Regular readers of this column know that if you have something to sell that can help me A) shave strokes off my golf score or B) improve my ability to choose money-making stocks, you can easily capture my attention. To be honest, I've never met a golf device I didn't like (at least on TV), and like most I'm always looking for that edge in the market.

Often, though, it isn't the device or the book that attracts me. It's the credibility of the person hawking it. I don't consider myself an expert in either area, so if I think I can get help from someone who is an expert I'm all ears. I have to admit, though, that I rarely go out on the Internet and check the "expert's" credentials. I simply listen to what they have to say, see if it makes sense, and then make my own determination.

That's a lesson many technology marketers seem to forget. They think if they build a really great piece of software or hardware that people will hear about it and flock to them. While I'm sure that's happened, it's certainly not the norm, nor is it the fast track to success. If you really want to capture the public's attention, especially if your company and product are unknown, it helps to put a real, human face on the company.

Here's why. One of my favorite golden rules of marketing is: People like talking to people. They don't necessarily like talking to companies. Obeying this rule is a key ingredient in any successful PR program.

To build a quicker buzz around your company, you need to put bring your key people out from the back room and put them in front of customers and prospects. Position them as experts, let people realize you have something special going on, and they'll be far more interested in your message - not to mention your products and/or services.

Here's a good example. Mark Vorholt, CTO of dbaDIRECT, is a 20-year veteran of data infrastructure who could take you on a tour of every nook and cranny of his company's managed services. Yet, when he wanted to explain to readers of CRM Magazine why outsourcing their everyday database administration could be a strategic advantage for their organizations, he started like this: "Sure, this may sound as though I have spent too much time in the sun, but watching surfers reminds me of business dynamics."

Who reads that opening line without wondering what he has to say next?

Yes, Mark has some great writers working for him. But what makes Mark a successful spokesman for dbaDIRECT is the fact that he's just as clever, clear and comfortable on the phone as he is on paper.

Social media (read: blogging) has really brought this phenomenon to the fore. Before blogging, if an expert had an opinion he/she had to find an outlet to publish it. Now, that expert can open up a free or very low-cost account on one of the blogging services and start posting. If the pro-blogging books are to be believed, any number of today's experts started out as everyday individuals who had a strong opinion on something and chose to voice it. Of course, the opinion had to be well-thought out and believable. But the point is they started voicing those opinions, they found an audience for them, and they're now being sought out by others looking to an expert for advice and information.

Having a recognized "expert" on staff (or leading the company) is a definite benefit, especially when you're trying to sell products or services in the world of technology. If you can't afford to hire one who already has the credentials, though, you can still take advantage of an expert's halo effect by creating your own.

The key is to articulate strong, intelligent opinions on key topics within your space. Your spokespersons should be credible, prolific and sincere in helping others solve their problems.

Remember that old advertisement for E.F. Hutton (when E.F. Hutton talks, people listen)? Expert campaigns effectively position organizations as market leaders. When people perceive you as a leader, a good percentage of them will buy your products. My golf bag and DVD collection are testaments to that.

Anyway, that's my two cents' worth.