How to double your revenue from Proof-of-Concepts

The #1 reason for the sales processes breaking at the Proof-of-Concept (POC) stage isn't product incompatibility but the lack of proactivity from the team leading the sales process.

Your approach during the pre-POC phase is a critical determinant of your progression to the next stage and closing. By strategically managing the Pre-POCs phase, you can double your closing rate and, consequently, your revenue.

Why do most people fail at the POC phase?

Salespeople often fail to manage POCs effectively due to two main misconceptions:

Sales founders believe that initiating a POC is, in itself, their golden ticket to sealing the deal. As a result, they hastily dive into the POC as soon as the sales process starts. Consequently, they start the process too soon, before having all the necessary information that will ensure the best chances that the process goes well.Sales representatives assume that the POC phase is predominantly about the product (80%) and only marginally about how the sales process is handled (20%). As a result, they disengage during the POC phase, hoping for the best, and only resurface after the POC phase to inquire about the outcome.

To double your closing rate post-POC? Start discovering and qualifying proactively before rushing into starting the POC.

Your action plan to start POCs the right way as a SaaS startup.

Here are two straightforward steps to double your closing rate post-POC and avoid wasting both your and the prospect's time by initiating useless POCs.

Step 1: Establish & agree on decision criteria before the POC starts.

The success criteria for the POC should be discussed, defined, documented, and agreed beforehand. The POC process will serve to validate the criteria against which your prospect will assess your product and service.

Implementing this step alone will boost your closing rates by 50% for two key reasons:

You will control (and know!) the success criteria and the chance to influence them.You will significantly reduce unexpected bad surprises during and after the POC.

Here is a framework you can use to make it happen with your prospect:

Step 2: Confirm the Decision Process used to buy a SaaS product by your prospect.

After establishing the decision criteria with your prospect, confirming the decision-making process before initiating the POC is crucial. There are three key aspects that you need to confirm:

The Process: What specific steps will be taken during the POC and after its completion? It is important to have a mutual agreement on the exact steps that need to happen for both parties.The Decision-Making Hierarchy: Who will validate and make decisions during and after the POC? Will they be available during the agreed timeline? What are their main criteria for the decision?The Timeline: What is the duration of the POC? How much time will be required for the subsequent steps post-POC? Defining the timeline and setting deadlines for each step following the POC is essential.

Following those two simple steps, you can double your conversion rates and revenue post-POC.

Happy closing,

Guillaume.

Whenever you're ready, there are 2 ways I can help you:

1- Sales & GTM Advisory: I help SAAS founding teams accelerate their growth through a personalized coaching on sales and go-to-market tactics and strategies.

2- Workshops: I'm organizing live training workshops to cover specific sales & GTM topics.