February 22nd, 2010
by Eric Larson

Recently, we sat down as a team to talk about what makes Projectline different from other customer engagement and consulting companies. As we shared various stories about who we are, what we do, and why it matters, we found that some of the best input came directly from the feedback we have received from customers. Their perspective is probably the best indicator of what it is we do better than other companies.

Of course, we know how we see ourselves as different from our competitors, but that is tied more to market positioning. But in this meeting, I was reminded that it’s healthy to ask your customers how THEY think you’re different. The more you deviate from actual customer feedback, the more you are talking about positioning and less about proven differentiators.

So how can you make sure that your customers’ insights about your product or company are being integrated into your story? How can you use their feedback to tell other possible clients what sets you apart?

• Look for your enthusiasts online. When people tweet that they love you, why is it? Don’t just say thanks—pass those tweets back up to your sales or marketing team or make a note to include their messages (at least in spirit) in your explanation of how you’re different. Bonus: they’re already short and sweet.
• Look to reviews. If bloggers have mentioned you, reviewed your product, or noted new developments in your brand, what have they seen as different? Read between the lines: what made your brand or product worth reviewing?
• As you gather customer evidence, think about using the insights beyond the case study or testimonial. Have sales teams consider what each story teaches them about why the customer succeeded, and consider incorporating those key points into the core story about your brand.
• When advisory boards or customer communities provide feedback for future iterations, use their feedback to inform sales and marketing as well as product development teams. Even if the feedback is critical, look again: customers are often most critical about the features that are most crucial to their business.

tags: branding, customer engagement, customer evidence, customer feedback

November 2nd, 2009
by Corey Mahoney

In about a month, the FTC’s new Guides for using endorsements and testimonials in advertising will go into effect (read the press release or the full text in PDF). It can be easy to get sidetracked by a narrow understanding of endorsements, but these guidelines have implications for all kinds of marketers.

So, what’s the big deal? How will this affect customer engagement marketers?

(Keep in mind: we’re not lawyers, and we’re not giving you legal advice.)

• The new Guides throw out the old loophole that let advertisers get away with putting a cursory disclaimer next to an exaggerated claim (i.e. “Results not typical”). They stress that one way to avoid implying typicality is by providing the details of the situation—we think the best way to do that is a thorough, detailed case study!
• The revisions explicitly address new and social media, stressing that “consumers’ willingness to trust social media depends on the ability of those media to retain their credibility as reliable sources of information” (see page 11). Arguing for transparency and honesty, they make clear that both advertisers and endorsers can be liable for obfuscation or dishonesty.
• The Guides expand potential liability to the endorser, which makes sense in the context of blogs and customer communities. The key to avoiding the pitfalls of consumer-generated endorsement-confusion? Clear policies and processes.

So, are the new guidelines good or bad?

Of course, there are some tricky things about the Guides. You’ll want to make sure you have someone monitoring or managing your social media presence, blogs about your products, and customer communities. You’ll need to double-check that you have solid processes in place for reviewing and approving consumer-generated content. You’ll have to make sure that final editorial pass has legal and ethical issues in mind.

But ultimately, we think the revisions are pretty great. Social media, testimonials, and customer stories are only as powerful as the trust between companies and their clients. The FTC’s choice to weigh in (relatively) early, rather than in a few years, is only a good thing for those of us who know the real value of customers’ trust.

tags: customer communities, customer evidence, editing, ftc, social media, testimonials

September 2nd, 2009
by Corey Mahoney

We put the “N” in “CRKSN” and the “Ann” in “mAnnagement.”

In our latest video blog, Brooke shares some of her insights about what it’s like to work in the customer reference industry and lets you know you’re not alone. Then she chats with Ann, the head of our content development team, about being a ‘lapsed novelist’ and what Projectline content development does.

tags: CRKSN, customer evidence, customer reference knowledge sharing network, customer references, vlog

November 18th, 2008
by Lena Moses

Are you passionate about technology and marketing? Do you like to solve problems, create project plans, and execute efficiently? Do your friends consider you a smart, humorous, and positive person?  If this sounds like you, then please read on!  Projectline Services, Inc. is looking for an enthusiastic marketing project manager to help our clients produce high quality and influential customer testimonial case studies.  This position will be responsible for working with clients to manage customer testimonial production processes to support sales and marketing activities.  [read more]

tags: customer evidence, marketing, Recruiting

July 28th, 2008
by Lena Moses

This position will drive strategic Customer Reference execution efforts across many product lines. This role will function as a centralized resource to research, qualify, secure, and track customer references for:  customer-to-customer (C2C) sales calls, direct marketing needs, advertising campaigns, public relations (PR) and press phone calls, analyst relations, events/executive speaker opportunities, and much more. These customer reference efforts are critical for driving sales revenue, increasing market credibility, and demonstrating the business value of our client’s solutions and therefore someone ready to step into the spotlight is required.

Customer Reference Program Desk Manager

tags: blogging, customer evidence, customer reference, Recruiting

October 29th, 2007
by Anika Lehde

 So I have been thinking today (not the first time) about my least favorite approach to customer evidence, (case studies, success stories, customer testimonials, whatever you want to call them). I think it is a problem that permeates the execution of so many sales and marketing activities: goal-agnostic metrics.

What do I mean? I mean when some poor marketing manager has been given the task of “creating XX number of success stories by XX date” as the goal of a customer evidence program. This is a fine target number, but not the goal of the program. The goals of an evidence program should be more like: to create stories that are instantly readable and genuinely connect with the audience, to create testimonials that are true and informative with a reasonable call to action, to produce stories that resonate and can be passed on to your customers’ industry peers, and most importantly to create materials that actually get in the hands of buyers and influence them at all stages of the sales and marketing life cycle. (more…)

tags: audience perception, B2B, case studies, customer evidence, customer reference, marketing, marketing goals

June 27th, 2007
by Anika Lehde

Like auto hobbyists with a new set of tools, marketers can’t stop chatting about how traditional marketing and social digital media will intersect over the coming years, so I won’t bore you with more opinions on this exact matter. Plus the somewhat ironical humor of discussing social media, new media, or community marketing via a blog just cracks me up. (more…)

tags: advertising, B2B, blogging, case studies, customer evidence, customer reference, marketing, new media, social media, web 2.0