Case studies are critical to convincing B2B prospects to investigate your product and encouraging them to buy. Here are our key principles for developing effective case studies.
Key Principles for Developing Effective Case Studies
At SKMurphy, Inc., we’ve worked closely with hundreds of early-stage B2B startups, helping them land their first customers and establish a repeatable sales process. One method we consistently encourage teams to use is to interview customers and write up a case study. This allows them to document how customers have been successful and builds credibility with new prospects.
Here are the key principles we recommend when you’re crafting a compelling case study:
Focus on the Customer’s Problem: Start with the pain. Before you talk about what you did or how great your product is, clearly articulate the customer’s problem in their own terms. Understand the context and the severity of the issue they faced. This helps prospective clients see that you understand their world.
Use the Customer’s Words: Wherever possible, include quotes from your customer. Let them describe the challenge and the results in their own words. It adds authenticity and credibility—and it often reveals insights you wouldn’t have captured otherwise.
Quantify the Impact: It’s not enough to say you helped—measure it. Estimate the improvement your product or service delivered. Did it reduce costs? Save time? Reduce errors? Increase revenue? A solid case study includes metrics that show how you moved the needle.
Highlight the Customer’s Journey: Walk the reader through the process—from the initial problem to the decision to work with you, through implementation, and ultimately to the outcome. This kind of narrative provides proof and makes your solution feel real and accessible to someone in a similar situation..
Demonstrate Repeatable Success: A one-off win might be lucky, but what you’re really after is a pattern. Use your case study to show that what you did wasn’t a fluke. Explain how your product is helpful to others in the same industry or with similar challenges.
Related Blog Posts
- Customer Buying Process: Understand, Believe, Act
- Negotiate the Level of Reference in Parallel with Price and Others Terms and Conditions
- Q: Best Practices For Finding Early Adopters
- A Simple Checklist for Introducing a Collaboration Application
- How Founders Can Learn Sales on the Job
- How Do I Find Clients For My Consulting Business?
- How We Picked Our Tagline “Early Customers and Early Revenue”
Image source: https://www.123rf.com/profile_coramax licensed from 123RF