Reader Reviews

Charlene Burke, Indiana
President/CEO, Burke Research Services, www.burkeresearchservices.com

Why did you read this book?
I read the book because I was curious—I am a believer in "people buy from people" and the concept of storytelling of a customer’s success with my business/product fits in with my belief. I wondered what you had to offer that was beyond my own experience. And found that you offered much more than I expected. My most valuable asset is a satisfied customer&mndash;and you showed me that people will buy from my customer as well as from me.

What did you learn that you didn’t know before?
I learned the necessity of partnering with the customer for a story that would benefit both of us. Before reading this book, I thought getting the customer to sign off, or even write, the ‘testimonial’ was good enough. That telling others that I had satisfied customers in my background was enough to ‘sell’ them on my services.
Instead, partnering with my customer to produce a quality and true story about their experience with me would go much farther in convincing others to utilize my services—and possibly to sell someone on a different service than they first thought of using me for. Example: referrals are a way of life in the business world and usually done on a person-to-person basis. Using the "storytelling" concept, the referral is elevated to person-to-community, a much broader market.

What information in Stories That Sell is the most valuable to you right now?
Leveraging the story in terms of being a small business that provides a service rather than a product. Not only the importance of leveraging the story, but seeing how the same story can fit in different parts of my marketing efforts, i.e. print, PR, website, inclusion in public speaking, referencing during networking sessions.

What would you tell a friend about Stories That Sell?
That it is an in-depth how-to book. It is not fluff, nor is it steeped in case studies. Instead, it provides practical guidance on how to succeed in utilizing a business’ best asset—the satisfied customer.

Kathleen Kliese, California
Freelance copywriter specializing in case studies and white papers

Why did you read the book?
I’m a writer with a wide range of writing experience that includes screenwriting, science-based video scripts, articles for the tech industry and jobs as a corporate project manager and business management analyst. When I discovered writing case studies and success stories as a viable copywriting specialty, I knew they were a perfect fit for me. After some preliminary research, I quickly discovered Casey to be the "go to" person in this arena. This book has come at the perfect time for me.

What did you learn that you didn’t know before?
I have been amazed to learn how many ways customer stories are currently being leveraged, and by the number and variety of companies who include them in their marketing strategies. My own purchases of products and services have always been heavily influenced by referrals. This book has led me to see how Success-Story Marketing, by utilizing the experiences of others, is part of a trend with a far larger scope than I’d imagined.

What information is most valuable now?
What has been most valuable in my first read of the book, and there will be many more, has been discovering how key storytelling principles can be effectively applied to case studies and success stories. My understanding of the power of story has been expanded. I found the information on writing for the audience and the psychology behind stories interesting and applicable. The definitions and examples of customer stories that include examples of formatting and styles, the "Seven-Step Customer-Story System," and information-gathering planning and implementation techniques have also been particularly helpful.

What would you tell a friend?
I would tell a friend who is thinking of using customer stories to market their product or services to read this book. I will also recommend it to my writer friends. The book is so well written and organized that it’s an easy read, and at the same time full of so much valuable information that it will serve as a reference manual well into the future.

Jeff Vance, New Mexico
President, Sandstorm Media, www.sandstormmedia.net

Why did you read the book?
I was interested in the book because of the blog. The blog gave practical tips on customer relations, getting buy-in from customers and the value of stories, and I was hoping for more of the same from the book—which it delivered, and then some.

What did you learn that you didn’t know before?
I’ve been freelancing and copywriting a while, so I knew most of what’s in here, but on a cursory level. What I gained was deeper knowledge. Take the "like me factor" or social proof. Sure, I knew all about the value of user reviews, word of mouth, etc., but the research you put into the book deepens that knowledge, taking it from something akin to common sense to a much deeper knowledge.

What information is most valuable now?
I really like the systems presented in the book. I’ve had "coming up with systems" on my to-do list for a while, be it for story templates, pitch letters, story follow-ups, or client relations. The seven-step customer-story system is incredibly valuable, removing a lot of roadblocks and time-wasting from the process of creating good case studies.
The information from the sales rep side of things is also valuable. I have plenty of clients who want and who have paid for case studies but not used them properly. This information will help cement those longer-term client relationships.

What would you tell a friend?
I’d say it’s a very good, very focused book that will give you the ins and outs of how to create compelling case studies.
I think the audience here is for established writers looking to broaden their client arsenal. Another good market for this book is PR and inside marketing reps. Even if they don’t write the actual stories, knowing the process of finding, building and leveraging those stories would be extremely valuable.

Pamela DeLoatch, North Carolina
The Writing Genie, Freelance business writer

Why did you read this book?
Casey Hibbard presented a seminar on writing case studies for the Copywriting Success Summit 2008. I was intrigued with this type of writing because it combined research, marketing, writing, as well as a human touch.
I was anxious to learn more about writing case studies, but found there were few resources. Fortunately, Casey has written this book.

What did you learn that you didn’t know before?
I learned several important things: the role that success stories play in a marketing campaign (and how to convince businesses that they can play a leading role), the company’s perspective of the preparation of a case study and most importantly to me, the specifics of how to actually research and write an effective and engaging story.

What information in Stories That Sell is the most valuable to you right now?
As a business writer, the chapters covering the nuts and bolts of writing success stories were most relevant to me. However, the information on the process companies go through to approve success stories, and the reasons some companies or customers are reluctant to participate were particularly enlightening.

