--- title: The Skills Connection Reviews meta_title: 'The Skills Connection Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2' meta_description: Filter reviews by the users' company size, role or industry to find out how The Skills Connection works for a business like yours. aggregate_rating: rating_value: 5.0 review_count: 7 scale: '5' date_modified: '2026-07-18' parent_category: name: Marketing Services url: https://www.g2.com/categories/marketing-services --- # The Skills Connection Reviews **Vendor:** The Skills Connection **Category:** [Analyst Relations (AR) Agencies](https://www.g2.com/categories/analyst-relations-ar-agencies) **Average Rating:** 5.0/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 7 ## About The Skills Connection The Skills Connection is a specialist analyst relations firm made up of former senior Gartner analysts and executives with offices in the US, Europe and the Middle East. We have an NPS score of +83. Other analyst relations firms advise vendors on how to speak to analysts and to facilitate these meetings. We were the analysts. We wrote Magic Quadrants, one of our team invented The Hype Cycle, others helped develop the methodologies for IDC MarketScapes, FutureScapes and MaturityScapes. We scored vendor submissions, sat in review sessions, fielded inquiry calls from enterprise buyers, and decided which vendors deserved to be shortlisted and why. That institutional knowledge does not come from reading Gartner's published methodology. It comes from having lived it for decades. Since 2009, we have worked with more than 650 technology firms across the full spectrum of analyst assessments (e.g. Magic Quadrant, Wave, MarketScape, Leadership Compass, Peak Matrix, SPARK Matrix), engagement programs and go-to-market positioning challenges. Our clients range from early-stage SaaS companies engaging analysts for the first time to large enterprises defending a hard-won Leaders’ position. THE TEAM The depth of the team’s knowledge and experience is what makes The Skills Connection genuinely unique. This is not a one-person boutique or a rebranded PR agency with an analyst relations practice grafted on. Delivery is all done by senior, former analysts. Details of all the team members can be found at https://theskillsconnection.com/who-we-are/ WHAT WE DO FOR ANALYST ENGAGEMENT Analyst Assessment Services We are best known for preparing technology vendors for Gartner Magic Quadrant (MQ), Gartner Emerging Market Quadrant (EMQ), Gartner Startups Market Quadrant (SMQ), Forrester Wave, IDC MarketScape, and other structured analyst assessments. 1. We work with your subject matter experts (SMEs) to collectively identify the case to present and to identify and collate all the relevant evidence 2. Together we co-create the response materials set to reflect that case. We define structures and priorities, we identify key content for inclusion and the focus required, we review every aspect of the work in progress for the detailed content and structure. 3. We manage the process using our proven methodologies, and associated assets, for surveys, briefings, demos and customer feedback (e.g. references, Gartner Peer Insights) 4. At the draft review stage, we collaborate on both written and presented responses and, if required, orchestrate the content and processes required for content or process escalation 5. Finally, we provide guidance on how to turn research outcomes into real business outcomes (i.e. pipeline building and competitive wins) Our 2026 survey of over 100 vendors found that 90% of vendors find analyst criteria do not precisely align with their solution. Being a perfect fit is the exception. Knowing how to present your real capabilities compellingly within a complex assessment framework is the skill we have spent 17 years developing and delivering to clients. These are project-based activities following our proven Tune-Up methodology. 84% of clients, who engaged us to improve their assessment rating, report that we helped them to shift positively in their Magic Quadrant or Wave. Analyst Engagement Strategy Assessments are periodic. Analyst influence on your enterprise pipeline is continuous. Enterprise buyers talk to analysts through inquiry calls throughout their lifecycle of interest with any technology, often before a formal RFP has even been issued. If analysts don't understand your story, don't trust your evidence, and can't articulate your differentiation, your name may never reach the buyer. 1. We start with a deep dive into your business and relevant solutions. Using the information structure analysts use, we build up an understanding of your situation, goals and plans. Our proprietary analyst engagement assessment allows for us to collectively explore where the most urgent gaps are and prioritize actions 2. Our living annual plan is designed to align business and analyst goals and then set out a suitable collaborative program of work to deliver against those goals. The plan will include who to target, activity planning, evidence planning and goal alignment. 3. Together we plan out all the engagement activities throughout the year and, once again using our skills as experienced analysts, engage with all the relevant SMEs in your company, as well as analyst relations resources, to build out the right content for results 4. Whether its regular briefings, analyst news sheets, advisory sessions, demos, ad hoc communications (e.g. via email, social media posts) we work to co-create every piece of required content, review and stress test the content and its delivery 5. The analyst on the inside (i.e. our analyst on your team) will ensure execution of the plan through regular engagement and then facilitate a year-end assessment to identify future priorities for action For newer technology initiatives this can also lead to getting recognition from the likes of Gartner as a Cool Vendor or IDC as an IDC Innovator – both extremely valuable sources of trusted, third-party validation. 