Case studies of your firm's great work and delighted clients are amongst the most effective and versatile forms of marketing.They are also amongst the cheapest forms of marketing - yet many firms fail to make the most out of them (and some barely have any at all).
Clearly this is a costly missed opportunity, not least because case studies can be created quickly and-re used in numerous ways, including:- On your website (as text for search engine purposes and as a PDF download to capture email addresses)
- emailed to your prospects and referrers
- in sales meetings to give a great impact
- handing out at events
- within proposals to highlight your expertise and track record
So why the problem?
Often the block is not the client, but the firm's client relationship partner. They drag their heals and make it hard, hard work.
When asked to request a case study, they say it is "just not the right time to ask" and give a weak excuse regarding some current negotiation.
The real reason is because they feel they are burning up a favour or somehow imposing on the client. Let's be clear, this is the wrong mindset.
You are doing them a favour! It is not a case of approaching them Uriah Heap style and feeling awkward about it. Being profiled in a case study is great for your client (as you will highlight them doing something well) and gives them valuable publicity.
Instead you approach your client confidently at a suitable time and say "We often like to publish case studies on our website of important projects. Project X has achieved A,B &C and has delivered many benefits for your business - we'd very much like to feature it as a case study. Of course, once they say yes that is only the first hurdle overcome. The larger the client the more people and procedures there are to slow down and thwart you.
To help your consultancy firm, we have created our guide to "Taking the pain out of business case studies" with further tips on overcoming obstacles, simply click below to receive a copy.
