When I first started as a reference program manager five years ago I was pretty disappointed there weren't more resources to help me quickly get up to speed. There wasn't a customer reference program book to buy, a magazine to sign up for or one 'single' blog to help me become the expert I wanted to become. After digging around I have found some amazing resources I wanted to share with others.
First of all, there's a great conference that I've been to three times and really enjoyed. It's called the Customer Reference Forum and it's put on by Bill Lee. The conference is only two days long which works well with our busy schedules. It's usually held around San Jose or Boston. In 2009 I taught a Getting Started class which was a great opportunity to share my experiences and advice. The number one reason I recommend the conference to reference managers is for networking. We have an amazing community and everyone is willing to help one another.
Second, there are some fantastic vendors out there who can help you. Here are some of the ones I am familiar with: Big Sky Communications, Boulder Logic, inEvidence, Mainstay Partners, metia, Point of Reference, Projectline and TechValidate. There is even customer reference program software you can purchase that is outstanding. I know BoulderLogic and Point of Reference make software but there could be others.
Third, there are groups you can join. For example I belong to six customer reference groups on LinkedIn, in addition to quite a few other customer related groups. These are great to join as you can not only learn new information but post questions you have and get answers. People are always posting news, articles and tips. It's a great resource.
