Stoplight_sales

Account Executive

POC length push-back. How much is too much/not enough?

I've had a few prospects recently request a 1+ month POC, where we typically offer half that. Our SaaS platform is not particularly complicated, nor does it require a heavy lift to integrate. These (albeit larger) prospects have one reason or another for the extensive length, and I'm finding it hard to push back while maintaining a customer centric approach. Any advice would be helpful!

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hh456

Celebrated Contributor

sales

Well, the longer they get with it, the more you should help them become dependent on it. The proof of concept period is not a passive period.

Sure, take a long proof of concept, your contract is retroactive since we were using that time to help you utilize the product. And while they're on it, you're there 24/7 via slack or email. Help them form fill, click buttons, onboard different department members. Get some people used to it so that you have more of you on the inside saying, 'Hey, I already migrated all my things, can we stick with this thing?'

Take advantage of them letting you in the door.

Stoplight_sales

Account Executive

That's a good way to think about it. Create that stickiness and leverage it. Thanks for the feedback!

hh456

Celebrated Contributor

sales

its bc ilu

Stoplight_sales

Account Executive

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1nbatopshotfan

Politicker

Sales

I’m of the mindset that you should let clients trial for as long as they’d like. Ideally if it’s over 2 months, I push for a payment. Prorated term for 1 year. Otherwise, go ahead, use it, get data, get dependent and during the POC try and find more users or use cases to make the deal bigger.

FormerStartupJobHopper

Tycoon

We offer free trials for our software and I have a different opinion than most of the below. Realistically I have the ability to authorize a 1,3,5, or 7 day trial.

Some people ask for trials and some even ask for a month. I always push back and ask what are the metrics of success for the trial and what they need to see that wasn't clear on the demo. That allows me to get more objections out of them that they were holding back on.

If they are qualified and just the type that they need to wrap their arms around it (and not just buying time which is most of them), I tell them I can get my manager to approve a 24 hour free trial if we can book a firm follow up meeting.

I honestly find that most of the people who ask me for trials don't buy, and are looking for things to be wrong and reasons not to.

RedLightning

Politicker

Mid-Market AE

Early 2000's basketball and objection handling have one major thing in common. ISOLATION. You need to isolate all of the things they would use to point out a successful POC, who decides, that and what that criteria is.

Then you can cross them up on why that timeline is too long and you can hit them with some social proof of other successful POC's, to make your point.

Diablo

Politicker

Sr. AE

I would evaluate a couple of things mentioned below:

How long are they asking for? Have they tried the solution and asking for extension? What the opportunity size and is this a big logo (that you might use as a case study in the future)? If things do fine, will they be flexible to sign up for multi-year contract.

Stoplight_sales

Account Executive

In this case, yes one of the organizations was a big logo that we would love to flex in our marketing materials and decent deal size (nothing crazy though). They asked for 2 months, the reason being that several different teams will be evaluating the tool at different time frames. I didn't push back too hard but am wondering if I should have.

CuriousFox

WR Officer

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Stoplight_sales

POC length push-back. How much is too much/not enough?

10 comments

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