97% of our customers say that they would recommend The Skills Connection (and often do). COMMON QUESTIONS Do you only support Gartner Magic Quadrants? No. We support clients with assessments from across the analyst spectrum Do you only support assessment work? Not at all. Most of our clients work with us year-round on effective engagement with analysts. Assessments are often a part of that, whether Cool Vendor, SMQ/EMQ or full MQ, Wave etc. Why The Skills Connection versus an AR or PR agency Our focus is the story you tell and the evidence to tell it. Our senior analysts immerse themselves in your business and solution and have the credibility with your executives and SMEs to build that story and align messaging from across your organization What will the process demand from us? Effective engagement needs product, customer success, marketing and leadership input. The essential elements are the story and associated evidence, which we help you identify, construct, collate and orchestrate to get true ROI from your analyst engagement Do you work alongside existing AR teams? We work alongside AR teams and other AR agencies in a number of our clients. These AR professionals typically have strong relationships and institutional knowledge. What we bring is the analyst-side perspective and skillset to help assemble the right content to move the needle. WHY THE SKILLS CONNECTION IS DIFFERENT It’s simply that we are a team of former senior analysts and research executives with an average tenure of 11.5 years at Gartner alone, and over 16 years across different analyst firms. We have robust and proven processes, but for us these are table stakes. We focus on content using senior, experienced analysts who understand your technology, solutions and vision and know exactly how to root out the right information and take that insight and communicate it effectively to the analyst channel to drive real impact and measurable results. ## The Skills Connection Reviews ### 1. Sharp, Hands-On Analyst Expertise with True Ownership and Urgency **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Don H. | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 17, 2026 **What do you like best about The Skills Connection?** Their team are former analysts, so they understand the Gartner/Forrester and analyst side of the equation, not just the vendor side. That expertise showed up directly in the session: sharp, practical guidance instead of generic consulting frameworks. They rolled up their sleeves and worked the content with us rather than just facilitating, engaging with the same ownership and urgency as if it were their own company. **What do you dislike about The Skills Connection?** There isn't a real downside to working with TSC. The one thing to flag, which may be a fit consideration rather than a true drawback, is that their team drives the process firmly. That same ownership and urgency that made them so effective can come across as aggressive, regardless of where you sit in your org's hierarchy. They've supported organizations through hundreds of analyst assessments (MQs, Waves, and similar), so they know the right path forward. Consider this if your team prefers to be advised rather than coached and driven. **Recommendations to others considering The Skills Connection:** Engage them as early as possible. It takes time to build the foundation for everything downstream, analyst inquiries, briefings, assessments, mentions, and guidance. The earlier TSC is involved, the more that foundation can support all of it. Come in ready to be driven and coached, not just advised, that's where they deliver the most value. Also know going in that you are doing the work and creating the output, TSC guides and drives the process, they don't do it for you. **What problems is The Skills Connection solving and how is that benefiting you?** Our analyst relations program needed structure: a clear plan for Forrester/Gartner and other analyst engagement, not just logistics support. TSC brought a proven framework for building that strategy from the ground up, which let us move from reactive analyst interactions to a deliberate, planned cadence. This was especially critical as we were entering our first tier 1 analyst assessment and wanted to put our best submission forward. The result: a Leadership position, our best outcome yet. ### 2. Extensive Gartner MQ Expertise Helps You Build Your Best Response **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Timothy J. | Senior Consultant, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 09, 2026 **What do you like best about The Skills Connection?** The analysts and consultants at The Skills Connection have extensive experience and knowledge about how Gartner research--especially MQ's--is created. I have relied on this knowledge to help navigate the sometimes tricky process of MQ responses, analyst briefings, and analyst inquiries. For example, when objecting to something a Gartner analyst has written that is factually incorrect, what is the best way to proceed? Just having the facts on your side sometimes isn't enough. The Skills Connection helped me understand how to communicate and influence Gartner analysts in the most effective way. **What do you dislike about The Skills Connection?** Honestly, I can't think of anything. I have been super pleased with their offerings every time I have used them. **Recommendations to others considering The Skills Connection:** If you are an organization responding to your first Gartner MQ or Forrester Wave, I'd consider engagement with The Skills Connection pretty much mandatory. Your placement on these research pieces can drive (or lose) $1M's of revenue. In many instances, it really isn't obvious the best path to follow in responding. The Skills Connection helps with this. Highly recommended. **What problems is The Skills Connection solving and how is that benefiting you?