Dare to Give a Case Study Customer a Deadline?
What’s the biggest unknown in any case study or success story project?
The customer’s review and approval time.
As we’ve said, customers can turn a story around in a day or take months.
You have to find a middle ground of being persistent but stopping short of pesky.
Some people simply need specific targets. Or, to put it more bluntly, a deadline.
Typically, I don’t give customers a deadline right out of the gate, when they first receive the story for review. I tell them that I’ll check back with them later in the week or early next week – usually giving them 3-4 days.
The only exception to this is when there’s a specific need driving a very fast turnaround – such as a PR opportunity or event. In that case, it’s best to communicate about the tight approval cycle before the project even begins, and get the customer’s commitment that the dates are doable.
But for typical projects, I reserve deadlines for those that are lingering a little.
A recent project reminded me that some people really respond best (and only?) to deadlines. When the project lingered, we let the customer know that the company needed the case study for some specific upcoming opportunities.
In turn, the customer responded with edits and moved the story to the next step.
It doesn’t always work so well, but for certain types of people, it’s the right motivator.
Of course, whatever deadline policies you adopt in regards to customer approval, always be flexible and aware of what’s going on with the customer. Are they traveling, out sick, stressed with other work?
Adjust and work with the customer as needed – keep their experience as pleasant as you can.
Maybe offer to work directly with the customer’s legal or PR team for final approval so your contact doesn’t have to project manage.
So what’s your deadline protocol when it comes to customer approvals, and what works best?
The 2 Must-Haves of the Customer-Story Waiting Game
Sales and marketing are fast-moving functions of any business. The faster the case study is completed, the appointment made, or the press release out, the quicker you just might make a sale.
Enter the customer. Your customer has objectives and deliverables all its own.
Your case study, while it might be important to the customer, is likely not the top item on the customer’s list.
At times, that makes for long waits…
…in obtaining permission to feature the customer
…in getting the interview on the schedule
…in securing the customer’s approval
How do you cope?
Enter the 2 must-haves of the customer-story waiting game:
Patience
This week, a customer canceled his phone interview for a case study for the third time. Each time it was scheduled and he canceled shortly before or just didn’t show up.
Now, it’s scheduled for the fourth time. Crossing my fingers…
It’s hard to be patient, but essential. Never let the customer see your frustration, or they could decide to bail on the whole project.
In this case, my client is driving the rescheduling because they also need the story for PR purposes.
However, in most cases, after two cancellations, I might ask if the customer truly has time for this project right now. If not, how about in a week or two, or when?
By asking about their availability, you open the door for them to tell you that now is just too busy and get realistic – so they don’t keep missing appointments.
Polite Persistence
Whether you’re trying to get an interview or secure approval, being persistent – in a nice way – is the only way.
That means contacting customers regularly and leaving friendly messages regarding your request.
Take those opportunities to remind the customer what’s in it for them to participate in the story – the value to them of the joint promotional opportunity.
Sometimes you might even ask, "how can I help make this easier for you?"
Beyond patience and persistence, it’s always important to set expectations with customers as the project kicks off. But even that doesn’t guarantee a smooth ride.
What strategies do you have for dealing with the inevitable delays in case studies projects?
Or, if you’ve ever been on the customer side of a case study project, any tips to offer to vendors and writers trying to capture your story?
Rescuing a Case Study from Certain Death
Whew!
A case study has been saved. It was close.
Here’s how it went down:
We created a case study that my client really needed, the first one on a specific mix of products used together by one customer.
Everything went incredibly smoothly until the signoff phase. Our main customer contact sent it up to his legal team, who said effectively, "No, we don’t like your release form, so we can’t agree."
From there, we engaged the company’s PR contact, who was frustrated that legal shot down this free PR opportunity.
The PR guy let legal know the case study was important, getting legal to take another look.
We compromised with some modifications to the legal release form and the story got through.
It’s a lesson in not taking "no" for an answer. If you understand the reasons for case study rejection, you can often work through them successfully.
All’s well that ends well.
Lessons learned: Let legal see the release form before starting a customer story.
Find more tips on clearing roadblocks to customer story signoff in Ch. 8 of Stories That Sell.
When You Need that Story Approved- Yesterday
Patience is a necessary part of the customer story process, especially when you’re waiting for a customer to approve a written draft.
Today, one of my clients needed a freshly created story for a sales conversation with a prospect, but the customer hasn’t approved it yet. If a story names the customer, you just can’t use it unless it’s approved for public use.
You may have a trade show coming up, a hot sales opportunity, or a reporter waiting for the story, but customers have their own hoops to go through. Unfortunately, you can only do so much to encourage them to hurry.
While waiting for official approval, you can leverage the highlights of a story. Pull out the key messages and benefits‚ without mentioning the customer’s name‚ and drop them anecdotally in emails or in conversations with prospects. So, you still benefit from using a real customer example while you wait patiently for formal approval.
Order from this site and get TWO bonuses!
Companion ebooks to Stories that Sell!
Get the most out of Stories that Sell with The Marketer's Toolkit AND The Writer's Toolkit. These additional resources provide proven tips to help you succeed with success stories.
Recent Comments