Those who have studied the engineering mind can tell you: If
you want to sell to an engineer, then you need to understand the engineer’s
communication cycle – or rather, buying cycle.
In 2004, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
(IEEE) published a 179-page report called Communication Patterns of
Engineers. Juxtapose the findings of this text and others since with the
advancement of today’s visual media, and you are struck by a profound
revelation:
Showing by way of video is not only better than traditional
tell-and-sell. Video is the essential way to show, educate and sell to a new
generation of specifying engineers.
The text published by IEEE documented the now often
mentioned phenomena of “heads-up” and “heads- down” learning among engineers,
and the steps that occur within an engineer’s well-defined problem solving
process. When engineers are in a heads-up mode, they are essentially conversing
with colleagues, consultants, clients and vendors. When engineers are in a
heads-down mode, they are studying a range of information related to products,
codes, newsletters and available research.
We are talking about a process that now begs for the kind of
visual information only video and video animation can provide. Most every step
of the problem-solving process can be enhanced by video-based information
delivery. This is not traditional
product line-card selling, but is a truly consultative and educational
approach, because when videos address engineers’ problems within their three
dimensional frames of reference in ways they can see, your
communications are no longer limited to the two dimensional confines of tell-and-sell.
The IEEE text referenced above conveys five categories of
tasks ranging in complexity and information-seeking patterns. These are:
Initial Sources, Early Sources, Sources for Details, and Final Sources. More
specifically, the types of information needed by the process can range across
many points of entry, including: Previous Designs, Design Rationales, Similar
Product Information, Known Problems in Products, Component Specifications,
Standards and Norms, Working Procedures, Production Line Characteristics,
Information on New Materials and Components, Literature and Research Results,
Relevant Persons, and Project Documentation.
For any of these buying cycle steps, you can see the power
and potential of video to most effectively convey the information engineers are
looking for.
If you’d like to “see” such information sharing, including new
product teaser videos, viral videos, new product introduction videos, how-to
instructional videos, customer testimonial videos and more, check out some of
the video based communications our firm has produced for Siemens to support
their growth in the machine tool and motion control marketplace:
jb
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