Marketing to Engineers - Resistance to Change

Stephen MartinAugust 2, 2019

In my last blog post I talked about how engineers are resistant to change. I want to elaborate on this more because it is potentially a huge barrier for companies/marketers who are trying to introduce something new to the market. 

Engineers often base their decisions on what has worked for them in the past. They are unlikely to jump to something new just because it is trendy or "sexy."

If you want to introduce something new to engineers I strongly encourage you to understand these key factors:

  1. What is the pain of the existing solution/product/process? The higher the pain or problems with the existing solution, the more likely you can get the attention of the engineer to try a different approach.
  2. What is the value (to the engineer) of the new solution/product/process? Will it save a lot of time? Will it make him look good/smart? Note: saving the company money might not appeal to the engineer if it means more work for him. Conversely, I have seen engineers choose a product that was less expensive to purchase but required much more engineering time because they saw more work as job security.
  3. What are the risks if he does something new? What are the risks of not changing? Project schedule? Cost? Job security? Learning curve? Sunk costs in training? Will he look foolish? Will his judgement be questioned?
  4. What is his level of seniority? Junior engineers may be easier to convince to try something new but they will generally not have the seniority/influence in the organization to convince them to make a change. Senior engineers are less likely to change.

Consider a trial or evaluation stage. If engineers are interested in your new product they will want to try before buying. There are two major categories of evaluations and each has its challenges. 

  1. You have sparked the engineer's curiosity and he is willing to "play" with your product.
    The challenge is that he needs to fit the evaluation work into his schedule and that may not fit within your desired 30-day evaluation period.
  2. The engineer has a real problem that you product may solve.
    He may attempt to use the evaluation period to solve his problem and move on without purchasing your product. 

Consider using industry influencers to bring credibility to your solution. These can be recognized experts or peers who will write about why the new approach or product should be considered. At the Related Media Group we have relationships with industry experts and bloggers who can help get your product noticed and considered.

Learn more about the Related Media Group 

Our unique and trust-based platform can help break through some of the barriers to traditional advertising.  Are you looking for more qualified leads, brand awareness or thought leadership?  

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