Remember the days when the morning coffee run was a daily ritual? You’d text or email your colleagues, “Makin’ a coffee run, want anything?” This small act was more than just a caffeine fix–it was a small gesture of altruism. Interestingly, this kind of behavior is rare in the animal kingdom, exhibited primarily by creatures with larger brains, like us (most days anyways). And beyond the “giving” aspect, there’s something even more fascinating happening on the receiving end–trust. Trust that your friend or colleague is providing you what may some days feel like life-saving nourishment! And maybe more importantly, trust that they’ll bring back the right order.
In fact, trust is such a complex trait that it’s studied by scientists. In 2016, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology put it to the test with 15 chimps in Kenya. It went like this: chimps were presented with two ropes to pull–one led to a tasty snack (the “trust rope”), the other, not so much. The catch? The trust rope only provided food to their closest friend, not themselves.
And guess what? The chimps overwhelmingly chose to pull the “trust rope” only when they shared it with their closest friend. As it turns out, even chimps understand the power of trust in relationships.
So, what does this have to do with customer advocacy? A lot, actually.
For over two decades, companies have been deploying programs to connect like-minded individuals so they can share, discuss, and ultimately make better decisions–based on trust. But here’s the twist: this isn’t another guide on how to build customer advocacy programs, deploy tactics or tout their value. You’ve got plenty of resources for that (and a few links at the end if you’re curious). What I want to dive into is what’s coming next for customer advocacy and references in the world of B2B (based on my experience in the B2B SaaS space), and it’s going to shake things up.
The Rise of Mistrust
Word-of-mouth marketing has always been a thing, even before it had a fancy name like “customer advocacy”. We’ve asked friends, neighbors, and even family members for their “recommendations” on the best restaurants, the best contractors, the best running shoes. Why? Because we’ve been burned too many times by bad products and misleading marketing. (And really, is there anything spookier than mentioning “baby car seat” out loud, only to get bombarded with ads the next time you look at your phone?)
But B2B is different. It’s not as simple as doing your own research and clicking “buy now”. B2B buying decisions involve ever-growing groups of stakeholders, and sales cycles are being stretched out longer and longer. And inevitably, the buyer asks: “Can we speak to a few of your customers?” And that’s where things get tricky because the “perfect” customer reference doesn’t exist, and here’s why:
- Infrastructure – Even if you check most of the boxes and match a reference’s industry, department, company size and revenue, internal systems are never the same. How your product fits in will always vary.
- Internal Politics – Let’s face it, some people resist change, and no glowing reference will sway them if they’ve already decided they don’t want to switch things up.
- Internal Workflows: No two companies operate the same. Even with the same or similar infrastructure, teams may use tools differently, making it hard for any reference to perfectly align. I’ve witnessed this firsthand when it comes to developing internal customer advocate nomination workflows.
Here’s the kicker: customers have caught on. Their initial mistrust in conventional marketing strategies and tactics is beginning to bleed into the world of customer references; they’re becoming skeptical of advocacy tactics, and it’s our fault. We’ve done such a good job creating well-branded advocacy programs incentivizing customers to advocate that it’s now triggering mistrust. Don't get me wrong, I still believe the majority of organic content produced by programs is well-received. But what used to pass as genuine peer-to-peer recommendations is now being met with a raised eyebrow. The trust we’ve worked hard to build is being questioned.
Advocate Account-Based Marketing: The Next Frontier
In 2022, my team and I began to see a shift–customers didn’t just want references (via videos, case studies, quotes, etc); they wanted references from within their own company. Not just industry experts, but internal advocates who understood their unique challenges. Let’s be real, not all of us work for global enterprise SaaS platforms like SAP, Salesforce, Microsoft, those legendary giants that sit on the machines of every FTE. Many of us work for organizations that offer a valuable solution whose value will only be recognized by a select few functions or departments within an organization.
Across 30+ accounts, we found that when we used internal references from different departments, the conversations became far more powerful. Our team began to not only leverage existing assets across account departments, but also to be transparent with our established advocates. When internal advocates speak up, they bring an understanding of the company’s internal politics, infrastructure, and workflows. They know exactly how to break through the barriers of change management because they’ve lived it. (Hear Steve Konkol, a customer advocate turned dear friend of mine, describe his own reasons for choosing to share the successes he experienced.) So why rely on an external reference when you’ve got an internal one ready to go?
How We Made It Work
Armed with this insight, we leaned into what we started calling Advocate Account-Based Marketing (AABM). We created targeted content specifically for, and built with, advocates for the sole purpose of sharing it with their own, internal colleagues. The playbook was simple, and similar to our normal work, but effective:
- Transparency: We approached internal customer advocates with clear intention: “You’ve seen great success with this solution–how about helping others in your organization benefit too?” A two-way value driver is a win-win.
- Clear Expectations: We provided the resources, but the advocate did the talking. We wanted the content to be raw, authentic, and in a voice that was their own.
- Follow-Up Ready: Once the reference sparked interest, we worked closely with our sales and marketing counterparts to provide follow-up materials and enablement to our newly enlightened friends. Talk about demand generation.
The results? Amazing. On average, we saw a ~30% increase in account expansion. We even utilized these AABM tactics six months prior to renewal periods, and in turn improved our Net Revenue Retention (NRR). A single internal testimonial video helped close a $5M+ renewal with a major bank. And perhaps more importantly, it sparked an increased desire for product upskilling and education across departments. All of this in just one year.
Coffee Runs and Closed Deals
So what inspired me to write this, you ask? A CFO who loved our platform so much, he wanted to convince other subsidiaries to adopt it. He knew that no external reference would be as effective as hearing from their own colleagues. Together, we built a highly-customized, internal campaign (including slide decks, video, and a well-crafted talk track) featuring testimonials from teammates who had already experienced the product’s value. The result? A win-win deal, emphasizing that sometimes the most powerful advocate is the one who knows your coffee order.
As customer advocacy continues to evolve, the key is clear: trust isn’t about just finding the right external reference; it’s about leveraging the voices already within. The next frontier of customer advocacy is here, and it’s all about bringing it back home.
—----
Did you want to know more about building advocacy programs? Here’s those links I mentioned earlier:
- Building Customer Marketing: 5 Key Strategies from the CMA Playbook That Will Set You Up For Success [blog]
- Beginner’s Guide to Customer Advocacy [resource]
- Gaining Executive Buy-In with Strategic Measurement [resource]
