Gartner or Graft

I was recently in a presentation by given by a CRM vendor. At the tail end, one of the members of the audience asked about the recent slippage by the vendor out of Gartner's magic quadrant. The reps were candid, yet resigned. They said that there was a corporate decision to stop paying Gartner money and invest marketing funds, otherwise.

• Pay Gartner, stay in magic quadrant.
• Don't pay Gartner, fall out of magic quadrant.

The reps looked pretty apprehensive so I said, "Don't worry, for those of us who understand exactly how most industry analysts operate, this works in your favor, not against it." To go one step further, the next time a sales rep or marketing droid calls me up and mentions where they are in the magic quadrant, I'll very curtly inform them how little I think of that analysis and what a corresponding waste of money that line item of their marketing budget Gartner payola is.

I have to say that the list of industry analysts and trade publications that I can confidently rely on for information is rapidly dwindling. After the project I am working on is over, I'm going to make a point of working with our CIO to re-visit the funds we allocate to various subscriptions, especially to analyst firms, and make some recommendations.