Hi! This is Katie, the Project Manager.
Last time I met Janice, she told me about a problem she had at work.
What did we talk about this time?
Having dinner with Janice
“You won’t believe it!” Janice began right after she sat down.
It was a Monday evening and we were sitting in a steak place downtown. If you are ever in Kansas City yourself, you must visit one of the steakhouses!
“What have you done this time Janice?” I asked, a little worried.
Last time we saw each other, Janice had clicked on a malware link in an e-mail and caused her company quite a bit of trouble.
“Calm down!” Janice said, looking a little offended. “It’s not about what I’ve done, but what I need to do. My boss wants me to start preparing case studies and have no idea how to do it!”
How to do it
Lucky for Janice, I have already prepared a number of case studies and testimonials throughout my career.
“That’s no big deal! Look, I will show you some of mine,” I offered and opened my handbag to take out my tablet.
“Okay,” said Janice after browsing through some of my work. “So, it’s basically a real-life story illustrating a customer’s journey.”
“More or less,” I nodded. “Don’t forget that the point of such a story is to show how your product or service helped that particular customer. If you include details, it’s easier for others to identify themselves with the client. Look, I will write some basic notes down for you.”
I took a paper napkin and made few notes. I am a very digital person, but sometimes I enjoy the old school methods, too!
- Choose an interesting case.
- Think of an attention-grabbing headline.
- Add real numbers and figures to your case study.
- Write chronologically from the beginning to the end.
Extra Tips
“You are like a walking Wikipedia,” Janice teased me. “Thanks though. Now I have a rather clear image in my head of what I should do. I’m just thinking out loud – it doesn’t have to be only written content, does it? How about using some multimedia throughout the case study?”
“Wow Janice, that’s a great idea!” I replied, a little surprised deep down that I haven't thought of this earlier. “After all, videos and podcasts are having a golden era. I’ve heard that people nowadays are much more likely to watch a video or listen to an audio than to read a text. Actually, I might have a look at my case studies once again and think of a way to turn them into a more modern form!”
“Well I always outsmart you, don’t I!” Janice laughed.
“Cheers to that!” I laughed back and raised my glass of beer!
