Case studies are one of the most effective marketing tools to generate new B2B leads. They offer interested parties an opportunity to get an impression of how you and your company were able to offer value to similar customers in the past.
The effectiveness of good case studies lies, in particular, in the fact that it is not you, but your satisfied customers who are promoting your business. That is also why, the effort it generally takes to create a case study is limited – provided you ask the right questions.
Before you create a case study, ask your satisfied customers for a few minutes of their time. Then interview them with the following 5 questions:
1. What were / are your goals?
Actually, these are two different questions. Depending on the time of the interview, you should ask the respective question. However, as you will generally only receive the customer’s experience report after completion of the successful project, you will typically ask what the goals were.
The question of “what the goals are”, on the other hand, places the focus on current tasks within the company. This may be helpful because your offer is likely to serve the customer with reaching a superior goal in the company (e.g., restructuring, savings, repositioning, etc.).
You usually cover both questions in order to write an even more convincing case study. The best way to do this, is to get goals such as “Company XY___ was looking for ___ to achieve the goal of ___ set by management.”
2. What was your challenge before investing into the product or service?
The case study usually reaches your prospective customer at a rather early stage of the customer journey (information search). Readers of a case study are usually assigned by superiors to research or find a solution for a problem within the company.
By describing the concrete challenge the company is facing, the prospective buyer can identify more closely with the case study. The description of the problem solution (which typically follows thereafter) can thus reach the reader more effectively and convince him that you are the competent partner for his project.
The challenge is, as a rule, the first element of a case study and follows the classical problem-to-solution structure of each marketing communication. Describe the challenge in a generally vague way, so that as many people as possible can identify with it.
3. How did our product or service positively differentiate itself from those of our competitors?
YES, exactly: this one is all about the USP. However, remember the purpose of a case study: Here you communicate the USP perceived by your customer – NOT the one you actively communicate (often times these are not identical and can be vastly different…).
Include this answer, even if it does not match with your actual positioning (as long as it is not contrary to it …). The interested party can consider both your actively communicated USP as well as the one referred to in the case study, and it might make influence decision-making in your favor.
By the way, it should be in your own best interest to ask this question about the project carried out. Before and during the execution of the order, you usually receive less direct feedback than afterwards. In addition, the existing customer can give better feedback by reflecting the entire process once the project has been finished.
4. Please describe the decision-making process within your company?
Case studies are rarely sought out directly by the decision makers themselves. As a rule, it is specialists, who are charged with the search for suitable solutions. By presenting your past client’s decision-making path within the case study, you can also help your prospective customer to decide how to better influence a decision, or how to “sell better” to his/her superior that has to approve the purchase decision.
5. How did you benefit from the use of our product or service? (If relevant, ask for concrete figures/metrics.)
While a problem description should rather be general (in order for all interested parties to draw comparisons or to find parallels), the principles for the results achieved through the use are:
The more concrete, the more convincing.
Ideally you should describe the time frame within
- which cost savings were realized
- which sales increases were achieved
- what number of new orders were generated
- how much capacity utilization could be increased.
Yes, if you like:
“Only clarity is the real thing.”
As a result of this, it may be necessary to inquire or re-inquire several times. But don’t be afraid! You will not bother your customers, much rather they will be grateful for your persistence as you help them to realize the changes within their company (and evaluate their investment).
More than once did I experience that only due to my request did the customer deal with and evaluate the concrete results achieved (no wonder – your customer is usually already busy with other tasks …).
It is a great experience for both you and your customers when the concrete benefit is clearly calculated and presented. If the customer calculates it himself, numbers are analyzed, and e.g. let’s say if he finds that he could reduce costs by -20%, this is particularly convincing for him (as he reached this conclusion himself instead of it being suggested by you…).
Equipped with specific figures and results, you can then make a professional and convincing case study. Do you want support in creating your case study? Then I will be happily at your disposal.
Send me your request now and let’s create your convincing case study.
