1. Define the offer and buyer
Write down the exact product or service, its price, the problem it addresses and who can approve the purchase. Pick a segment your delivery team can serve now. For a service business, include exclusions and the person who approves the final scope.
2. Set the operating boundaries
Agree on channels, geography, capacity, acquisition funding and spending limits. Name the owner of qualification, demos, estimates, proposals, closing, onboarding and support. A technical demo or site visit may remain with your specialists even when acquisition is outsourced.
3. Establish the starting position
Record existing customers, open opportunities and current channel activity before launch. Use a shared record of prospect source, opportunity date, sales stage, invoice and payment. Decide how to resolve overlapping claims before two campaigns reach the same buyer.
4. Choose review criteria before spending
Define the minimum evidence needed to continue, change direction or stop. Review qualified conversations and stage progression while sales mature; evaluate collections, refunds and acquisition cost when enough orders have completed. Do not use an arbitrary short deadline for a long procurement cycle.
5. Reconcile the cash
Match eligible collections to the agreed customer cohort and commission terms. Track fulfillment costs separately. A rising pipeline can coexist with a cash shortfall if acquisition is paid upfront and customers pay later.
Your planning worksheet
Complete the checklist below during your planning discussion. It works locally in your browser; your answers are not submitted or stored. Print it to keep a copy.
Decide what happens after the pilot
Expand only when the evidence supports the economics and your delivery capacity. If targeting is wrong, narrow the audience. If qualified opportunities stall, inspect the handoff and offer. If customers buy but the retained margin is too low, revisit the economics before adding spend.
Continue with customer acquisition economics and revenue-share pricing.