Vendor demos and proposals tell you what a vendor promises — references tell you how they actually deliver. OutSail's references feature lets you gather structured, honest feedback from your professional network about the vendors you're evaluating, all organized within your workspace. This article explains how to request, collect, and manage peer references on OutSail.

How References Work

References live in the Advisors tab. There, you'll find the references section, where you can request reviews for any vendors you've added as finalists. Every project has its own custom reference link — a unique URL exclusive to you — that you can share with anyone whose perspective you'd value.

Sharing Your Reference Link

Share your reference link with friends, HR peers, or the professional communities you're part of — Slack groups, LinkedIn, or any other network. When you want broader feedback, a simple post works well. For example:

"Hi everyone — I'm currently evaluating Vendor A, Vendor B, and Vendor C. Has anyone worked with them? If you can share your experience in the link below, it would really help my research process. Any pros, cons, or tips would be invaluable. Thank you!"

What Your Peers See

When a peer clicks your link, they're taken to a dedicated portal where they leave a structured review — not just a quick comment on a Slack or LinkedIn post. They'll share pros and cons, provide a rating, and add detail about their experience, giving you feedback with real substance.

Reviewing Feedback in Your Workspace

As your peers submit their reviews, each one is stored in your project and appears in the Advisors tab under the reviews section. Over time, you'll build a wide range of real-world feedback on your finalists — all in one place, alongside the rest of your evaluation.

Managing Review Visibility

As an admin, you have control over which reviews are visible. If a review isn't helpful for your evaluation, you can turn it off so it no longer appears in your workspace.

References in Your Business Case

Reviews don't just inform your decision — they help defend it. The references you collect appear in your business case, adding independent peer validation to the documentation you'll share with your executive team.

Conclusion

References bring the voice of real users into your evaluation. By sharing your custom link across your professional communities, you can transform scattered word-of-mouth into structured, comparable feedback — strengthening both your decision and the business case behind it.