Engineers and scientists have shaped the world around us, yet the subtle differences in how these vitally influential groups communicate can prove to be a challenge for technology companies looking to make the jump between selling components and systems to engineers and selling instruments to scientists.
One of the reasons is that scientists and engineers are trained to think in different ways: scientists explore the boundaries of systems in order to better define and understand them; while engineers use that understanding to develop optimal solutions to problems.
On the face of it, the challenges should be the same – especially if the new product (or service) is the best solution to a well-recognised problem. However, even the most experienced marketing teams can stumble when trying to make the leap into the laboratory market.
One of the key issues is that engineers are taught to use models that hold true under certain conditions to develop products and services that customers want.
In contrast, scientists are trained to develop hypotheses to explain observed phenomena and then devise experiments to test if those hypotheses are robust.
In short: scientists are taught to challenge and ask “why?”, while engineers are taught to build and optimise.
Simply developing something that is faster, more sensitive, smaller or easier will not be sufficient to overcome the attachment that customers form over years of buying from a trusted brand. And a short advert in the product pages of a magazine is not enough to spark a scientist’s curiosity to explore further.
Pinnacle has developed a process that will help you avoid the pitfalls that can catch out the unsuspecting marketing team, and instead show you the path to generating better leads and sales opportunities.
