Instead of giving away discounts or favorable terms for free, use them as leverage in a "give-get" negotiation. Ask the buyer to commit to providing a logo for your website, serving as a reference, or participating in a case study in exchange for their requests.
When a customer asks for a reference, they are trying to de-risk a specific concern (e.g., implementation). Instead of defaulting to a call, diagnose the underlying question. Often, a tailored demo, a sandbox environment, or a technical diligence session is a more effective way to provide the assurance they need.
Prospects find unpolished, "ugly" proof like a raw Salesforce report screenshot more credible than professionally designed marketing materials. The rawness signals authenticity and interrupts the pattern of polished sales content, making it more impactful in de-risking a deal.
In the late stages of a deal, introduce the prospect to your top implementation lead. This de-risks the "what's next" question for the buyer and creates a customer-centric compelling event by stating that this high-demand team member is only available if the deal is signed by a certain date.
Instead of relying on manual requests, create a system for passively collecting social proof. Set up a dedicated Slack channel where CS and sales reps can post customer wins. Better yet, use call recording software that automatically identifies positive customer sentiment and posts clips to that channel.
Instead of promising a flawless implementation, build trust by telling prospects where issues commonly arise and what your process is to mitigate them. Acknowledging potential bumps in the road shows you have experience and a realistic plan, making you a more credible partner than a salesperson who promises perfection.
During reference prep calls, encourage your customer to share a story about a time something went wrong and how your team successfully fixed it. A narrative that includes a resolved challenge is far more credible and memorable than one of flawless perfection, because buyers know that complex projects always have hiccups.