Sales process & qualification · Core
Pilot
Also called: customer pilot
ELI5
A limited real-world deployment used to test value, feasibility and operations before wider adoption.
Used in conversation
“How are we defining pilot in this deck?”
Pitch context
You will see “Pilot” in go-to-market plans, sales forecasts, account reviews and commercial proposals when the discussion reaches sales process & qualification.
Why it matters: It helps a reader interpret sales process & qualification without confusing the measure, decision, role or evidence being discussed.
Connected terms
- Proof of conceptA proof of concept tests feasibility; a pilot tests the proposed solution in a limited real-world setting.
- BetaA pilot is a bounded operational trial, often with selected customers; beta is a pre-release product stage used to test with users before general availability.
Sources & evidence · 4
Supporting source families. This entry is an editorial synthesis rather than a quotation from one canonical glossary.
- Scrum Guides — The Scrum Guide — official current versionSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-16
- National Institute of Standards and Technology — Computer Security Resource Center GlossarySupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-16
- U.S. Small Business Administration — Write your business planSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-16
- IFRS Foundation — IFRS GlossarySupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-16