Teaming with Sales to Get Case Studies DONE

by guest expert Casey Hibbard

Customer case studies and success stories are some of the most powerful tools that a company can leverage in its sales and marketing. Yet in most organizations, it’s a struggle between sales and marketing teams to get them cranked out.

Sales reps know they need customer stories, but are often too busy chasing new sales to bother with delivering names of current customers. At the same time, they want to protect their own customers from being bothered.

Marketing is left with targets and deliverables but not enough viable candidates.

How can marketing encourage sales to help out? Here are some tips for easing the process and getting your stories done.

Lay a Friendly Foundation
Build relationships with sales reps first and foremost. The key to getting a response is to reinforce what’s in it for them in recommending case study candidates.

To that end, stay up on what stories they need and plan case study initiatives accordingly (as best you can within your budget). You might even survey the sales force online or at sales meetings.

Depending on the size of your sales force, introduce yourself to new reps one-on-one and stay in touch about their needs.

Do your best not only to fill the gaps in the field, but also to help reps out with any other needs they have in order to build their trust in you. A little mutual “back-scratching” helps pave the way for the next step – asking for customer names.

Ask for Case Study Candidates
When you have your case study plan, communicate your wish list regularly to the field.

Give reps a formal – but simple – way to submit a candidate. A very short form (3-4 questions) might ask about the key contacts and highlights of the solution in the customer’s environment. Keep this form somewhere that’s easy for sales to find and submit.

Choose a Carrot or Stick?
Some companies require reps to submit names of customers for stories while others reward reps for them. Try a contest. The sales rep that submits the most viable customer candidates for a quarter or year wins a bonus or the latest hot electronics item.

In fact, one software company boosted its candidate submissions significantly this way.

Involve Reps
If a story idea fits your needs, enable sales reps to “make the ask” or be involved in the initial discussion with the customer about the opportunity. That allows them to stay tied to the process involving their beloved customer.

Reps usually do not want to join in the actual case study process – on interviews and draft reviews – but as a courtesy keep them informed about ongoing communications with the customer until the customer signs off on the story.

Deliver Sales-Ready Materials
At times, sales reps create their own sales collateral, or retool existing marketing materials, to fit their needs. To avoid that, provide customer-story content in a format that reps can readily use.

In addition to a full case study, give them presentation slides with the story summarized.

Do Your Own PR
Maybe reps don’t fully realize the impact of a compelling customer case study on their prospects, or when to use a case study in the sales cycle.

Educate them on how to use stories in the most effective way. One technology company I know actually created an internal case study on how one of its sales reps uses case studies to close sales. Very clever! Other companies include “how to use case studies” in their sales training.

Close the Loop
When a story is completed, send the final, pretty version – or a link to it – to the relevant sales rep. Your process might also include having the sales rep personally send the final story and a thank-you note or gift to the customer.

In short, always be building the relationship. Stay in communication and mutually respect each other’s needs. And make it as easy as possible for sales to submit candidates.

About the Author: Casey Hibbard is author of the book, “Stories That Sell: Turn Satisfied Customers into Your Most Powerful Sales & Marketing Asset” and principal of Compelling Cases Inc. She also writes the Stories That Sell blog.

4 Comments

• 

  By Joe Vivinetto, August 5, 2009 @ 10:41 am

  Great tips, and I’d concur with most of your ideas. One that’s been suggested…but never able to quite be implemented…is building approval for a case study into new deal contracts. Get it in writing from day one. The challenge, however, seems to sufficiently incent the customer. I think discounts, credits, or other “value touchpoints” would motivate the customers to support a case study assuming they’re satisfied with your service/product.

• 

  By Casey Hibbard, August 5, 2009 @ 12:28 pm

  Hi Joe,

  Thanks for your comment! I have talked to a few companies that build the “ask” for case studies into the initial agreement. It’s seen not just as part of the deal, but a “promise” that it will be successful enough to be a case study down the road.

  However, some find it’s not really binding. If they’re not happy, then of course they won’t be featured. But also, their buyer (contact) sometimes doesn’t have the authority to agree to that, or she agrees only later to learn that the company doesn’t normally allow case studies. That said, I hear some have had greater success by doing this.

  Financial incentives are definitely motivators, however, most of the larger companies I’ve talked to don’t offer them in exchange for case studies. Or maybe only in rare cases. There’s a desire to earn a case study without something in return.

  Like any relationship, it can be complicated and unique every time. I guess the goal is to know what you’re willing to ask/give/do for your happy customer’s story.

  Thanks for the great conversation!

  Casey

• 

  By Maeve, January 14, 2010 @ 9:55 pm

  Good post Casey. I do most of what you mention in your post and it works out great. Having a good relationship with the sales team is key. Fortunately, the sales team also comes to me for references for prospects so we equally lean on each other.

  Two things that I do in addition to what you have listed are 1) I \pay\ sales folks for a completed press release or case study. Depending on the size of teh customer (Fortune ranking) I give certain dollar amounts and for smaller ones I mail them baked goods! Sounds silly but it works well.

  When the case study has been posted I also send a note to the entire sales team letting them know of the new case study/press release. At the end of the email I specifically thank the sales person who brought me the customer. It’s the public pat on the back that the sales folks like.

  Thanks!

• 

  By Casey Hibbard, January 15, 2010 @ 9:42 am

  Hi Maeve,

  Thanks for adding the other successful pieces of your process. Carrots – and cookies – work! I think it’s interesting that you have tiers of compensation depending on the value of the customer reference. Really interesting.

  I have had several clients over the years that pay sales reps for a lead that becomes a case study or press release. But I find most companies don’t want to budget for that.

  How do you go about demonstrating to your company that budgeting for those payments pays off?

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