GMS, a Switzerland-based provider of messaging and communication services, is expanding its product portfolio to include conversational AI solutions. While global adoption is growing, many Swiss SMEs are still at an early stage. There is limited transparency regarding market needs, decision criteria and key adoption barriers, especially in sectors like retail and finance. GMS aims to better understand client expectations and improve its positioning strategy based on real-world insights.

The research combined theoretical models (TAM and TOE) with practical outreach. A structured campaign contacted over 600 companies using the Alice SDR platform to test engagement and gather data. Weekly iteration cycles allowed for continuous learning. CRM data and responses were analysed to identify adoption drivers, readiness levels and obstacles. The method enabled validation of theoretical assumptions in a real business environment.

The outreach campaign showed strong interest in chatbot solutions, especially among retail and e-commerce firms, who responded with above-average open and reply rates. These sectors benefit from automation in customer interactions and are more digitally mature. Finance and education responded more cautiously, often due to regulatory concerns and limited internal resources. While the interest was high, the conversion to actual meetings remained limited, indicating a gap between curiosity and readiness. Key barriers included lack of expertise, implementation complexity and unclear ROI. Effective engagement depended on clear value propositions, trust-building, and sector-specific relevance. The study concludes that the best entry point lies with digitally active mid-sized firms. GMS receives concrete recommendations on product positioning, messaging, and go-to-market strategy based on real interaction data.