Before we get started, a couple of definitions to avoid confusion. When I say “client”, I mean the company that is paying me as a copywriter to produce a case study. When I say “customer”, I’m talking about my client’s customer, who is the subject the case study. What follows from here will make much more sense if we follow that rule.
1. Be careful who you ask
Let's start with a disaster story.
I once interviewed a customer who seemed to hate every single thing about their supplier (my client). Apparently the supplier was only given the work as the best of a bad bunch of choices. The first cut was so bad the supplier had to be told to do it again. In the end the customer fixed the problems himself …. and so on and so forth. Why had he agreed to take part in the case study if he was so anti? I guess he just wanted to be difficult, have a rant, and cause my client to lose time and money on a failed project.
Yes, that's extreme, but it just shows you can't ask everybody.
2. Priming and timing
One of my clients writes agreement to a case study into the contract on the basis of “You agree to take part when the time comes and we’ll give you a discount now”.
If you’re not quite that organised, then the customer needs some gentle persuasion. Let the person with the best relationship make the suggestion. And time it right. Wait until major issues have been resolved and the customer is feeling jubilant (or at least a little relieved).
3. Keep to a format
Similar structure and look-and-feel for all your case studies help deliver complete stories and build up a portfolio that looks impressive. My clients are generally happy with a structure something along the lines of:
- Background to the customer
- Customer challenges
- Solution
- Benefits
- Future plans
4. Keep the customer informed
- Avoid customer anxiety by letting them know exactly what’s going to happen when.
- Introduce your writer properly.
- Give the customer a heads-up on how the conversation is likely to run, and for how long. I like to provide a list of areas that I want to discuss.
- Explain the review and approval process from the beginning
5. Be a good listener
This is one for the interviewer. Have you ever shouted at the radio because an interviewer is ploughing on regardless with a list of questions when the interviewee is trying to say something much more interesting interesting?
A good rule of journalism and therefore case study writing is to listen and respond. That way a proper conversation takes place, making the interviewee more relaxed and willing to tell their story in their own words.
6. Get good quotes
Quotes really make a case study. If you’re reading true life stories anywhere, don’t you just go straight to the quotes because they stand out and tell a story themselves?
If you’ve followed idea number 5, you’ll have got plenty of comments from the customer that you could use in the case study.
Some clients suggest making up quotes and getting the customer to agree them later. In my experience, neither the marketer nor the copywriter can dream up quotes that are half as good as those that an enthusiastic customer can provide for themselves.
7. Get written permission to publish
Trust me on this one - it can be important. And think in advance about where you might want to use the story. Case studies or parts of them can be used in brochures, presentations, magazine articles, press releases, on the web and in print, locally or globally. Get that all written into the permission-to-publish. You can give your customer the chance to opt out of any of these, but make sure everyone knows about these choices. Once a piece of copy is out there, it will be used anywhere and everywhere unless you take control.
8. Rome wasn’t built in a day
If you think you can get a case study written and approved in time for an event in two weeks’ time, be prepared to have your heart broken. A month from beginning to end is a fair estimate, even if your copywriter is willing and able to get on to it straight away. Remember that the content has to do the rounds at your company and at the customer’s. And if anyone mentions legal departments, start thinking long term. Very long term.
I’m sticking at 8 points but if you’ve ideas to round it up to 10, please comment and let me know.
Meanwhile, if you’d like some evidence of my case writing history, here are a few links to peruse.
- Spendvision transaction management platform at Essex Council
- 1st Touch Mobile technology and Homeserve
- Sword Achiever compliance software at Siemens Enterprise Communications
If you can’t reach these examples or would like to see more, just drop me a line at kathy@wrightwell.com. I have plenty on file!
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