For many years now we've offered a self-serve 30-day trial for our SaaS product. About 20% of trial signups are good quality. The rest often have poor data, are difficult to get in touch with, or are foreign companies attempting to copy our features for their own projects. Should we put a better filter on who we let through the door? We're considering reviewing each trial to verify contact information and make sure we have a good product-customer fit prior to approving the 30-day trial. It seems these could be the benefits: 1. Improve the quality of active trials - Helps focus sales team efforts on quality leads only - Gives us earlier contact with the prospect so we can qualify and collect more information 2. Gives the product more of an exclusive feel / build a bit of anticipation because of a slight waiting period. 3. Makes it more difficult for competitors to get access and copy the results of all our R & D. 4. Makes us less of an open door target for hackers I'd love to hear your opinion or experience!
Give the free 30-day Trial Signup, but require a credit card number or a valid address within the area that you are marketing to. If you think this will turn away a substantial number of customers, then you just answered your own question...don't worry about the poachers because it is cost effective and you are gaining a market share. There is not such thing as protectionism when it comes to business.
Best of Luck,
Mike
From the Trenches to the Towers Marketing
I will be glad to help as my time permits.
Answered 8 years ago
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