This next series of articles are going to focus on what you need to do before you start your reference program. Since I was stuck in a car for 10 hours over the last two days, I spent a lot of time thinking about things companies can do to build the best customer reference programs and some of these happen before you even start your program.
Honestly I think one of the most important things you can do is hire the right person to help you build your program. Here are some traits I suggest you look for in your Customer Reference Program Manager. First they need to be 100% customer focused with a customer first attitude! A lot of people give lip service and say they are customer focused but are they really? Do they always treat customers like they are their number one priority? Do they always keep their commitments to customers like keep appointments, follow up as promised, don't abuse their time, answer their e-mails promptly, etc? Ask them in the interviews for examples when they have gone the extra mile for a customer. Don't trust just anyone with your company's most precious assets - your customers!
Another important trait is someone who is what I call 'sales aware'. This is someone who understands the sales culture and respects them. A sales rep #1 job is to meet their quota, therefore any reference requests you have are not going to be their top priority. Therefore, your reference manager needs to know how to motivate sales to help with the reference program without disrespecting sales or burning bridges with them.
Another trait you should look for include someone who is proactive and always looking for solutions. In another life I was a manager for eight years and I absolutely loved the employees who instead of just whining about problems, came up with suggestions for them! A great reference program manager sees roadblocks as opportunities instead of dead ends. Some other traits that are helpful include: very responsive to employees/customers/partners, organized, team player (hugely important), and has a positive attitude!
