Can You Provide References?
Provide proof, but first determine what the buyer is trying to verify.
A reference request is a doubt with a polite face on it. Somebody is trying to verify one specific thing, and handing over a list before you know what it is wastes the proof.
What they say
- “Do you have references?”
- “Can I talk to a customer?”
- “Any case studies?”
What's actually underneath it
A specific unspoken doubt they are trying to resolve
A procurement box being ticked
They have been burned by a similar promise before
The ten questions that open it up
Ask one. Then stop talking. The answer is worth more than anything you were about to say.
- 1.“Certainly - what would you most want to ask one of our clients?”
- 2.“What concern are you hoping a reference can clarify?”
- 3.“Would you prefer to speak with someone from a similar company or someone who faced a similar problem?”
- 4.“What result would be most important for them to confirm?”
- 5.“Is your concern about our capability, our reliability, or the experience of working with us?”
- 6.“What would a client need to tell you for you to feel confident?”
- 7.“If the reference confirms what we have discussed, what would you want to happen next?”
- 8.“Who else on your team would want to participate in that conversation?”
- 9.“Would a documented case study answer the question, or do you need a direct conversation?”
- 10.“Is there anything else besides proof of performance that could stop the decision?”
The trap
Handing over references without learning which doubt they are meant to settle.
Find the doubt first, then supply the proof that settles it. And ask what happens if the reference confirms everything, so the answer does not become another stall.
Related objections
A previous failure can create caution, but it can also reveal exactly what the new solution must do differently.
Do not minimize disruption. Compare the temporary inconvenience of change with the permanent cost of dysfunction.
A contract affects timing, but it does not prevent planning or evaluating alternatives.
Try it live
Paste the objection you actually got this week and get the question to ask back.
Reverse your objection