AI sales POC playbook: run it, don't waste it

The design

• Pick one segment, one channel, two AEs
• Baseline three metrics against the last quarter
• Set the go/no-go bar before starting
• Weekly check-ins with the vendor and the team

The go/no-go bar

Reply rate up 30% OR meetings booked up 20% OR cost per meeting down 25%. Any one clears the bar.

What kills POCs

No baseline. Too many variables. Rolling scope. A POC without a hard end date is a paid pilot.