Here’s a quick trick to increase sales with your case studies: use the Choked-Up Close.
This is something I use when the situation presents itself. Here’s how it works:
Anytime I do a case study interview, I try to get into the deeper why behind why the customer bought the thing we are selling.
For example, let’s say I’m doing a case study for someone who hired a business coach. I’ll want to know:
Why was it so important for this person to take their business to the next level? Why are they so driven to grow? Why not just stay cruising where they are at?
I often include the answer early in the case study. Because their “why” is similar to the “why” of the reader. So sharing this early helps the reader instantly connect on a deep level with the person in the case study. And so the reader sees that this coaching service or product or whatever it is will help them get the thing that they truly want.
Every now and then, when digging for the customer’s “why”, I’ll get an in-depth story that gets me all choked up.
For example, one woman talked about how her desire to grow her business was to honor her dead father. And she went into a whole story about that and what her business means to her.
Another guy I interviewed talked about how lonely he felt after his brother died when he was a teenager. And now the driver behind his business is to ensure nobody else feels the same pain and loneliness he felt back then.
These stories got me all choked up when I first heard them. I knew I had to use them.
But if I included these full, in-depth stories early in the case study, it would be a distraction. The reader came to this page to see how a product or service can help them. Going off for 3 minutes about this person’s personal life can feel like a tangent. The timing just isn’t right to go that deep into their “why” so early in a case study.
Instead, if I have a really compelling story like this, I’ll save it for the end of the case study.
I’ll wait until the end to tie the success the customer had to their deeper “why”. Sharing this helps the reader tap into their own “why” and see how their life could change. It also tugs at their heartstrings right before we give them the chance to join. And the more you can tap into their deeper drive and “why” and love, the more likely they will be to buy your thingamagig.
Here’s an example of how this can look. It’s one of many case studies I did for my client — badass business coach Ron Reich. (You can read the full case study here.)
If you want help creating case studies for your product or service, shoot me an email at [email protected] to get on my waitlist.