References vs. referrrals
This intriguing blog entry on Bnet.com (a useful collection of general sales and marketing resources), Reference accounts can be headaches, clarifies that references are much less useful and valuable than referrals in the selling process. With references, things can go very wrong, at the very last minute, the writer notes.
Of course the converse can be said on the buying -- or hiring -- side. Reference checking is an important resource, both in negotiating purchases, and hiring employees and contractors. As the poster notes, sometimes the reference will point out discounts or deals available to you that you may not have known about, and of course, you can often (if you listen carefully) discern potential problems if you listen carefully.
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2 years ago
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1 comment:
You're 100 percent right -- the opposite is true on the buying end. It's always good to work with people to whom others you've trusted have referred, but it's always important to check references. But from the sales side, a reference is just another thing that can go wrong. It seldom helps a sale.
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