Why engineers are afraid to specify your product and what to do about it

Engineers are risk averse.

That’s why they can be reluctant to specify a new manufacturer or a new product. It carries a risk.  A risk of the unknown.

The safe bet is to just use the same widget that was specified on the last project. If it doesn’t meet performance expectations the engineer has a good defense: “I just used what we’ve always used.”

That’s not to say that engineers are not open to change if it results in better performance or cost savings. But there’s comfort in familiarity.

Switching to a new manufacturer requires the engineer to “stick his neck out” and risk the possibility of failure. That’s a real problem for an industrial marketer trying to get an audience with new prospects.

How do you gain the engineer’s trust and mitigate the fear of the unknown?

One way to build trust is by hosting free webinars for engineers where you educate the engineers on a topic related to the products you sell, and you award professional development hours (PDH) to the engineers.

As engineers participate in your webinar and benefit from your Subject Matter Expert’s wealth of knowledge and experience, they will come to view him as an authority in his field. Your company will be seen as a trusted information source that engineers can depend on to help solve their problems.

Hosting educational webinars is an effective strategy for establishing credibility and cultivating relationships with potential customers. This approach can mitigate skepticism and foster trust, increasing the likelihood that engineers will consider specifying your product in the future.

If you’d like to speak with an expert to learn more about how to use PDH events to connect with engineers, book a free consultation.

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