FIELD GUIDE 01
Define the sales job
Compare autonomous outreach, calling and sales assistance.
There is no universal best sales agent. First decide whether you need prospect research, outbound execution, inbound qualification or coaching. Compare products on the same defined job.
Define actual autonomous steps.
Write down the current process, the expected output and the person responsible for approving it. For revenue operations, make actual autonomous steps an explicit part of the brief rather than an assumption hidden in a demo.
Give each provider the same task.
- Actual autonomous steps: state the requirement, ask for evidence and record any limitation before the pilot.
- Data and CRM fit: state the requirement, ask for evidence and record any limitation before the pilot.
- Outreach control: state the requirement, ask for evidence and record any limitation before the pilot.
- Qualified outcome measurement: state the requirement, ask for evidence and record any limitation before the pilot.
Questions for the shortlist.
AiSDR: Best starting point for a small usage-based pilot; $1.50 per person prospected, with mailbox setup extra. Read the official product description ↗
Artisan Ava: A managed outbound option with published contact bands; request a quote before judging its cost. Read the official product description ↗
11x Alice: Broad channel coverage, but a product scope document does not establish the price or a better conversion rate. Read the official product description ↗
RegieGO: The easiest low-cost trial in this set: free one-time credits; paid Pro is $49 monthly. It is a broader prospecting workspace, not the same service as a managed AI SDR. Read the official product description ↗
Agent Frank: Clear active-contact allowance and approval modes. The annual $499 headline excludes sending infrastructure; the FAQ also lists a $599 quarterly-billed option. Read the official product description ↗
Qualified Piper: Relevant when converting existing inbound demand; not a like-for-like replacement for outbound prospecting. Read the official product description ↗
Check the exception path.
Include missing inputs, ambiguous requests and a failed integration in the evaluation. Record the result and the recovery steps. A system that works for the routine case still needs an accountable route for the rest of the work.
Decide what would justify proceeding.
Agree an acceptance threshold for data and crm fit with the people who operate the process. Keep the input set, result notes and unresolved questions so the decision can be revisited when the product or requirements change.