Managed IT services: pilot proposal
Use this pilot proposal exercise to design a small engagement that resolves a real uncertainty and has a clear stop or proceed decision. You are discussing a support and device-management service with the owner of a 60-person business. The point of the practice is to make a useful decision together, including recognising when the offer is not a fit.
Agree a bounded trial with evidence requirements and a review date, without implying expansion is automatic.
The situation
In this fictional brief, support requests arrive through personal messages and urgent issues lack a clear owner. The buyer wants a documented escalation path and visible ticket ownership. Your offer is a support and device-management service, but you must first establish whether its scope addresses the actual need.
A relevant delivery constraint is that business-critical systems cannot be changed during working hours. Treat that as a fact in the exercise; do not remove it to make the sale easier.
| Your counterpart | the owner of a 60-person business |
|---|---|
| Offer under discussion | a support and device-management service |
| Evidence available | an example ticket lifecycle with triage, handover and closure evidence |
| Terms to clarify | Define supported devices, service hours, exclusions and escalation contacts. |
How to approach pilot proposal
A useful question for this stage: “What evidence would make you decide not to expand?” Ask it when the conversation creates a reason for it, rather than reciting every question in order.
- Define a narrow scope, a baseline, an owner and success criteria. Include a stop condition and the decision after the pilot.
- Ground the discussion in the buyer’s work. Ask: “Which incident last interrupted work, and how was responsibility assigned?” Listen for a concrete example before making a claim.
- Use evidence relevant to the decision: an example ticket lifecycle with triage, handover and closure evidence. Explain what it demonstrates and what remains unverified.
- Agree a bounded trial with evidence requirements and a review date, without implying expansion is automatic.
An industry-specific concern
Buyer: “Our existing IT person already handles everything.”
Possible response: “We can map the workload with them and identify gaps in cover; the conversation need not start with replacing anyone.”
Why this response helps: it acknowledges the concern, brings the discussion back to a verifiable requirement and leaves room for a different decision. Adapt the wording to what the buyer actually said.
Run the practice
- Prepare for two minutes. One person takes the seller role and one plays the owner of a 60-person business. Read the offer and constraint separately from your preferred answer.
- Have a five-minute conversation focused on design a small engagement that resolves a real uncertainty and has a clear stop or proceed decision. The buyer should answer consistently with the brief and ask for evidence when a claim is vague.
- Add this challenge: The buyer wants an open-ended free trial. Explain the work involved and propose a finite evaluation with clear responsibilities.
- Pause for feedback. Quote one useful question and one missed opportunity. Repeat the difficult exchange using a different response.
- Finish by writing the actual agreement. A sensible option, when it fits, is to review a limited device group and agree escalation responsibilities. A clear decision to pause is also a useful outcome.
What to avoid
| Common mistake | Calling a discounted full project a pilot without a learning objective. |
|---|---|
| A stronger direction | Let us test the uncertain part first and agree what the result will and will not tell us. |
| Scope and claim boundary | Response time is not resolution time; do not imply they are interchangeable. |
| What to measure in real work | ticket age by priority, with priority definitions agreed first. Establish a baseline and definition before interpreting a change. |
An example conversation
Which question would a small trial need to answer before you considered a wider engagement?
Our concern is that support requests arrive through personal messages and urgent issues lack a clear owner. Also, business-critical systems cannot be changed during working hours.
Which incident last interrupted work, and how was responsibility assigned?
Our existing IT person already handles everything.
We can map the workload with them and identify gaps in cover; the conversation need not start with replacing anyone.
What evidence would make you decide not to expand?
Your working sheet.
Make the exercise your own. Notes are saved in this browser when storage is available. Download a copy to keep; avoid confidential information on a shared device.
Example: support requests arrive through personal messages and urgent issues lack a clear owner; business-critical systems cannot be changed during working hours.
Example: What evidence would make you decide not to expand? Industry question: Which incident last interrupted work, and how was responsibility assigned?
Example: an example ticket lifecycle with triage, handover and closure evidence. Response time is not resolution time; do not imply they are interchangeable.
Example: Propose a clear next step, such as: review a limited device group and agree escalation responsibilities. Confirm the owner and date.
Review your work
This is a reflection checklist, not an automated assessment.
Questions
Who is this managed it services exercise for?+
Can I use the example as a script?+
How should I assess the result?+
Fictional training scenario. The dialogue illustrates response choices; it is not a customer testimonial or a record of a real sale.
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