How to answer “Are these actually paying customers?”
An investor asks whether your traction reflects paying customers or early interest.
What they might say
- “Are these actually paying customers?”
- “How many are just free pilots?”
- “Has anyone renewed yet?”
What's usually behind it
The investor wants evidence that customers will pay and keep using your product. Mixing pilots, signed contracts, and active customers makes that evidence harder to judge.
What you can say
- We have [number] paying customers and [number] free pilots.
- Of the [number] customers eligible to renew, [number] renewed.
- The part we still need to prove is [specific gap].
Try not to
- Counting free pilots as paying customers.
- Claiming strong retention before renewals are due.
How Earshot helps in the moment
Earshot listens live, shows one short card with a suggested line, and nudges you on pace as you separate traction from early interest.
More for investor pitches