We all know that every company has a different view and investment in their customer advocacy program (if they even have a program at all). When going through a merger and acquisition (M&A), these are some helpful considerations to keep in mind while adapting your customer advocacy program to the new business.

As Advocacy Consultants a lot of our time is spent reaching out to and learning about customers, either via email, phone, at events or through the internal support and sales teams associated with a customer. Each time we make a connection, we find out new information; customer insights that need to be added to our reference management systems (RMS) to ensure the most up-to-date details are available to use. Of course, over time, this information can become old and incorrect, or gaps may appear, but inaccurate data is of little use to its users!

As customer advocacy professionals, we’re all deeply cognizant of one simple fact: we trust our peers, the lessons they’ve learned and the advice they’re willing to share.

Metrics are an essential business tool that enable each customer advocacy program to evaluate its performance and impact over time. We at Referential track various key business parameters for each of our clients on a monthly and bi-annual basis. One of the most meaningful metrics that we have in our portfolio is Client Lifetime Total Revenue (CLTR).

This recognition of customer advocacy as a business essential is the result of a thoughtful evolution in the concept of “customer references” and a concerted effort to recognize both the myriad of ways customers imbue value back into an organization and the opportunities companies have to provide more value back to their customers.

Whenever things are uncertain, marketing budgets are constantly the first to be slashed, and the customer advocacy program is frequently a prime target.

To thrive in this consumer-oriented market, strategic use of time and resources to actively listen to buyers and efficiently glean insights into the customer experience is essential, which is why customer advocacy is becoming more and more critical to the future success of all companies.

Denise Taylor came to Referential with a unique background in business and marketing and has worked at both small and large software firms, including running her own business. Prior to Referential, she was a Marketing Operations Manager at RO Innovation (now part of Upland Software) and was part of the team that launched an installed-base awards program for customer advocacy programs. A constant champion for the promotion of the Voice of the Customer through various channels, she was a key player in developing RO Innovation’s own advocacy program.

Prior to joining Referential, Emily was a Transaction Services Manager at Ernst & Young (EY). She began her career with EY in their auditing practice, performing the annual audits of multi-billion-dollar companies. She then transitioned to Transaction Services in San Francisco, CA and worked with companies of varying sizes to perform financial due diligence for mergers and acquisitions.

Emily was excited to join the Referential team as she believes the customer advocacy space has a lot of growth potential, and Referential in particular provides unique services and expertise that make the firm a leader in the customer advocacy world. Additionally, she was drawn to the culture at Referential as everyone is inclusive, helpful, and collaborative, which makes for a great work environment.

A former Air Force pilot, prior to joining Referential, Jerry worked at Fogdog Sports, an eCommerce online sporting goods company. From there he settled into the telecommunications industry, landing at Portal Software, then spending 13 years in Oracle’s communications industry group, and finally in the advocacy program at 8x8. Jerry views his past roles – such as Production Analyst, Curriculum Developer and Technical Instructor – as invaluable experiences that have all helped prepare him for his career in customer advocacy where he is now in his 16th year.

Most Advocacy Professionals are tasked with the fulfillment of customer reference requests from Sales that are guiding prospective customers through the final stages of a sales cycle. Whether or not your team handles a large volume of incoming sales requests, there are numerous benefits to contacting opportunity owners ahead of them making reference requests.

If you were to rewind the clock on Ryan Quackenbush (pictured right), you’d find him jumping off stages at rock concerts and singing loudly in equally loud bands. Go back a bit further, and you’ll find a young – Keanu Reeves-looking – man aspiring to write the next great American novel while studying beatniks and black mountain poets and earning a degree in literature and creative writing from an Upstate New York (NY) college. Fast forward to today, and you’ll find an established Advocacy Consultant with a track record of success in the high-tech industry and experience that he draws on to guide his clients to success.