We all know the importance of customer references or advocates. But few organizations include referenceability (a customer's willingness to act as a champion with peers) as a core responsibility of each employee. If they achieve a culture of referenceability the added value of that customer relationship increases exponentially. This presentations provides the fundamental concepts for creating such a culture.

1. Creating a
Culture of
Referenceability

2. What’s the Value?
• Peers are the most trusted source for a
B2B buyer
• Most companies have a wealth of
advocate value that goes unrealized
• Your best advocates are worth much more
than their contract value
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3. What’s the Value?
• They help differentiate your offering from
competitors’
• They help maintain your value and
minimize discounting
• Advocates provide credibility that make a
decision in your favor easier, faster
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4. Essential Requirements
• Creating a Culture of Referenceability
requires C-Level support
• All parts of the organization see it as a top
priority and are accountable
• A willingness to change business as usual
practices
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5. The Three Elements
1. Employees internalize the responsibility
to cultivate customer references
2. Employees identify customers ready to
act as advocates/champions
3. Employees are trained on the effective
use of advocates in all relevant sales and
marketing activities
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6. Cultivate
• All employees, customer-facing in
particular, must have referenceability as
the end goal in their interactions
• Incentives may play a role, but this should
be a core value of the organization
• All employees should be empowered to
explore a customer’s willingness to
advocate
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7. Identify Got
one!
• Employees across the organization
should be looking for advocates
• Once a customer expresses high
enthusiasm, they should be made aware
of the customer reference program (or
equivalent function)
• A smooth, easy transition should be
made to this team
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8. Effective Use
• The sales team “playbook” should map
customer advocate and customer content
to each sales stage
• Every team in marketing should figure out
how customers can tell the company’s
story for more credibility
• Strategic initiatives should always include
customer advocate use
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9. Catch Fire
• As more customers advocate, more will
see the benefits and participate
• The role customer advocates play in new
revenue and growth becomes tangible,
measureable
• With more visible advocacy, employees
are further committed to the goal
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10. We Can Help You
• We’ve been building and supporting
customer reference programs since 2003!
• See our blog
www.customerreferenceinsights.com
• Contact us at
1-800-708-4857 or
info@point-of-reference.com
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