“Sure thing, I get why you’d want to talk to some of our past customers. But first, can you tell me if there are any doubts or concerns you have? I’d like to get a chance to answer these for you, and at the very least it would help me connect you to the right customer. ”
“I hear what you’re saying, and I have some material that will answer your questions. I’ll send you over some relevant documents that I think will really put your mind at ease. ”
“Hearing about your concerns has reminded me of a case study we conducted recently that can answer your questions. Mind if I send it over for you to take a look?”
“Y’know, I could connect you with a ton of our past clients, but you and I know that I wouldn’t be connecting you with them if I didn’t think they would tell you they loved us. How about you and I cut out the middleman and talk about any hang-ups that you might still have?”
“I get why you’d want to talk to previous customers. We generally try to avoid giving customer references, simply because if we did this each time we had a new prospect, our customers would get pretty burned out. I really value our relationship—can I help you in some other way?”
“I’d love to give you customer references if I could, but as you might already be aware, we’re in a competitive industry, and it’s important for us to keep our proprietary solutions confidential. I’m more than happy to answer any questions you might have for us. ”
“Because our solutions are tailored for each customer, I don’t think that references would be useful to you. We’re focused on personalized services, not one-size-fits-all ones. How about if we take another look at the solution we have for you so that you can ask any more questions that you have?”
“You’re really hurting my feelings here with this request for references! It’s almost like you don’t trust me. ” “We’re friends at this point—can’t you trust a friend to look out for you?”
“Although we prefer not to bother our previous customers with requests for references, we could work out a trial period with our services to help you resolve any lingering doubts. ”
“I’m happy to connect you with previous customers. But first, could you tell me how far along you are in your process of deciding to work with us? If the references check out, are you willing to take us up on our services?”
Entice past customers to act as references by offering to be a reference for them as well. You can tell a past customer something like, “We really loved working with you, and hope you felt the same. If you’d be willing to be a reference for us, we’d be more than happy to return the favor. ” If you seal the deal with your prospect, and have a positive experience with them, it’s a good idea to ask them if they’d be willing to be a reference for you in the future. This can help you with future prospects. If your organization doesn’t already use one, try using a customer reference program. This can help you connect your prospects to the right references without burning out your previous customers. [13] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Business Review Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices Go to source
