Part 3: Open Up the Gate
In Part 2 of this series, I discussed several CRP pitfalls when your program’s point of entry (POE) always begins with a case study. This can often happen naturally as case studies are packed with information and exposure of the reference customer, but can impact your ability to build up a reference database in a timely manner. Additionally, it can limit your ability to leverage your reference customer’s compete product or service experience and potentially ignore customers who can only participate at a lower exposure.

The good news is that there is a (relatively) easy fix! Try lowering the “walls” of your program by changing the POE to become a “reference.” This approach treats all reference activities equally. If a customer does not have the capacity to participate in a case study, but is willing to speak with prospective clients privately, recruit them! As explained in the diagram, there are a lot more references out there once the walls are lowered for customers to participate. By changing the POE, your CRP fully utilizes the extent of its happy customers, whether it’s through logo usage or participation in analyst reports. This is especially important for the inclusion of big-name brands, which are generally less comfortable with or unable to create case studies and other high exposure activities. Another perk of opening up the gate is the ability to instantly utilize customers who are willing to participate (instead of waiting for the case study to publish). This contributes to a more cost-effective approach when products are changing at a faster rate.

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