1.  Interview your customer. You can start with interviewing the key people within your firm who were involved with implementing the solution. Find out whom the key customer contacts that should be included in the case study interview. Interview each party separate. Ask questions the same questions to both parties. Each will provide a different point of view.

Ask your customer the following questions:

• Why is this a success story?
• How did it solve the problem?
• Did they find the solution cost effective? How was it cost effective?
• Did it meet their needs and how?
• Did the solution allow them to provide better service to the public or business community? Why did they choose this company’s product or service?

Determine how this story should be positioned to help your firm.  Should more business, more revenue, or used to attract a specific type of project? Will it help propel your service and solution above  your competition and market?.

Tape your interview sessions, and ask if the interviewees have any objections? Keep in mind, some companies do not allow taped interviews without a signed non-disclosure agreement. To be on the safe side, do not assume you can tape the interviews, request permission first.

2.  Make your story appealing. Make sure the candidates have a good story to tell. For example, “A major local economic development authority chose this solution because it improved productivity by 85% by providing a web based GIS property management solution with demographics for businesses and site locators making location decisions…Then make this appealing to other businesses that may not be in economic development sector but can take advantage of online mapping property analysis and demographic information tool. For example, another company could select the solution the following reason; “selected the solution because it provides immediate access to a burning building’s floor plans, therefore providing fireman with crucial information to help save lives and reduce injuries when entering a burning building.”

3.  Craft the story. Create a captivating headline that “sells”, highlighting the solution benefits and results achieved. Provide a bulleted summary of the major points in the story the reader can scan easily. Provide a compelling quote from the customer that describes the problem faced and how the product resolved it.

Provide accurate results the customer achieved; 85% time savings, 35% lower costs, increased revenues by 25%, reduced numbers of support calls by 80%, etc. Add the “feel good” portions to the story if applicable. “Generated an increase of 36 new business that moved to the community”, etc.

4. Include pictures or diagrams available. Include screen shots, photos, diagrams, or illustrations accompanied with captions.  Make sure the customer and your firm want them added.

5. Get approvals. After the story is complete, show the customer and your firm for their approval. Accurate well-written case study is essential for gaining the customer’s approval. Conduct internal reviews from your firm first before sending it to your customer. If approved by your firm, then send the entire case study and package, including any illustrations, videos, or diagrams to your customer for their approval. When both firms approve the case study, then story is ready for distribution.

Case studies demonstrate how a customer succeeds with utilizing another company’s product or service. They provide credibility as a powerful sales tool without the use of any marketing hype.

As a copywriter, I’ll write these stories as a couple page article, which can be repurposed for power point presentations, sales letters, post cards, or for the web site. The important point, case studies explain how one company solved an industry problem another company faces.

Captivating case studies describe the challenges the company faced and the current situation. It should include precise numbers for illustrating savings or gains, proof of the interaction between the companies, and contact information. Case studies often include endorsements by customer.

Generally, case studies are written in 8 ½ x 11, front and back, format that can be available as a handout. Case studies contain between 1000-3000 words. Companies, often, provide these on their websites for perspective customers to download and print. Sales reps pass case studies on to their clients and prospects as collateral. Well-written case studies are read more frequently than brochures because they include a human element in the form of a story.

Next post, I’ll share with you five easy steps for writing case studies.