Latest / Closing the Deal with Fexingo: Sales, Negotiation, and Revenue Conversations for Operators / How a Sales Rep Won by Asking the Buyer to Be the Reference Account
Transcript
- Lucas: So there's a rep I've been tracking — sells enterprise software, mid-six-figure deals, and he's got this one move that I keep coming back to. He asks the buyer to be the reference account. Before the deal is signed. Luna: Wait, that's backwards. Usually references come after the close, right? Lucas: Exactly, and that's why it works. He frames it as part of the proposal. He says something like, 'If we hit our milestones, and you see the ROI we're projecting, would you be open to being a public case study?' It sounds simple, but the psychology is layered. Luna: I can already see one layer: it's a confidence signal. You're basically saying 'I'm so sure you'll love this that I'm willing to be judged in public.' Lucas: That's the surface. But there's a deeper layer. When the buyer says yes, they're not just agreeing to a future favor. They're projecting success. They're imagining the implementation working, the metrics improving, and themselves in a webinar talking about it. Luna: So you're getting them to visualize the win before it happens. That's like the 'envision the future' trick but with a commitment attached. Lucas: And that's the key difference. We've done episodes on asking the buyer to envision success — this is asking them to commit to being the proof. It's a stronger version. And it changes the sales dynamic from a transaction to a partnership. Luna: Does it work every time? I'm guessing some buyers would baulk. Lucas: Sure, some do. But here's the thing: the ones who hesitate are often telling you something. If they can't commit to being a reference, maybe they don't believe internally that this will work. Or they're not ready to champion it. That's a signal for you, too. Luna: So it's a screening mechanism as well. You're not just asking for a favor; you're testing their conviction. Lucas: Right. And if they say no, you can dig in. 'Why not? What would need to be true for you to feel comfortable being a reference?' That opens a conversation about their real objections, maybe ones they haven't voiced. Luna: I like that. It's a way to surface hidden objections without being pushy. Lucas: Exactly. Now, this rep, he's not just doing it on a whim. He targets it for deals above a certain size, and he's in a niche where case studies carry a lot of weight. If the industry is conservative, it might not fly. Luna: So it's not a universal move. It's a strategic one. Lucas: Yeah. He uses it when he's confident his solution will deliver — and that confidence is justified because he's done his homework. He knows the buyer's pain points inside out. Luna: And he's asking them to be a reference, not a case study. There's a distinction, right? Lucas: Absolutely. A reference is someone you can call. A case study is public. He actually asks for the case study commitment, which is even stronger. And he usually frames it as 'if we achieve the agreed-upon metrics.' So it's conditional. Luna: So it's not a blank check. It's 'if the product does what we say, you're willing to say so publicly.' That's fair. Lucas: And it puts a little pressure on him, too. He's making a public bet. That's why he only does it when he's sure. Luna: I'm wondering about the timing. He asks for this before the close, in the proposal. What if the buyer says yes, but then the deal falls through for other reasons? Like pricing? Lucas: That's where the move gets clever. By asking for the reference commitment early, he's making the deal about more than price. The buyer has already agreed to be an advocate. Walking away now would mean breaking that commitment, which is psychologically harder. Luna: So it's a commitment device. It increases the cost of saying no later. Lucas: Exactly. And it works because it's not a hard-ball tactic. It's collaborative. You're saying 'let's build something we're both proud of.' Luna: It reminds me of that concept in negotiation where you get the other side to invest in the outcome. They become co-owners. Lucas: And that's what this rep does. He gets the buyer to co-create the success criteria. It's not just his product; it's their project. Luna: I bet that also helps with implementation. The buyer is more likely to engage, to provide resources, because they have skin in the game. Lucas: You're spot on. He says the onboarding goes smoother when he uses this. The champion has a personal stake in making sure it works. Luna: So, let's talk about the numbers. Did this rep see a measurable difference in his win rate? Lucas: He doesn't have a controlled experiment, but he tracks his own metrics. Over the last two years, deals where he used this tactic closed at a rate about twenty percent higher than his average. And the size of those deals was larger, too. Luna: Twenty percent is meaningful. That's not just noise. Lucas: And he's not the only one. I've seen this in other industries — software, consulting, even some manufacturing. It works when the buyer perceives value in being seen as an innovator. Luna: So it's not just about the reference. It's about the buyer's ego, their brand. They want to be seen as forward-thinking. Lucas: Right. And you have to identify that. You need to know if your buyer is someone who would welcome that spotlight. If they're risk-averse, maybe you adjust — ask for a private reference instead of a case study. Luna: I'm thinking of a time when I saw this fail. A rep asked for a case study commitment, and the buyer got offended. They felt like the rep was more interested in their logo than their problem. Lucas: That's a real risk. You have to frame it carefully. It can't come across as 'I need a trophy.' It has to be 'I believe in this so much that I want to tell the world together.' Luna: It's a fine line. And the rep who failed probably hadn't built enough trust yet. Lucas: Absolutely. This is not a first-call move. You need to have established value, maybe even done a pilot or a discovery deep-dive. The buyer has to respect you. Luna: So, the essence is: ask for the reference early, but only after you've earned the right. Lucas: And that's what I love about it. It's not a shortcut. It's a strategy that builds on a solid sales process. It rewards preparation and relationship. Luna: And it gives you a competitive advantage. Because most reps are thinking about references post-sale. You're thinking about them pre-sale. Lucas: Which makes you look different. It makes your offer look different. You're not just selling a product; you're offering a partnership with a public face. Luna: I wonder if there's a downside. Like, what if the implementation fails? Then you have an unhappy reference. Lucas: That's why the commitment is conditional. If you don't hit the metrics, they're not obligated. And reps who use this are usually confident they will hit them, because they've done the discovery work. Luna: But it's still risky. What if the buyer exaggerates the success later? You could end up with a case study that's inflated. Lucas: That's on you to manage. You have to set honest criteria and monitor the outcomes. But the beauty is, if you're transparent from the start, you avoid that problem entirely. Luna: Okay, so this is a powerful tactic. But I'm curious — how did you come across this rep? Did he reach out to you? Lucas: He's a listener, actually. He wrote in after our episode on asking the buyer to set the implementation date, saying it reminded him of his own technique. So we had a long call about it. Luna: That's cool. It's nice when listeners share their own playbooks. It keeps this show going, honestly. Lucas: Speaking of which — a handful of listeners chip in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, and that's literally what funds making this many of these. It means we can stay ad-free and keep digging into stories like this. Luna: Yeah, it's a small group, but it makes a big difference. We appreciate it, for sure. Lucas: Anyway — back to the tactic. I think the key takeaway is the timing. Most sales training says 'ask for the referral after the close.' This flips that. You ask before. Luna: And that's the twist. It's not just about getting the reference; it's about changing the conversation from price to partnership. Lucas: Exactly. So if you're in a deal where you can genuinely see the buyer succeeding, and you have that confidence, try it. Frame it as 'if we achieve this together, would you be willing to tell your peers?' Luna: That's a powerful question. It makes the buyer think about the outcome, not just the cost. Lucas: And that's the whole point. It's a question that wins deals.