Writing Case Studies for Consulting Projects

🔖 Three companies: Gong, ClickUp, and Ahrefs — proved that content drives revenue. They shared their playbook, everyone copied (to the T!) and failed 👀. Why? Well… because they copied the content formats, but not the strategy that made them work. They spent months crafting blog posts, whitepapers, and reports—measuring success by traffic, engagement, and downloads. ❌ Only problem is: Pipeline isn’t built on downloads. And in all my years in B2B, I’ve never met a CMO who cared if a blog ranks #1 on Google—if it doesn’t move prospects through the sales funnel. Here’s what they failed to copy though: 🎯 Gong doesn’t create content just to rank—it builds data-backed insights that sales reps actively use in conversations. 🎯 ClickUp doesn’t just push out blogs—it structures content around decision-making moments, making it easier for prospects to self-educate and convert. 🎯 Ahrefs extends their content to teaching on YouTube—not just selling —which has positioned them as experts. The difference here is— their content isn’t just a lead magnet—it’s a sales tool. And that’s where most teams go wrong. Most companies assume that shifting content to drive revenue requires an entirely new strategy. It doesn’t. The easiest way to fix this disconnect is by looking at the content you already have and making it sales-driven instead of SEO-driven. 💡Start with your case studies and write them like sales enablement assets. In this case: ➡️ What problem was the customer struggling with? ➡️ What was stopping them from switching sooner? ➡️ What measurable change did they see, and how did it impact decision-making? This way, when a prospect asks, “Why should I choose you over Competitor X?”, the sales team has a direct, proof-backed story to send them. To be practical, say you’re marketing a customer support platform like Kustomer or Zendesk. A VP of Customer Success is considering a switch but is hesitant: 🫥 “We’re not sure if migrating will be worth the effort.” Instead of another feature comparison blog, create content that removes this exact hesitation. ➡️ Publish a case study titled “How [Company X] Switched From [Competitor] to Us in 30 Days Without Disrupting Support.” ➡️ Create a playbook that outlines the exact migration steps, reducing perceived risk. ➡️ Have a 1-minute video clip where a real customer says: “We thought migration would be painful, but it was seamless.” Now, when your sales team hears "I'm worried about migration", they don’t just say, “It’s easy, trust us.” 😪🫤 They send the case study, the playbook, and the customer testimonial—backed by real examples. This is how content moves from “something nice to have” to a direct revenue driver. 🗣️ It’s not rocket science (for real) — all you have to do is simply create content that fits directly into your sales cycle (and not keywords).

99.9999% of case studies I see don't address: → Empathy Way too much "Next, I did this..." Not enough "Here's why we did this..." A well-placed persona image in your study is not a substitute for genuine user understanding. Some ways you can highlight empathy: → Core Needs: Begin your narrative by highlighting the user's fundamental needs. Make their pain points the core of your story, just as you did with your designs. → Insights: Distill the core needs into your primary insights. Showcase these. They guided your design decisions. Let them guide your case study. → How Might We's: A good way to frame problem-solving based on each insight. These show the uncovered potential. → Outcomes: Shift your focus from solely what you've learned to how your solution positively affected the user. How did it make their life better? Tell the story through the user's eyes, not merely as a designer ticking off a checklist. Empathy should have guided every step of your design process. Let it guide your story, too. #ProductDesign #PortfolioTips

Testimonial requests tend to sound like homework. “Would you mind filling out a quick review form?” “Could you write a few lines about your experience?” As Abe Lincoln once said - ain't nobody got time for that. Not when they’re drowning in QBR decks and budget asks. But here’s the good news: You’re ALREADY getting testimonials. You’re just not capturing them. How? Well, your best reviews happen mid-sentence...not in post-call surveys. Every week, your customers are saying: - “This saved us so much time.” - “I had no idea we could do that.” - “You’ve made my job way easier.” THAT'S your testimonial. Don’t ask for it later. Double back immediately. “Loved that feedback - any chance I can turn that into a short quote for our team? I’ll write it up for you to approve.” The answer is usually yes. Here’s a 3-part system CSMs can use: 1. Use Sybill to identify key praise moments. Tag the call. Clip the quote. Make it easy for marketing to use. Bonus points if it aligns to a launch, feature, or persona. 2. Send the follow-up within 24 hours. Keep it short: “Hey Samantha - loved what you said on today’s call. I drafted a quick version below. Let me know if you’re cool with it or want to tweak anything.” Now it’s opt-in. You removed homework from the equation. 3. Tie review asks to key milestones. Don’t wait until EBRs. Ask after: - a successful onboarding. - a new feature rollout. - a strong support save. - a surprise ROI win. All you're doing is reinforcing momentum. tl;dr = testimonial collection isn’t so much of a marketing play as it is a CS system. If your team’s sitting on dozens of glowing comments each month, but none of them make it into your website, your decks, or your content, you simply need to do a better job of capturing what's already coming your way. Fix that and the next case study writes itself.

