Is pushing a PoC install before a competitor meeting good sales practice, or does it risk turning off the buyer?

I’m working on a deal worth around $50k for some networking gear. We’re in the running against one other competitor offering a similar solution.

We were in early, we’ve already scoped things out and our PoC is in motion. The customer is having their first meeting with the competitor next Thursday.

During a recent call with the customer (which I had to leave due to an emergency), my manager stepped in to handle the rest. I found out afterwards that he strongly encouraged both the vendor and customer to get everything up and running before the competitor’s meeting.

His reasoning is clear: he wants the buyer to have a strong experience with our solution before they even speak to anyone else. I get the logic, and to be honest, I want the sale too, but I’m concerned that being overly pushy or time-pressuring the buyer could backfire.

From the buyer's perspective, if someone were trying to rush me into a setup just because there's competition, I might get turned off. At the same time, maybe this is a smart move: get in early, create an impressive moment, and box the competitor out.

Thoughts?