Tired of chasing down customer references every time a deal gets serious? You’re not alone. Sales teams waste hours hunting for the right customer, begging for a “quick call,” or worse—waiting for someone to reply to a mass email that gets ignored. If you want to stop the chaos and actually make your reference process work, this guide is for you.
We’re going to walk through how to set up automated sales reference requests using Point-of-reference, step by step. No fluff, just what you need to know to get it running, avoid rookie mistakes, and actually get your team to use it.
Why Automate Reference Requests Anyway?
Before we get into the weeds, let’s be honest: reference management isn’t glamorous, but it can make or break deals. Automation isn’t just about saving time—it’s about:
- Making it easy for reps to find good-fit references, fast
- Protecting valuable customer relationships from burnout
- Keeping the process consistent (so nobody’s scrambling at quarter-end)
If you’re still using spreadsheets, shared inboxes, or Slack threads, you’re setting yourself up for headaches. Automation won’t fix bad data or magically get every customer to say yes, but it will make the whole thing less painful.
Step 1: Get Point-of-reference Set Up
First, you’ll need access to Point-of-reference. No, there’s no real shortcut here—you need a subscription. If you’re still evaluating, you can usually get a trial or a sandbox environment.
What you need before you start: - Admin access to your CRM (usually Salesforce) - A list of referenceable customers (even if it’s rough) - Someone in RevOps or SalesOps who can help with integrations
Pro Tip
Don’t try to automate everything on day one. Start with your most common reference requests—think industry, region, or company size.
Step 2: Connect Point-of-reference to Your CRM
Point-of-reference is built to sync with Salesforce (or similar CRMs). This is non-negotiable if you want automation to actually work.
How to do it:
- Install the Point-of-reference app: Follow the in-app instructions. This usually means installing from the Salesforce AppExchange.
- Map your data: Decide which fields matter—customer name, industry, status, reference history, NPS score, etc.
- Sync your customer list: Import existing reference customers. Clean up your data before you sync, or you’ll just automate garbage.
What matters here:
- Data quality: If your CRM is a mess, so will be your reference pool.
- Permissions: Make sure reps can see what they need, but not so much that you risk privacy issues or over-contacting customers.
What to ignore:
Don’t get bogged down with edge cases (“what if a customer moves roles?”). Start with the basics and tighten things up later.
Step 3: Define Your Reference Request Workflow
Automation is only as good as the process you set up. This is where most teams try to get fancy and end up confusing everyone.
Keep it simple:
- Who can request a reference? Usually AEs, AMs, or CSMs.
- What info do they need to provide? Deal size, use case, desired industry, etc.
- How are requests approved? Auto-approve for low-risk asks, manual for big deals or sensitive customers.
- How are customers contacted? Direct email, intro via CSM, or through the platform.
How to set up in Point-of-reference:
- Create request forms: Use templates for common scenarios.
- Set up approval flows: Decide which requests get flagged for review.
- Automate notifications: Make sure no one is left hanging—set reminders for pending approvals and follow-ups.
Honest take:
Don’t copy/paste your old manual process into the tool. If your workflow was slow and confusing before, automation will just speed up the confusion.
Step 4: Build and Maintain Your Reference Pool
Automation is worthless if you don’t have good references to offer. This step takes real work.
What works:
- Tag customers by industry, product, region, and “willingness to reference.”
- Regularly review and update your list. Set reminders every quarter.
- Ask for new references right after a big win or renewal.
What doesn’t:
- Assuming customers will always say yes—people get burned out.
- Letting the list go stale. “Referenceable” in 2022 may not mean 2024.
Pro tip:
Send a quick, genuine thank-you after each reference call. It goes a long way toward keeping customers in your pool.
Step 5: Automate the Request Matching
Here’s where the magic happens—using Point-of-reference to match requests with the best-fit customers in seconds.
How to do it:
- Set up matching criteria: Use your CRM fields. Prioritize things like product, use case, company size—not just “who’s available.”
- Let reps search or auto-match: Give salespeople an easy way to find references (self-serve is best), or set up automated suggestions based on deal info.
- Track usage and fatigue: Point-of-reference can automatically flag overused customers or suggest alternatives.
Why this matters:
- It stops reps from always going to the same “friendly” customer—and burning them out.
- It surfaces better matches, which means happier prospects and a better shot at closing the deal.
What to ignore:
Don’t overcomplicate the matching logic with endless filters. If reps can’t find someone in under a minute, they’ll go back to email.
Step 6: Automate Customer Outreach (But Don’t Sound Like a Robot)
Now for the part everyone dreads—actually asking customers to be a reference. Automation helps, but don’t let it ruin your relationships.
How to set it up:
- Use customizable templates: Start with Point-of-reference defaults, but rewrite them to sound like a human from your company.
- Personalize at scale: Pull in details (customer name, product, deal context).
- Give customers an easy out: Make it simple to decline—don’t guilt-trip anyone.
- Track responses: Automatically update your reference pool based on who says yes/no.
Honest take:
Don’t blast the same generic email to every reference. If it feels impersonal, people will ignore you—or worse, get annoyed.
Step 7: Report, Improve, and Keep It Running
You’re not done once it’s set up. Automation is only useful if you keep improving the process.
Monitor these:
- Time to fulfill a reference request
- Reference usage (who’s asked, how often)
- Customer feedback (are they still happy to help?)
- Deal impact (do references actually help close?)
What to do when things break:
- If requests stall, check approval bottlenecks.
- If customers complain, review your outreach templates.
- If the pool gets small, run a new recruitment campaign.
What to ignore:
Don’t obsess over vanity metrics (“number of requests sent”). Focus on what actually moves deals and keeps customers happy.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast
Automating sales reference requests with Point-of-reference isn’t a silver bullet, but it will save time and reduce headaches—if you set it up thoughtfully and keep it simple. Don’t try to automate every edge case on day one. Start with the basics, see what works, and improve from there. The goal is to make it easy for sales to get what they need, protect your customer relationships, and spend less time chasing down emails.
Set up your workflow, test it on a few deals, and tweak as you go. You’ll wonder why you waited so long to ditch the spreadsheets.