The secret to powerful testimonials? 👇 Understanding the 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁'𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆! To truly master the art of testimonials, you must: ↳ 𝗘𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 to demonstrate clear before-and-after scenarios. ↳ Dive into the 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 to make the impact more relatable. ↳ Highlight 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 that set your service apart. [Check out the infographic for more details!] 1. What was your initial problem? ↳ 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗔𝘀𝗸: Sets the stage for the testimonial by identifying the challenge faced. ↳ 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Encourage detailed descriptions to underline the value of your solution. 2. How did the frustration feel? ↳ 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗔𝘀𝗸: Emphasizes the emotional relief your service provided. ↳ 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Prompt for vivid emotional details to paint a clearer before and after picture. 3. What makes our service unique? ↳ 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗔𝘀𝗸: Distinguishes your service from others and highlights special features. ↳ 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Guide clients to mention specific aspects that they found most beneficial. 4. When did you notice our service worked? ↳ 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗔𝘀𝗸: Captures the 'aha' moment of your service’s effectiveness. ↳ 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Ask for a specific instance or turning point to make the story compelling. 5. How is your life better now? ↳ 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗔𝘀𝗸: Shows the practical and lasting benefits of your service. ↳ 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Request both tangible and intangible examples of improvements. 6. How do you feel about your business now? ↳ 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗔𝘀𝗸: Reflects the transformation in their business and mindset. ↳ 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Encourage comparison to their state before using your service for greater impact. 7. What would you tell a friend about us? ↳ 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗔𝘀𝗸: Elicits a natural and genuine endorsement. ↳ 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Suggest framing their response as if they were having a casual conversation. Go beyond surface-level praise! 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 of transformation and satisfaction. What strategies have you found most effective for gathering testimonials? #cocreate #marketing #entrepreneurship #business #digitalmarketing #innovation #strategy _____ Found this helpful? Help others by sharing it 📤. Follow me Marco Franzoni for similar insights!

You have great results. But you’re not presenting them in the right way to prospects. The right case studies make all the difference to your trust, credibility & close rate. You have to: - Focus on a company in the same industry and a key person with a similar title to the one you’re targeting. - Make them relevant and show you’ve “been there, done that” in a scenario similar to the one your prospect is facing. - Start by spinning the story about the organization, their goal, the business issues they faced, the problems they encountered, and the value you brought to the table. Include metrics for each section to activate the listener. For example, you might say: "We helped Acme Corporation, which was facing similar challenges, achieve a 32% reduction in costs and a 12% increase in productivity." You have to AVOID: - Talking too much about the solution and not the impact it had. Prospects are interested in the results you achieved, not the step-by-step details of how you got there. Evolve your case studies based on the sales journey: - Early in the conversation, a 30-second reference story that highlights your credibility and value is ideal. This “credibility introduction” quickly establishes your expertise and relevance. - For example, you might say: "At the beginning of our research with Acme, we identified their top challenges and delivered a solution that reduced their operational costs by 32%." - Later in the sales process, when you’ve earned the right to share more detailed stories, you can provide a more in-depth case study. This allows you to delve into specific problems your prospect has mentioned and how you’ve solved similar issues for others. You have to match the right case study to the right stage in the sales journey. The best salespeople can pull out the right story at the right time, tailored to the specific needs and concerns of their prospects. Know your case studies inside out. Practice them. You’ll become a master. P.S: Follow me for more content like this.

Skip the Case Study, and instead tell a Case Story. Most startups - seed to scale - rush to publish a polished, data-packed Case Study. The problem? Numbers convince, but stories move. When you’re earning the right to ask for trust, a Case Story does heavy lifting that a Case Study never will. Stories win in the early days because: - You don’t have buckets of data - yet. Whether you're going to market or entering a new market, One meaningful before-and-after narrative beats a spreadsheet of “n = 3” every time. Prospects remember the hero’s journey, not the sample size. - Human detail builds emotional velocity. Describe the moment a customer exhaled in relief, and you plant a feeling that stats can’t replicate. - Stories scale your voice. Deals close because the buyer believes you - not your technology - will fight for their success. A case story bottles that conviction and shares it at scale. - They invite conversation, not comparison. A classic study screams “judge these metrics.” A story whispers “imagine if this were you,” pulling prospects into dialogue instead of a bake-off. Your wins deserve more than bullet points - they deserve a narrative that lets future customers see themselves as the hero. Facts inform but feelings ignite. Craft your first Case Story by: 1) Picking one transformation. Focus on a single customer and the moment everything clicked. (Breadth is for later; depth wins now.) 2) Starting with the mess. Describe the frustrations and the high stakes - show readers what hurt before you showed up. 3) Zooming in on decisions. Highlight the small but pivotal choices the customer made with your help. That’s where prospects see themselves. 4) Ending with a ripple, not a ribbon. Close on what’s possible next, so future customers feel like chapter two is theirs to write. Any time you’re proving something new - new product, new segment, new geography - a well-told Case Story bridges the trust gap faster than any bar chart. Ready to craft your first one? Start by asking your happiest customer or design partner: “Can you walk me through the moment you knew this was working for you?” Hit record. There’s your outline. People invest in possibility first. Give them a Case Story that lets them feel the future you’re building together.

