Many technology companies have a product that works and still struggle to win their first industrial customer. It is not a technical problem: industry buys cautiously, asks for proof and changes suppliers slowly. The path to the first customer can be organised in five steps.
1. Describe the problem in the customer’s language
A plant manager does not buy “machine vision with deep learning”. They buy fewer rejects, fewer stoppages or fewer inspection hours. Describe what problem you solve, for whom and how they will notice it in their daily work.
2. Choose a narrow first segment
Your technology may serve many sectors, but the first customer comes from a specific one. Choose the segment where the problem hurts most, access is possible and a success story will convince similar companies.
3. Find the person who has the problem
In industry, the first interested person is usually in engineering, operations or innovation, not in purchasing. Identify that person and understand who else takes part in the decision. We explain how in who decides the purchase in an industrial company.
4. Propose a low-risk first step
Few industrial companies buy a new technology without testing it. A well-defined pilot, with clear goals and a set duration, reduces their risk and gives you real data. We cover this in how to set up a pilot with an industrial customer.
5. Turn the first customer into a reference
Document the result, with the customer’s permission, and use it for the next one. In industry, a reference from a similar customer is worth more than any presentation.
Before you go abroad
If your first customer might be in another country, check first which standards, certifications and approvals your product needs there.
Common mistakes
- Presenting the technology instead of the problem it solves.
- Trying to sell to every sector at once.
- Going straight to purchasing without a technical champion.
- Accepting pilots without goals or success criteria.
How we help
With IBD Technology we help technology startups and SMEs identify the segment and the industrial customers that make most sense, and we put you in touch with the person who has the problem and the person who decides.
