«Return to Blog List The “Expected Results” Case Study
Right now I’m working on two customer case studies for technology companies where the featured customers are still implementing the solutions. Neither customer has had any time to really benefit from the products they purchased. I call this the “expected results” case study.
Normally, you wouldn’t initiate a story on a customer until they have had the solution long enough to actually see results – preferably of the measurable kind. But for both of these companies, creating stories now makes sense for their marketing efforts.
One is a software company with an established customer base in Europe. To build its U.S. presence, it needs any kind of documentation it can get to show credibility to U.S. prospects. A story that talks about the trust a major American company put in the vendor goes a long way, even without actual results. Quoting the customer on anticipated results further supports the strength of the vendor’s solutions.
The other company needs a story on a customer in the utility industry, and is moving forward to create one even though the company hasn’t even started using the solution. This also gives the vendor company content for a press release it wants to send out about the new relationship.
It’s a good reminder that the best time to create a customer story is not always when there are measurable benefits and results, but rather whenever the story will accomplish a sales or marketing goal.
