So many customers – so little noise. It's a well known fact that having a third party speak about your products or services on your behalf can have more impact than your own voice. The former holds greater trust, objectivity and connection, whereas the latter can easily be seen as blowing your own trumpet. It's why we all like Amazon's review section, essentially mini case studies, instead of just relying on the manufacturer's product description. In addition to being your means of income and profit, customers are also your best source for success stories and support.
But while Amazon has millions of customers and only needs a small percentage to write reviews, how does a b-to-b enterprise or a startup with less or only a few customers come by a case study and without risking a negative one? Asking being the obvious answer of course. That however, isn't as simple as it sounds. Otherwise large enterprises wouldn't struggle with finding customers participating in interviews or writing a success story. It might surprise you that there are astoundingly many companies, including large ones, that don't utilise their customer base for these softer values.
The cause for this failure is not entirely because the customers don't want to. It might be the main one but there's plenty of room to manoeuvre. The second reason is a lack of an orchestrated and serious effort and programme to constantly work on finding those gems that aren't shy of the lime light.
Here are three top tips to build your digital Rolodex (that thing before Linkedin and Salesforce) of customer case studies.
First of all, take what you get. It's like building any relationship or network. You start small and expand over time until they are happy to talk to a journalist/analyst, at your event, post a guest blog or even feature in your corporate video. Your customer just wants to lend his name or logo? Fine, it's a start and can be used for your website or perhaps marketing material. Just a brief quote? Good enough for Twitter or part of an article.
Second, the approach has to be right. Don't ask them for a favour because it's not about them doing you a favour. Or at least not only. Every time I spoke with sales people (they usually hold the key to customer access) they were very protective of their customers and I had to use the same arguments I had previously employed to reel in customers. Sales people worry that they might be compromising their efforts to flog the goods. Understandable but it's the other way around. Suggesting to work together on a case study it is as much an opportunity to the company as it is for the customer. It's a matter of pointing out the benefits to customers.
Third, make obtaining references part of the sales team's objectives and performance goals. Combine it with an internal incentive programme. That gives sales people good enough reason to ask their customers. It works a lot better than including a lifeless and legal sounding clause about references in your standard contract. Without the incentives and goals, they might just take the part out of a contract. I have seen that many times.
Fourth, use the right words and tone of voice. Less corporate sales pitch and more personal engagement. The worst that could happen when asking nicely and presenting it as an opportunity is a polite no. No harm done. At the very best you get a resounding yes and a customer that keeps asking for more public exposure. I even had a case where the sales department had a customer flagged red (software implementation issues) and I still got great quotes when I asked the CTO spoke to speak with a journalist, because overall he was still happy, which in turn I could tell the sales account manager.
But while Amazon has millions of customers and only needs a small percentage to write reviews, how does a b-to-b enterprise or a startup with less or only a few customers come by a case study and without risking a negative one? Asking being the obvious answer of course. That however, isn't as simple as it sounds. Otherwise large enterprises wouldn't struggle with finding customers participating in interviews or writing a success story. It might surprise you that there are astoundingly many companies, including large ones, that don't utilise their customer base for these softer values.
The cause for this failure is not entirely because the customers don't want to. It might be the main one but there's plenty of room to manoeuvre. The second reason is a lack of an orchestrated and serious effort and programme to constantly work on finding those gems that aren't shy of the lime light.
Here are three top tips to build your digital Rolodex (that thing before Linkedin and Salesforce) of customer case studies.
First of all, take what you get. It's like building any relationship or network. You start small and expand over time until they are happy to talk to a journalist/analyst, at your event, post a guest blog or even feature in your corporate video. Your customer just wants to lend his name or logo? Fine, it's a start and can be used for your website or perhaps marketing material. Just a brief quote? Good enough for Twitter or part of an article.
Second, the approach has to be right. Don't ask them for a favour because it's not about them doing you a favour. Or at least not only. Every time I spoke with sales people (they usually hold the key to customer access) they were very protective of their customers and I had to use the same arguments I had previously employed to reel in customers. Sales people worry that they might be compromising their efforts to flog the goods. Understandable but it's the other way around. Suggesting to work together on a case study it is as much an opportunity to the company as it is for the customer. It's a matter of pointing out the benefits to customers.
- It could help the customer to tell a certain story they are promoting.
- It could position them as innovative, cost effective etc
- It could show progress and successful improvements towards their own customers.
- It gives visibility of their brand, their product, their CEO or an employee, new development, an upcoming event, recognition of their success
Third, make obtaining references part of the sales team's objectives and performance goals. Combine it with an internal incentive programme. That gives sales people good enough reason to ask their customers. It works a lot better than including a lifeless and legal sounding clause about references in your standard contract. Without the incentives and goals, they might just take the part out of a contract. I have seen that many times.
Fourth, use the right words and tone of voice. Less corporate sales pitch and more personal engagement. The worst that could happen when asking nicely and presenting it as an opportunity is a polite no. No harm done. At the very best you get a resounding yes and a customer that keeps asking for more public exposure. I even had a case where the sales department had a customer flagged red (software implementation issues) and I still got great quotes when I asked the CTO spoke to speak with a journalist, because overall he was still happy, which in turn I could tell the sales account manager.
