If it’s all free then what?
February 27, 2008
Earlier in the day, social media analyst Jeremiah Owyang talked about the conflict between what he puts out on his public weblog and the needs of his clients. He said:
It’s really hard to write my blog, some are asking for more info, yet I have clients and employer to think about too
In response, analyst relations maven Carter Lusher, said:
@jowyang I got an earful yesterday from an analyst vendor client about analysts who provide too much content via blog.
I then had a Twitter exchange with Carter where he said:
It was definitely “why should I pay for services if it going to be on the web” sort of thing. Some research can be found on the web, esp Waves & MQ, due to vendor buying reprints. Average Garter, IDC, Forrester notes, not so much.
My response is straightforward. You can afford to give away 80% of what you know because it could be found one way or another by searching on the web. Doing that lends credibility as a source for more valuable information. It certainly lifts you above the many so-called analysts who hide behind very expensive paywalls. It turns out that Carter agrees. That’s good validation coming from someone who earns from the analyst relations business and is both well respected and highly influential. How does this apply in a professional context?
The analyst community earns much of its keep from vendors and to that extent is compromised. But it could still perform a useful service to buyers by letting them in on many of the things they know and which ought to be common knowledge. That’s what I try to do both here and in the other places I get to write. Why? As I said here earlier today, buyers are often at a hopeless disadvantage against the big vendors.
I gave one set of reasons in that article but here’s another - time constraints. Buyers don’t have the time or resources to research everything they need to know. Hence folk like my friend Vinnie is gainfully employed beating up the vendors on price negotiation. Folk like Brian Sommer bemoan the current state of ‘consulting.’ As he should. Consulting and analysis are not a million miles apart.
How do you make a reasonable income? Simple. The 20%. If the 80% is good enough then the 20% more than pays for itself. At least that’s what I’m finding. If people baulk at my fees they can always go elsewhere. But that’s not happening. While there is the inevitable ‘negotiation’ when I explain the value proposition, clients get it. Another twist on the value pricing model? Sure. One that works. Every time.
PS: - For more on this and related topics, check out Carter Lusher’s blog. It’s insightful and packed with good tips.
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“But it could still perform a useful service to buyers by letting them in on many of the things they know and which ought to be common knowledge.”
Brilliant, well said.
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