Reference Matching

Reference Customer Matching

Purpose

Strategically match the most relevant Talosix reference customers to each prospect's profile to maximize the impact of reference calls and case studies during the sales process. A well-matched reference accelerates trust-building and reduces perceived risk.

When to Use

• When a prospect requests a reference call (typically late in the evaluation)
• When building a proposal and selecting case studies to include
• When a deal is stalled and a peer reference could provide momentum
• When preparing for a competitive bake-off where social proof matters
• Proactively during discovery to mention "a customer like you"

Information Gathering

Prospect Profile

Collect these attributes for matching:

Reference Customer Database

Maintain a reference database with these fields for each reference customer:

- Customer Name
- Company Type (pharma, biotech, CRO, academic)
- Company Size (small/mid/large, employee count, revenue range)
- Headquarters / Regions
- Therapeutic Areas (list all)
- Study Phases Using Talosix
- Number of Studies on Talosix
- Number of Sites / Subjects
- Previous EDC Vendor (what they switched from)
- Go-Live Date (how long they've been a customer)
- Key Use Cases (standard EDC, ePRO, integrations, RBM, CDISC, etc.)
- Satisfaction Score (NPS or CSAT if available)
- Reference Contact Name and Role
- Reference Contact Willingness (enthusiastic / willing / reluctant)
- Last Used as Reference (date)
- Times Used as Reference (count, trailing 12 months)
- Topics Comfortable Discussing
- Topics to Avoid
- Notable Success Metrics (quantified outcomes)

Matching Algorithm

Scoring Criteria

Score each potential reference match on a 0-3 scale per attribute:

Matching Dimensions and Weights

Match Score Calculation

Match Score = Sum of (dimension score x weight) for all dimensions
Maximum possible: 3.0

Additional Filters

After scoring, apply these filters:

• Willingness Gate - Only include references rated "enthusiastic" or "willing"
• Freshness Check - Deprioritize if used as reference more than 3 times in the last 90 days
• Recency Check - Prioritize customers live on Talosix for 6+ months (enough experience to speak credibly)
• Relationship Health - Exclude any customer with open critical support tickets or known dissatisfaction

Reference Talking Points

Generate talking points for each matched reference, tailored to what the prospect needs to hear:

For the Sales Rep (Pre-Reference Call Briefing)

Reference: [Customer Name]
Contact: [Name, Title]
Match Reason: [Why this reference was selected]
Relationship Note: [Any context on the relationship, preferences]

Suggested Topics for Prospect to Ask:
1. [Topic aligned with prospect's key concern]
2. [Topic related to therapeutic area experience]
3. [Topic about migration from previous EDC]
4. [Topic about measurable outcomes]

Topics to Steer Toward:
- [Specific success metric the reference can share]
- [Feature the reference is enthusiastic about]

Topics to Avoid:
- [Any known issue or sensitive area]
- [Feature the reference hasn't used]

For the Reference Customer (Pre-Call Prep)

Prepare a brief for the reference customer:

Thank you for agreeing to be a reference for Talosix.

Prospect Overview:
- Company: [Name], a [type] focused on [therapeutic area]
- They are evaluating Talosix for [use case]
- They are currently using [competitor] and are looking to [migrate/add/replace]

What They'll Likely Ask About:
1. Your experience with [specific feature or workflow]
2. How the migration from [previous EDC] went
3. Measurable outcomes you've seen
4. What you wish you'd known before starting

We Suggest Highlighting:
- [Specific success metric]
- [Specific positive experience]

Estimated Call Duration: 30 minutes

Reference Usage Tracking

Track reference usage to prevent burnout and maintain reference willingness:

Usage Limits

Tracking Fields

After each reference engagement, record:

• Date of reference call/visit
• Prospect company name
• Topics discussed
• Outcome (positive/neutral/negative impact on deal)
• Reference's feedback on the experience
• Any follow-up needed (thank you, gift, discount consideration)

Reference Appreciation

Maintain reference willingness through:

• Thank-you communication after every reference engagement
• Quarterly appreciation (gift cards, conference invitations, feature previews)
• Annual reference program benefits (advisory board membership, early access)
• Reduced reference requests for customers showing fatigue

Case Study Generation

When a reference engagement leads to a strong story, propose creating a formal case study:

Case Study Structure:

1. Customer profile (industry, size, therapeutic focus)
2. Challenge (what problem they faced with their previous approach)
3. Solution (how Talosix addressed the challenge)
4. Results (quantified outcomes: time saved, cost reduced, quality improved)
5. Quote from the reference contact

Output Format

1. Matched References List - Ranked list of 3-5 references with match scores and rationale
2. Top Recommendation - Detailed briefing for the #1 match including talking points
3. Reference Prep Brief - Document to send to the reference customer before the call
4. Usage Report - Current utilization of each reference in the database, flagging overused or stale references