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Chapter 24—Case Studies

Case studies are a high-impact tool that allows B2B companies
to demonstrate their experience and track record. A customer
speaking positively on your behalf is one of the greatest
sources of credibility for your company, and the ability to tell a
story about actual results is much stronger than any elevator
pitch.

Case studies can serve as a useful sales support tool as
content on your website, as input to articles, and as the basis
for speaking engagements. They can also be used as part of
your lead nurturing process.

It’s important to have multiple case studies. Having only one
may seem questionable to potential buyers (Does that mean
you only have one client? Or only one who would speak on
your behalf? Have you had favourable results only once?) A
single case study may be worse for your image than none.
I recommend a minimum of three but five to eight is ideal.
If you serve multiple industries and situations, separate the
case studies into categories, so readers can easily find the
case studies most relevant to them.

If you’re in the enviable position of having numerous
experiences that could turn into case studies, make the choice
based on these factors:

a) The biggest / most impressive customer names (sanitized
case studies—i.e. those where the customer can’t be
named—are less effective).

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© 2012 Lisa Shepherd