How useful are customer references in the sales cycle?

How useful are customer references in the sales cycle?

Attached poll
*Voting in this poll no longer yields commission.
👑 Sales Strategy
🧢 Sales Management
6
stanrym
Valued Contributor
2
CEO
if you're showing a *relevant* customer testimonial/case study, I don't know how this could hurt you.

But if it's not relevant, it can defo hurt you. Showing a testimonial from Inc500 co to a dentist's office might not help.
Ace
Arsonist
1
CEO
+1. Relevancy matters. But if you do it right, I don't see a downside
JdgDredd
Good Citizen
1
AVP - Sales
Thanks Ace. Does your company maintain a list of customer references? What tool do they use?
Ace
Arsonist
0
CEO
Everything is in CRM. We use streak CRM so all the notes related to customers are on there. Personally, I use notion for my customer calls where I make more personal and in-depth notes
JdgDredd
Good Citizen
0
AVP - Sales
Thanks Stanrym. Does your company maintain a list of customer references? What tool do they use?
CuriousFox
WR Officer
2
🦊
I give references in RFP/bid situations. Regular deals I do sometimes.  

Ex: Higher Education likes to see other universities their size using our product successfully, and there's a good chance their people know who to contact before I give that info out. They do call btw. 
Bandido
Politicker
2
Client Director
I think its very helpful but I am always curious why customers ask.....Its not like we would give them someone who wouldn't show our company in the most positive light and they have to know that.  

If I was on that side of the table I would do my own research and know any reference a company selling me is going to hand over is going to be inflated as all hell.
funcoupons
WR Officer
1
👑
Agreed. It's pretty much the same as employment references...other than calling to verify that someone did in fact work somewhere in the role on their resume I think it's an outdated practice and a waste of time on the employer's end.
breezyboiii
Politicker
1
Sales Boiii
people buy off people they like. if you've got references with similarities then the customer should find comfort in knowing someone else has gone ahead and is satisfied.
funcoupons
WR Officer
1
👑
Very helpful, but I am picky about who I give references to. I don't agree to send them until late in the sales process, when there's more than a 50% chance of the prospect doing a deal with us. I keep them as leverage, and often someone asking about references on the first call doesn't end up needing them by the time it's time to close.
3

Selling to Engineers... Prospecting tips? Earning their trust? Fast sales cycles?

Question
11
4

Best way to shorten your sales cycle

Advice
7
7

Gratitude for the close - How far do you go to thank the assist team (BDR, Sales Eng, Customer Success...)

Question
12
How far do you go to recognize team mates?
43% Send a gift at some point in the year
41% Include all assist people in the shout out email
11% Write unsolicited feedback in their review
5% I win alone
44 people voted