Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
It’s no doubt that there’s a lot of hype centered around AI. It’s a hot topic. As great as it is, a lot of it is placed on a pedestal and often difficult to sell. There are already so many preconceived notions of the hot trend, making it difficult to live up to the hype. All emerging technologies tend to experience this sense of hype, at first. Expectations become so inflated when earned consumer buzz arises. 
New technology allows for the perfect marketing buzz and vendors can capitalize on the attention. Media will pick up on that hype as well, to give these tech advances the attention and coverage to inform the masses. When inflated expectations aren’t met, it becomes increasingly difficult to sell AI solutions. When new products are brought to the market, expectations will rise and then plateau as the tech solution delivers results. Ensemble learning, speech recognition, virtual reality are solutions sure to be sitting on the final scope. Predictive analytics, computer vision, augmented reality and knowledge management tools are stuck in the disenthralled trough grouping.
Integrating AI
From chatbots to virtual assistants, companies are integrating Artificial Intelligence across their entire technical field. Constructive AI applications can manifest in a plethora of way across one’s organization. From mining social analytics to driving CRM or even tracking and managing assets. You can collect important business intelligence (BI) insights to continue going about the daily workflow, but with new information.
As a VAR, it would be in your best efforts to begin thinking of the ways you could implement AI into existing products and services. Which use cases could utilize AI to solve business problems?
Educating Everyone on AI
Through inbound marketing, educating is not selling. Posting content that your audience would search for and read is key. Content shouldn’t be slanted to feel ‘salesy’ or demanding. When developing your website, you can add a section for your white-pages or eBooks with the Call to Action, “Download this eBook.” Invite potential customer in to view your content in exchange for contact information. Be crafty with your titles as well. Don’t run with a title, “Why AI is Great,” but perhaps what about “Launching your Business to the Next Level with AI” or something of that sort. Viewers will turn into customers after being drawn towards a campaign that highlights both their challenge at hand and solution in mind.
Differentiating from the Rest
Be sure to back your claims with facts. Be careful not to use terms that might go over your target audience’s head. You’ll need to explain why your solution is worth a second look. Be ahead of the competition, but don’t bash them in the process. Your audience may have liked your competitors’ solutions and that’s okay. Instead of mocking your competition for their methodology, strive to be different. Don’t work to make your customer feel ignorant. Market your solutions as different and not better.
Prove it!
You’ll want to work with clients to provide detailed testimonials for your service. This way you can publish them to your website. Instead of telling potential customers about your offering, why not let quotes from real customers tell the story? You can also provide content and assets to be contributed to case studies. These can also live on your website’s main page. 
Demonstrations & Demonstrations
Text only goes so far. You need physical evidence and equipment to help you go the extra mile. Allowing your targets to physically try your products and services through a beta testing group. Influencer programs can be utilized to help gather an interested crowd who could test your product or service, and hopefully convert to a recurring purchaser. You can also benefit from promotional content as well through this.
The hype curve may make it difficult for those who sell AI solutions. Trust in your products’ value and they will sell and capture interest on their own. Prove followers wrong and don’t let them feel disheartened by failure to live up to the hype. Let your AI solution speak for itself!
