Robotics is a rapidly evolving field that offers many opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship. However, creating a robotics solution is only half the battle. You also need to attract customers who are willing to pay for your product or service. How can you do that? Here are some tips to help you market your robotics solution effectively.
Before you launch your robotics solution, you need to research your target market and understand their needs, preferences, challenges, and goals. Who are your ideal customers? What problems do they face? How can your solution help them solve those problems? How do they make buying decisions? What are their expectations and objections? Knowing your target market will help you craft a compelling value proposition, tailor your messaging, and position your solution in the market.
The biggest challenge in promoting robotics solutions is identifying and empowering product champions. You need to figure out whom within the organisation is going to embrace your solution, not as an element of negative disruption but as a force for good. More often than not, this person will be someone from the Innovation, Industry 4.0 or Digitalisation department, but that's not a given. It could also be someone from Maintenance trying to optimise production processes, i.e. reducing downtime. Then comes the empowering : you need to figure out how you can support your product champion in promoting and demonstrating the value of your solution. In other words, you need to help to sell it internally, e.g. by performing a proof-of-concept.
Customers are not interested in the technical features of your robotics solution. They want to know how it can benefit them and improve their lives. Therefore, you need to showcase your benefits clearly and convincingly. How can your solution save time, money, or resources for your customers? How can it enhance their productivity, performance, or quality? How can it reduce their risks, errors, or frustrations? Use stories, testimonials, case studies, or demonstrations to illustrate your benefits and show your customers what they can achieve with your solution.
Nothing beats the power of demonstrating the solution live, in a real asset, in a real context. You can spend 100 hours on a prezi or 10 minutes with a live demo. That's why in the case of a proof-of-concept ("PoC"), the old adagio 'You do not get a second chance to make a first impression' rings even truer. Triple-check the equipment before the demo; do not take any stupid risks during the POC and follow up right after. In my experience, there's a window of opportunity of approx. 30 days after a successful POC: after this, your chances of closing the deal go down really fast. Offer incentives to finalise the deal within that timeframe and refrain from offering POCs gratis : if you are good at something, why should you do it for free?
I fully concur with this viewpoint. Customers are primarily concerned with resolving their issues. The greater the ingenuity and user-friendliness embedded in systems, the higher the likelihood of attracting customers to adopt your solutions. Presenting past challenges alongside their respective remedies serves to sway them more effectively.
Robotics is a complex and dynamic field that may not be familiar or accessible to many potential customers. You need to educate your audience about the basics of robotics, the current trends and developments, and the best practices and applications. By doing so, you can build trust, credibility, and authority in your niche. You can also raise awareness, interest, and curiosity about your solution. You can use various channels and formats to educate your audience, such as blogs, podcasts, videos, webinars, ebooks, or newsletters.
Social proof is a powerful psychological phenomenon that influences people's behavior and decisions based on what others are doing or saying. You can leverage social proof to attract customers for your robotics solution by showing them that others have already used and benefited from your solution. You can use different types of social proof, such as reviews, ratings, testimonials, endorsements, awards, certifications, or media mentions. You can also create a community of loyal customers and advocates who can spread the word about your solution and refer new customers to you.
In today's digital world, customers rely on the internet to search for information, compare options, and make purchases. You need to optimize your online presence to make sure that your robotics solution is visible, attractive, and accessible to your target market. You need to have a professional and user-friendly website that showcases your solution, benefits, and social proof. You also need to have a strong and consistent presence on social media platforms where your customers are active. You also need to use search engine optimization (SEO) and online advertising techniques to drive traffic and conversions to your website.
One of the most effective ways to attract customers for your robotics solution is to offer free trials or discounts. This way, you can let your customers experience your solution firsthand and see how it can benefit them. You can also overcome their hesitation, skepticism, or resistance and persuade them to buy your solution. You can offer free trials or discounts for a limited time or for a specific segment of your market. You can also use them as incentives for referrals, reviews, or feedback.