"Tears in their eyes..."
Or, you can make your Case Studies believable. Your choice.
I was at the Propelify Innovation Festival last week.
A gathering of entrepreneurs and tech professionals on the beautiful Hoboken waterfront across from NYC. And, no surprise, a lot of the talk was around AI.
One of the speakers was sharing his vision for the future of AI. He had a pretty interesting viewpoint on how AI will evolve for graphic designers and artists (too long to explain here). Then he showed the product he’d developed… which was when he lost me:
“I’ve shown this demo to many Creatives, and they have actual tears in their eyes. Because they see what this tool can do for them”
Really?! I guess it’s possible. But I find it hard to believe that was the reaction to a video about a piece of software.
The lesson from this: Your testimonials, case studies, customer stories - they all have to be believable. They have to sound real.
Otherwise, they can actually undermine your credibility. Instead of tears, you get eye-rolls 🙄
Making Case Studies Believable
Nikki Fabrizio shared her techniques for getting killer case studies on The Marketing Mix podcast. And while she does mention her customers having tears in their eyes, she’s clearly joking!
How do I know it was a joke? From the tone of her voice, and the look on her face. Neither of which are possible in a written case study. So the podcast also looks at the value of video testimonials, and how to get them done with limited resources.
Plus, Nikki talks about the importance of finding the right customer success stories to feature; how to set the stage at the beginning of the customer interview; and how the case study process can actually improve the dynamic between Sales and Marketing.
How to Find Customer Success Stories?
The usual advice is to ask your sales team to find candidates. And that’s a great place to start. But what if that doesn’t work?
I’ve used some unusual tactics at sales meetings and tradeshows to gather some really interesting customer stories. But - as always - there are pitfalls!
I’d love to help you create winning case studies. If you want to chat about some best practices, let’s set up a call.
Drink of the Week
I mentioned last time that, when Fall comes around, I’m not a fan of the pumpkin flavored drinks. But I can get behind the idea of pear - which isn’t strictly autumnal, but it works for me.
Last week, I had a Pear Martini at Kristine’s in Princeton.
I don’t know their exact recipe, and most that I can find online don’t include the pear syrup. But here’s one that will get you close.
Cheers!
Steve