What would you tell a friend about Stories That Sell?
(Not sure I’d pass this book on—it would just give me more competition!) I’ve read a number of books about copywriting, but I have not found another one that describes this type of writing anywhere. The depth of coverage is excellent, and after reading this book, I am definitely more prepared to delve into this type of writing.

Jim O’Connor, United Kingdom
Freelance copywriter

Why did you read the book?
I have 30 years experience in advertising and marketing – not one year repeated 30 times. And I’m constantly looking for new income opportunities and fresh ways to improve my marketability.
I’ve recently realized just how important storytelling has become in terms of getting jaded, information-overloaded consumers excited about products and services that are either complicated, or not terribly different, or both. So a book entitled Stories That Sell grabbed my attention. Then I discovered it was about creating and using customer success stories, which heightened my interest even further – several of my more recent projects were straying into this area. I figured this was a niche that offered huge market potential. But I also recognized my practical experience in this specialized area was almost non-existent.

What did you learn that you didn’t know before?
On one level the book confirmed things I was already thinking, but it brought those thoughts and ideas into sharp focus.
On another level, almost every page had me saying to myself, "I’d never thought of that." The book is incredibly detailed, practical, sensible and thorough. What’s more, all the way through I was thinking, "I could do that" and "I can think of clients who would respond really favorably if I offered them that kind of Success-Story Marketing package." So I learnt everything I needed to know in order to add an exciting new dimension to my business. This book is going to be very well-thumbed—I can see it becoming an invaluable reference guide that I will refer to constantly.

What information is most valuable now?
The seven-step pattern, because it gives me a complete end-to-end process that I can offer to new and existing clients. I can confidently say to them, "I can do everything you need to turn your satisfied customers into your most powerful sales and marketing asset," knowing that I have a proven blueprint to follow.
Step 5 is most interesting to me personally because it covers the actual writing process, but the other six sections are more useful to me because those are the areas where I’m least experienced.
I particularly liked step 7, leveraging customer stories, because that got me excited about all the different ways I could use success stories to add value to my client’s marketing efforts.
I also liked the examples of actual success stories—it made the advice crystal clear and easy to follow.

What would you tell a friend?
I’d tell them that many of the books I read on marketing and advertising are a disappointment—they promise more than they deliver. This book, however, does exactly what it says on the cover. It’s densely packed with invaluable information, full of sensible advice, and there’s not a shred of hype or padding—it gets straight to the point and then lays out the success-story marketing process with admirable brevity and clarity.
It does a great job of explaining why Success-Story Marketing is such a valuable tool right now, and exactly how to do it. If my friend was in marketing I’d urge them to get a copy. I’d also tell them that, armed with this information, I’m not worried about the work drying up!
I have a couple friends who can write, but lack the confidence and experience to go out and offer their services—they don’t know where to start. I’m going to recommend this book because it tells them all they need to know to begin working in a clearly defined area of commercial writing where a huge number of companies have a real urgent need.

Jay Ehret, Texas
Founder and Chief Steward of The Marketing Spot, Inc.

Why did you read the book?
I read/scanned this book because I follow Casey’s blog and I am a proponent of helping customers write stories.

What did you learn that you didn’t know before?
I learned how to format and layout a story in a more appealing way.

What information is most valuable now?
The most valuable information is how to more effectively leverage customer stories.

What would you tell a friend?
I would tell a friend that Stories That Sell is a good step-by-step how-to book on using customer stories as an effective marketing tactic.

Julie Devine, Indiana
Business Writing Services, Freelance copywriter

Why did you read this book?
I ‘d love to expand my freelance business into more case study writing. This book is a great tool to get motivated and prepared.

What did you learn that you didn’t know before?
The book opened my eyes to the many different ways that customer case studies can be captured and used in marketing efforts.

What information in Stories That Sell is the most valuable to you right now?
I gained new ideas to suggest to clients for improving their marketing efforts. For instance, I’m more comfortable with how to turn customer stories into media coverage and how clients can use the stories throughout their training and sales processes.

What would you tell a friend about Stories That Sell?
You get a detailed blueprint for making customer success stories a lucrative part of marketing efforts, from the first steps of identifying needs and the best customers to the final step of leveraging the stories in multiple ways to get bottom-line results. This is the perfect resource for someone who’s never developed a customer success story. It offers everything from a thorough list of interview questions to a checklist that ensures the entire process goes smoothly. All the wording you need to talk to customers is here, as well as the strategies to capture more stories, overcome roadblocks, and get the desired results.

Julie Gubler, Utah
Freelance writer

Why did you read the book?
I read this book to improve my skills at writing case studies.

What did you learn that you didn’t know before?
Stories that Sell taught me creative ways to help companies uncover customer successes, how to get around customer approval roadblocks, and many ways to leverage customer success stories.

What information is most valuable now?
The statistics about who individuals trust and how customer success stories fit was the most valuable to me at this time. A close second in value was the chapter on ways to leverage customer success stories.

What would you tell a friend?
I would tell a friend that before writing any customer success story, they need to read Casey’s book. It is an invaluable resource. It breaks the process down into manageable chunks. The appendices are also great at demonstrating how a finished customer success story reads.