Find the right customer reference, then ask once and ask well

Use this page when a prospect, partner or internal team wants customer proof. The examples follow a fictional case: Northstar Systems wants Alder Works, a customer, to talk with a prospect about a phased rollout. Start by checking what Alder Works has already agreed to. Then pick the smallest reference that answers the prospect's question. Ask the account owner to coordinate the contact, so the customer hears from one person.

Two colleagues talking at a desk

Reference types and what each one needs

Permission for one use does not automatically cover another.

Approved written quote

The lightest ask. A customer has already approved specific wording for specific uses.
  • Use the approved wording exactly as recorded, with the attribution the customer chose.
  • Check the approved channels. A quote cleared for a proposal may not be cleared for a public web page.
  • If you need new wording or a new channel, treat it as a new request.

Customer-led conversation

A prospect speaks directly with a customer about their experience.
  • Needs the customer's agreement to take part in a live conversation. A quote approval does not imply it.
  • Agree the topics in advance and keep them to the customer's own experience.
  • The account owner makes the introduction. Do not share customer contact details or set up the call yourself.

Reference event or panel

A webinar, customer panel or group session where the customer speaks to several audiences.
  • The highest effort for the customer. Consider it only when a quote or a single conversation will not answer the question.
  • Agree the date, format, audience and any recording or sharing with the customer in advance.
  • Plan this through the customer reference program owner, not by direct invitation.

Worked example: a live conversation that isn't covered yet

Northstar Systems and its fictional customer Alder Works

A Northstar solutions consultant is working with Fernbank Logistics, a fictional prospect. Fernbank asks how a similar-sized team handled a phased rollout across three sites. The consultant thinks of Alder Works, which completed one last year.

What the consultant checks first

  • Approved scope: Alder Works agreed to a written quote and case-study use. Live conversations with prospects are not listed.
  • Contact history: the account owner's notes show Alder Works was asked to review a draft case study recently.

What the consultant does

  • Asks the account owner whether a live conversation is a reasonable next ask, given that recent request.
  • Prepares a short request covering the topic, timing and customer effort, and routes it through the reference process.
  • Offers Fernbank the approved written quote in the meantime.

What the consultant does not do

  • Forward Alder Works' contact details to Fernbank.
  • Email Alder Works directly.
  • Treat the case-study approval as permission for a call.

Prepare the request and follow up

Six steps from the prospect's question to the thank-you.

  1. 1

    Clarify the prospect's question and audience

    Write one sentence: who is asking, what they want to know, and by when. "How did a three-site team sequence its rollout?" is a better brief than "a reference for a logistics prospect".
  2. 2

    Choose the narrowest useful reference

    Try an approved written quote first. Move to a conversation or event only if the quote does not answer the question.
  3. 3

    Check existing permission and contact history

    Look up what the customer has approved, for which uses, and when they were last asked for anything. Record anything you cannot confirm and raise it with the account owner.
  4. 4

    Summarize topic, timing and customer effort

    State the topics you will ask about, the topics you will not raise (such as pricing or contract terms), the proposed dates and how much of the customer's time it takes.
  5. 5

    Route through the account owner and the reference process

    Submit through the organization’s authorized reference-request route. The account owner contacts the customer. Do not contact the customer yourself while the request is open. If the route is unclear, ask the account owner or reference-program owner before contacting the customer.
  6. 6

    Record the outcome and thank the customer

    Log the result in the system your reference program uses, including any new or declined permission. The account owner or program owner sends the thank-you. Do not make a new ask until the account owner confirms the next step.

Example request summary

A sample for the Alder Works scenario. This is the level of detail a request needs.

Example request summary
Request field Sample entry
Prospect and question Fernbank Logistics asks how a similar-sized team handled a phased rollout.
Reference needed Customer-led conversation, 30 minutes, one customer speaker.
Existing permission found Written quote and case-study use approved. Live conversations not listed.
Proposed topics Rollout sequencing across three sites. Not pricing, contract terms or security details.
Timing Any weekday within the next three weeks; the customer chooses the slot.
Effort for the customer One call, plus a short briefing from the account owner beforehand.
Who is involved Requesting solutions consultant. Account owner copied and leads customer contact.

Who to ask for help

Account owner
Owns the relationship with the customer
Department: Account management. Ask about contact history and whether a new ask is sensible.
Customer reference program owner
Coordinates approved references and events
Department: Customer advocacy. Ask about permissions on record and reference formats.
Page owner
Keeps this page accurate and current
Department: Business Operations. Report unclear guidance or outdated steps.