6 tips on how to write a good case story that generates leads and drives sales

It is essential to do background research as part of your preparation. Write down relevant questions before interviewing the customer, sales executive, or expert.

By recording the interview, you can avoid frantic note-taking and instead listen closely to the answers afterwards, and prepare relevant follow-up questions.

You can interview via email, but you will find that written answers often take the form of a dry, carefully crafted press release. Aim to get a live interview, even if it is via an online video platform or by telephone.

Remember not only to share why the customer chose a product to address a specific challenge but also to describe the customer's needs, the challenges they were facing, and the problems they wanted to solve. This way, the reader can identify with the situation.

Continue by describing the process of arriving at the right product or solution - perhaps making a change to a product or replacing an IT system was necessary.

Be specific and describe how the product or service addressed the need or solved the problem in this particular case story. Facts and figures offer compelling evidence. Give examples such as an X percent increase in profitability or efficiency, an error reduction by XX percent, or an improved customer rating from 3 to 5.

Narrate the case story as if you were writing a news article or feature story, rather than just presenting facts. Try starting in the middle of a problem or event: “There she was with 400 orders and a broken cooler”; “We had 8 different IT systems, and none of them could communicate with each other”.

Ensure you convey both the benefits and the emotions created by the solution.

In addition to the primary purpose of the case story, highlight additional benefits of the product or solution or soft values such as excellent service, speed, and response.

It could also be an unexpected byproduct that is a bonus win for the customer or project. A technical innovation may, for example, not only increase performance but also extend a machine's lifespan.

The more case stories, the better. But ensure that each case story is unique by highlighting different types of results and benefits rather than producing a series of case stories with identical content.

For one client, price and savings may have been the deciding factor; for another, quality or specific product features. And for a third, it could have been personal service.

The same story can generate two different case studies, one from the customer or user perspective and the other from an internal perspective where, for example, an engineer successfully solved a problem or improved a product.

Collaboration with a customer over a more extended period of time can also be used as a case story. This is an excellent way to showcase how to successfully cultivate long-term client relationships.