When potential clients are looking to hire you, they want to see what sort of success and experience you have. By providing a case study, you can give concrete examples of your work.
When you’re describing what you did at a job, the more specific you can get with results, the better. (Tip, if you’re writing about a former position or work done for a client, make sure those results can be made public!) A mini case study can help you stand out from a field of qualified candidates and helps direct conversation towards your successes.
Example:
Instead of writing:
I help business owners make more money.
You could get more specific:
After working with me for three months, my clients increase their sales by 30%.
Make it easy and follow a formula.
Follow these steps for a compelling case study.
- Situation – Describe the product or the service or the person you are collaborating with. This helps place everything in context.
- The challenge – State the problem you must solve and the issues facing the client. Results will be measured from this point.
- The solution – Describe what specific actions and strategies were taken to overcome the challenge.
- The results – Be as specific as you can be: website visits increased 15%, conversions went up 20%. The story of transformation is the power of a case study.
Example:
Situation – Jane is a graphic designer who has been in business for five years who has a wide variety of clients ranging from spas, to healthcare to financial planners.
- The challenge – Business is going well, but she has lost several long-time clients. Jane has trouble differentiating herself from a host of other graphic designers who offer similar services.
- The solution – We helped Jane repackage her offerings so she is the expert in helping wellness providers, yoga instructors, physical trainers, and dieticians build their businesses.
- The results – She now has a growing list of clients in the wellness field, has begun to speak at seminars, and receives more referrals. Her income this year has increased by 30%.
I hope this helps you provide examples to your potential customers. Let me know! If you enjoyed this, subscribe to my newsletter for more about creative storytelling for business.
Happy writing,
Anne