Need help validating prospects

Help validating prospects for software free trial

[baII]

I am looking for suggestions on how to validate prospects before allowing them access to a free trial of our software. Currently we sell a web-based solution to companies through a sales team. We are in the midst of going to a full SaaS solution that would allow new clients to purchase licenses directly on the website instead of going through a sales team.

The first phase of this new offering would be to allow prospects to sign up for a free trial of the system. Our fear is that by allowing anybody to sign up for a free trial we are giving our competitors a look at what our system offers and how it operates.

Anybody have suggestions on how to qualify or validate prospects before giving them access to the system?

[vincevincevince]

Why wouldn't your competitors pay for your software to find out about it? I know we pay for competing products as market research.

To clear out freeloaders, require a small fee for the trial; or set up a subscription (but not bill them if cancelled before the trial is up). Just putting in the credit card number will weed out most non-serious people.

[dbdev]

Competition is healthy.

How much of a secret is your technology? You most likely need to revisit your strategy as try-before-you-buy is an online defacto standard.

Unless you seriously think you are the first and only company to pioneer your secret sauce, I would open up the gates. No matter which way you look at it, if your solution is great, others will replicate.

Could you create a video demonstration?