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Reading an analyst answer properly

Every answer comes with its evidence. How to check one before you take a number into a meeting.

RRRevTech RevOpsRevenue operations team 2 min

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See it in RevTech

See how RevTech maintains the questions the business needs answered and returns the evidence behind every conclusion.

See how RevTech maintains the questions the business needs answered and returns the evidence behind every conclusion.
Part 1 of 3

The quick answer is a claim, not a conclusion

Every analyst answer opens with one sentence stating where things stand. That sentence is designed to be quotable, and that is exactly why it should not be the only thing you read before repeating it. Under it sits the reasoning, and under that the evidence: the sources drawn on and the records behind each figure.

The habit worth building is to open the evidence once for any number you are about to use in a decision. It takes a few seconds and it is the difference between reporting a figure and standing behind one.

Part 2 of 3

Three things to check

You are not auditing the model. You are checking that the question it answered is the question you are asking.

  • The period — a comparison is only meaningful on a consistent basis
  • The scope — which teams, segments, or products the answer covers
  • The record count — a confident conclusion drawn from four deals is not one
The evidence and sources behind a RevTech analyst answer.
The evidence behind an answer: the underlying records and sources, so the conclusion can be checked rather than trusted. Screenshot of the RevTech application; sample data.
An answer with the figures it rests on. The period, the scope and the record count are what you are checking before you carry the headline into a meeting.
Part 3 of 3

When the answer disagrees with your instinct

Sometimes the number is wrong. More often the definition is different from the one in your head. Your "qualified" and the model's "qualified" are different sets, and both are defensible. The evidence view is where that gets resolved, because it shows which records were included.

If the definitions genuinely differ from how your team works, that is a configuration conversation rather than an argument about the answer. Definitions are yours to set.

What to take away

  • The quick answer is a claim. Open the evidence once for any number you will act on.
  • Check the period, the scope and the record count before the conclusion.
  • When the answer disagrees with your instinct, it is usually a definition difference, and definitions are yours to set.

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