Sometimes our early customers help pave the way and, if lucky, finance the development of products/services. We have good relationships with these folks. And somewhere along the line, we ask them to provide reference calls and help us sell. Beware! While early customers are a great source of help, they can also be a huge hindrance to selling.

Just as customer voice selling suggests that we ask our customers about their challenges, incorporate that info into how we market ourselves, and then measure how that new approach resonates — we must apply this same discipline to vetting customer references.     If possible, have a third party ask your customers specific questions about what they intend to say and make sure they understand how they can specifically help/hurt a sale. Then measure how these calls impact sales through win/loss analysis.

We do hundreds of customer calls on behalf of our clients. Here is a snapshot of a customer “frenemy” that should never take a reference call.

“I tell people interested in the product that I’m an expert in the field of x and that there wouldn’t be a product if it weren’t for me. The reason I selected them as a vendor is because they understood my vision for creating the product. Also, unlike other companies, they were a low cost resource. In fact, I don’t think they charge enough for their services or the product. Additionally, other customers are in luck because they won’t have to pay much for the product because I financed its creation, it’s done, and all you have to do is turn it on at your organization.”

The client was unaware of the content of the reference calls because they weren’t getting the real story.  Three guesses why the deals this customer touched stalled in the pipe?

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