Past
Marketers paid for reach and sent the same pitch to every analyst and creator.
ACADEMY · DRONICS · MAKE THE MARKET AND YOUR PARTNERS SELL YOU
Learn DRONICS-I: Influence
Help the people buyers already trust to explain you accurately, before a shortlist exists.
Motion: Influence (analysts, creators and advisors or consultants) · Owner: your CMO and channel head
Four steps: read the letter, read the lenses, take the self-assessment, then pick one or two gaps. All learning paths.
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Make sure the story an influencer repeats is our positioning, in plain words.
Have a point of view that is worth citing; share it before asking for anything.
Statements are from this letter's self-assessment. Nothing is pre-filled and nothing is stored.
PAST AND FUTURE
DRONICS-I: the story in two lines
Marketers will work differently with agents. This is what changes for this letter, and what stays with a person.
Present to future
Buyers trust a few people who explain things. The job becomes to help them explain you accurately, before a shortlist exists, and to share what they say, with their permission.
What the agent does
Maps the analysts, creators and advisors a buyer’s audience follows, drafts a separate note for each marked draft, and records what they publish.
What the marketer or CMO decides
Whom to approach, what to say, and any payment. Every note is sent by a person or with approval.
Shifts used here: S2 From talking about ourselves to amplifying neutral voices; S8 From one-way outbound to community and partner-led. Read the full framework and sources.
1. What the agent does
Agents check, draft, map and record. A person approves anything that leaves the company.
- Build or refresh the influence map from what buyers say they read, watch and ask.
- Check each person's published work and audience against the ICP.
- Draft a plain briefing or perspective note, offering insight before any request.
- Package a brief for the strategist: who to approach, with what, and when.
- After human action, record what came back and update the maturity position.
Where a person approves
- The strategist approaches and owns every analyst, creator and advisor relationship; agents never contact them without approval.
- Approval of every briefing, brief and claim before it leaves.
- Any payment, gift or sponsorship is decided by a person, and the arrangement is disclosed by the creator as the rules of that platform require.
- Never invent or imply an endorsement. Named companies are examples of a type only.
Maturity scale (DRONICS): Unaware, Reactive, Targeted, Orchestrated, Demand engine. Full letter page
2. The leader lens
How other well-regarded B2B marketing leaders would approach this letter, each named with a source. These are their opinions, not evidence about any company, and none of them has a relationship with Foundronics.
How to apply
- L13 (Verna): Work with creators and advisors whose audience genuinely matches the ICP and who believe in the product; avoid people who would promote anything.
- L4 (SparkToro): Use audience research to find the sites, channels and voices the ICP engages with, before ranking candidates. This is a company page, so treat it as secondhand.
- L10 (Conant): Assume advisors research quietly and decide early; give them useful, ungated material and be the first helpful voice.
A person decides: the strategist approves which leader-lens suggestions are used; agents draft and check only.
Sources for this lens
- L13. Growth is now a trust problem. Employee voices, creators who truly match your audience, and staffed community build trust. This is her opinion, not a study. Source
- L4. Audience research can show which sites, channels and voices an audience trusts. The source is a company page that describes its product. Source (from a third party’s summary; check before quoting)
- L10. Be relevant, not noisy. Reach buyers in the window between learning and wanting to talk, and work with the buying group, not one contact. Source
3. The CMO lens
What a good B2B CMO would do for this letter. The lens follows the public writing of Dave Gerhardt. It is our reading, not his endorsement of Foundronics.
What a great CMO would do
- Make sure the story an influencer repeats is our positioning, in plain words.
- Have a point of view that is worth citing; share it before asking for anything.
- Remember that influence often shows up only when you ask buyers who they listened to.
A weekly rhythm
- Mon: refresh the map and recent publications.
- Tue: draft a perspective note (`draft`).
- Wed: list the questions they asked.
- Thu: strategist meets them.
- Fri: record learnings and what was said back.
An example
Hypothetical (a software vendor, illustration only): the agent drafts a short, plain point of view on how buyers compare a category, which the strategist walks through with an advisor live.
What to avoid
- Do not pitch before offering insight.
- Do not fabricate endorsements.
- Do not assume one deck fits every analyst, creator or firm.
A person decides: Which analysts, creators and advisors to build relationships with and what stance the company takes. Agents draft and check; the strategist decides.
Sources for this lens
- P1. Brand is reputation, and positioning comes first. Visuals and tone come after. Source
- P6. Differentiate and have a point of view. Look for the attention gaps competitors leave. Source (from a third party’s summary; check before quoting)
- P9. Channels that build up over time often do not show in attribution. Ask customers how they found you. Source
4. Check yourself
A free self-assessment for DRONICS-I. It takes a few minutes and needs no sign-in.
Take the DRONICS-I self-assessment
The examples on this page are hypothetical illustrations. A named company is an example of a type, never a customer or partner of Foundronics.
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