Stop managing "Briefings" and start managing "Influence." For the grand finale of Talking Headless, I wanted to explore the evolution of the Analyst Relations profession. I was joined by two perspectives that perfectly bookend the industry: Anushka Khanna (Head of AR at Celonis), representing the modern strategic practitioner, and Blair Pleasant (President & Principal Analyst at CommFusion), representing the veteran independent analyst view.

The consensus? The role is upgrading. You are no longer just a "scheduler of briefings." You are the "orchestrator of influence."

Part 1: The Strategic Practitioner (Anushka’s Advice)

Anushka focused on how AR professionals can elevate their careers by moving beyond "Vanilla" execution.

1. Code-Switch Your Strategy Globally

A single playbook does not work for a global company. Anushka broke down the "Geography of Trust":

• North America: The "Celebrity" Model. It’s about promotion, videos, and keynotes.
• Asia: The "Consultancy" Model. Analysts are partners in strategy who want to see the roadmap early to help you navigate rapid change.
• Europe: The "Conservative" Model. Trust is earned slowly. You don't show vulnerability until the relationship is solidified.

2. Break the Internal Silos

The hidden ROI of AR isn't external—it's internal. AR is the only function that can see the "forest for the trees." Use the analyst's neutral voice to align your internal Product and Marketing teams. If you aren't using analysts to fix internal culture, you are missing half the value.

3. Don't Be "Vanilla" in the Intelligence Era

We are entering an "Intelligence Super Cycle." AI can give you efficiency, but it cannot give you Connection. To survive, you must have an opinion. You must be the one to ask the "elephant in the room" questions. If you play it safe, you become a commodity.

Part 2: The Analyst’s View (Blair’s Advice)

Blair provided the blueprint for how companies—and C-Level leaders—should actually engage to get results.

1. The "Flywheel" vs. The "Event"

Stop treating AR as a once-a-year event at Enterprise Connect. It must be a Flywheel of continual communication. If you ghost an analyst for 11 months, don't expect them to understand your strategy in 30 minutes.

2. The C-Suite Must Be Involved

This was a critical message for Executives: AR is a two-way street. You aren't just broadcasting to analysts; you should be learning from them. When C-Level leaders engage directly, they unlock the budget and resources AR teams need because they finally "get it."

3. Stop "Marketing" to Analysts

Blair offered a sharp corrective on briefing etiquette:

• Don't talk about trends: We know the trends.
• Don't quote other analysts: We don't care what Gartner said. We care about your story.
• Leave time for Q&A: If you leave the roadmap for the last 5 minutes, you have failed the briefing.