Case studies are relatively easy to put together. People enjoy reading them. And they are a highly effective way to demonstrate your authority and expertise in your field.
When a potential client is deciding on whether they will hire you or not… a big question in their mind is…
“Can this guy or gal really do what they are saying they can for my business?”
There are many ways you can help your client believe that you can truly deliver the results you say you can. And the case study is one of them.
You can use a case study to show how you worked with a past or current client to overcome and solve an issue they faced. It’s proof that you not only can talk the talk, but you can also walk the walk…
Here’s how to put together your consulting case study:
1. Introduce the business
Set the stage here by introducing your client, their business, and their industry.
2. Outline the problem or challenge
In this section you outline the problem your client was facing. Be as specific as you can be. Simply saying they had marketing issues, or a problem with their PR is not enough. The more detail you include the clearer the picture will become and the more effective your message will be.
3. Summarize the action steps
Now that you’ve described what problem your client was up against it’s now time for you to explain what you did to help them deal with those issues. It’s usually a good idea to break down each part of the process you used or the steps you took – so that the reader gets the sense that you have a methodology and system – and that the results you provide aren’t ‘by chance’.
4. Talk about the results
It’s time for the results. Outline the results that were achieved and how they impacted the business. In many cases the outcome isn’t just dollars and cents, but also has an impact on your client. Are they less stressed? Do they have more free time? This is also a great area to include a quote, feedback or testimonial from your client. As you finish off the case study be sure to mention if you’re continuing to work with this client and even if you’re not, how have the results affected their business into the future.
5. Your business
At the end of the case study you should always include a paragraph or so about your company.
Get Permission
Of course, you shouldn’t publish a case study about your client without their permission. 9 times out of 10 your client won’t have a problem with you doing so, but it’s good to ask them.
Writing case studies for your consulting business not only helps you land new clients, it’s also a great way for you to review past projects. Doing this helps you to find what worked and what didn’t – so that you can continue to learn from your experiences and implement your best practices into your next consulting project.
Publishing consulting case studies
The best place to publish your case study is on your website or blog. I also recommend that you make it available in PDF format so people can download it easily if they want.
You can also submit case studies to industry publications – and if accepted are a great way to spread the word about your business and your client’s business.
Case study length
Yes, I know. You were going to ask “how long should my case study be?”. The answer is as long as it takes you to include all the relevant information. If you can get all of it in to 1 page, that’s fine. If it takes you 3-4 pages, that’s okay as well.
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