RR#117 - Turn case studies into cash (here's how)

Case studies can supercharge your marketing and help you close more deals. If you’re not already leveraging them, you’re leaving money on the table.

In this email, I’m going to break down how to create a compelling case study you can share with prospects and close more high-value deals.

Why Case Studies Are Worth Their Weight In Gold

It's one thing to talk about what you do. It's another to show it with cold, hard evidence from a satisfied client.

No matter how much rapport you've built, nothing beats the credibility of a third-party success story.

But here's the thing: not all case studies are created equal.

A well-constructed case study doesn't just say, "This person did this thing for me, and look at the results."

It goes deeper and does more.

The Secret Sauce of Powerful Case Studies

Done well, a case study accomplishes 3 things:

1. Creates a Strong Sense of Relatability
   Your prospect needs to see themselves in the story. Whether it's the industry, business model, or problem they’re facing, when they watch (or read) your case study, it should scream, “Hey, that’s me!”
   
   

2. Showcases a Before and After
   You’ll want to show where your clients started, where they ended up, and quantify those results to the best of your ability. Make the transformation they experienced crystal clear.
   
   

3. Explains “The How”
   Uncertainty is what kills deals. And while prospects care more about the transformation they’ll get than they do how you get them, explaining how you get results eliminates any uncertainty that may be remaining.

Now, let me walk you through my process for creating these conversion machines.

The Ray Green Case Study Formula

Ask your client to join you for a 30-45-minute Zoom call. You may offer an incentive to do this, like a gift card or donation to a charity of their choice. Or, you can use my personal favorite, a sample of your upgraded offer or service.

A video call allows you to capture the full case study as an asset to use in your marketing, and you can slice it up into clips to use on social, too.

Some people are nervous on camera, so assure them that any mistakes will be edited and that they’ll have the final say on anything before it’s published.

Then ask the following questions:

1. Can you tell me about your company?
   This does double duty: It gives your client some exposure and helps prospects understand why this story matters to them.
   
   

2. What challenges were you facing before we started working together?
   Get your client to rewind the clock and describe the problems they had (i.e., the problems your ideal client is likely experiencing today).
   
   

3. What had you tried before we started working together to solve those challenges?
   They’ll probably share the things your current prospects are doing or exploring, so let them explain why other solutions fell short.
   
   

4. Can you describe the work we did together?
   Have them walk through what you actually did. This is your chance to showcase your process to prospects who are exploring options.
   
   

5. How was this different than what you tried before?
   When your client explains why your product, service, process, or approach are different, it helps differentiate you.
   
   

6. What were the results of our work together?

   This is where you shine. Get specific, quantifiable results and let your client paint the picture of success.
   
   

7. Who would you recommend us to?
   If done right, they'll describe your ideal prospect to a T.

The Power of Implementation

If you follow this structure with some of your rock-star clients, I promise it'll boost your credibility and warm up prospects before they even hop on a call with you.

Let your great work help you get more great work. Leverage success stories, get them recorded, and help your service delivery supercharge your marketing.

Remember, it's not just about saying you do good work. It's about proving you do good work for your ideal clients.

Let me know how it goes.

And if you've got any killer questions to add to the mix, reply and share them. I'm always looking to refine this process.

Want to see how this approach works in action? We’ve compiled three case studies to give you an inside look at how different businesses tackled their challenges and grew their revenue.

Check out our first case study with James Ker-Reid, founder of Sales for Startups, followed by Ash Singh, founder of TechTBD, in refining his company’s sales process. Lastly, discover how Melanie French, founder of French Sales Solutions, transformed her lead generation strategy. Each case study offers unique insights into leveraging the power of a well-constructed case study for success.