All insights
SalesB2B5 min read
POCs that converge vs POCs that drift
Two POCs start the same. One closes the deal in eight weeks. The other becomes a six-month relationship with no contract. The difference is visible early.
Watch enough POCs (proofs of concept) and you'll see two patterns: the ones that converge on a yes/no by week 6, and the ones that drift indefinitely. The early signals between them are different in ways most sales orgs don't pick up on.
Converging POCs share
- A named executive sponsor who is on every check-in.
- Explicit success criteria written down at the start, agreed by both sides.
- A real budget assigned, not just "we'll figure it out if it works."
- Internal urgency on the customer's side — they want this resolved soon.
Drifting POCs share
Vague success criteria. No executive in the room after kickoff. "We're still figuring out budget." Casual updates. By week 10, the POC is technically going well but the deal isn't moving. By week 20, you've burned a sales cycle on something that was never going to close.
POCs that drift were never going to close. The signs were visible by week 2 — most sales teams choose not to see them.