Right #2 of Case Studies that Compel & Sell – Right Time

Author: Casey Hibbard; Published: Jun 4, 2009; Category: Writing Customer Stories; Tags: customer success story, timing of a case study; One Comment

Measurable results are the "Holy Grail" of the customer case study. But success in capturing them is largely a matter of timing.

It’s a lesson I’ve learned from firsthand experience.

Collect a customer’s story too early and there’s not enough to measure yet. For most products and services, customers usually need some time to see the full results.

Create it too late and the story loses some of its power. If the customer can’t remember the pain/problem of before because it’s been years, or your contact has left the customer organization, then it’s often hard to capture strong results or emotion.

You have to find the "Goldilocks" point of a customer’s story – when it’s just right.

But that time is different for each company, and each product or service offered. Maybe customers see the impact of your service immediately, or maybe they need a few months, or a year, to compare current metrics against the past with the use of your product.

Find that perfect timeframe. That’s when you want to check in with customers about documenting their experiences.

For your organization or clients, what has been your perfect timeframe?