🧪 Pilot Pricing & Design: Turn “Yes/No” into “Yes to a Test”

Pilots reduce risk and accelerate consensus—when designed well. This guide shows how to price and structure pilots so they lead to production: clear scope, owners, success metrics, fees that roll into annual contracts, and timeline discipline.

🎯 Scope & Success

• Time‑boxed (30–60 days) with 2–3 milestones.
• Define success metrics tied to the value model (e.g., proposal cycle time, conversion lift).
• Assign owners across teams; publish a one‑page plan.

💳 Pricing & Fees

Charge a nominal pilot fee to signal seriousness; credit it fully toward production if success criteria are met within the window. Offer an optional paid extension with a cap. Clarify what support and integrations are included.

🧭 Transition to Production

Include a pre‑drafted production SOW and tier table; define the go‑live date and onboarding slots now. This reduces post‑pilot drift.

✅ Checklist

❓ FAQ

Free pilots? They correlate with low engagement. Charge a fee—even small—to ensure stakeholder commitment.