setup
Price the pilot
Price a paid pilot high enough to earn attention without anchoring long-term ACV.
Price it like real spend
A paid diagnostic or pilot priced like real departmental spend signals seriousness. Buyers treat a token fee the same way they treat a free trial. In one practitioner example from the session, the paid diagnostic ran about $50K. Treat that as one attributed example.
Three pricing postures (fictional)
Compare what each posture teaches the buyer.
| Posture | Example fee | Buyer behavior | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free pilot | $0 | Calendar slips; liked it replaces the ask | Avoid for convertible pilots |
| Token fee | $1–3K | Still feels like a free trial; weak attention | Usually too soft |
| Paid diagnostic / real pilot | $15–50K+ | Skin in the game; commercial conversation continuous | Preferred when criteria + decision path are in writing |
Threshold design
Use card and discretionary limits to start. Document the phase-two target ACV.
What the price buys you
A real price buys calendar priority and a reason to finish, and it keeps the commercial conversation continuous with the pilot.
Claims and patterns on this page are paraphrased from practitioner session notes and the Startup Bible (Pilots that convert). See Sources.