What being listed means
A company whose product you use (the vendor) has asked you to be a customer reference, or has told you that you are one. In practice that means the vendor keeps a profile for you inside its reference library on lyynx. The profile sits under your employer's company entry and can hold your name, title, a short story about how you use the product and, if you have given them, a testimonial, a case study, success metrics and answers to common questions.
That profile is not open to the internet. People who want to see real reference content have to register, and the vendor has to invite them or approve their access request. Their access can expire. A prospect who has access can read what you have chosen to show and, depending on your settings, ask to talk to you.
A profile goes through an approval workflow before it is shown: draft, pending approval, approved, rejected or revoked. Being asked is a request, and you can say no.
What you control
These settings are covered in detail on the privacy controls page. In short:
- Privacy level. Each reference is Public, Approval Required or Private.
- Which details are shown. Your photo, LinkedIn link, contact details, case study, testimonial and success metrics can each be shown or hidden.
- How you are contacted. Prospects can contact you directly, each request can be approved first, or requests can go to the vendor's team so that nobody reaches you without the vendor in the middle.
- How often you are asked. You set a maximum number of engagements per rolling 30 days, separately for each vendor. The vendor may set a default, but your number wins.
- What you are willing to do. Three separate flags: reference calls, written testimonials and speaking at events. You can agree to one and decline the others.
- Whether you stay listed. You can revoke your consent. A revoked reference is not shown again unless a new approval is given.
| Setting | Alex Example, Demo Co. |
|---|---|
| Privacy level | Approval required |
| Shown on profile | Photo, testimonial, success metrics |
| Hidden | LinkedIn link, contact details, case study |
| Contact method | Requests are approved first |
| Engagement limit | 2 per rolling 30 days |
| Willing to | Reference calls, written testimonials |
| Consent | Given. Can be revoked. |
Your profile becomes yours when you log in
The vendor can invite you to the platform. Until you log in, the vendor maintains your profile. Once you log in, you own your profile fields. The vendor can no longer edit them and has to ask you for an update.
A reference profile is a statement made in your name, so the wording should come from you.
What happens when a prospect wants to talk to you
- A prospect with access views your profile and sends a contact request.
- The request follows the contact method set for your reference: straight to you, through an approval step, or to the vendor's team.
- If the conversation goes ahead, you and the prospect can exchange messages inside the platform.
- To book a call, you share your scheduling link or propose times.
When you are at capacity
If you have already reached your engagement limit for the rolling 30 days, a new request does not come to you. It is routed to the vendor's team, who can offer the prospect a different reference or hold the request. You do not have to turn anyone down yourself. More detail is on the burnout prevention page.
How to check whether you are listed
You do not need an account to find out whether a vendor has listed you. Go to the listing check and search by your email address, your company's domain or your company name.
If the check shows a listing you did not agree to, you can report it from the same page.
If you agreed to be listed but have changed your mind, revoke your consent instead.
About thank-yous
lyynx does not pay advocates and promises no reward for taking part. A vendor may choose to send a thank-you, such as a gift card or a donation to a charity. That is the vendor's decision, and it is not payment for saying specific things. What you tell a prospect is your own view. More on the rewards page.
Before you agree
If your employer has rules about endorsing suppliers, check them. Ask to see what your profile will say, and pick an engagement limit you would be happy to meet in a busy month. If the vendor sends you a consent form, the customer reference consent form template shows what a clear one covers.
How lyynx handles personal data is set out in the Privacy Policy and the GDPR notice.