By Amy Gesenhues
Selling a service is like asking someone you never met before to trust you. Your prospects can't hold, look at, or evaluate your service like they can new software. Convincing them that you are their best bet can be difficult. So what's the quickest way to prove your value? A case study.
In today's world of information-overload, people are immune to marketing jargon and catchy taglines. No matter how often or how many ways you say you are the best, your prospects want more than aggressive messaging. As a service-oriented company, you need to provide proof that your firm can deliver. A case study, or a brief overview of a completed project that received measurable and successful results, can sell your service for you.
But what does it take to create a case study that makes an impact? First you need a client who is willing to let you write one. Second, your client needs to have experienced phenomenal results from the work you performed.
Many companies write case studies that completely miss the point. They name the Fortune 500 client and outline all the work that was involved to complete the job, but the big story is missing -- what did the client gain? Did their lead generation numbers increase significantly? Did revenue grow exponentially? Did they reduce call volume? Did their website receive double the usual traffic? The answers to these questions are the big story when it comes to writing a case study.
Your prospects want qualified evidence that you can deliver what you are promising. A case study offers valuable insight into your capabilities and tells a story that engages the reader. An effective case study has four parts:
- The Client: This section should include a small overview of their organization. Often times, you can pull what you need for this section from the "About Us" page on their site. Leave this section short and sweet. Give the reader a quick idea of what the company does and move on.
- The Need: This is a where you begin to set up the story. What was your client's objective when they came to you? What was the reason for the project? That's the need.
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