By Casey Hibbard
People prefer reading about people – not faceless companies. And people experience frustration, confusion, joy and pride.
For a more engaging customer case study, capture the range of emotions customers experience. Quotes give you the perfect opportunity to showcase the human aspects of a customer’s journey.
Check out a few quotes from actual case studies, showing customer emotions:
“Honestly, it had been a good couple of years since I had a full night’s sleep. I had to keep track of calls and emails coming in pretty much all night long.”
“When the business is going well, everything’s going well. When something is wrong, I take it home with me.”
“When I saw the demo, my jaw dropped.”
“Within six weeks, I had my first paying project. It was a very life-changing call to hear a client wanted to work with me for amazing pay. I thought, ‘I don’t have to go back to a job.’”
Yet, how do you elicit emotional comments – especially from busy business and technology pros? Ask specific, open-ended questions such as these…
1. Tell me about a time when it was clear things needed to change. (This helps you get a quote about the pain of the previous situation.)
2. What was going through your head at the time? (Here, you encourage the interviewee to think back on the experience.)
3. Tell me about an a-ha moment when it was clear things had changed for the better. (This spurs the individual to come up with a specific anecdote about the positive change.)
Not every interview subject will respond with emotion-laced quotes, but at least ask the questions. Chances are, you’ll get more specific, more heartfelt answers to bring a human touch to your customer stories.
