How to Build Credibility, Trust, and Influence with Case Studies

Deb Monfette

As a B2B marketer and sales expert, are you taking advantage of the value case studies can add to your business? Would you like them to stand out from the competition and build credibility, trust, and influence with your buyers? What about making it easier for your successful customers to want to contribute? It may be time for a makeover or at least a few upgrades.

Every buyer you encounter will be up against change. So let’s start there.

Change Is Hard To Swallow

Change can be hard to swallow. Many times it requires jumping into the unknown. It can take effort, time, patience, focus, and open you up to risks. Not only that, if you can’t address the obstacles, identify gaps, and see the possibility of success at the end, you set yourself up to fail.

It’s especially important for people who are changing up the current process for others at their company by making decisions to buy something new, complex, and/or expensive. Their decisions can impact the entire company, as well as their customers, clients, and partners.

Everyone wants to avoid making a bad decision.

Why Are Bad Decisions Still Made?

With all the numbers and data out there, did you ever wonder why bad decisions are still made?

Annette Simmons, the author of The Story Factor, explains that bad decisions are rarely made because people don’t have all the facts. Bad decisions are made because people ignore them, or don’t understand their importance. Basic human emotions like anxiety, greed, or fear take over.

More facts will not help them put things into perspective. The critical component missing is the story. A story helps people figure out what all the facts mean and gives them something they can relate to and understand. They should be able to see themselves in that story, feel the pain, and visualize the possibilities.

Let’s face it, after we gather the facts, we all jump on the Internet to search for reviews other buyers have had on sites like ​Amazon, G2 Crowd, and Trip Advisor. We’re looking for real, authentic experiences.


Are others loving what they purchased, having challenges and regrets, or finding something better? Are there potential obstacles we may run into and can we avoid them? What are the possible outcomes.

It makes sense that studies show B2B buyers use case studies more than any other resource to help them make decisions to purchase something new, complex, and/or expensive. It’s their chance to avoid a bad decision.

What Are Buyers Really Looking For?

What exactly are B2B buyers looking for in a case study when making the decision to purchase something? How do they prefer to search for them? What can you do to make your case studies capture the attention and imagination of your B2B ​buyers?

TReeTo answer these and more, I shared a list of questions with 240 B2B Technology Marketing and Sales professionals right here on LinkedIn. After reviewing the responses, I selected 10 people with the most relevant insights and first-hand experiences. 

Some of the highlights include:
​

Cassandra Jowett ~ Director of Content Marketing, LookBookHQ

“There are three critical elements missing in most case studies. One of them is the person at the heart of the story, your successful customer."


Debbie Terwilliger ~ Lead Product Marketing Manager, AT&T

“Don’t bury the pain. The key to a successful case study is to interview the owner of the process with the challenge, the person who felt the pain."

Troy Fulton  ~ Director of Marketing, MicroNergy, LLC​

“End-customer strategic challenges that are not addressed well leave many tech firms poorly differentiated." 

Chas Kielt ~ Principal Product Marketing Manager, Citrix Cloud​

“The Challenge, Solution, Results approach is classic … formulaic. It can be a conversation starter for sales. But in my view, the narrative sequence is dated. CSR is limited and lacks nuance and color."

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Denise Boyd ~ Global Marketing Communications Manager, PerkinElmer

“The challenges, solutions, and results format for case studies works best where the reader wants to get directly to the point and may be further along in the buying cycle. They have a strong interest and need reinforcement. It’s also great for senior management when you can talk bottom line numbers, saving money, and increasing productivity."

Justyna Bednarski ~ Digital Marketing Manager, Carlisle Interconnect Technologies​

“In my past experience, case studies were extremely useful for the sales team, when the focus was on benefits for the customers. Works every time." 

Stephanie Van Ness ~ Marketing Communications Manager and Chief Storyteller, ViewPoint Interactive Solutions​

“We follow the challenge, solution, results format mostly out of necessity. Nearly all of our clients are under NDA and we are extremely limited in what we, as marketers, can say."

Mikolka Morrill ~ Account Executive, Northeast Region, Prezi​

​“We typically tie in additional services from us (extra templates, training, and support) in exchange for a case study."​

Lauren Triance-Haldane ~ Senior Manager, Customer Marketing Advocacy at LookBookHQ​

“We try to make sure thank you gifts are unique to the customer who shared their story with us​."


While I gathered real-world insights from the experts, I also examined 50 case studies. From here, I selected 7 of the most powerful ingredients to help you plan, craft, and publish case studies. These tips will help you give buyers what they’re looking for, nurture relationships with your customers, and train people at your company to grow your business. 


The Case Study Makeover

It is the right time for a Case Study Makeover. Here’s a closeup of the 7 powerful ingredients.

To get more details, download the free guide: The Case Study Makeover Guide: Build Credibility, Trust, and Influence with Case Studies (even when you have limited approval.)

Compare these real-world tips with your own case study strategy. Decide where your gaps are, take action to give buyers what they expect, and make them more useful for both your customer advocates and for your company.

I hope you find great value in this Guide.

​Photo CreditsIllustration by kittitee550/stock.adobe.com | Business Icons Collections Designed by Freepik | Photo by DenisZaporozhtsev/stock.adobe.com | Photo by at Pixabay.com | Infographic by Chaowat/stock.adobe.com