Your Case Study Is Your Business

A common mistake business owners make is to assume their product or our service is the business.?

We have a software, an agency, or a coaching program and this is the business.?

We sell shoes, groceries, widgets, or broadband internet.?

We are a PR, Facebook Ads, cyber security, or web design agency or expert.

But this is wrong.?

Your case study is your business.?

The TRANSFORMATION you create 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.]?

If you want to get to the bottom of what your transformation story is, then answer these questions.

Step ONE - ask yourself - what specific person or business do I help??

1. What is their role, their title, and what are the specifics of their company in terms of geography, and industry??
2. And what specific problem do they have/ does the business have that I can solve??
3. What is their starting point? [size of business, revenue/ profit, shrinking, growing]?
4. What other things have they tried in order to solve the problem they are facing?
5. What skills, capabilities, or other qualities do they have that mean they’re a good fit for me??
6. 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.?

Feel at liberty to choose the type of person that you enjoy working with the most, the one best positioned to get results and one that will pay you the price you ask with no reservations.

Step TWO - ask yourself - what result or desired solution do I create??

1. Does the specific person or business consistently or urgently want or need this solution or outcome??
2. 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??
3. Do they have the budget and/ or the time to invest in the solution I’m creating for them??
4. 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??
5. 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 them again you do not have a unified case study.?

This is where you want to go back to get more specific about who you help. If you focus on the BEST PERSON to help and the type of person that will get the most consistent results and you feel free to ignore the others, then what do you discover?

Believe me they exist and if you can say no to other types of clients and simply find more clients like them, your life and business will be a lot happier.?

Step THREE - ask yourself - what method, path, or process do I use to get a consistent transformation or result for this specific client??

1. Does my target client understand that this method, path, or process will get them to the desired solution quickly and efficiently??
2. Is my process standardized enough for the right client such that results are guaranteed as long as they follow the steps??
3. 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??

Of course, outcomes are going to be different for different clients because no two companies are the same, HOWEVER, the big outcomes will be consistent.

If you consider enough of your ideal client and their case studies, you will see they have a common start point a common challenge and the outcomes are consistent at a high level.

For example I spoke recently with a consultant that helped innovative companies in the health sector, to take new technology or health research to the next level of development, in many cases to national clinical trials or further funding and investment.

The specific case studies of her work were vastly different, however the common thread was clear - innovative health companies, world changing tech or research, didn’t know how to take their product to funders or government and present data to stakeholders.

Specific case studies are simply the historical evidence that your promise is true.?The details are different for each one of course, but the journey is the same.

You want a transformation story that is repeatable, predictable and scalable. ?

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??

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.?

The reality is that no gimmick will work unless you have a clear transformation story.

Narrow down until you have a clear story of the type of business you help, the challenges they face, the process you take them through and the outcomes you help them achieve.

Your Case Study is your business.?

Share this story with your market and you’ll be sure to get new clients lining up to work with you.

Hey I’m Jen ??

?? I specialize in helping experts to attract more frequent, easy to sign, ideal clients through clear online messaging.

?? Follow for more tips on B2B Brand Storytelling, Lead Generation, LinkedIn, and Sales

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