The goal of the Customer Reference Program is to provide opportunities for customers to share their story on how GitLab has helped them overcome the challenges, blockers, and pain points within their organizations. The Reference Program Managers work as a conduit to help connect customers with opportunities by balancing customer requests with company demands. By providing a single point for outreach to customers, the CR team prevents customer burnout, sales team burnout, and ensures a diversity of customer assets are delivered to stakeholders.
WIP
Our mission is to manage our customer reference relationships like the precious resources they are in order to achieve prolonged success for both our customers and GitLab.
Delivery of Customer Case Studies, Blogs, Videos, Quotes, Reviews, etc.
Account Owners!!! NOMINATE a new Reference Customer in Salesforce here!
Please reach out to the Product CAB Manager (slack the cab-internal channel) before you nominate a customer for the Product CAB. Typically the customer profile is enterprise level with over 1200 licenses; however we review every nomination on its own merit
| Quick Reference Links: | Customer Reference Program Assets |
|---|---|
| Customer Reference Standard Agreement and Logo Approval form (case study, earnings, marketing, etc) (updated 2022-03-03)) | Customer Logo Approval form (logo usage only) (04.21.2021) |
| Customer Case Study Slides - Sales Asset | Customer Peer Reviews - Customer Quotes - Sales Deck Asset |
| G2 Promotional Badges - Sales Asset | TEI Sales Metrics Slides - Sales Asset |
| Offical Letter Welcoming Customers to Reference Program | Forrester TEI 2020 Page - Analyst Report, Sales Asset |
| Online TEI Calculator - Share with Anyone | Customer Approved Quote Deck - Sales Asset |
| Reference Program Pitch Deck Slide - Sales Asset | Customer Reference One Page Resource |
| Quick Reference Links: | Customer Reference Program Processes and Support |
|---|---|
| Customer Insight Page (Case Study, Blog, Quote and Logo Process) | Requesting a reference for a sales call |
| Customer Case Studies - Customers Page | Case Study Board - search by Usecase, Value Driver, Product replacing, etc |
| Customer Events - Process and Support | Customer Logo Approval form (case study etc) (06.21.2021) |
| Email Copy for Case Study Reference | SFDC Report of Recently Referenced Customers |
| Email Template - Analyst Reference | [Press Kit - GitLab Brand Guidelines and Logos]https://about.gitlab.com/press/press-kit/) |
| Full Customer Logo Deck Jan 2022 | |
| Customer Advisory Board | Third-Party Authorization to use GitLab Trademarks |
| Customer Reference Registration Page (external) | Media Consent and Model Release Form - Updated 2021 |
We have a new dedicated sales support page that has tailored content for our sales team to support the reference program and to access resources to accelerate their sales deals etc.
We have an external reference page that is integrated into customer communications to promote customers to register their interest in joining our Reference Progam. The process for managing these responses is outlined here
We use workflow functionality within ReferenceEdge to encourage sales account owners to nominate customers into the reference program. Find detailed process here. The Customer Reference Manager reviews the reference lead report on a quarterly basis and reaches out to sales to gather customer insight.
Our written customer case studies are found on the /customers page Our video customer case studies are found on the YouTube site on this playlist
Some examples of the types of assets we'd use as customer references once we have approval from the customer:
* What led you to GitLab, what problems were you trying to solve?
* Why did you choose GitLab and what other tools were you using or considering?
* What has been your experience with GitLab?
* How did you make the business case for GitLab and what metrics have you seen improve?
* What have you heard from GitLab users, what was their adoption curve like?
* What has been the most unexpected success you have experienced? Adoption rates? Improved speed?
It is critical and the Customer Reference Management team’s responsibility to optimize our reference customer engagements to balance:
By default, we will request a customer support reference call (sales/analyst relations/public relations) no more than once per quarter per customer. In support of event speaking and/or other participation support (field, alliance, digital, community, etc.), we will request customer support at a maximum of once every two quarters per customer. The CRM ultimately decides if the reference request is suitable for the proposed customer based on a number of factors including but not limited to:
To request customer speakers for various activities, please view detailed process here
To create a general request for the Customer Reference Program, open an issue on the Customer Reference Program Board in the Product and Solution Marketing Project.
GitLab understands the value of our customer relationships and values customers that are willing to share their success with our team. We have a logo permission form that we require be signed before we promote the customer relationship using the customer logo. We understand and respect that corporate logos are considered intellectual property and are owned and licensed by the respective organization.
Customer Slide in the Pitch Deck This slide is reviewed and updated on a 6 monthly basis by the PMM team and the Reference team. The CRM creates the review issue and works with the assigned PMM to review new logos and create a revised slide. Once the strategic marketing team approves the new slide; the CRM creates an issue for the brand team to review the slide. The CRM co-ordinates with the Pitch deck editor to update the new slide into the pitch deck.
Customer Case Study Slides Once the case study is published, the CRM creates a stand alone slide in the WIP folder, at the end of every quarter, the CRM raises a design review issue for the brand team to approve the new case study slides in WIP. When the new slides are approved by the design team; the CRM migrates these new slides into the Case Study Deck.
Full Customer Logo Deck Jan 2022 The CRM reviews the deck above on a 3 monthly basis; working with the PMM team to update the deck. The CRM creates an issue for the brand team to review and publishes a new version of the customer logo deck. The CRM manages the versions of the deck and tracks the new additions.
The CRM will review the customer case study page on a quartlery basis reviewing the content and the customer grid.
To promote our customer reference content, we use the customer logos with respect to reference content created in promotional activities
Customer logos appear on our website and other marketing and promotional materials. To respect the intellectual property of companies that use our product, we request a signed permission form to use their logo. The approval form includes permission to localise the reference content into different languages hosted on our website, to include the content in analyst relations activities, and to include the content in public relations activities. To request these permissions, please send the Authorization to Use Company Materials Form 03.03.2022 to the appropriate member of the customer organization. Please note this approval form includes permission for logo usage in case study/ customer blogs/ video and social/public promotion activities as per prior customer agreement.
Information about the GitLab Customer Advisory Boards is found on the CAB page
Learn about our Peer Review Management Program
The Customer Reference Team has created appreciation swag for customers to thank them for their support and for engaging with us in reference activities. Availability of these items is limited and managed by the Customer Reference Program team. For customers in the Americas, please reach out to Jen For EMEA-based customers, please reach out to Fiona
View information around customer reference pool, keep track of the latest case studies and find out how the Customer Reference team is helping share customer success stories.