Creating simple one page documents showing how you delivered results for your customers is a great way to connect with prospects that may have similar problems.

One of my clients is a fast growing software integrator that works in the financial industry. One of their problems is that they sell a complex service – it can be difficult to communicate exactly how they deliver value to their clients beyond “We integrate software for banking systems”.

We worked with this client to create a series of case studies – short, simple documents that showed potential customers how they have solved similar problems for other customers.

A case study should follow this format:

• The problem
• The solution
• The outcome

People that are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on software development and implementation are a tad skeptical of firms that claim experience. And rightly so. In choosing a firm to help with software development, they know there is a risk of failure.

Case studies can help reduce this sense of risk by showing them that you’ve solved problems like theirs before. Having a collection of case studies can help you communicate your offering in terms prospects can understand.

They are a powerful way to answer the questions:

• Can you solve my problem?
• Are you experienced?
• Are you credible?

Here’s some tips on what goes in an effective case study.

• State the customer’s industry category
• State the problem or challenge
• Give a one to two paragraph overview of the situation
• Clearly state how you solved the problem
• Share the outcome for your customer

Collaborating with our client, we also created a process graphic and worked with the client to refine their messaging, brand their services and show how they work.

Typically customers benefit from case studies by creating more informed customers and higher quality opportunities.

Check out our Case Studies Here to see an example of a simple, high impact case study format.