Stick with one product/service and one success per case study. Don’t make any unsupported claims. You must prove everything you say. Using the subheads suggested above, include the following information: About the Client [if !supportLists]· [endif]What business is the company in? [if !supportLists]· [endif]Specifically, what does it produce? [if !supportLists]· [endif]How is it structured? [if !supportLists]· [endif]Where is it located? [if !supportLists]· [endif]How long has it been in business? [if !supportLists]· [endif]How many employees? [if !supportLists]· [endif]How long has it been a client? [if !supportLists]· [endif]What’s the current state
Many companies rely on salespeople to contact and interview clients for case studies. This almost never works for a number of reasons, which include: [if !supportLists]· [endif]Salespeople resent the extra responsibility [if !supportLists]· [endif]Salespeople worry about jeopardizing their relationships with clients [if !supportLists]· [endif]Most salespeople are uncomfortable interviewing clients [if !supportLists]· [endif]Most salespeople don’t enjoy writing Since portions of the case study will be about the salesperson, you’re basically asking the salesperson to interview the client about his own performance – very uncomfortable. No one likes doing something that they
Right now, you’re probably mentally running through your list of clients trying to figure out which ones to approach. Your criteria for selection is probably limited to who you think would be willing to participate. The good news is nearly all of your clients will be more than happy to help – so don’t use that criterion as a starting point. Instead, working with your sales team, look through your database for clients who have successfully implemented the offerings you want to promote and who are similar to the clients you want to attract. Favor big successes over big clients. Instead of choosing big name clients, look for clients who you believe can show measurable and undeniable success. It
Suddenly case studies are everywhere. Why? In the wake of the social media frenzy, we’re reminded that there are many things social media tools don’t do well – convincing prospects to buy is one of them. Because of the highly strategic sales process, B2B marketing requires a lot of copy – which is why advertorials, white papers, Web copy, and case studies were perennial staples. This was fine when people had time to read, but they don’t anymore – rest assured that the 40-page white paper and spiral-bound case study are definitely dead. The new case studies – sometimes called success stories - are tightly written, graphically appealing, logical, thorough, and to the point. There’s no more dr
Do you really need a business book to tell you what to do? There are hundreds of business books on the market. People buy business books because they’re looking for a quick fix, but most people don’t read/listen to the entire book - research shows that only 43 percent finish. In addition, most people don’t follow the advice in the book, or follow it only long enough to see that it doesn’t work for them. The bottom line is that readers don’t pick up anything valuable because most business books go against wisdom that’s been tested for centuries. Consider the following 10 business book themes and their commonsense counterparts. 1. The customer always comes first. People always come fi
