Customer references are among the most powerful marketing and sales tools for IT services and solutions. They are essential vehicles for communicating a company’s ability to apply technology and services to solve business problems. Yet too many companies equate reference management with having a few good case studies. Published success stories are certainly useful, but represent only one of a myriad of reference tools available to provide evidence of value delivered.

This ITSMA Update makes the case for investment in a broad-based reference management program and reviews the most critical challenges that marketers face in building an effective program. The Update provides a process map for creating a reference program reviews the importance of creating multiple types of static and dynamic references. It also identifies the most appropriate reference types to utilize at different stages of the sales cycle. Finally, the Update explores the pros and cons of providing incentives to customers that serve as reference accounts.