Three Steps to Generating Quality Case Studies

The need for quality case studies has never been greater than it is right now. B2B salespeople are encountering more competition than ever before, and they are working harder to earn the business and attention from both their prospects and their current clients. There’s a lot of information out there online, and businesses are increasingly conducting their own research and independently garnering information that allows them to evaluate your products and services. 

So, more than ever, it is critical that salespeople stand out with quality examples of how clients have used their product or service in the past, had a good experience, and achieved a significant return on investment.

Sounds obvious. But, when we talk to salespeople, most report that their company does not have many of these case studies to share, and the ones that they do have are either old or no longer relevant. Managers recognize the need for this resource and the lack of availability, but as much as they value these case studies, they report that they don’t have the time to get it done or they have struggled digging up the best information to build the story. 

Never fear! If you are delighting your customers then you have the ability to generate case studies and success stories.  

Here are three steps you can take to generate quality case studies.

1. Send out an email to your best clients, asking them if they would be interested in being featured on your blog or your company website as a spotlight example of success.  
2. Remember to thank every client that responds and congratulate them on their success. Then, ask them to fill out a brief questionnaire about the results they have achieved as a result of doing business with you, and how your products or service have played a role.
3. Select the best few and schedule a time to call them to conduct a phone interview. Make sure to have your questions prepared in advance, and feel free to send those questions to your client in advance so they can have some time to prepare their answers. After these interviews you will be ready to produce your case studies, and we recommend that you use the format of identifying The Problem, The Process, The Plan and The Performance. This sort of consistent approach will make it easy for the end user to consume the information. Be sure to show your client the case study prior to publishing it on your blog or website. 

Using these three steps consistently, you will begin to generate powerful and relevant stories that will be meaningful to your prospects.  Challenge yourself to stick with this reliable process and format, and you will find it will be much easier to update your case studies over time, and build a tremendous success library.

Editor's note: This post was originally published on May 21, 2013 and has been updated.