Getting customers to go on-record to endorse a product is a big challenge for marketers, especially in the B2B technology space. But as any savvy marketer knows, having that third party validation makes the juice worth the squeeze when it comes to working a prospect through the funnel. If you’re struggling with a B2B tech case study program and need some tips, or if you’re looking to tag in your PR team for some help, this post is for you. I’ve run case study programs for some very large B2B technology brands over the years. Here’s what I’ve learned.  

The Fundamentals 

A case study program is a journey, not a destination. It takes solid processes and constant nurturing. Here are the basic elements you’ll need to get one off the ground: 

  • Step 1 – Build Your Pool – Talk to your head of sales or channel. Get them excited. If they don’t buy in, you’ve already failed. Get a sense of who in your customer pool is willing to serve as a reference. This might already be baked into their contract, so ask. (If not, talk to your leadership team about adding this clause.) Furthermore, find out how your sales leader plans to hold their team accountable for case study leads. In my experience, a huge contributing factor to a case study program’s success is rep accountability.  
  • Step 2 – Turn on the Spigot – It’s not enough to have an initial list, you need a constant drip (this is a program, not a project). Align with your sales leader to establish a process for new testimonials. If you serve a variety of markets or personas, be sure to build out your lists so your case studies map to all of your target customers and segments. 
  • Step 3 – Create Your Template – What does an effective case study look like for your prospects? Build a template for your case study that is simple, effective, and repeatable (you may have more than one version). I recommend the finished product is no more than two pages and is visually appealing. Get buy-in from your leadership team (especially sales) and pull in your design team (or hire out) to finalize your template. 
  • Step 4 – A Tracker You Say – This is where you flex your project management skills. Case study programs have a lot of moving parts. Whether low-tech with a program like Google Sheets or high-tech with a collaboration tool like Asana, you MUST track all your activities and assignments in real time. This includes basic information like company, contact, etc., but also stakeholders, draft status, key issues, timeline, etc. You get the point.   
  • Step 5 – The Bare Bones – Before you engage with a customer, you’ll likely need to go through an intermediary stage with the sales owner. Having a brief questionnaire for them to fill out will help you identify which customers are right for a case study (not all customers make for good case studies). This should include basic information like company name, market segment, products used, size of the sale, key highlighted success, etc. It’s not uncommon for reps to get spiffed on case studies and for the customer to get some incentive (like a free product or discount). 
  • Step 6 – Vet, Vet, Vet – Once you have the basic information from sales, jump on a quick call with the rep (or customer success manager) to talk thought the implementation and any key areas (of success or challenges). I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been handed a customer and scheduled an intake call, just to find out they aren’t happy (whoops). Furthermore, confirm the customer has agreed and identify anyone else on the customer’s side who needs to be in the loop for approvals.  
  • Step 7 – Standardize Your Questioning – The customer is an awesome candidate, and they agreed to a case study! Now it’s time for the interview. Given you have a template and format, you need your questions to follow a standardized narrative that is consistent with other case studies (and keeps the interview on track). This can usually be accomplished with a set of 18 questions (I’ve included my generic go-to questions below). This is your intake script. If you’re just starting out, you can adapt this format over time as you learn. Work to keep these interviews between 30-60 minutes so it feels like a light lift for the customer.  
  • Step 8 – Confirm the Process – Two primary points here. (1) During the in-take call with the customer (or in email, if that’s easier), explain the entire process starting with the interview to the final approved draft, and confirm they feel good about the approach. (2) Reconfirm the approval process. Do they have permission to approve this? Does an executive need to sign off? Will legal need to review? Get definitive answers on this now before you’re further into the process.  
  • Step 9 – Draft, Review, and Finalize…on a Timeline – Most of the hard work is done at this point and you’ll enter the trough of approvals. When sending copy for approval, set very specific deadlines (and follow up regularly, like spammy regularly if they miss deadlines). It’s best if you can work directly with the customer, but if it must run through the sales or customer success rep, stay vigilant. It’s important to move this process to completion as quickly as possible. In my experience a case study can take anywhere from two weeks to four months to be approved. If it takes longer, it likely won’t get approved at all.  
  • Step 10 – There is No Real Step 10 – But 9 is my least favorite number.

Key Questions for Your Customer Interview 

As mentioned above, you have limited time with the customer. To stay on track – and ensure your case studies are consistent – consider building out a standard set of questions. This could vary across product lines, industries, etc. Here’s where I usually start for an interview or email Q&A (and adapt from), in this order. 

Q: Please tell me the [COMPANY] product or products you use? 

Q: What versions do you use?  

Q: Please provide a brief overview of your business?  

Q: Please provide more information about your [network infrastructure, team using the product, company size, locations, etc.]? (Adapt this to the applicability of your solution.) 

Q: Why did you select X company or product? 

Q: What specific challenges or problems does X product help you solve? Please be specific and use real work examples. (More is better here.) What problems did you have that drove you to need a solution like this? 

Q: How does X product help you do Y better? (Then specifically ask in relation to features you’d like to highlight, for example data visibility.) What are some real-world situations or examples? What else does it allow you to do?  

Q: Prior to X product, how did you accomplish X task? What solutions, tools or methods did you use? What made you want to change that approach? 

Q: How easy is X product to use and navigate? (Create questions that align with ease of use, that could be UI-based, etc.) 

Q:  Did you look at any other competitive solutions? If yes, which ones and why did you not select them? 

Q: What went into your decision-making process when selecting X product? (Lead them with options like usability, portability, breadth of features, etc.) 

Q: Do you use X product in conjunction with any other products (either your company or others)? 

Q: Who was involved in selecting X product? (Get actual names and roles if available.) 

Q: How long have you used X product? 

Q: Can you make any qualitative or quantitative estimates about the value X product delivers? (For example, time savings, cost savings, other ROI, etc.) 

Q: What do you like best about X product? 

Q: Overall, how satisfied are you with X product, our support, and company as a whole? 

Q: Who can we quote in this case study? 

The biggest impediments to a successful case study program are often lack of time and/or process. If you have great products, you likely have great customers. Great customers love to praise the products they use (and to look like innovators for adopting them). Invest in building a winning and fun case study program. And, if you don’t have time, give us a call. We’re ready to be tagged in.