The two kinds of reference request
The term covers two different asks, and it helps to keep them apart.
A request for a reference
This is the internal or prospect-side request. A prospect asks to speak with a customer, or a salesperson asks the reference team to find one for a deal. A good request says who the prospect is, what they want to learn, which kind of customer would be relevant and by when.
A request to a customer
This is the outreach to the customer: either the first invitation to join the program or a specific ask to take a call or provide a quote. A good one is short, says exactly what is being asked and how much time it will take, and makes it easy to decline.
Why it matters
The request is where a reference program succeeds or fails day to day. Vague requests from sales lead to poor matches. Careless requests to customers lead to refusals and, over time, to advocate burnout.
An example
A rep asks for "a retail customer, similar size, who can talk about the first ninety days, this week if possible." The program owner identifies Casey Test at Test Retail Group, checks that Casey has not been asked recently, and sends a three-line note explaining who the prospect is and offering two time slots.
Common mistakes
- Sales contacting the customer directly, bypassing whoever tracks how often that customer is asked.
- Asking at the last minute, which leaves the customer no real choice.
- Writing a long email that buries the ask.
- Making it awkward to say no. An easy no today keeps the door open for a yes later.
- Never closing the loop on what happened with the deal.
If you need to write the outreach to a customer, the reference request email generator drafts one from a few details you supply.