Mastering case studies unlocks bigger clients & higher-paying projects. But no one ever teaches us how to write them For the past several years, I’ve worked with professionals who want to scale their businesses and attract higher-profile clients. One of the most effective tools I’ve seen? A well-crafted case study. Here are five pieces of advice that will help you create a compelling case study, position yourself as an expert, and land your dream clients: Advice #1: Start with the Transformation When we’re first starting out, we think listing our services is enough. It’s not until we struggle to close deals that we start to ask, “What, specifically, makes me different?” It took me years to realize that clients don’t buy services. They buy transformations. Focus on the transformation you create, not just the process. Advice #2: Get a Testimonial that Sells for You We are taught there are only two ways to prove credibility: • Listing our credentials • Showcasing years of experience But as you continue on your journey, you’ll learn that neither of these alone is what makes people buy. What you need is a client’s voice, telling the story of how you changed their business. Ask questions like: What problem were you facing? Why did you choose us? How has your business changed since working with us? Advice #3: Craft a ‘Trailer’ for Your Case Study How do you capture a busy executive’s attention if they’ve never heard of you? A few things that help: • A one-page snapshot with key stats & wins • A clear before-and-after transformation • A sidebar with ‘Challenges’ and ‘Benefits’ at a glance Advice #4: Use a Storytelling Framework A quick story: One of my clients was an event producer. She had great success locally but wanted international projects with bigger budgets. To land them, she needed a case study that showcased her ability to integrate cutting-edge technology into events. We structured her case study to highlight: 👉🏽The problem her client faced 👉🏽The innovative solution she implemented 👉🏽The measurable impact on the event As soon as she had this asset, her sales team had a powerful tool for outreach. The result? More high-profile conversations and opportunities. Advice #5: Make Your Case Study Work for You Change happens slowly, and then all at once. In the beginning, don’t be surprised if you experience: 👉🏽Clients who don’t see your value right away 👉🏽Sales conversations that stall 👉🏽Missed opportunities because you lack proof This is part of the process. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eggrHMP8 The people who now land premium clients with ease had to build their credibility first. Case studies helped them get there. Don’t make the same mistakes I did. Still stumped? Book a VIP Day with me. On a VIP Day, I help you craft a compelling case study that positions you as the obvious choice. Let’s build an asset that sells for you.

Confession: While I've reviewed thousands of portfolios, I've never read a case study all the way through. I ALWAYS scan them. I just don't have the time to look through every detail. And I know that most other folks who are reviewing portfolios are doing the exact same thing for the same reasons. This means that your portfolio should: 1. Make it easy to scan 2. Use big, high quality visuals 3. Tell quick, concise stories 4. Most importantly, make that story easy to consume in two minutes or less If I were to build my portfolio today, here's how I would do it using these principles: 1️⃣ I'd have a top overview section that has a short blurb of what to expect/what I accomplished AND the final mockups/prototype of what I created. 2️⃣ I'd write out each case study using a word document first to make sure that my headlines told the entire story quickly and concisely. I'd use a classic story arc 1. Context/background 2. Conflict 3. Rising action 4. Climax 5. Falling action 6. Resolution The simpler version of this is the 3 Cs of storytelling: 1. Context 2. Conflict 3. Change (AKA what improved as a result of your work) 3️⃣ I'd optimize my headlines below the overview to tell the story of what I learned. Once everything was written out in a Google doc, I'd edit everything down to the essentials. I'd make sure to pull out the important learnings/quotes and make them big so reviewers could easily scan them. 4️⃣ I'd break up sections with large images to make it feel more interesting and less fatiguing. 5️⃣ I'd ask friends and family to read it and provide feedback about clarity and how much time it took them. If they can easily understand it, see my impact, and quickly go through it, then I'm on the right track. 6️⃣ I'd use LinkedIn and adplist.org to find more folks to provide feedback. Again, I'd focus their feedback on clarity and the amount of time it took for them to go through it.

Case studies are (by far) the most underutilized GTM asset. When deployed effectively: they build trust, accelerate sales cycles, reduce time to close, and drive tangible TOFU pipeline impact. Here are some recs from our playbook @ Verbatim: 1. Automate the basics - Add case studies to onboarding and nurturing flows - Retarget site visitors with real customer quotes/wins 2. Repurpose for social - Break down key takeaways into LinkedIn posts - Turn standout quotes into visual carousels - Run a monthly “customer spotlight” series 3. Activate your internal team - Equip them with blurbs + LinkedIn snippets - Let your team personalize, not copy-paste 4. Embed deep in the funnel - Case studies tailored to target industries - CTA links in sales decks + demo follow-ups 5. Link from high-traffic pages - Homepage, pricing, and solution pages - Not buried in your standard blog section 6. Keep sales decks fresh - New case studies monthly - Rotate by vertical and use case 7. Use fresh customer data to validate ROI - Share with your partner network - Make it effortless for partners to share - Keep them up to date with recent proof points 8. Build a “wall of love” as a standalone LDP - Pull your best customer quotes - Stack them on a testimonials page - Link to the full stories for added context If you're investing in customer stories, don’t just hit publish. Design a real distro strategy that maximizes touchpoints.