Positive feedback and expressions of interest are misleading. The ultimate validation for a product idea is a customer's willingness to commit real currency, whether through direct payment or a signed letter of intent. Without this commitment, you have a charity, not a business.

Before committing resources to a proof-of-concept (POC), build a preliminary ROI case. If the potential return isn't substantial enough for the customer to reallocate budget or personnel, the deal is unlikely to close. This step prevents wasting both your and your customer's time on unwinnable evaluations.

When a prospect asks for a free pilot, treat it as a sign that you failed to build enough confidence in the outcome. Instead of agreeing, diagnose their uncertainty by asking what they still need help predicting. This shifts the conversation back to value and avoids deploying your best resources on your least committed customers.

With hundreds of AI vendors pitching enterprises weekly, trust is low and differentiation is difficult. The most effective go-to-market strategy is to prove the technology works before asking for payment. Offering a free "solution sprint" for several weeks de-risks the decision for the customer and demonstrates confidence.

A 'free' or 'pay-what-you-want' offer creates enough goodwill to ask tough, confrontational questions upfront. This allows businesses to filter for genuinely committed long-term customers, turning a lead generation tool into a qualification test.

For high-ticket software or services, position a large setup fee as a standard part of the offer. Then, present an alternative: waive the entire fee if the client commits to a one-year contract. This creates a powerful incentive and gives the customer the illusion of choice, making the annual commitment feel like a significant win.

Eliminate the "send me a proposal" stall by defining the next step as a valuable, paid engagement, like a diagnostic or workshop. By charging for this, you force the money conversation early, filter for serious buyers, and avoid creating free documentation that can be shopped around.

For services requiring customer participation to be successful (e.g., coaching, setup processes), a one-time startup fee ensures commitment. This financial investment makes customers more likely to complete required tasks and pay attention, ultimately improving their results.

Enterprises are comfortable buying services. Sell a service engagement first, powered by your technology on the back end, to get your foot in the door. This builds trust and bypasses procurement hurdles associated with new software. Later, you can transition them to a SaaS product model.