Devs think your product is BS—here’s the fix
The first question your technical product needs to answer is: how do we prove our product is the real deal?
If you don't want a technical buyer to think your product and marketing claims are just pure BS, you have to offer meaningful proof. The only way to do that is with content—specifically, technical content that does more showing and educating than telling and claiming.
Technical buyers are skeptical by nature. They don’t trust you until you've demonstrated competence, reliability, and a deep understanding of their problems. To build this trust and overcome their skepticism, your content needs to focus heavily on these six key types:
1. Technical White Papers and Deep-Dive Documentation
Go deep. Don’t just skim the surface. Provide substantial, detailed content that clearly outlines technical specifications, integrations, and capabilities. Your white papers need to be written (or ghostwritten) by a technologist who understands why someone would be interested in using and paying for your product.
This documentation cannot sound like it was generated by AI. And I don’t just mean grammar and syntax—I mean depth. You need code snippets, highly relevant first- and third-party stats and figures, reference architecture diagrams, templates, and patterns. Give your users everything they need to feel like you're setting them up for success.
2. Case Studies with Real-World Results
Technical buyers want measurable outcomes. They trust case studies that provide concrete results like performance metrics, efficiency gains, and integration ease—not vague testimonials or overhyped marketing claims.
And let’s be real: they don’t want a case study written by a CMO or a figurehead CTO who hasn’t written code in 15 years. The more technical the product, the deeper into your customer’s organization you need to go to get real, meaningful insights.
Having written dozens of case studies myself, I’d recommend interviewing someone at the director level—someone who can speak to both technical successes and failures as well as the impact on the broader business. If your case studies only include high-level managers and execs, technical buyers won’t feel like they’re getting the depth they need to make an informed decision.
3. Product Demos and Walkthroughs
Demos matter. A lot. But they need to be clear, realistic, and thorough—not flashy, overproduced marketing pieces. Walk buyers step by step through your product’s key functionalities.
The best product demo videos I’ve seen? An engineer recording a Loom video, sitting in front of a laptop, with keyboard clacking in the background from the internal mic. That builds more trust than a highly polished demo that hides how the product actually works.
Pro tip: host a live monthly webinar offering customer support, demoing new features, and answering real-time questions from prospects. Monitor social forums like Reddit, see the questions people are asking about your product category, and then make videos that directly answer those questions. Post them as replies. Be helpful. Engage. That’s how you build credibility.
4. Architectural Diagrams and Implementation Guides
Clearly document how your product fits into existing tech stacks. Provide detailed diagrams and guides to help technical teams visualize deployment and understand potential complexities before they ever talk to a rep.
If you’re selling to enterprises without including architectural diagrams or reference architectures, you’re making a huge mistake. Your technical buyers want to see how your product integrates before they commit time to a meeting. Make their job easier—give them everything upfront.
5. Competitive Comparisons and Benchmarking Data
Provide objective benchmarks and straightforward comparisons. This is not the place for marketing fluff or exaggerated claims. Let the data speak for itself.
It might drive your marketing leader crazy to publish anything remotely negative about your own product, but here’s the reality: developers and technical buyers trust you more when you acknowledge potential trade-offs.
Technical buyers are always comparing your product to something else. Show how your product works differently.Notice I said “differently”—not “better.” The second you claim to be better, you lose credibility. If a technical buyer already favors a competitor, they don’t want to be told they’re wrong. They want to be shown objective differences so they can make their own decision.
6. Sandbox Trials and Proof-of-Concept Environments
Let your technical buyers test-drive your solution without pressure. The bigger your prospect, the greater the need for a POC (proof of concept).
Do not be stingy with the prospect who wants to truly test your product. In enterprise deals, 30-day trials are often way too short. Some require 90-day trials—or even 180 days in some cases. The goal is simple: get them to the point where they feel lost without your product.
If you can, offer sales engineering support, a free discovery project, or guided onboarding for trial users. The more technical assistance you provide, the more realistic the purchase becomes. Make it a no-brainer for your prospect to move forward.
Final Thoughts
Great technical content educates, demonstrates, and proves your value clearly and concretely. It doesn’t sell—but it convinces by providing undeniable proof.
Next up, we’ll explore exactly how technical buyers evaluate your product and how your content strategy can directly influence their decision-making process.
