Customer Case Studies: Are We Just Being Lazy?
I’m bored.
I’ve read one too many customer case studies that just don’t try hard enough.
The latest offender: a feature on a frequent flyer in an airline inflight magazine that will remain nameless.
The back story
This past weekend I traveled to Phoenix to cheer family on in a half marathon. While perusing the inflight magazine, I was pleased to see a customer story. But just one sentence into it I was ready to move on.
Most of the other articles in this award-winning publication were very well-written and interesting. This one seemed out of place for its lack of panache.
Sadly, this lackluster story isn’t an isolated case.
When did the rules of good journalism and marketing stop applying to our case study writing?
- "The most important part of a story is the lead"
- "Each sentence should serve to keep the reader moving on to the next sentence"
- "Choose the most compelling angle for your audience"
Those are just a few tenants. While I certainly am guilty of not being perfect at these objectives and others, I like to think that I try to remember and apply them as much as possible.
So what were this story’s particular offenses?
The story began with just some dull facts about the business traveler’s company, NOT the person whose photo was prominently displayed.
The opening sentence read (leaving out names to protect the innocent), "___________ is one of the country’s largest ________________ companies."
Wow, not good.
Sure it’s worthwhile to mention what his employer does but it shouldn’t kick off the story.
It’s easy to be lazy. I certainly know. I’ve had a newborn at home the past few months and lazy feels more comfortable.
But our craft deserves more than that. How do we keep from being lackadaisical?
Let’s try to aspire to a few goals on every story:
- Plan first. Before writing a word, spend time reviewing your notes and pull out the most interesting tidbits. How might you organize them for the optimal effect on the reader?
- Spend more time on the lead than the rest of the story. How can you begin with something so interesting that the reader must hear more?
Writing for video and print are different but it’s a helpful exercise to imagine a nightly news anchor reading the story aloud. Never would it begin with dull PR description about a company.
So begin with something truly interesting and then weave in the must-have description of what the company does later.
- Choose the most compelling angle. In customer case studies, that means choosing an angle that’s interesting to readers (and the media) and that puts the vendor company in a positive light.
- Include quotes that stick with readers, not just PR quotes. The customer quotes in this magazine feature? Very forgettable.
Sequence matters
The interesting thing is, this story didn’t have to be this way. All the information was there to make a compelling story. It just wasn’t organized in the most compelling way.
Perhaps cooking is a good analogy. Most of the time you can’t just throw the ingredients together in any order. A certain sequence and melding of ingredients often makes all the difference. Add flour at just the right time to thicken the sauce, etc.
Writing is, in essence, completely about sequence. The words in this sentence, just thrown in any order, mean nothing to readers.
An entire story is the smart structuring of a bunch of sentences. While poor ordering might still make sense, it doesn’t communicate well.
I’m tempted to rewrite the story with just the information there, as a fun challenge. It’s painful to see a missed opportunity.
Who’s doing it well?
Here are just a few great examples of true case study effort, where the writer resisted the urge to just get the information down:
deCODEme’s story on the First Lady of Iceland
An HP story on a restaurant chain
The Humane Society’s feature on Sean Moore
What are your favorite examples? And what are your own steps to write your best case study possible?
“Stories That Sell” B-Day – 2-Day Sale
Happy 2012!
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If you're a writer, marketer or business owner interested in the marketing power of customer success stories and case studies, here's a great chance to learn more and refine your skills.
What's the Deal?
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Can You Doctor Customers’ Quotes?
In journalism, a person's direct quote is sacred. What's said is said, and any journalist with integrity doesn't change a word.
While customer case studies have many similarities to journalism, they're not. It's marketing.
And customers have the chance to review and approve their stories and direct quotes. That single fact alone is why it's OK to change quotes, but not TOO much.
There's what the customer said...
And there's what the vendor company wants to say...
If they don't exactly match, then there's a bit of doctoring and negotiation that goes on.
So, How Much Can We Change?
In short, a little.
At this point, I've written more than 600 case studies, and interviewed even more customers. Through trial and error, I've found what seems to be the generally accepted amount of editing that customers will accept. However, some customers are pickier than others.
First off, most customers appreciate a little help. Usually they're dumping a lot of information on you and don't expect their direct quotes to be perfect.
In fact, many customers say, "You'll make me sound smart, right?"
Of course you'll ensure they sound good, but they get a little put off if you veer too far off course from what they said. They are pleased to indicate that the featured solution works well for them, and they're happy, but don't change their words to make it sound like it's the best thing that ever happened to them.
