A customer reference is a positive story your customer can share about a successful delivery of products or services, used to create demand and sell impact. The goal of customer reference management is to organize and amplify these stories to help sales and marketing better sell your business’ products or services.
Costumer Reference
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A customer reference is a positive story your customer can share about a successful delivery of products or services, used to create demand and sell impact.
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The goal of customer reference management is to organize and amplify these stories to help sales and marketing better sell your business’ products or services.
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Our job in the product organization is to create products that can sustain a business. Make no mistake about it: everything depends on strong products.
Without these strong products, our marketing programs require customer acquisition costs that are too high; our sales organization is forced to get creative which drives up cost of sales, lengthens the sales cycle, and puts downward pressure on price; and our customer service organization is forced to take it on the chin every day with frustrated customers.
1. Policies and Systems
A customer reference program requires a well thought out system that will work in your organization’s structure. Your system, and your policies that support the system, must contribute to each step in your customer reference program, including consideration for who in your organization is involved and who in the organization needs to be notified as things progress with each customer.
2. Seven Ways to Build a Better Customer Reference Program
1. Approach customers early about being a reference
2. Understand the customer’s personal motives
3. Confirm your understanding of the customer’s approval process
4. Present the customer with options
5. Make it easy for the customer to be a reference. Be sensitive to their fears.
6. Highlight the business benefits obtained from your solution
7. Don’t outsource your customer relationships to your PR agency
3. The Power of Reference Customers
Our job in the product organization is to create products that can sustain a business. Make no mistake about it: everything depends on strong products.
Without these strong products, our marketing programs require customer acquisition costs that are too high; our sales organization is forced to get creative which drives up cost of sales, lengthens the sales cycle, and puts downward pressure on price; and our customer service organization is forced to take it on the chin every day with frustrated customers.
4. Strong Systems Ensure a Healthy Customer Reference Program
There is no doubt that a thoughtful, repeatable system that is supported by flexible database software is a great foundation for a healthy customer reference program. Most importantly, be sure to develop a system that supports information sharing and collaboration with everyone in the organization who has a vested interest. Use the system to inform your requests of these customers and to remind you to recognize active customers that may need a special thank you.