«Return to Blog List Sales with Storytelling
I just read Charles Brown’s new ebook, The Plot Thickens: Why Case Studies Create New Customers, How to Sell Your Products or Services Using Story-Telling Techniques.
Charles, of Dynamic Copywriting, knows his storytelling stuff. He’s done a lot of research on the dynamics of storytelling.
The ebook highlights how the power of the customer testimonial merged with story creates a compelling sales tool – the customer case study. It offers a number of nuggets to help you enhance the sales potential of your customer stories.
My favorite tips from the ebook:
“If you or your sales literature makes a claim, it is suspect. But if all of your benefit statements are expressed as direct quotes from real, satisfied human beings, a reader is far more likely to accept it as truth.”
“Don’t begin your case study with the written equivalent of throat clearing. Instead, jump right into the action.”
I love that last one. Check it out, if you haven’t yet. You’ll take away some great tips and inspiration.
Here’s one that I’ve learned over the years: when you get to the last sentence, check to see if it should be your first sentence.
Often (and not surprisingly) you get to know your subject matter a lot better after you finish writing the piece. So you get to that crucial last sentence, and sum it up beautifully.
So beautifully in fact, that perhaps this sentence should be your lead-off…
I think this applies more to other types of writing (articles etc.), but to a lesser degree it is a good thing to keep in mind with case studies or any customer success story.
~Graham
Dear Casey,
Thank you for mentioning my ebook and for your kind words.
I am continually fascinated by the way case studies and storytelling techniques can be used as marketing tools for truly worthwhile products.
I’m a huge fan of your blog and can’t wait for your new book to come out.
Charles Brown
Graham,
Clever tip! I haven’t heard that one before but now I’ll have to try it. Success stories and case studies are written like articles, so it seems this could work.
Thanks!