Sales Insight: Why Do Clients Care About Case Studies?

When prospecting for new clients, it’s important to be able to showcase your successes, but why do prospects and clients care so much about case studies?

At WNDYR, we’ve been hosting webinars and workshops specifically for Customer Success leaders and teams in the SaaS industry. During one of these sessions, a question about case studies came up, so I felt it was a topic worth digging into some more.

With the overwhelm and overload of information available on the internet, prospective customers and existing ones can so easily go online to find more information about your software products, your competitors, your clients and reviews. Especially when customers have the chance to download free trials and subscribe for licenses online – looking for learning materials online becomes a natural preference too.

Out of all the learning materials out there, case studies are proving to be the most successful sales and customer success tools. Here are 5 reasons why:

1. Case studies showcase the clients that you have

It might seem too simple but it’s really just about human nature; people wanting what other people have. When people can see the different logos of companies that are using your software you gain brand authority. You must be doing something right if you are collecting lists of clients! Case studies strengthen this perception because you’re not only showing off who your customers are, you’re explaining how you’ve actually added value to them through the solutions you offer.

2. Case Studies prove customer value

Customer value is extremely important in Sales and perhaps even more so in Customer Success. The customer’s perceived value of your solutions needs to match, or even exceed, the customer’s desired value in order for you to keep a happy customer on board. Case studies are real-life examples of how value is experienced by your existing customers and so prospects and other existing customers realise that their desired value can be met through the solutions you offer. The case studies prove that your solutions have been tested and are helping your customers succeed.

3. Case Studies explain what else can be done with your software

Case studies also share other possible use cases for your software. A customer may be using a specific set of features that solve for only one or two business processes. In the meantime, they may have access to many other features that could help them solve other challenges they’re facing too. Case studies can show your existing customers other ways of using your tools to help them with other areas of their businesses.

4. Case Studies share what your customers are saying

In the same way product reviews are extremely powerful, in the SaaS industry it’s client testimonials and case studies that provide the same punch. Your customers say in their own words what they think about your software and services. Prospects will find it easier to believe a customer’s testimonial because it is considered unbiased information. After all, the customer doesn’t receive any incentive when sales are made, right?

5. Case Studies are valuable because people connect with stories

Your features page can easily list all your features and what their functions are but nothing beats a story of how someone actually used those features and achieved success. Your target audience will relate to the problems and the challenges your customer faced and will read the facts and figures of success as a result of using your solution. Everyone loves a happy ending, especially when it’s a true story!

Do you use case studies to engage with your clients? If so, what works best for you? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Interested in reading one of our latest case studies? Get in touch with our sales team to find out who we’ve worked with and what successes we’ve achieved. Also follow us on Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook. for more updates on sales, marketing and the SaaS industry.