Frame your POC as a “Paid Pilot.”

While many IC-level developer tools offer free trials that let developers take the product for a test drive themselves, enterprise POCs and trial periods address a different kind of buyer pain point: exploring a potential (and likely significant) in a new solution.

A paid pilot sets expectations for what the period is about: evaluating your product as a long-term investment. Asking your customers to pay a token fee is an important qualifier for long-term successful deals