Reference selling involves getting the right customers to agree to be a reference, ensuring that the right message is proffered and arranging the conversation between the prospect and the customer. This process takes time and most customers can only be involved in so many conversations before they lose interest.
The prospect needs to investigate the customer to check the reference and the entire process hinges on that particular span of time. Hopefully the customer is still happy about his/her experience with your product/service. Sales personnel are typically involved in bringing prospect and customer together.
Compare that to an online social network where customers and prospects
interact continually. Many contacts occur between multiple customers and prospects and reference checking is unnecessary in this arena. Sales personnel need not be involved in this sales model.
All the company needs to do is know where prospects and customers congregate and then it is just a matter of listening to the conversation and setting up introductions between prospects and customers by inviting them to join the network.
This will work with Twitter, Facebook, or any of the other social networks.
photo credit: Marc_Smith