** I have used The Skills Connection a handful of times over the past 10 years. I have used them for assistance in Gartner MQ responses and, more broadly, building and maintaining a relationship with Gartner such that my company and offerings feature as positively as possible in Gartner's research publications. ### 3. The best support you can get to become and stay a leader in the Gartner MQ **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Computer Software | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 16, 2026 **What do you like best about The Skills Connection?** The combination of supporting analyst relations throughout the year and collaborating with us on analyst research (Gartner MQ, Forrester Wave). Our contact is very responsive and able to provide excellent guidance in any situation based on long-year experience. **What do you dislike about The Skills Connection?** In the beginning, it was hard to translate TSC's guidance into what we do, because the consultant had little market knowledge. We had to find the ways how to apply the tipps ourselves. By having the same consultant over years, this only "gap" became minimal. **Recommendations to others considering The Skills Connection:** When considering The Skills Connection be aware that they won't do the analyst relations work for you. You need to invest the time and effort to do that yourself. But they will be like a big brother always at your side making it easier every step you take together. **What problems is The Skills Connection solving and how is that benefiting you?** For multiple years, I've been working with The Skills Connection as a consultancy for our analyst relations. In the beginning, we mostly benefited from their guidance on running outcome-driven analyst relations, with many insights and advice on analyst interaction plans and vendor briefings. A game-changer each year and unique in the market is their direct support during analyst assessments (Gartner MQ, Forrester Wave, etc.). Our consultant not only helps us in better understanding what the analysts expect in each RFI response or request delivery asset (presentation, demo recording) but also with improving each one of these deliverables while constantly checking that they show an improvement from last year and are consistent across the the entire, complex research. With the help of TSC, we improved our MQ position from visionary to 5-time leader (#1 on both axis) with a clear distance to the rest of the market. ### 4. Expert Advisors Deliver Actionable, High-Impact Feedback **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Computer Software | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 02, 2026 **What do you like best about The Skills Connection?** Their biggest differentiator is the experience of their advisors. Because many of them are former industry analysts, they have a deep understanding of how evaluations are conducted and what reviewers are looking for. They provide thoughtful, actionable feedback that goes well beyond editorial review—they challenge assumptions, identify gaps, strengthen the narrative, and help us maximize the impact of every response. They are also collaborative, responsive, and easy to work with under tight deadlines. **What do you dislike about The Skills Connection?** The primary drawback is cost. Their services represent a meaningful investment, particularly for organizations supporting multiple analyst evaluations throughout the year. That said, given the strategic importance of these evaluations and the quality of the guidance they provide, we've found the value generally justifies the expense. **Recommendations to others considering The Skills Connection:** Engage them early in your planning process rather than waiting until your submission is nearly complete. They provide the most value when they can help shape the overall narrative, messaging strategy, and supporting evidence from the beginning. Be open to candid feedback—their perspective as former analysts can significantly improve the clarity and effectiveness of your submission. **What problems is The Skills Connection solving and how is that benefiting you?** The Skills Connection helps us improve how we participate in strategically important analyst evaluations, including Gartner Magic Quadrants. Rather than simply reviewing our submissions, they help us strengthen our overall narrative, align our messaging to what analysts are actually evaluating, and ensure our responses are backed by compelling customer evidence and proof points. Their guidance has helped us present our capabilities more effectively, eliminate unnecessary content, and focus on the information that matters most to the analyst. As a result, we have greater confidence that our submissions accurately reflect the strengths of our portfolio and are positioned for the best possible outcome. ### 5. Expert guidance that helped us turn analyst engagement into market visibility **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Information Technology and Services | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 01, 2026 **What do you like best about The Skills Connection?** What I like best is their deep understanding of the analyst process. They are former Gartner analysts and know how Gartner works, what analysts expect, and how to present information in a way that is clear, factual and evidence-backed. They also keep you honest. Their feedback is direct, but it helps you focus on what really matters, improve the quality of your responses and demos, and put your best foot forward. **What do you dislike about The Skills Connection?