Glossary
What is a proof of concept (POC) in sales?
A proof of concept, or POC, is a small, time boxed test in which a buyer checks that a product works for their specific use case before committing. A good POC has a clear question, agreed success criteria, a short timeline and an owner on both sides. A pilot is similar but usually runs in real conditions for longer.
Published by Sellinger AI. Numbers and settings checked on 24 October 2026 against the fact register. Report an error.
How do you scope a POC?
| Item | Example (illustrative) |
|---|---|
| Question | Can the agent book qualified meetings with our target buyers? |
| Success criteria | A set number of qualified meetings held from one segment |
| Timeline | Four to six weeks |
| Owners | A sponsor on the buyer side and an owner on the seller side |
| Decision | What happens if the criteria are met |
What makes POCs fail?
- No agreed success criteria, so nobody can say whether it worked.
- Too broad a scope, testing everything at once.
- No owner on the buyer side.
- No decision agreed in advance.
POC or pilot?
A POC answers whether something can work. A pilot answers whether it works in real conditions, with real users, over a longer time. For an AI SDR, a pilot on one segment with real outreach is usually more useful than a lab test. How to run a 30 day AI SDR pilot sets one out.
How Sellinger handles it
Sellinger offers 30 days free on messaging modules and bundles, no card. Usage modules (enrichment) start with a $10 credit. A trial can be run as a pilot: one segment, one channel, approval mode on, and success measured in meetings held.
Common questions
How long should a POC last?
Should a POC be free?
What should success criteria look like?
Sources and method
General B2B practice; the plan is illustrative. Sellinger trial terms from the fact register, checked 24 October 2026.
Related: Run a 30 day AI SDR pilot, Request for proposal, Discovery call, AI SDR buyer's checklist.
