A useful reference call lets the buyer investigate those questions. Prepare a short guide tied to the proposed assignment, and ask the former client only about experience they are comfortable discussing.
Define what the buyer needs to check
For the fictional process review, the buyer's concerns are concrete: will the consultant keep the team informed, explain the reasoning and handle corrections properly?
Agree that focus before arranging the call. It helps the reference prepare and gives the buyer a reason to ask more than "Were you happy with the work?"
The consultant should confirm permission for this introduction and topic before sharing contact details. A reference who agrees to discuss working methods has not agreed to reveal confidential findings, internal documents or financial results.
Use questions about actual delivery
The buyer can adapt this original question guide. Ask for an example where the reference can give one without exposing sensitive information.
| Question for the reference | What the buyer can learn |
|---|---|
| What work did this consultant personally carry out? | The person's contribution, distinct from work done by their team or another provider |
| How were the scope and dates confirmed before work began? | Whether both sides had a practical shared starting point |
| When an input or assumption changed, how did the consultant explain the effect? | How delivery uncertainty was handled |
| Could your team understand the reasoning behind the recommendation? | Whether the output was usable beyond the presentation |
| How were factual corrections or disagreements handled? | The review process and quality of the response |
| What would you clarify before commissioning similar work again? | Conditions the buyer should examine in their own proposal |
Add a confidentiality question without asking the reference to disclose another client's security arrangements: "Were the sharing and return arrangements for your material clear to you?" A reference's answer describes their experience; the buyer still needs to check the arrangements proposed for their own assignment.
Record an answer at its actual strength
These are fictional notes showing how to capture a call without turning it into an endorsement of everything the consultant offers.
Relevant assignment: the reference commissioned a reporting-workflow review; the current buyer needs an enquiry-process review.
Delivery example: when one interview moved, the consultant sent a revised review date and explained which analysis could continue.
Review experience: the reference described one factual correction and said the final version made the change visible.
Remaining question: the former assignment involved documents, while the new proposal may require access to live systems. The reference cannot establish whether those new access arrangements are suitable.
Buyer action: ask the consultant to explain proposed access, responsibility and handback before acceptance.
The notes separate relevant working experience from a gap the buyer still needs to resolve.
Handle an imperfect match honestly
The consultant may have no reference from the same sector. Explain the relevant similarity and the difference: a comparable review process can inform delivery questions while leaving sector-specific competence unproven.
If a suitable reference is unavailable, offer accurately labelled alternatives, such as a fictional work specimen or a walkthrough of the proposed method. The buyer decides whether that evidence is sufficient for this purchase.
Bring the result back to the proposal
Use the call to identify a practical question or condition. Confirm who will do the work, the review process and the information arrangements in the actual proposal. Positive comments from a former client should support due diligence, rather than replace it.
If the buyer still has a requirement you cannot meet, acknowledge it. A reference call is useful when it improves the decision about a defined assignment, including a decision to choose a different provider.