Case Studies – Why and How To
A case study is a real world tale of a customer’s success using your product or service.
Case studies are widely read and highly effective. Why?…
A Case study:
- Covertly gives your product or service instant 3rd party validation which is more credible to your reader than your biased sales literature
- Presents a real world problem your reader can relate to and leads through to a solution via your product or service
- Uses emotion and drama (when done well) which pulls the reader in
- Uses a story format which slips under your readers shield of skeptism and engages them far better than a dry data sheet
- Gives your reader information about what their competitors are up to
- Is about people and people (your reader) relate to people easier than abstract information
- Is more in depth and complete than a testimonial
Building your case study:
- Headline – case studies are problem-solution stories. Before
(problem or challenge) / after (solved) type headlines work well… “From
the edge of bankruptcy to…
You can also use a 1st person quote… “Before I switched to… - Lead – your lead establishes the main player in the story – your happy customer. Who are they, what is their market.
- Problem/challenge – what is the problem or challenge blocking or inhibiting them from success.
- Path – how did they get to you… How long were they plagued by
the problem. How has it impacted them. How did they try to solve it
on their own. What other solutions did they look at. Which ones did
they try. Why didn’t other products/services solve the problem.
How did they find you.
Your audience is in this phase. This is where they will get “involved” with the story. This is where they will begin to replace the main character – your happy customer – with themselves. - Solution – how was your product/service implemented… How long did it take. Were there any problems or difficulties and how were they handled. Did you have a hero role in the implementation.
- Results – What was the impact on their business, on their revenue, the return on investment. What was the time frame. Specific numbers have strong impact. Conclude with a quote from the customer.
Now what?
One of the advantages of case studies is their versatility.
Use your case studies…
- on your web site both on a “Customer Success” page as well as other pages
- in your e–zine or print newsletter
- as a customer contact mailing
- in your sales collateral and/or presentation
- as part of lead generation efforts
- trade show handouts
- in a press release
Case studies are an excellent promotional and selling tool both because:
– they slip under your prospects shield of skepticism and
– your prospect can more easily adapt someone’s real
world success to their own situation