«Return to Blog List Chase Those Customer Stories – Before Treasured Contacts Leave!

What a difference a couple of months makes…

Earlier this summer, I was talking with a friend/associate about customer stories. The web developer was excited to capture a case study on one of his customers who had a great experience with his firm.

Not only did the web site deliver for the company but the main contact was a dream – eloquent, intelligent and very happy with the web firm’s services.

When I caught back up with my friend a couple of months later, the story was dead, a no-go. What happened?

That prized contact had left the client company – retired. And worse, no one else at the client company could really tell the story of the relationship with the web firm. Ouch.

I’ve seen this happen dozens of times. Organizations lose their strongest customer stories because they’re ultimately not fast enough in capturing them.

Knowledge and experience about working with your products and services resides with people, and when those people leave, so too goes the information.

Even if you stay in touch, they’re no longer employed with a title at that company or have the authority to provide the details or be interviewed for a case study.

It’s understandable that this happens and sometimes unavoidable even when you pursue stories promptly. Contacts can leave abruptly, and most marketers juggle much more than just customer case studies.

But when those client contacts are gone, those stories are usually lost forever.

The lesson: Grab your customer case studies and success stories at just the right time…

(1) As soon as it makes sense, meaning you have results to document
and
(2) Before your valued contacts move on

What incredible customer stories are just waiting to be told at your organization? Call your contacts NOW.