Sagetap is the Knowledge Marketplace for Enterprise AI & Security, where top technology leaders can learn about, identify, and adopt new technologies while helping vendors build better products and refine their product pitch. These guidelines ensure high-quality interactions that benefit both vendors and Sages.
Our community operates on mutual accountability: Sagetap provides the platform, access, and insights—but success depends on how both parties execute.
These guidelines outline vendor responsibilities for maintaining a professional, respectful, and productive environment.
Vendor Guidelines & Commitments
Treat Sages With Mutual Respect
Sages provide their time and professional expertise. In exchange, you commit to:
Respond promptly: Reply to interested Sages within 24 hours, when possible. Vendors with response rates above 90% and response times under 24 hours secure more meetings and leave stronger impressions.
Show up prepared: Deliver high-quality, engaging, and relevant conversations.
Communicate professionally: Maintain friendly, respectful communication throughout every interaction.
Own the narrative: It is your responsibility to deliver value, regardless of the Sage's immediate budget.
Sages review presenters after each session. Vendors with consistently high presenter scores see the most success on Sagetap.
Honor Sage Anonymity
Sages control their engagement journey and disclosure preferences:
Never probe for identity: Sages decide if and when to reveal their identity. Pushing for this information is strictly prohibited and may result in removal.
Honor their boundaries: If a Sage declines next steps or disengages, respect their decision.
Sages are encouraged to report identity-probing behavior. Offenders will be promptly removed at Sagetap's discretion.
Eligibility: We determine Sage eligibility based on factors such as professional experience, role, and relevance to the Sagetap community. Vendors should not attempt to independently screen, exclude, or pressure Sages based on personal or firmographic criteria outside the scope of their campaign.
Paid Research Campaigns
Research campaigns are designed to help vendors generate insights, validate products and messaging, and gather candid feedback from experienced technology leaders. Sages are compensated for eligible research participation.
Research, not sales: Keep the conversation focused on the stated research goal. Do not turn a research session into a sales pitch, or prospecting call.
Use the research tools: When included, pre-meeting questions, post-meeting surveys, and next-step questionnaires help you prepare for the conversation and capture useful feedback.
Seek candid feedback: Ask open-ended questions and be receptive to positive, negative, or unexpected feedback. Do not pressure Sages toward a particular answer or outcome.
Respect the scope: Campaign descriptions and questions should accurately reflect what you want to learn. Do not use a research engagement to collect unrelated information or pursue an unrelated sales opportunity.
If a Sage expresses interest in your product during a research call, you may acknowledge their interest, but any sales conversation should happen through an appropriate follow-up.
Sales, Intro Demos & Initiatives
Sales campaigns and follow-up calls are designed to help vendors connect with Sages who may have a relevant technology need or active initiative. Sages are not compensated for sales conversations.
Be transparent: Clearly communicate when a meeting is intended as a sales conversation, product introduction, or demo.
Lead with relevance: Use Sage profiles and initiatives to understand their interests, buying stage, and potential use cases before reaching out.
Respect the buying journey: An initiative may represent different stages—from Learning and Gathering Requirements to Evaluating. Tailor your conversation accordingly rather than assuming every Sage is ready to buy.
Don't pressure for next steps: A Sage's participation does not guarantee a purchase, evaluation, or follow-up. Respect their decision if they choose not to continue.
Important: Do not use a sales campaign to conduct research or present a sales conversation as research. Each engagement type has a distinct purpose and should be used accordingly.
Uphold Scheduled Commitments
Your reliability signals professionalism and respect:
Minimize last-minute changes: Only reschedule when absolutely necessary.
Communicate cancellations promptly: If you must cancel, notify the Sage as soon as possible.
Never ghost: Failing to attend a scheduled meeting without prior notice is not acceptable.
Maintain Professional Boundaries
No recruitment activity: Any attempt to recruit Sages to your company is strictly prohibited.
No false or misleading information: Content that is false, misleading, or could damage reputations may not be shared on Sagetap.
Use the Platform with Integrity
Use open chat selectively: Our open chat feature is intended for targeted, relevant outreach. When using it, be selective about the Sages you contact, personalize messages where appropriate, and avoid using the feature for broad or repetitive mass messaging.
Stay on topic: Paid research calls are designed solely for testing purposes and are not to be used as sales calls. Do not steer a research call into a sales call. If a Sage from a research call is interested in evaluating your product, they will have the opportunity to reach out to you afterwards.
Sages are encouraged to report identity-probing behavior. Offenders will be promptly removed at Sagetap's discretion.
Reporting Violations
If you encounter someone who appears to violate these guidelines, please contact [email protected].
Talking to Your Employer
Transparency is important when managing your professional presence. We encourage you to be open with your organization about your participation on the platform. Because every company has different policies regarding external platforms and market research, please review your internal employee handbook or contact your HR department to ensure your activity is permissible given your company’s specific guidelines.
Our Commitment to You
When you uphold these standards, you help create an environment where:
Sages feel comfortable providing candid, unfiltered feedback
Vendors gain access to insights that accelerate decision-making
Both parties build genuine, mutually beneficial relationships
Remember: Sagetap provides access and insights—but your execution determines the outcome. Vendors who adhere to these guidelines and deliver high-quality interactions achieve the best results on the platform.
If you have any questions regarding our Community Guidelines, please contact [email protected].