Getting Buy-in: A Key to Case Study Success

Picture this. You have just helped a new client family achieve their goals. They can’t stop raving about your firm’s personalized service and expertise, and perhaps even offer a testimonial.

So, you gingerly ask the couple to participate in a case study about their experience with your firm. They enthusiastically agree, and you’re on your way!

That is, until just a month later—after you have spent hours interviewing your clients, gathering background information, writing the story and putting it into design and layout—the case study project abruptly stalls.

Maybe the clients aren’t happy with how they are presented in the written story. Perhaps they didn’t quite understand how the piece would be used or shared in your marketing plan, and they’re having second thoughts. Somewhere, somehow the case study project hits a brick wall. Unfortunately, once this happens the project is usually DOA.

At Success Story Studio, we’ve been there. As a firm specializing in helping professional services practices capture their best clients’ success stories and leverage them to attract new business, we’ve experienced this exact scenario, multiple times.

The good news is, the brick wall is entirely scalable. With a little bit of pre-planning and “greasing the wheels,” you can ensure that every case study project will be a smashing success. The key is getting buy-in from the client—before you begin.

Here are five steps to help you get it right, from the get-go:

1.     Create a case study pitch packet—Start by defining your goals for your client success story projects. How will you use these pieces of content in your marketing? What aspects of your product, service, or organization should they highlight? Once you’ve defined these goals, create a “pitch packet” to present to both your internal team and all new clients. The packet should include:

·       Samples of completed case studies

·       A one-page outline of the case study process

·       A description of how you will use the success stories

·       A list of standard interview questions

·       A FAQ sheet

·       A client release form

2.     Train your team—Once you’ve created your pitch packet, take the time to educate your team—your sales and client relations reps, along with anyone else who interacts regularly with clients, including paralegals, administrative assistants, tax prep professionals, and others — on the benefits of client case studies and their role in the process. Use this opportunity to also gain your team’s trust, as they are critical gatekeepers to the client relationship. Promise to keep the communication lines open and provide regular updates on the status of the project.

3.     Gain the trust of your client—The most critical step in the process is gaining your client’s trust. This starts right from the beginning of the relationship as you talk with the client and their trusted representatives about their goals and objectives, and what they hope to achieve by working with your firm. Explain that you rely on direct referrals and testimonials from satisfied clients to grow your business, and your goal is to ensure they are so thrilled with the relationship that they would agree to participate in a client success story at a later date.

4.     Explain the benefits—When it comes time to pitch the case study to your client, share the benefits early and often. For the client and their family these may include:

·       An opportunity to share their story

·       Recognition for team members who helped them throughout the engagement

·       Fewer direct reference calls from potential clients!

5.     Get pre-approval from key stakeholders—Lastly, before you assign the case study to a writer or schedule the first interview, ensure that the client (including spouses, trusted family members and others) have provided their tacit approval for the publication and use of their story, likenesses and quotes. Ask if they have any concerns with how you plan to share the story, whether that is on your website, through email or on social media. It’s always better to back out of the project before it begins, rather than investing weeks of time and effort before pulling the plug.

Of course, even if you follow all the above steps, there is no guarantee every case study project will go off without a hitch. In a future blog, we’ll share some tips on what to do if your project still hits that proverbial brick wall.

Meanwhile, If you’re interested in learning more about writing effective and compelling case studies, I highly recommend two fantastic resources:  Stories That Sell : Turn Satisfied Customers into Your Most Powerful Sales and Marketing Asset, a book by Casey Hibbard, and Ed Gandia’s Writing Case Studies: How to Make a Great Living by Helping Clients Tell Their Stories, an online course distributed by American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI).