Transforming Resistance into Adoption: Lessons from History for B2B Tech Adoption

Gavin Finn, Kaon Interactive, Inc.

Innovation isn’t just about creating new technologies—it’s about understanding how people respond to them. History shows us that every groundbreaking invention, from the printing press to artificial intelligence, has faced a familiar gauntlet of skepticism, resistance, and eventual adoption. Psychology explains why: humans experience a multitude of emotions at the same time: we are creatures of habit, naturally wary of change and also remarkably adaptable.

When we examine the patterns of how technologies are resisted, embraced, and ultimately relied upon, two truths emerge. First, history is our best guide for understanding these patterns. Second, psychology is the key to navigating them. If you want to bring innovative technologies to market, you must master both. Let’s explore how these forces have shaped the story of innovation—and continue to do so today.

Technology Always Disrupts Before It Delivers

Take the printing press. Johannes Gutenberg’s 15th-century invention democratized knowledge, laying the foundation for modern education, science, and democracy. But at the time, it was a disruption of the highest order. Scribes whose livelihoods depended on hand-copying manuscripts decried it as the end of their craft. Religious authorities worried about the uncontrolled spread of ideas. Yet today, the printing press is celebrated as one of humanity’s greatest breakthroughs and a key driver of the improvement in quality of life.

This cycle of disruption followed by transformation repeats throughout history. The Luddites, for example, were skilled textile workers in early 19th-century England who feared that mechanized looms would erode their jobs and economic stability. Their resistance stemmed not from hatred of machines but from uncertainty about their future. Ultimately, the industrial revolution created far more jobs and opportunities for these textile workers than it displaced, though that truth was hard to see in the moment.

The same pattern has played out with the telephone, electricity, and even the automobile. Each breakthrough challenged norms, forcing people to rethink how they worked, lived, and interacted.

Why We Resist, Adapt, and Ultimately Embrace

?Humans are wired for both caution and curiosity. We fear what we don’t understand, yet we’re endlessly drawn to things that promise to make life better. This tension explains why new technologies often provoke excitement and resistance in equal measure.

A current topic is artificial intelligence. On one hand, AI promises to revolutionize industries from healthcare to marketing. On the other hand, it stirs fears of job displacement and loss of control. These fears are not new; they’re echoes of the Luddites’ concerns. What history teaches us, however, is that while jobs may change, opportunities for employment growth almost always result. Industries expand, roles evolve, and productivity soars.

In the world of B2B sales and marketing, digital sales and marketing applications face a similar dynamic. These tools empower buyers with interactive experiences, virtual demos, and instant access to highly personalized knowledge. But they also unsettle salespeople who fear losing their role as trusted source of information. The reality is that these tools don’t replace salespeople – on the contrary, they elevate their roles, transforming their work to focus on higher-value interactions that build deeper relationships.

Turning Resistance Into Reliance

One of the most fascinating aspects of technology adoption is how quickly today’s disruptors become tomorrow’s essentials. Consider GPS. Initially, many scoffed at the idea of trusting a machine over their personal navigation skills. Today, we panic if our phone’s GPS stops working, and most transportation systems would be inoperable without it.

In early 2023, Kaon Interactive partnered with the President of the largest division of a major Life Sciences company to transform their go-to-market engagement process to a digital-first customer driven approach. To the executive's surprise, the sales team initially resisted. When their "lead resistor" discovered that his prospects and customers learned more about the company's differentiated value in this new environment, and they were able consequently able to make better buying decisions, he quickly embraced this customer engagement paradigm. The first year of adoption, he elevated his sales performance by double digits and the rest of the sales team soon followed. This approach is embedded in their go-to-market strategy, and they now consistently exceed customer satisfaction goals, while their division's revenue growth has outpaced their corporate targets.

Similarly, cloud computing faced early resistance from IT departments worried about security and control. Now, it’s the backbone of modern business operations. Interactive customer-facing digital platforms, once seen as “nice-to-have,” are now indispensable tools across industries.

The key to navigating this adoption curve lies in empathy. Resistance to technology is rarely about the tools themselves—it’s about the fear of losing control, relevance, or identity. Successful innovators recognize this, not as an obstacle, but as an opportunity to demonstrate how the new technology enhances these very qualities.

Lessons for Senior Executives

Introducing disruptive technology is never just a technical challenge—it’s an emotional one. As leaders, our job is to guide our teams through these transitions. Here are key considerations for all of us:

1. Leverage Lessons From History: Use relevant analogies to contextualize change. Show how past innovations in your industry overcame resistance and ultimately improved lives.
2. Embrace Empathy: Understand the fears and frustrations of your audience. Acknowledge their concerns and frame your solution as an enhancement, not a threat.
3. Tell a Better Story: People don’t buy technology—they buy the promise of a better future. Paint a vivid picture of how your innovation solves problems and drives progress for customers and your team.

For companies like Kaon Interactive, where we build and deploy digital customer engagement platforms, the challenge isn’t convincing teams that the technology works—it’s demonstrating how improved customer buying experiences empower salespeople and marketers to be both more effective, and also professionally respected as strategic partners. By providing their customers with a more engaging and self-directed digital buying experience, ?these solutions focus sales and marketing professionals on what has the most value – understanding the customer’s challenges, and partnering to solve these problems together.

Why This Matters

Transformative innovations in customer experience rewrite the rules of how to engage with prospects and customers. This change can be an affront to some people's personal career stories, not simply perceived as risky but also as a criticism. The lesson is clear: success lies in understanding these emotional patterns and navigating them with empathy and insight.

Gutenberg’s printing press didn’t destroy storytelling—it amplified it. The Luddites’ fears weren’t rooted in irrationality—they were grappling with uncertainty about how their skills and roles would evolve. This mirrors the resistance we see today when new technologies challenge established workflows and identities. The eventual outcome of these disruptions, however, is almost always greater opportunity.

As leaders, our job isn’t just to introduce technology; it’s to illuminate its role in creating opportunities for individuals and organizations alike. This requires both courage and vision—qualities that transform resistance into adoption, and fear into future-focused action.

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