CUSTOMER REFERENCE PROGRAM

The Business Case

AGENDA

1. Why develop a CRP ?2. Recommended Approach3. Budget Required4. Quantifiable Benefits5. Next Steps

WHY FORM A CUSTOMER ADVISORY BOARD (CAB)?

CustomerReferenceProgram.org research found the following benefits accrue to organizations that adopt a formal CRP:

Increase sales executive efficiency by removing duplication in sales reps sourcing references individually

Less risk of overusing or underutilizing customer references Increased ability to fulfill customer reference requests for all

industries/products/geographies Shortened sales cycles through by reducing time from request to fulfillment

WE HAVE SOME MAJOR GAPS THAT NEED FILLING…

GAP analysis shows sales could be severely impacted by lack of reference coverage in some key areas:

<See Coverage Map in Excel>

Product A Product B Product C

Healthcare 3 2 3 KEY:

Financial 2 1 4 Numbers represent average # monthly requests

Manufacturing 8 9 6 Consistently able to fulfill requests

Construction 7 4 7 Not always able to find ideal match

Government 4 2 2 Rarely able to fulfill request

Other 2 1 2

RECOMMENDED APPROACH The CRP’s customers are Sales, Marketing, PR and Analyst Relations Jeff Smith – CMO is Executive Sponsor KEY SUCCESS METRIC: Shortened sales cycles through quicker

reference fulfillment Dave Jenkins, Head of Key Accounts to nominate potential customers

for initial Reference Pool Legal & Finance to review the “Customer Reference Incentive

Program Agreement” Deliverables: Case Study, ROI Study, Success Story, Success Slides,

Audio Recording, Speaking Abstracts, Videos/Podcasts, PR Blurbs, Press Releases, Advertising, Quotes gathered from social media (Twitter/Facebook)

KEY DATES: Sales Training & FAQ’s launched end of Q1 Go Live with CRP Brochure and Customer Press Release in Q2

TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP

<see Excel spreadsheet for detail>

VALUE OF BENEFITS

Key Benefits:Removing Sales Inefficiency $562,500Avoiding Revenue-Impacting References Shortages

$1,450,000

TOTAL Annual Benefits = $2,012,500

Return on Investment = %

NEXT STEPS

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FOR ADDITIONAL RESEARCH PLEASE VISIT:www.CustomerAdvisoryBoard.org