| Next to white papers, case studies are
| |
| | costs are most easily quantified, but
|
| the most popular tool in the technical
| |
| | soft costs may have the higher perceived
|
| marketer's toolkitThe ubiquitous case
| |
| | benefit to a customer. Ideally you will
|
| study can range from a 3- paragraph
| |
| | list both.When NOT to Write a Case
|
| online snippet to a full-blown magazine
| |
| | StudyWhat are the most common blocks to
|
| article. The most popular case study in
| |
| | partnering with a customer for a case
|
| the marketing/PR arsenal is the 500-700
| |
| | study?1. Your customer is really unhappy.
|
| word success story. They're not as
| |
| | They'd do a case study all right, but you
|
| challenging to write as white papers, but
| |
| | wouldn't want them to. If you're the
|
| you should structure them for maximum
| |
| | hapless individual setting up the initial
|
| impact.Different companies use different
| |
| | interview, be sure that the customer
|
| structures for their case studies, but
| |
| | really is happy and is open to talking to
|
| all should follow the same general
| |
| | you. Otherwise they'll just give you an
|
| pattern: 1. Company overview and
| |
| | earful. Fix: promise the customer that
|
| challenge 2. Project details 3. Positive
| |
| | you'll pass on all of his comments to the
|
| results (of course)Customer Overview and
| |
| | technical support team, or whoever you
|
| ChallengeStart with a 2-3 paragraph
| |
| | think will best handle it. Then do it,
|
| overview of the customer's company. This
| |
| | and forget about it.2. Customers who fear
|
| should be very positive - since you're
| |
| | their market will punish them. Prime
|
| going to detail a problem the customer
| |
| | example: legal firms with security
|
| was having, the last thing you want to do
| |
| | issues. Sure you helped them through a
|
| is make them sound like jerks. So
| |
| | security project and now they're Fort
|
| compliment them. Feel free to adapt the
| |
| | Knox, but they don't want their clients
|
| overview from their own Website text,
| |
| | to dream that a problem ever existed in
|
| where they're already placing themselves
| |
| | the first place. Fix: Forget it. They'll
|
| in the best possible light.Then move on
| |
| | never give you permission to produce the
|
| to the business challenge. Don't make the
| |
| | study. Besides, they're probably
|
| customer sound stupid or incompetent. The
| |
| | right.3. Your customer is an exacting IT
|
| challenge should always be centered on
| |
| | type who is suspicious of the success
|
| something good that is happening to them
| |
| | story format. This customer considers the
|
| - fast growth, industry prominence,
| |
| | project a success too, but they dislike
|
| strategic IT changes - whatever. Their
| |
| | purely positive spins - and no project is
|
| challenge should be applicable to your
| |
| | perfect. Fix: If they are happy for the
|
| readers' own business issues.Project
| |
| | most part, get a buy-in that the project
|
| DetailsNo project goes perfectly, but
| |
| | really was successful. Don't put him off
|
| save the debriefing for the longer-form
| |
| | about the negatives, capture those
|
| trade journal article. These short case
| |
| | comments too and promise to pass them on.
|
| studies should report on the successful
| |
| | (Then do it.) This is usually enough to
|
| project by briefly discussing specific
| |
| | secure the interview.4. Your customer is
|
| products and benefits.Don't go all over
| |
| | scared to be interviewed. This is usually
|
| the map. If the project is fairly narrow
| |
| | the IT guy who did all the footwork, and
|
| or specific, you won't have any trouble
| |
| | prefers to stay behind the scenes. He (or
|
| sticking with the main point. In the case
| |
| | she) will either be too nervous to talk,
|
| of large and complex installations,
| |
| | or will despise you because he doesn't
|
| concentrate on the main point. For
| |
| | think you've got the technical chops.
|
| example, Microsoft Great Plains has more
| |
| | Usually both. Fix: Understand the
|
| modules than you can shake a stick at.
| |
| | technology you're interviewing about. You
|
| Concentrate on the ones that had the most
| |
| | don't have to be an engineer, but you
|
| positive impact on your customer.Business
| |
| | should understand IT pressures and
|
| BenefitsAlways quantify improvement when
| |
| | issues. Ask leading questions, but if
|
| you can. Numbers can be dollar savings,
| |
| | they clam up and won't talk, thank them
|
| percentages, or other measures of saved
| |
| | and hang up. Tell your customer contact
|
| staff time, more efficient workflows,
| |
| | that you're so happy you got to talk to
|
| better customer service, etc. Be sure
| |
| | the technician, and now could you talk to
|
| that the benefits you list are the
| |
| | a project manager too?
|
| benefits the customer perceives - hard
| |
| |
|
