WhatForresterSaysAboutGartner
Download slide: KICKASSet tool

9. Gartner’s KICCASS Tool
Compare Key Initiative assets against Forrester content.
Learn more on EAGLE
SLIDE 9: KICCASS Tool
The KICCASS (pronounced kick ass) Tool allows you to compare Gartner Key Initiative assets against Forrester content. Three output slides are created that show the number of research documents and analysts we provide against each initiative.
Show graphic from KiccassetTool slide
Show demo created by John Gallant.
You can find out more about this tool on EAGLE.
Download Slide: KiccAssTool

10. Forrester High-Tech Telecom Markets
Forrester Analysts focus on sales and marketing in B2C
Gartner focuses on B2B markets for large enterprise
Gartner’s strength = Storage, ERP, hardware, outsourcing with Billions USD
More people see our research than Forrester’s
There are a limited number of Analyst’s at Forrester
Target:
Chief Marketing Officer
Business Analyst
Sales Support
Field Operations
SLIDE 10: (FORRESTER HTTP SPECIFIC)
Forrester has a great set of analysts that focus on sales and marketing for business to consumer (or B to C) markets in the High-Tech and Telecom space. Gartner looks at business to business (B to B) markets with particular focus on the large enterprise.
Storage, ERP, hardware and outsourcing services represent billions in USD revenue to the HTTP provider market. This is where our strength lies with more thorough coverage than Forrester.
We produce research that talks about the vendor landscape.
Keep in mind that • More people see our research than Forrester’s • There are a limited number of Analyst’s at Forrester • As you build your relationships, look for titles such as: Chief Marketing Officer, Business Analyst, Sales Support, and Field Operations.
Download Slide: ForresterHTTP
Download Slide: Forrester: QuestionsForClientsProspectsHTTP

11. Corporate Executive Board (EU only)
CEB sells to CIO’s and senior-level executives
Functional focus:
Sales and marketing; technology, finance, legal, HR
Industry focus:
Financial services; government
CEB
Acquires research solely from clients via peer network
Fuels research agenda by elevating relationships with existing clients
Is your client giving more than they are getting?
Slide 11: Corporate Executive Board (EU SPECIFIC)
The Corporate Executive Board, or CEB, sells to CIOs and other senior-level executives.
Their functional focus areas are sales and marketing, technology, finance, legal and human resources. Their industry focus is financial services and government.
CEB produces research counter to Gartner in that they ascertain their information from their clients alone. Their research is built solely upon a peer network, so when clients have questions, they have to get the answers from other clients. This makes it likely that CEB fuels their research agenda by elevating their relationships with existing clients. If your client uses CEB, ask them if they are giving more than they are getting from the relationship.
Download slide: CEB

12. Info-Tech 60% of 47 Analysts have not practiced in field
16 Senior Analysts have trouble keeping up with inquiries and research
Focus primarily on procurement
Slide 12: Info-Tech
Info-Tech was created by smart and intelligent academics with little real-world experience. In fact, 60% of the 47 analysts are right from school with no practitioner experience. With only 16 senior analysts, they have a hard time keeping up with inquiries and producing a significant amount of research. Since they focus primarily on pricing, they appeal to procurement and have the potential to force a competitive-bid environment.
Download slide: InfoTechResearchPainPoints
(ADD IN 3 QUIZ QUESTIONS, one about each competitor)

13. IDC (HTTP Specific) Insight into IDC:
Rely on junior-level Analysts
Gartner relies upon methodologies and observations to provide consistent and realistic solutions
Ask your client these probing questions:
What are your revenue goals?
What markets would you like to enter?
What geographies are you exploring
Are you looking to build?
Take these proactive steps:
Go to gartner.com and search on your client
Who are their competitors?
Demonstrate to HTTP clients how Gartner can help them
Focus on different industries and emerging markets
SLIDE 13: IDC (HTTP SPECIFIC)
Part of our research focuses on the supply side of the markets, or vendor-sell side.
While IDC constantly analyzes this market space, they rely on junior level analysts to crunch the numbers. Our analysts take it further by interpreting the numbers and presenting potential business opportunities to the HTTP client. Gartner obtains deep insights into buyer intentions through end-user discussions and thousands of statistically relevant surveys. We rely upon methodologies and observations to provide consistent and realistic solutions.
This is a key differentiator between Gartner and IDC.
Ask your client these probing questions: • What are your revenue goals? • What markets would you like to enter? • What geographies are you exploring? • Are you looking to build?
Take these proactive steps to understand your client better: • Go to Gartner.com and type in your client’s name • Think about their competitors and expand your understanding of the competitive landscape • Demonstrate to HTTP clients how Gartner can help them develop their communication skills, market segmentation and business opportunity • Focus on different industries and emerging markets where they could be successful
Engaging in this exercise illustrates another key differentiator between Gartner and IDC.
Download Slide: GartnerVsIDC_differentiators

