Every company treats trials/pilots/POCs, differently. Some are meant to be a true simulation of how the platform works, complete with data and integrations, and other companies treat the process as a point-validation of a specific feature of business use-case.
I feel that most companies dive right into the process and get too many cooks involved. You have an AE (you), an SA/SE, sometimes a VP fo Engineering or CTO depending on complexity or deal size...and the list can grow from there. In the end, the AE can be drowned out if they aren't empowered to run point on the deal, which can cause delays and prolonged deal cycles.
In any case, how do you handle trials? Are you the captain of the ship and everyone else is your crew, or do you relinquish control and see everyone on the other side?
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