Customer references
This page is for partner owners and sales staff. A customer reference is a customer's permission to be named, quoted or called about your work. The program counts "Customer reference published" as 500 points (https://exponential.earth/partner/requirements, read 18 October 2026).
Levels of permission
| Level | Customer allows | Use |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Being named in a list | "Our customers include ..." |
| 2 | Logo use | Logo wall on your site |
| 3 | A quote | Proposals, website |
| 4 | Reference calls | Prospects may call a named contact |
| 5 | Case study | A full story (Writing a case study) |
Ask for each level explicitly and record the answer. A "yes" to a quote is not a "yes" to a logo.
Asking
Subject: May we name you as a reference?
We are glad <project> is running well. Would you allow us to:
[ ] name <organization> as a customer
[ ] show your logo on our website
[ ] use this quote: "<quote>"
[ ] give your contact <role> to prospects for a short reference call (max <n> a year)
You can withdraw this at any time by writing to <role e-mail>.Storing references
Keep a simple register: customer, permissions granted, date, who approved, expiry or review date. Store contact details only as long as you need them (Protecting customer data).
Using references well
- Ask before each reference call; respect the agreed maximum.
- Brief the prospect; send the reference a thank-you.
- Review references yearly; remove those whose sites no longer run Exponential.
- When a customer withdraws, remove the reference everywhere within a short, stated time.
Related pages
- Writing a case study
- Showing "Powered by Exponential"
- Partner directories and listings
- Free documentation: this page is free to copy, translate and improve under the GNU FDL 1.3.