Reference Point

Here are some responses we got from our Customer Reference Forum LinkedIn community of reference pracitioners (with slight editing, and names of companies left out). This is a private community of more than 250 reference practitioners--if you're interested in joining, please drop me a note.

REFERENCE MANAGERS' GOALS FOR 2010

- Develop more social media friendly content.

- Reach out to more of our customer base online. 

- We also hope to use new/improved tools on tracking references.

- Increase our involvement and the number of references to facilitate more peer-to-peer requests: We create a large number of great public success stories and videos, and we will now focus more on peer-to-peer references. We will accomplish this by implementing a reference management and nomination system directly into SFDC with Sales Management's backing and support.

- Strategic/Core Customer References: We have a large number of public case studies from companies as large as ***, ***, ***, *** and we will focus even more on references directly aligned with the corporate strategy and product launches. We will do this by aligning with beta and tester programs.

 - Tracking/Measurement: We will finally have the tools in place to track how our references our used, what references are used the most, and where we need to focus our efforts, along with showing the % of deals using references and a $ tied to them.

- Revamping CRP Website: add social media and digital media tools to our CRP landing page.

- A big focus for us will be Building the Community.

- Focus on marketing literature, and internal communication to achieve greater sales awareness and participation in the regions

- Expansion of customer base and customer participation in the program.

- Adding much more Web 2.0 activity to stay in touch with customer references.

- I'd also like to start a "Customer Ambassador" program and tie it in with Beta testing and our CAB, but I'm not exactly sure how to go about it. I think that'll be more of a hobby for 2010!

- We'll be focusing on the nuts and bolts of our program - our goal is to double the number of references. Last year we focused on building the new program, but tended to overuse our key customers. It's critical at this point to find more customers who are willing to defend our service and its benefits. Thankfully our sales team sees the value of the program, but we'll need them to help recruit new members next year. Hopefully in 2011 we'll venture into more social media and open an online customer community.

- We are also starting up an Ambassador program in 2010. 

- Otherwise, we are fine tuning our reference process to make it more productive and efficient all around.

- We'll take a bigger plunge into social media. 

- Beyond that we'll have a big push to drive more metrics that demonstrate the programs overall value to the business, moving beyond volume and output to proof of sales acceleration and awareness building.

- In 2010 I want to focus more on customer success stories. Sometimes I find myself just trying to get the deliverables such as videos, case studies, etc and I forget that the basis of all these are the customer successes themselves! 

- My other goals will be to provide even more support to the sales teams via sales tools and communication, communicate customer successes internally and moving customers through my reference pipeline! Happy Holidays everyone!