What You Can Change
You can change a few words here and there to clarify or shorten quotes. Remove the "ums" and "ahs." You might add a detail or two to be more specific, or a product or company name if the customer just said "they" or "it."
I also merge non-consecutive sentences, something said earlier in the interview and something said later. Usually customers don't even notice or care that these statements weren't said right together.
What You Can't Change
But what does stay sacred in customer quotes is the meaning. Don't change what the customer meant. That means don't rewrite the whole thing.
Of course there are exceptions, but most customers I've encountered - even those that offer glowing praise - push back on too much quote doctoring.
Ultimately, customer success stories aren't fiction. They're true accounts of a customer's experience, and as producers of case studies, we need to maintain integrity by presenting true stories. Just keep that in mind when tempted to change any customer's quote too much.
What's your experience with editing customer quotes?
Customer Quotes That Compel and Sell in Case Studies
In a customer story, quotes are the very voice of the customer, your sound bites. Without them, a story can feel flat.
Studies have even shown that people who skim tend to read text that's called out in quotes more than the rest of a story.
How do you use quotes for maximum impact? Here are a few tips:
Get in Three 'Marquee' Quotes
In every case study, if there’s space, try to include at least three key quotes that cover these topical areas:
- Challenge/Pain - Show the pain or challenge the customer faced before the solution came along. Here's your chance to get in some emotion related to the customer's challenge.
- Decision – Feature a quote that speaks to why the customer chose the solution - a great opportunity to call out your competitive differentiators.
- Benefit – Choose a comment that speaks to the main benefit or benefits the customer experienced. This could then be the quote that you pull out to highlight in other marketing collateral.
Add More for Emphasis
Of course you can include more quotes, but first try to hit those three key areas to add power to your story. Other quotes can reinforce more benefits and customer experiences. Additional ones might touch on other benefits the customer experienced.
Don't Over- or Under-Quote
Direct quotes add interest to stories and enhance their credibility. But it’s important to use them in the right way, as points of emphasis or insight within the rest of the text.
I’ve seen customer stories that are almost entirely customer quotes, with just a little bit of surrounding text for context. There, quotes lose their impact because they don’t really stand out.
Other stories go too light on quotes.
What's most effective?
- A one-page story includes 1-3 quotes
- A two-page story, 5-6
Just make sure that your quotes are strong and add to the story, versus just repeating what was already said.
Who to Quote
Ideally, quote someone that is similar to your target decision-maker. Ideally, match title to title. If your target buyer is a VP, quote a VP.
If there are multiple decision-makers, you can quote more than one person from the customer organization. For example, quote several people that were involved in the decision and usage of the product. Maybe a manager chose it and then someone else installs it and then others use it day to day
Keep it Concise
Keep quotes manageably long, from 1 to 3 sentences. Try not to go too long on a single quote because a big block of text, even if it’s the customer’s voice, can look daunting to a reader.
In short, quotes are one of the most powerful parts of your stories. Choose and use them wisely.
Next up: What license do you have to alter customer quotes?
Case Studies: When Measurable Results AREN’T Necessary
"Chris Strouth tweeted "sh*t, I need a kidney" then got one."
Whoa, what?
That's the headline on one of Twitter's new success stories, one of many about how the social media site has made a difference for people.
Twitter features a number of stories, but out of all of them, I needed to read that one - to know the rest of the story.
It's powerful and moving, and it doesn't feature a measurable result.
For years, I've counseled my clients on the importance of getting solid results into their customer stories. The more specific and measurable the numbers, the better, I say.
How much money does the solution save or make, or how much time does it save? Does it generate higher traffic, better customer satisfaction and so on. Whatever it is, we always try to measure the positive outcome.
But Twitter shows that you don't always need numbers to move an audience. Sometimes it's about the anecdote, one very specific mini story within a story.
A customer success story I'm working on right now features an anecdote instead of a measurable result.
A bank advertising with one of the country's local city Business Journals got a big new client from an ad. They can't really measure how many new clients come from their repeated advertising, but an anecdote about one particular customer adds major impact to the success story.
It's a reminder, when pursuing results, don't just ask for the numbers, but dig for those mini stories as well.
I like to ask on interviews, "Can you think of a specific time or example where the solution made a difference for you?"
Afterall, it's really about the power of story, and an anecdote packs the power of story in a small package.
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