You may think that once someone becomes a customer or client, you should be able to use them in your promotions and marketing (web site, brochures, etc.) and while you often can—and it is a very good idea to develop a client list you can share—you still need to get permission in order to this from each customer or client first.
Many years ago, when I was a young consultant (okay, I was thirty, but that seems quite young and green to me now), I made the mistake of including a very large client in our promotional brochure without permission. To my way of thinking, they worked with us and they would be pleased and proud to be included. They were not happy. To the executive director’s way of thinking, I had “appropriated” the organization’s name for my own use without permission. We had some rough words and tough negotiation and I learned a hard lesson: just because my clients chose to work with me, did not give me permission to share that with the world. I learned that I needed to get written permission (it became a standard part of our consulting contracts) in order to do that.
If you work with contracts, you can insert a clause for marketing purposes—but it also a good idea to get a verbal agreement. Ask each client or customer if you can include them in a client list that you share with the public, or if you are in a business where you will be providing references on a one-to-one basis, check with them prior to sharing any information—it is just good business.
Once you have permission, sharing at least a partial client list with prospects and including it in your marketing also is good business—people want to know who you’ve done business with already and it adds to your credibility and visibility.
Also: What if a Customer or Client Wants References?