I heard this statement recently and I love how simple and true it is - Your Case Study Is Your Business.
It is a common mistake to assume our product or our service is our business.
We can believe that we have a SaaS, an agency, or a coaching program and this is the business.
This is often adopted from retail - we sell shoes, groceries, widgets, or broadband internet.
If you believe that your business is a PR, Facebook Ads, cyber security, or web design agency then you’re wrong.
Your case study is your business.
For service-based businesses, the TRANSFORMATION is the business.
You are selling a promise to a person or to a business, and delivering it through a method or a process.
You’re backing up your promise with past results and evidence of the transformation in the form of a case study.
[NOTE - If you’re starting out in business your own personal transformation can be your case study until you have more case studies to share.]
Step ONE - You need to ask yourself - what specific person or business do I help?
What is their role, their title, and what are the specifics of their company in terms of geography, and industry?
And what specific problem do they have/ does the business have that I can solve?
What is their starting point? [size of business, revenue/ profit, shrinking, growing]
What other things have they tried in order to solve the problem they are facing?
Have the things they tried failed? Why did they fail?
What skills, capabilities, or other qualities do they have that mean they’re a good fit for me?
What triggers or events are happening in their life or business that mean this problem is particularly difficult or pressing and means they will be open to a solution?
The greater the specificity here, the more precise you can get with your promise and therefore your transformation.
If you help vastly different types of people and businesses with different problems then you do not really have a unified promise or transformation or case study.
Step TWO - You need to ask yourself - what result or desired solution do I create?
Does the specific person or business consistently or urgently want or need this solution or outcome?
Can I consistently create this desired solution for the right person such that I can guarantee them results and remove all risk from their side?
Do they have the budget and/ or the time to invest in the solution I’m creating for them?
Does the solution give them a significant return on their investment to justify them borrowing money or getting help in order to solve this issue? Or can they present a strong business case internally to other stakeholders to release the funds required for our solution?
Can I clearly report back to them the results or transformation created so they can see whether the investment of their money has gone in terms of results for them or their business?
If you create different results for the people you help again you do not have a unified case study.
Maybe you need to go back to get more specific information about the person you can get results for and find more clients like them.
Step THREE - you need to ask yourself - what method, path, or process do I use to get a consistent transformation or result for my clients?
Does my target client understand that this method, path or process will get them to the desired solution quickly and efficiently?
Is my process standardized enough for the right client such that results are guaranteed as long as they follow the steps?
Does my process reduce time, cost, and stress for my ideal client in such a way that it’s preferred over competitor products or services?
You should be able to write a case study that shows how you solve a problem and create a promised transformation for a specific type of person or business through your bespoke method.
The case study is simply historical evidence that your promise is true.
If your case study tells the story of many clients who fit the right criteria, then you have a repeatable, predictable, and scaleable business.
On the flip side:
If you work with different types of people or types of businesses to get results with your solution, then your transformation is not repeatable.
If you get different results for your clientele then your transformation is not predictable.
If you need different processes to get results for your clients, then the transformation is not scaleable.
If you are stuck selling your product or service, you might be obsessing about what the next magic marketing trick might be - the funnel, the copy, the hack, the new channel, or the platform.
Will paid ads, TikTok reels, a new logo, and a new press release help me sell?
If you’re still promoting a product or service, you might begin to feel that the world is against you or that marketing agencies, lead generators, or media buyers just don’t get you.
Your Case Study is your business.
Make sure you have all the elements of a great case study in place, then share the story and you’ll be sure to get new clients lining up to work with you.
