9 Steps To Create Free Trials That Maximize Conversion Rates These principles are written for sales rep-driven free trials (where the reps are coordinating and negotiating the free trial as part of a sales cycle), but you can also apply the principles to online self-managed trials. 1. Design The Trial With Your Prospect (And Help Them Run It). You’ll see this as a theme in all the following points. Don’t just throw or push a trial on a prospect. Instead, how can you enroll them in wanting it, defining success, running it and growing it? You have to help them make it successful. Help them help themselves. 2. Do Your Best To Understand The Prospect’s True Business Issues Before You Begin. Sounds like a no-brainer, right? Except that reps are so eager to jump into a demo or get a free trial going that they frequently don’t prepare enough. Also, prospects frequently aren’t very clear on what they want—especially if you’re dealing with multiple influencers and users. Without the homework of really understanding their challenges and desires, you can’t begin with the end in mind and design the trial for success. 3. Agree With The Prospect On Where The Free Trial Fits In Their Buying Process (Or Your Selling Process). A free trial is just one part of a longer (but hopefully not too much longer!) sales or buying cycle. If the trial is successful, then what? Answer that question before you begin the trial. 4. Better To Nail Fewer (Or A Single) Key Problems Than Try To Solve Every Problem For Everyone. The trial will only be a success if the prospect gets value and knows it. Everyone is busy, so pick your battle. Where can you show the biggest bang-for-the-buck? (In this case, “buck” means the prospect's time and attention.) What would be the easiest place to prove success? Build fast wins early and then add features over time. “If we could only solve 1-3 things with this trial, what would they be?” 5. Define With The Client What A “Successful Trial” Means.