Good case study programs are carefully launched and diligently managed.

By Dan Pecchia

Organizations that can generate “case studies” or “success stories” in a sustainable, efficient fashion have a huge advantage in communicating their value to customers, prospective customers and referral sources.

But securing that capability is challenging on at least two fronts. First, an organization needs to perform well enough to inspire a goodly volume of customer satisfaction. Then, it has to convert that customer satisfaction into compelling content.  Both are hard.

Based on the work we’ve done with Turning Technologies, Aim NationaLease, Ankle & Foot Care Centers and others with robust testimonial programs, we offer these four keys to getting such a program off the ground and keeping it on course.

Get customer-facing personnel involved early

From the start, these are the key people in this effort. They know which customers are excellent candidates for success stories or soon will be, and they also know which ones are not worth pursuing.

If they’re inclined, these individuals can solidify customers’ agreement to get involved and their approvals on written materials.

Any sustainable case study program has to give customer-facing colleagues motivation to stay involved.

Establish and refine a process

Agree on who does what, in what order. For example, two very important – and separate — steps in the process are confirming the customer’s participation (early) and presenting a draft for review (later).

Ideally, there is common language approved for approaching the customer and for confirming that final approval. Other process items could include a list of internal and external approvers, an agreed-upon location for archiving success stories and specifics about where the material can and cannot be used.

Leverage journalist-style writing

Objective, fact-based reporting works best, with a subtle complimentary tone.

Keep in mind that many readers will be prospective customers and researchers who are looking for specific reasons your customers benefit from your work … not just cheerleading.  Rah-rah-rah has its place, but not here. It can turn people off.

We prefer newspaper-style writing, a style Americans have favored for long-form content for well over 100 years.

Manage a flow of testimonial material

Think beyond capturing a satisfied customer or two. Think about expanding the ways testimonial possibilities can be ignited and identifying the bumps in the process that need to be smoothed out.

As business conditions change and/or people in the organization come and go, the success story process will need to be tweaked as well.

A good process, good writing and good management can make the effort catchy with all the players needed for ongoing success.

These aren’t the only steps needed for a reliable case study effort. But they’re four biggies that, if done right, can carry such an effort for many years.

Dan Pecchia is an Ohio public relations consultant and president of Pecchia Communications.