Inside Paintjet’s Sales Evolution: How They Shifted from Avoiding to Embracing Robotics in Customer Conversations
When you’re bringing revolutionary technology to a traditional industry, your biggest enemy isn’t competition – it’s resistance to change. In a recent episode of Category Visionaries, Paintjet founder Nick Hegeman shared how they navigated this challenge by taking an unconventional approach: initially hiding the very innovation that made them special.
The Strategy of Strategic Silence
In 2018, Paintjet made a counterintuitive decision that would shape their early go-to-market strategy. “We actually started off by specifically not using the term robot in construction. If you say robot, it freaks everyone out,” Nick reveals. Instead of leading with their technological innovation, they positioned themselves as a solution to immediate business problems.
This approach was rooted in deep industry understanding. As Nick explains, “Painting is one of those spaces that most people never intentionally get into… And 35 later, I’m selling painting. So what that means is that essentially, there’s been very little innovation in the space for about 50 years.”
Meeting Customers Where They Are
Rather than trying to educate customers about robotics, Paintjet focused on addressing immediate pain points. They knew that purchasing departments required three bids for projects, but often struggled to get even two. This created an opening: they could position themselves as simply another bidder who happened to have better technology.
Their pricing strategy reinforced this approach. “We charge them on a per output per square foot painted by the robot, and that includes the operation… they’re currently paying, let’s just say, a buck a square foot to get painting services. And we provide them a painted building for ninety five cents a square foot,” Nick shares.
The Evolution of Trust
Over time, as Paintjet built credibility and market conditions evolved, their messaging began to shift. “That’s changed over the past year or so, as we’ve continued to improve the technology, as we’ve gained more credibility with our customers,” Nick notes. They started openly discussing their robotic capabilities and the additional benefits they provided.
This evolution wasn’t driven by a single catalyst like ChatGPT, but by a broader shift in market readiness. “The reality is most of our customers, they’re not checking in on TechCrunch every day,” Nick explains. “The buzz around technology has just been consistent over the past three years, and now it’s, ‘Well, I keep on hearing about this so much, maybe we should start looking at this.'”
From Problem-Solver to Innovation Partner
Today, Paintjet’s sales conversations look very different from their early days. They now freely discuss their robotic system’s capabilities, including real-time quality control and documentation features. This evolution reflects a crucial lesson about selling innovation to traditional industries: trust must precede transformation.
The success of this approach is evident in their expanding vision. “If you actually looked at our legal documents, we are forming technologies and DBA, Paintjet,” Nick reveals. Their expertise in commercializing robotics has positioned them to expand into adjacent services, with customers now more receptive to technological solutions.
Key Lessons for Tech Founders
Paintjet’s sales evolution offers valuable insights for founders bringing innovative technology to traditional industries:
- Start with the problem, not the technology
- Match your pricing model to industry norms
- Build trust before pushing innovation
- Let market readiness guide your messaging evolution
- Use early wins to expand the conversation
As Nick emphasizes, the key is understanding that you’re not just selling technology – you’re “solving the problem in the industry.” For tech founders targeting traditional industries, this might mean temporarily downplaying your innovation to gain the trust needed to eventually transform the market.