qualify
Early adopter vs case-study shopper
Tell buyers who will go first from buyers who only want proof from someone else.
Case-study shoppers
They want to transfer risk to someone else. Keep them warm, and don't spend a scarce pilot slot hoping they turn brave.
Early adopters
They want the advantage of going first. Offer a clean commercial path in exchange for reference rights, a joint webinar, or a named case study once the criteria are hit.
Hardware exception
Once a hardware product is proven in market, you often run fewer pilots.
Claims and patterns on this page are paraphrased from practitioner session notes and the Startup Bible (Pilots that convert). See Sources.