14. iSupply (HTTP Specific)
Prepare yourself with these questions:
What is the client trying to accomplish?
What are the critical metrics needed to understand the business opportunity?
Where are they trying to position themselves for strength in the market?
Do we understand which components the HTTP clients are producing?
What types of hardware do those components go into?
What are the adoption trends?
SLIDE 14: iSuppli (HTTP SPECIFIC)
iSupply has a team of ex-Gartner Dataquest Analysts who are committed to the semiconductor space. They believe that Gartner’s product lacks focus.
To help with competitive differentiation, prepare yourself with the following questions: • What is the client trying to accomplish? • What are the critical metrics needed to understand the business opportunity? • Where are they trying to position themselves for strength in the market? • Do we understand which components the HTTP clients are producing? • What types of hardware do those components go into? • What are the adoption trends?
iSupply is unable to accomplish this level of attention due to lack of analyst support. This gives us the competitive edge and creates a competitive differentiator between Gartner and iSupply.
Look at our research methodology on both the supply and end-user sides and build a road-map for your clients. IDC and iSupply focus on what has happened already, we look projections and future potential market penetration.
Download slide: iSuppliHTTP
Download Slide: Supply_Chain Competitive Matrix
VIDEO: Purefoy Amy_Sales Kickoff_General_competetive challenge that worked out well_forrester (talks about all competitors)

15. Supply Chain Competition
AMR
First to cover Supply Chain market
Advisory service since 1986
Gives us access to:
An archive of 18,000+ documents
28 Analysts
Unsurpassed Agenda Survey conducted 2 x annually
4-stage maturity model
Continuous improvement
Covering organization, people, process and technology
Tailored to the client’s business model
Slide 15: Supply Chain Competition
Supply Chain competitors exist in the market. (see matrix) AMR was the first to cover the Supply Chain market with an advisory service in Gartner’s acquisition of AMR gives us access to a current archive of over 18,000 Supply Chain documents, a team of 28 Analysts, and an unsurpassed agenda survey which is conducted twice a year.
We use a four-stage maturity model to build a road-map for continuous improvement. Our recommendations cover organization, people, process, and technology. It is tailored to our client’s business model of both product and service offerings.
Gartner actively participates in strategic, tactical and operational planning with a unique understanding of cost and complexity. This sets us apart from our competition. We share what others have learned and help each client network for operational success.

16. Common Competitor Tactics
Our competitors will:
Use a Low Cost / Discounting Mentality to get our clients’ attention
Promise “Enterprise” Access
Offer a Money-Back Guarantee
Set up Trials
Approach through Procurement
Promise to include clients in a Research Case Study
They will say the following about Gartner:
Gartner is expensive
Gartner is difficult to do business with
Gartner is impersonal
Gartner restricts deliverables
Slide 16: Common Competitor Tactics
Our competitors focus on the following engagement tactics to win business.
They will:
1. Use a Low Cost / Discounting Mentality to get our clients’ attention 2. Promise “Enterprise” Access 3. Offer a Money-Back Guarantee 4. Set up Trials 5. Approach through Procurement 6. And, appeal to our clients’ egos by promising to include them in a Research Case Study
Download slide: CompetitorEngagementTactics
They will say the following about Gartner:
1 Gartner is expensive. Most of our competitors will try to create trial environments to upset the relationships that you have with your existing client. 2. Gartner is difficult to do business with. Make sure you understand how your client works and how they consume their research. Focus on building a solution that your client can leverage. 3. Gartner is impersonal. Talk about your Value Proposition and how you will deliver an impact assessment. This will diffuse the notion that Gartner is impersonal, and it allow you to take ownership of your relationship and your future together. 4. And, Gartner restricts deliverables. It’s true. Gartner restricts deliverables and is vigilant in protecting our intellectual property. However, once you determine how a client needs to use Gartner, our products and services follow suit.
(ADD IN VIDEO, IF AVAILABLE OF AE TALKING ABOUT PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS AND EASE OF DOING BUSINESS WITH CLIENTS)

17. Gartner’s Value Proposition
Share these important points
We save a client time through:
Research activities, technology provider short lists and filtering information.
We save a client money through:
Contract reviews, price points, and cost avoidance insight
We provide added resources through:
Staff extension, speed learning, global perspective and acting as a sounding board
We create confidence through:
Peer visibility, professional development and increased credibility
Slide 17: Gartner’s Value Proposition
Our value selling is a proven methodology that empowers you to deliver against your clients’ business and technology initiatives to guarantee their success. And it isn’t about the price.
There are a few items to remember when presenting Gartner’s Value Proposition: 1. We save a client time through research activities, technology provider short lists and filtering information. 2. We save a client money through contract reviews, our knowledge of price points, and suggestions on cost avoidance. 3. We provide added resources through staff extension, speed learning, global perspective and serving as a sounding board. 4. We create confidence through peer visibility, professional development and increased credibility
Download Slide: ValueProposition
VIDEO Pick Geert Activity Guide Share an anecdote that illustrates a trust based value added relationship that you developed with a C Level Exec.mov
(ADD IN VIDEO IF AVAILABLE, ANOTHER ABOUT VALUE PROP)

18. Conclusion You are the biggest competitive differentiator!
Use Gartner’s Winning Strategies
Deliver your Value Proposition with confidence.
Congratulations and Welcome to Gartner!
Visit EAGLE to learn more.
Good Luck!
Slide 18: Conclusion
As a Gartner Account Executive, you are the single biggest competitive differentiator Gartner has. Use the winning strategies in this lesson to manage your business with competitive effectiveness. Understand who Gartner’s competitors are and empower yourself with knowledgeable responses to your clients’ questions. And finally, develop and deliver your Value Proposition with confidence.
Faramo Rachel_Sales Kickoff_General_How have trusted client relationships led to your success part 1
For more information, visit the Competitive Intelligence section on Eagle (show screenshot) and contact (insert best Gartner Associate here) to learn more about how you can win with competitive focus!
Good Luck!