«Return to Blog List Right #1 of Case Studies That Compel & Sell – Right Customer
Following my last post introducing the 6 "Rights" of Case Studies that Compel & Sell, let’s dive deeper into right #1.
In a nutshell, the customers that you choose to feature in case studies should mirror the types of customers you want more of. Ideally, your prospects should see themselves – and their challenges solved – in the customer success stories that you share with them.
This falls in line with the concept coined by Dr. Robert Cialdini of "social proof," which says people perceive less risk by following the behavior someone like them successfully follows ( i.e. someone else has already blazed the trail).
Here’s how you to go about matching customer to prospect:
Define targets – Who are your current targets by size, and across your different products and services, industries, and geographies? What customer stories do you still need?
Match the organization type – First, match the organization featured with the prospective customer’s organization in some way. It doesn’t have to be an exact fit, but the prospect should recognize something of themselves in the story.
If it’s not the same industry, then maybe it’s the same type of business challenge solved.
Match the individual – What type of person(s) will be reading or viewing your customer story? What are their business titles?
People trust their peers. Try to interview and quote someone in a similar position in your customer story. If different types will be your audience, such as a business person and an IT person, then quote two different people in the story.
By featuring the right customers in your case studies, you ensure that you have a perfect story to pull out for any sales opportunity.
