The term “advocate” is used everywhere when we talk about Customer Advocacy programs or activities, but it might not mean the same thing for every company. Are they companies or people?
Take, for example, someone who purchases a certain solution and implements it successfully, so it runs smoothly for years. This turns them into an active promoter.
If they move to a different company, will this person remain an advocate in their new role?
Would you classify the company itself as an advocate, since the successful implementation is still running?
People are at the center of Customer Advocacy: People are the real advocates.
If a company purchases a product and undergoes a successful implementation, it’s the people who were part of the buying process, oversaw the implementation, and witnessed the benefits yielded who are going to want to share their experience, excitement, and enthusiasm. They witnessed the change, and their pains were alleviated, so they have an emotional investment and relationship with your product.
Having a signed publicity agreement or a published customer story are great first steps, but if there aren’t people behind generating genuine excitement and incentives, that agreement is not going to be fully implemented.
Why is this so important? During a complex sales cycle, different roles come into play during the discussion that needs to be aligned to successfully close the deal.
Having as many buying roles onboarded as advocates will shorten the sales cycle and increase your chances to win more deals.
Enthusiasm is infectious and the right advocates can spread their excitement about your product in virtually any department.
