«Return to Blog List 12 Tips for Writing Stronger Technology Customer Stories
Photo by ThisisEngineering on Unsplash
By Casey Hibbard
When you’re selling something expensive or complex, buyers want proof that solutions deliver on promises — and they expect relevant customer examples.
That’s why customer stories have long helped B2B tech companies earn trust and reduce perceived risk.
No matter the subject of a customer story, the core principles of good storytelling stay the same. But tech case studies bring extra layers — like acronyms and technical nuances.
Here are 12 tips for stronger customer stories, drawn from 20+ years of writing them:
Prep
1. Do your homework before interviewing or writing
You can’t interview or write about what you don’t understand. Get clear on:
- What the solution does, and for whom
- Key integrations
- Deployment methods and support (vendor vs. partner)
- Customizability
- Competitive differentiators
- What stakeholders want in their customer stories
2. Study concepts and acronyms
Look up every acronym and fuzzy capability. Search engines are helpful, but chatbots are better for drilling down.
Example prompts:
What is air-gapping? Why is it important? What are the risks without it?
Still confused? Ask subject matter experts directly.
3. Know the customer’s journey
Round up background info from those closest to the account. Review existing internal and external content about the customer.
Pro tip: Search the web for the vendor and customer names together. You might uncover existing content that your contact missed or forgot — especially if it predates their time at the company. If the story involves a notable event (e.g., a ransomware attack), search for news stories about it.
Interviewing
4. Decide what story you want to tell
Go into interviews with a working angle, but stay flexible. You might highlight:
- A switch from a competitor
- Migration experience
- Integration with a key partner
- A specific use case
- A powerful business transformation
5. Interview the right people
Is your audience technical, business-focused, or both?
- If tech-only: Talk to IT contacts.
- If mixed: Add a business stakeholder.
Whenever possible, include someone involved in the buying decision. Sometimes that’s the same person as the user — sometimes not.
6. Send questions ahead of time
Customers rarely know metrics off the tops of their heads.
To boost your chances:
- Gather known metrics from internal contacts first.
- Build targeted questions to confirm or expand on them.
- Send the questions ahead of time so customers can prep.
Writing
7. Use AI to organize (not write)
Once you have transcripts and background, AI can help shape an outline to expedite your writing process. But use it wisely:
- Disable data sharing or training features in privacy settings.
- Remove names and identifiers before uploading.
Ask the chatbot to summarize the info into bullets like:
- Challenges or goals
- Why the solution was chosen
- Rollout experience
- Specific use
- Measurable results
Now you’ve got a solid outline to write from.
8. Avoid overexplaining
Product descriptions and heavy technical details can slow down the narrative. Plus, buyers can find product details elsewhere.
Keep explanations within the context of the customer (“…enables XYZ Company to…”).
For very technical info (integrations, partners), use sidebars so the core narrative stays readable but still answers tech questions.
9. Write for skimmers and readers
Not everyone will read every word. Help readers skim with:
- Headlines and subheads
- Pull quotes
- Sidebars and callouts
Each element should communicate value on its own.
10. Make every story different
I once wrote multiple stories on law firm software, each featuring a different law firm. To avoid every story sounding the same, I considered: What’s unique about this customer and their story?
Draw out those unique aspects and emphasize them.
11. Humanize the story
Even technical audiences want conversational, engaging content.
Use customer quotes that reflect real emotion or urgency. Make it relatable. Help buyers see themselves in the story.
12. Above all, tell a story
Case studies should answer the buyer’s biggest questions. But don’t default to boring blocks of “Challenge, Solution, Results.”
Was there a dramatic catalyst or turning point? Consider leading with that.
Create a compelling narrative that answers buyers’ questions and fosters trust in the vendor.
What tech storytelling tips would you add?
Casey Hibbard helps innovative organizations turn customer experiences into compelling success stories and thought leadership content.
