Case Studies Out Perform White Papers to Drive Sales

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People want to learn the specifics of a product or service after they've read a case study.

Aptos, Calif. (PRWEB) February 27, 2007

Mr. Case Study, David Leland, (http://www.mrcasestudy.com) affirms that customer stories are the central piece of marketing collateral in the B2B world.

Leland, who has been writing and directing case studies for more than 15 years, works with clients to deliver the value of a product or service through the eyes of existing customers. This business strategy attracts potential end-users by connecting them to real-life, third-party endorsements.

"Before a business begins talking about features and benefits they need to get their customers' attention," said Leland, who has developed case studies for clients such as Seagate, QLogic, Hitachi Data Systems and Visp.net. "People want to learn the specifics of a product or service after they've read a case study."

Case Studies vs. White Papers

Leland's assessment flies in the face of some high-tech marketers who believe white papers − usually terse technical documents that speak to the features and benefits of a company's product − are more important than case studies.

"In the spirit of having to choose one over the other, the case study wins," said Jim Logan, an independent B2B consultant. "The reason I don't use white papers early in a sales opportunity is because they provide too many details. Case studies are about benefits enjoyed by a real customer. They're benefit-driven documents wrapped in a format that offers a reason to believe."

Case studies, also known as success stories and testimonials, generate ROI just like any other piece of marketing collateral. The payoff is realized through increased profits, industry buzz, happy profiled customers and fodder for web copy and press releases.

"A well-written case study is absolutely the most important piece of collateral in my arsenal," said Charlie Wallace, director of global channel development for NetApp global services. "I tell my peers that if they aren't using their existing customer base to generate more customers they are leaving money on the table."

Leland has begun training an army of case study writers to fill the void between qualified case study writers and those proficient at crafting other types of marketing collateral. He recently wrote How to Write Case Studies That Sell (http://www.casestudiesthatsell.com/), and has developed a blog (http://writing-killer-case-studies.blogspot.com/).

"Businesses need good case study writers," Leland said. "It's an art form just like any other kind of writing, and there's plenty of work to go around."

About David Leland

A well-known case study expert, