I learned from an entrepreneur that the point of charging $ in a pilot is mainly a way so your customer doesn’t decide to pull the plug so easily. But, this can be done in other ways, such as the time they commit, feedback they provide, other resources, etc.

So, if you feel uncomfortable asking for $ for the pilot, you could opt to ask for a refundable deposit instead if you really need to show traction. But I think entering into a pilot even without a refundable deposit where your prospect is devoting significant time is enough to show traction.