Free pilots attract tire-kickers and give you no signal on real buying intent, so default to a paid pilot, even a small refundable one, to force the customer to put skin in the game. Time-box it, define the success metric that converts it to a full contract before you start, and make sure a real budget-holder, not just a curious engineer, is on the hook. A pilot with no exit criteria and no money is just free consulting.
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The uncomfortable truth of enterprise sales in one line: the shorter the sales cycle, the likelier the win, and this piece gives concrete tactics to compress it. It is a rare tactical playbook on time, qualification, and momentum rather than vague sales philosophy.
The authoritative handbook on founder-led sales, written for technical/first-time sellers building B2B SaaS. Readable free online via membership, and covers the whole motion end to end.
A practical, listen-on-a-walk companion to Founding Sales where Kazanjy walks through the actual anatomy of a founder sales call. Perfect for the technical or first-time founder who freezes on the phone and needs a concrete structure.