Page 107 - The Sales Acceleration Formula: Using Data, Technology, and Inbound Selling to go from $0 to $100 Million - PDFDrive.com

There is one key resource of the content production process—the journalist.
Journalists hold the keys to the future of demand generation! Nobody recognizes
this opportunity, not even the journalists themselves. Take advantage. Your job
as an executive is to develop this journalistic capability within your company to
drive the modern demand generation process.

This can be tricky. Developing this journalistic capability is the hardest, but most
important, part of your journey. There are a number of options here. On one end
of the spectrum, you could hire a full-time journalist. The good news for you is
that many journalists are extraordinarily gifted and, unfortunately, their
traditional professional opportunities are become scarcer every day. Newspapers
and magazines are on life support. Exceptional journalists are struggling to find
work. Find them and hire them.

On the other end of the spectrum, you could hire an intern. Go down to the
university near your office with the best journalism program, find a great
student, and have them come by your office for a half day every Friday morning
to write. If you are extraordinarily budget conscious, you may even be able to
pay them through course credit.

Of course, there are many options in between these two extremes. The
journalism industry is very open to freelance lifestyles. You can find a freelancer
to write for you. Alternatively, do you have an office administrator?
Traditionally, these folks have exceptional written communication skills. Could
you eliminate a mundane five-hour task in their week to free up time for
valuable content production time?

When hiring this journalist, do not obsess about domain experience. This hire
does not need to have deep knowledge of your product, your industry, or your
buyer. It is helpful, but it is less important than great journalism skills. A great
journalist can sit down with a PhD neuroscientist, pick her brain for an hour, and
write a beautifully interesting piece of content. They do not need to be experts in
the space.

Once you have found the journalist, the next step is to form a thought leadership
committee. The thought leadership committee provides the journalist with a
continual source of domain knowledge. Anyone at the company who
understands your industry, your product value proposition, and your customer's
needs should be considered for the thought leadership committee. Certainly your
executive team should participate. If you sell a technical product, some
engineers should be involved. If you have relationships with partners or external