Here are five more tips for collecting quotes from your customers to support your customer reference marketing efforts. And in case you missed the first post, here is part one on tips for asking customer for quotes.
1. Ask more than one contact within an organization.
Once you have identified your target customers make sure you are asking the right people within those organizations. If there are multiple people using your products/services at one company, go ahead and ask as many of them for a quote as makes sense. Again, remember to check to make sure there are no open issues with any of these individuals before you make the requests.
2. Be sincere and express gratitude.
You want good quotes, but you also need to make sure that they are real and credible. Ask only active or in some cases former customers that have real experience with your products or services. And as you do receive good quotes or reviews, make sure to reach out and let those individuals know you appreciate their support. Use this as an opportunity to build a stronger business relationship.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask for more.
Folks willing to review products and services may be references in waiting. Just because they provided you with something once doesn’t mean you can’t ask for more from them. They may be willing to be a more active customer reference that speaks directly to your prospects. Or perhaps they would be willing to provide comments for an upcoming relevant news release. Use your best judgment, be respectful and ask appropriately, but remember to watch for these potentially valuable opportunities.
4. Assign an owner.
If you don’t have an owner to oversee the quotes campaign, you need to assign one. If it is left up to everyone or no one at all, you are not likely to receive the kind of results you are hoping for and you risk alienating customers. Consider assigning this important responsibility to someone in Marketing, Communications or Sales Operations as these departments are closest to customers and understand the sensitivities around caring for and servicing them.
5. Use your results.
Now that you are on your way, don’t forget why you started all this. Remember to promote the quotes on your web site and in your sales and marketing materials. Gather constructive feedback and leverage it to close support issues, to help in product development, and to develop lasting improvements in your business. Use the quotes as a launching pad to propel your business to the next level.
Done right, a proactive program to secure customer quotes can help add credibility, provide valuable insight, create a community around your products and services and ultimately convert prospects into sales.
Posted by Joshua Horwitz 
