Today one (1) of our team members were at a potential client's office. They were looking for a consulting company to help them implement a helpdesk system. It was a very comfortable and productive meeting. During a friendly exchange of problems and solutions we presented, the IT manager nonchalantly requested a list of references.
To us, a client asking for references is a compliment. We are leery of a client that does not ask for references. Checking references gives everyone a "warm an fuzzy" feeling.
We always provide unsolicited references. This means we do not call previous clients and business associates, in advance. There is no doubt our references will be taken aback. This approach allows potential clients to receive objective feedback on NetTECH's past performance.
Always get at least 3-5 references from any [consulting] company you are considering as a business partner.