How to close more sales deals using customer stories (with practical examples)

Here is an ideal SaaS company's journey with creating case studies. They interview the client, crunch the numbers, and polish every word until it shines. Then they hit "publish" on the blog, share it once on LinkedIn, and... crickets.?

I've seen this scenario play out more times than I can count. As a SaaS Customer Story Consultant, it breaks my heart to see these golden nuggets of social proof left to gather digital dust in some forgotten corner of a website. (Okay “golden nuggets” may be a bit dramatic, but you get what I mean)

My point is that your customer stories are extremely valuable. They're proof that your product isn't just a bunch of features, but a real solution that solves real problems for real people. But too often, they're treated like a box to tick off on the marketing to-do list rather than the powerful sales tools they can be.

Your sales team is out there in the trenches every day, facing objections, battling competitors, and trying to convince prospects that your solution is the one they need. They're the ones who could really use these case studies. But more often than not, they don't even know these case studies exist, let alone how to use them effectively.

That's why I'm writing this article. I want to show you how to take those customer stories off the shelf, dust them off, and put them to work. We're going to explore three powerful ways your sales team can use these stories to close more deals.?These are strategies that I have implemented for my clients, and I see how well they work

1. Using targeted stories to overcome prospect objections

First things first, you need to get crystal clear on what objections your team is facing. I'm talking about sitting down with your sales squad and making a list. Get specific. What exact words are prospects using when they push back?

Pro tip: Don't just ask your top performers. Sometimes, your newer reps hear objections that the veterans have learned to head off early in the process. You want the full picture.

In my years of working with SaaS companies, I've noticed a pattern. Most sales teams have a list of common objections they face:

• "It looks complicated. We don't have time for a lengthy implementation."
• "I'm not sure we have the budget for this right now."
• "We're already using [Competitor X]. Why should we switch?"

Once you've got your list of objections, it's time to play matchmaker. For each objection, find a customer story that directly addresses it. And I mean directly. If the objection is about implementation time, you want a story that showcases a customer who had a smooth, quick implementation. The more your prospect can see themselves in the story, the more powerful it becomes.

Real-life practical example

I worked with a SaaS company selling a CRM system. They kept hearing, "We don't have time for a big implementation project right now." I dug into their customer calls and found a perfect match. It was about a mid-size manufacturing company that implemented the CRM in just three weeks. Then, I crafted a short, punchy version of this story that the sales team could drop into conversations.?

It went something like this:

"I hear you on the implementation concerns. Many of our customers felt the same way. In fact, XYZ Manufacturing was in the middle of their busiest season when they decided to make the switch. They were worried about disruption, but with our guided implementation process, they were up and running in just three weeks. Now, they're seeing a 30% increase in sales efficiency. Would you like to hear more about how we made that happen?"

See what we did there? We acknowledged the concern, showed it was normal, provided proof it could be overcome, and dangled a juicy benefit.

2. Using relevant stories to tailor sales pitches

One of the major reasons why deals are not closing is because the pitch is not good enough, and that leaves a lot of room for objections. But you have success stories that can change that. Before any sales call or meeting, your reps should be able to quickly pull up a relevant story that can further elevate their pitch.

Here's what I recommend for all my clients: Create a central library of your customer stories. If your customer stories are scattered across shared drives, email threads, and that one salesperson's brain who's been there forever, it's time for an intervention. You can simply use Google Sheets to categorize these stories based on:

• Industry
• Company size
• Specific problem solved
• Product features used
• Results achieved

Let's say you're pitching to a mid-size e-commerce company struggling with customer churn. In your organized library, you can quickly filter for:

• Industry: E-commerce
• Company size: Mid-size
• Problem solved: Customer retention

Adapt it. Highlight the parts that will resonate most with this specific prospect. Make it feel like this story was tailor-made for them.

Real-life practical example

I once worked with a SaaS company that provided data analytics software. They had a great case study about improving operational efficiency at a large retail chain, [we will call it RetailGiant for legal purposes], but they were struggling to make it resonate across different industries.

So, we took that one case study and created two versions:

For finance prospects:

"When RetailGiant implemented our solution, they were struggling with inefficiencies in their supply chain, much like many banks face with their complex financial processes. Within three months, RetailGiant automated 70% of their inventory management, leading to a 15% reduction in operational costs. For a bank like yours, this could translate to streamlined regulatory reporting and significant time savings in compliance processes."

For healthcare prospects:

"RetailGiant was facing challenges with their supply chain efficiency, similar to what many hospitals experience with patient flow. After implementing our analytics tool, they reduced stockouts by 35% and improved inventory turnover by 20%. In a healthcare setting, this could mean optimized patient scheduling, reduced wait times, and more efficient use of medical supplies and equipment."

Same core story about RetailGiant, but we emphasized the aspects that would matter most to each industry and drew parallels to their specific challenges.

Here's a pro tip: Create a 'cheat sheet' for each of your main customer stories. List out the key points and potential analogies for different industries or company sizes. This makes it super easy for your sales team to adapt on the fly.

3. Using story-driven data to demonstrate ROI

Let's face it, at the end of the day, decision-makers in B2B want to know one thing: "How much money will this make or save us?" This is why you need to extract. key metrics and results from customer stories

When I work with clients, I always push them to dig deeper. Don't just settle for "increased efficiency." Get specific:

• How much time did they save?
• What percentage did their sales increase?
• How much money/time did they save on operational costs?

Now we're talking!

But you need to blend story and data to create a narrative that sticks. Instead of just rattling off numbers, weave them into a before-and-after story. Paint a picture of the challenges your customers faced, the journey they went through, and the results they achieved.

Real-life practical example

My client had a case study that showed a 150% ROI within the first year. Here is how I helped the sales team use it in calls:

"Every month, you're wasting $10,000 on inefficient processes. That's $120,000 a year going down the drain. You implement our solution, which costs $50,000.

• In months 1-2, you're still learning, but already saving $5,000 a month.
• By months 3-4, you've hit full stride, now saving the full $10,000 monthly.
• At the 6-month mark, you've saved $45,000, nearly covering your investment.
• By the end of the year, you've saved $95,000 over your initial investment.

That's your 150% ROI and that's just year one. Moving forward, you're saving $120,000 every single year."

We then turned this into a simple timeline infographic to put in presentation slides, showing the investment and savings month by month. It was a game-changer. Suddenly, that 150% ROI wasn't just a number – it was a journey that prospects could see themselves taking.

Here's a pro tip: Create a few of these ROI story templates. Have one for quick wins (3-6 months), mid-term gains (6-12 months), and long-term value (1+ years). This way, you can match the story to your prospect's decision-making timeline.

Next time you're prepping for a big pitch, try this: Take your best ROI stat and challenge yourself to turn it into a 30-second story. Practice it until it flows naturally. You might be surprised at how much more engaging your ROI conversations become!

Conclusion: You need a strategy for case studies

All of these tactics are just pieces of a larger puzzle. What you really need is a comprehensive customer story strategy. Here's what I recommend:

• Audit your current customer stories. Are they aligned with your ideal customer profile? Do they address key objections?
• Develop a plan for regularly creating new stories and updating existing ones.
• Create a system for your sales team to easily access and use these stories.
• Implement training to ensure your team knows how to effectively leverage these stories.

Ready to develop a customer story strategy that drives real results? Book a free consultation with me today. We'll discuss your specific challenges and how we can leverage your customer stories to close more deals and drive growth.

Click here to schedule your free consultation: https://cal.com/maryamoseni/discovery-call