As seen in Fast Company
I’ve been thinking a lot about customer success stories and why so many companies either shy away from them or can’t consistently pull them together.
As a journalist, I spoke to many major tech companies that pitched me their story. When I would inevitably ask to talk to customers or receive a case study, the companies would often express concern that customers didn’t want their names in a story, or they didn’t want the competition to know exactly how they had advanced their business.
I became a pro at helping tech companies and their customers feel confident that I would outline just enough without giving away all the trade secrets. The best companies had PR pros who vetted a few customers willing to speak. Those tech companies invariably got the more prominent features and the richest stories.
Few things in the communications field are more impactful than a third party advocating for your brand and telling your story. It starts with a company philosophy, method, and formal process that ensures excellent customer success stories flow from sales to marketing—a win-win for everyone involved. One of our main focuses as an agency is to ensure those on both sides feel comfortable and confident in telling their stories to reporters, analysts, and the broader market.
Documenting customer success experiences is vital to B2B tech companies’ marketing and sales strategies. However, companies often face several challenges in this process. Here is how company leadership can overcome those challenges:
1. PRIORITIZE CASE STUDIES
Case studies should be a main pillar of your content strategy for converting B2B leads into customers. The sales team must buy into this process. Each contract should include co-marketing clauses and case study incentives for the customer. The full management team must endorse the importance of case studies and work with marketing to develop them quarterly in various written and visual formats.
According to the Content Marketing Institute, customer testimonials and in-depth case studies are the most powerful content for establishing trust and validation for B2B companies.
2. UNDERSTAND THE POWER OF CUSTOMER SUCCESS CONTENT
Most B2B buyers are influenced by online success stories. This is why authentic case studies are crucial to sales enablement. According to a Demand Gen Report, 96% of B2B buyers seek more information from industry thought leaders before making a purchase, and 47% of buyers viewed three to five pieces of content before engaging with sales.
This underscores the influence of content, including customer success stories, on the buyer’s journey long before a sales rep even knows there’s a lead in the pipeline.
3. OVERCOME CUSTOMER HESITATION
Some customers may decline to participate due to company policies, privacy concerns, or the perceived effort involved. Address these by offering alternatives, such as anonymized case studies using firmographic data like employee count, location, or revenue range, while respecting their decisions. Ensure the timing is right. You want to ensure that you reach out at the right time when the implementation is complete and the ROI is realized. Build trust by showcasing examples of customer storylines your clients have loved.
Once everyone is on board, create an ongoing method to identify willing customer participants and simplify the process. Here are ways to make it happen:
1. ENSURE SALES, CUSTOMER RELATIONS, AND MARKETING BECOME TIGHT PARTNERS
Companies have many ways to find a stream of willing participants. One way is first to leverage your sales and customer service teams to identify enthusiastic customers. Start with an internal case study development program that showcases your customers and how they worked with you. Marketing should monitor social media and emails for positive feedback and third-party review sites for delighted customers to share with sales and relationship managers.
2. IDENTIFY THE WRITER AND STYLE FOR CASE STUDIES
I often hear internal teams say, “We don’t have the process or writers to do this consistently.”
My answer? Fix this.
The upside to gaining more customers who are proud to be associated with these success stories is tremendous. Internal teams are often slammed with day-to-day work, and a strong success campaign can be built by leveraging trusted third-party services that act as an extension of your team. Your public relations agency can be part of this process. Their understanding of case studies and customer sensitivities puts them in the position to know which cases can be used for media relations efforts.
Whether you use your agency or freelancers, the goal is to overcome internal resource constraints and ensure high-quality output.
3. BUILD A STREAMLINED PROCESS TO ENCOURAGE CUSTOMER PARTICIPATION
Great customer storyline campaigns make your clients look good. Before reaching out, you must have a process to present that highlights the benefits to your customer, such as showcasing their thought leadership, gaining internal recognition, and enhancing their brand.
Your process needs to assume concerns in advance and be able to address these easily. Determine whether your clients are okay with using their brand name or anonymizing. The preference is the brand name, but if that’s a hurdle, offer examples of how to keep their name out of it. Provide a clear outline of the process, and share examples of previous case studies. Simplify the process by keeping interviews short, handling the writing, and providing ample time for reviews and approvals.
4. HOW TO MAKE PARTICIPATION EASY AND REWARDING
Ensure that customers know you’ll support them throughout the process. Provide interview questions in advance, including information about the data types, such as ROI figures desired. Emphasize how participating in a case study can be mutually beneficial and stress the minimal effort required.
By following these tips, you can build a robust collection of case studies demonstrating your successes and significantly impacting your lead conversion rates, while giving your communications team the valuable resources it needs to tell your story in the market.
