Customer Presented on Your Behalf? Do More with a Live Case Study
This week, two PowerPoint presentations came my way.
My clients’ happy customers had actually presented these decks in live case studies (either in person or on a webinar). How fantastic is that – a customer willing to talk to an audience about success with your products and services?
That’s about as good as it gets.
Smart marketing teams know the next step: Turn that live presentation into something that you can re-use again and again.
Here are 4 tips for taking next steps with a customer’s live case study presentation.
1. Ask for permission upfront
You would think that standing on a podium and publicly discussing success with a specific solution makes a written story a shoe-in.
Not true. A written story, posted on the web, leaves a searchable and lasting trail of evidence about what your customer said. This scares some customers. They’re worried you’re the next Enron and they just don’t want to risk a public endorsement.
You need to ask for specific permission for a separate written story, and the customer will want to review it most likely.
While your contact may be fine with turning the presentation into written or video assets, the company may not agree. BEFORE you record that presentation or webinar, or write it, ask for official permission.
If you can record it, ask HOW you can use the recording. Some might just give you permission to share it internally among sales reps, while others will let you post it on your website, Facebook, YouTube, etc.
2. PowerPoint is not enough for written
Even if you don’t plan to use the recording with external audiences, or don’t have permission to do so, a recording is valuable.
A PowerPoint presentation provides the visuals and highlights but it’s never the full story. The presenter adds that.
What’s missing from PowerPoints? Detail, explanation, complete sentences for quotes, and most critically, emotion.
Customer case studies are stories. Without real customer comments and emotion, you lose much of its storytelling power.
Personally, I always have more questions, usually lots more, when I receive a PowerPoint.
So, get it recorded somehow. If you don’t want to release the video to a writer, then get a transcript.
3. Interview the customer
For a couple of reasons, you may need to interview the customer further:
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The customer’s presentation didn’t include some of the information that usually goes into a case study. Maybe the customer doesn’t go into why they chose your solution – a very insightful piece for prospective customers.
- Or, you did not get a recording.
Ask the customer if they are willing to fill in some of the gaps that the slide deck misses.
4. Got permission? Use it!
When you get specific permission to use these assets, make them work for you. Don’t shelf that rich information.
Post video, edited down perhaps, on demand on your website. Send the video link to prospects, Tweet about it, and distribute it on social media video sharing sites.
Write it up and post it online and among your sales assets.
Check out this list for 25 ways to use your customer stories.
What are your experiences getting more out of live presentations?
Customer Success Stories Show You Solve Problems for Customers
Last week, the Hubspot blog ran a story with lessons from the MarketingProfs B2B Forum, "27 Marketing Lessons B2B Marketers Should Know."
I picked up some fresh new tips and important reminders.
You can accomplish several of the lessons with the help of customer case studies and success stories.
Here’s one of the lessons and how customer stories tie in…
"Solve problems for customers, and leverage marketing to demonstrate these solutions."
Isn’t that why you’re in business, to solve problems for customers, no matter what you sell?
Yet, often it’s not clear to potential customers if and how you can solve their problems – despite all you might invest in web and brochure copy.
You have to SHOW prospects…
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The types of problems you solve
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For whom you solve problems
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How you solve those problems
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And the end result of solving those problems
The best way? With examples of your happy customers’ successes.
Ultimately, prospects believe your satisfied customers more than they believe you. Always integrate that voice into your marketing.
Watch this space for more ways to use customer stories to achieve some of Hubspot’s B2B lessons.
Podcast: Case Studies to Build Trust and Sales
How do you make the most of a customer’s success story? What if you can’t name a customer? How do new FTC rules affect case studies?
Get answers to these questions and others on a 25-minute podcast where RainToday.com interviewed Casey Hibbard, "Using Case Studies to Build Trust and Facilitate Sales."
- Ways to use your customer case studies
- How many and how often to create case studies
- What makes a successful case study
- What if you can’t name customers?
- Examples of professional services firms using case studies successfully
- Why you shouldn’t make people register to access cases
- How to ease customer permissions and approvals
- What the new FTC rules mean for endorsements
Listen here. It’s only available to non-members of RainToday.com until Feb. 24.
Awards Get Customers to Tell Their Stories – Fast
It can be really tough to get customers to go public with their stories.
But the prospect of winning an award gets customers on board – fast!
Your products and services are helping customers do innovative, progressive things. Why not submit those examples for industry awards where you both get some of the glory?
Just last week, I helped a client capture two of its best customer success stories to submit for two different awards programs in my client’s industry.
And get this…Both featured customers are major, nationally known companies.
My client’s customers were all over the idea, even mentioning how excited they were in the interviews. Plus, the prospect of an award deadline got the customers to MOVE quickly.
Somehow, submitting for awards doesn’t require (in most companies) the usual PR/legal approval that customer case studies do, but you still get a positive story out publicly- if you win.
If the entry wins, everyone benefits:
- The individuals at your customer companies receive praise internally for their efforts.
- The customer company receives positive press.
- You, as the vendor, receive attention for being part of award-winning efforts. You can then turn around and publicize that every chance you get.
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Moreover, once your customer has won an award, they’re often more likely to allow you to publish that tale as a case study or success story.
2010 Action Steps:
- Search online for awards relevant to your industry and mark them on your calendar.
- Select some customers that you’d like to submit.
- Capture their stories well in advance.
- Fill out the award application for the customer.
- Get the customer’s approval of the award submission.
- Go back later and ask if you can simply put that information into a public case study.
If you win, tell everyone!
Any great success stories to share about submitting customers’ stories for awards?
Give Your Success Stories Their Own Website?
On most business websites, you have to dig to find a single story.
If you do find any, it’s usually after you’ve waded through levels of capabilities copy and promises.
So separate company sites that are dedicated solely to stories are refreshing. They get it.
Stories That Sell, the book, highlights companies like Toyota and Sage Software for their separate story websites. (The latter, created for a specific campaign, is no longer live.)
The latest to come to my attention is The Ford Story.
American car makers have had one of the roughest years ever. But Ford has been surprisingly successful ($997 million profit in JUST this past quarter) and is making sure it tells its best stories.
The online Ford Story website tells internal Ford stories, such as what’s going on in R&D. But it mostly showcases customer success stories.
- 15-second commercial spots featuring real drivers talking about what they like most about their cars
- A video story about how Ford Focus owners soup up their cars
- Articles on Ford’s current initiatives in areas such as energy efficiency
- A feature on how firefighters drive Ford trucks
- Interesting, self-submitted customer success stories with photos
- The latest posts in the company’s Twitter stream
A large "Submit Your Stories" box encourages customers to share written versions of their stories in under 500 words, and add photos and videos.
Ford also enables comments on all its content, encouraging interaction.
Why a unique niche site? Almost like an online magazine, it allows a company to separate the story from the product/service facts and promises. In doing so, that story stands out more.
That’s not to say that your main site shouldn’t include success stories. But niche sites help give extra attention to specific messages you want to reinforce.
Check it out. It’s an engaging site, even if you’re not in the market for a car.
What do you think about this separate site approach?
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