** There is nothing I would describe as a real dislike. The only thing to be aware of is that their feedback can be very direct, so you need to go into the process open-minded and ready to be challenged. In our case, that directness was valuable because it made the final outcome much stronger. **Recommendations to others considering The Skills Connection:** I would absolutely recommend The Skills Connection to any company that wants to get more value from its analyst relations investment, especially with Gartner. Go into the process with an open mind, be ready to provide evidence, and be prepared to be challenged. If you do that, The Skills Connection can help you sharpen your message, align your internal teams, and engage analysts with much more confidence. **What problems is The Skills Connection solving and how is that benefiting you?** We had invested in Gartner but did not fully know how to get the most value from that investment. We needed help understanding how to engage analysts, how to communicate our value proposition in a way that was factual and evidence-backed, and how to use analyst engagement to improve our market visibility. The Skills Connection helped us structure our briefings, product strategy documents, Magic Quadrant responses and demos in the right way. As a result, analysts now better recognise our organisation and understand our value proposition. We were named in two Magic Quadrant researches. Internally, the work also helped align product, engineering, marketing, sales and senior stakeholders around a clearer message. ### 6. Support That Feels Like Trusted Colleagues **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Computer Software | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** June 26, 2026 **What do you like best about The Skills Connection?** What stands out the most is the people. They genuinely care about your success and consistently go above and beyond what is expected. No question ever goes unanswered, and no request feels like too much trouble. Their knowledge and experience across so many different areas are remarkable—they always seem to know the best path forward and are happy to share their expertise. It never feels like working with a vendor; it feels like working with trusted colleagues who are invested in helping you succeed. **What do you dislike about The Skills Connection?** Honestly, I can't think of anything. Every interaction has been positive, and they've consistently exceeded expectations. They're responsive, knowledgeable, proactive, and incredibly supportive. It's rare to work with a partner that delivers such a high level of service so consistently. **Recommendations to others considering The Skills Connection:** If you're looking for a partner that simply delivers what's in the contract, there are plenty of options out there. If you're looking for a team that truly invests in your success, shares their expertise freely, and becomes an extension of your own organization, The Skills Connection is the right choice. Their experience, professionalism, and willingness to go the extra mile are exceptional. I would recommend them without hesitation to any organization looking for a trusted, long-term partner. **What problems is The Skills Connection solving and how is that benefiting you?** The Skills Connection has become much more than the partner we originally hired. We first engaged them to help us with analyst-related activities, but they quickly proved to be an invaluable extension of our team. Whenever we face a challenge, have a question, or need strategic advice, they are always there to help. Their guidance has saved us time, helped us avoid costly mistakes, and given us confidence that we're making the right decisions. Having access to such an experienced team has made a real difference to the way we work. ### 7. Unmatched Insider Insight Into the Analyst Landscape **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Computer Software | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** June 26, 2026 **What do you like best about The Skills Connection?** The very in depth understanding of the analyst landscape, each analyst firm, their unmatched knowledge of how tier one analysts operate, their methodologies, how they assess and weight criteria. How you can operate more successfully with them. They are unique. They can only provide this level of insight, tips and advice because they have worked IN those analysts firms in the past for years! No other service or agency provides that insider knowledge. **What do you dislike about The Skills Connection?** Nothing. They are exceptionally good at what they do **Recommendations to others considering The Skills Connection:** Just hire them. You will not regret it. You will reap the returns 100-fold **What problems is The Skills Connection solving and how is that benefiting you?** How to improve our engagement with analysts, how to complete RFIs more effectively. How to understand how analysts work, what to do/not do when briefing them. How to improve our responses to ensure the best possible results. - [View The Skills Connection pricing details and edition comparison](https://www.g2.com/products/the-skills-connection/reviews?section=pricing&secure%5Bexpires_at%5D=2026-07-18+14%3A56%3A46+-0500&secure%5Bsession_id%5D=476579eb-56a2-4beb-8e5d-e06b1a71a6de&secure%5Btoken%5D=54eef27b3ec866702a5c93a8445b22badcfcf5976f86615746966cd9a005e2af&format=llm_user) ## The Skills Connection Features **Planning** - Needs Assessment - Resource Allocation - Stayed within Budget - Statement of Work - Best Practices **Delivery** - Technical Expertise - Met Deadlines - Meeting Management - Project Updates - Scope Management - Roll-out **Team Quality** - Change Management Skills - Executive Presence - Vertical Expertise - Technology Partnerships ## Top The Skills Connection Alternatives - [Walker Sands](https://www.g2.com/products/walker-sands/reviews) - 4.8/5.0 (32 reviews) - [Spotlight Analyst Relations](https://www.g2.com/products/spotlight-analyst-relations/reviews) - 4.9/5.0 (27 reviews) - [Kea Analyst Relations](https://www.g2.com/products/kea-analyst-relations/reviews) - 4.9/5.0 (19 reviews)