If you are interested in best practices for building references, you might want to check out this recorded webinar on Customer Reference Recruitment Strategies. It was prepared based on feedback from some of our clients that have the formula down.
I’ll give you the key points here, but definitely check out the webinar itself for the full picture!
1. Build your strategy. Define what you are looking for and how you are going to get there. Don’t just wait for it to happen. Use survey techniques and some simple math to understand what you need and how much of it based on the audiences you intend to serve.
2. Communicate. Reach out to the different groups within your company that work with customers. Let them know what you are doing and why. Anticipate their concerns with information about why customers won’t be overused. Set expectations clearly and hold to those promises at all cost.
3. Make it easy. Ensure that your process is easy! Don’t ask too much of your participants at any one time. Use clearly defined forms and an organized way to keep track, this way nobody has to guess what to do and nothing falls through the cracks. Stick to your guns when people try to take short cuts, guiding them back to your process. Reinforcement of good behavior is key!
4. Ring the bell. Most important, celebrate your successes! Bring that visibility to executives and don’t be afraid of internal marketing. Use metrics to show results, branding to create an identity and campaigns to increase awareness. The more buzz you can create, the more it drives people to want to be a part of it.
The webinar is about 20 minutes and goes into a lot more depth. Enjoy!
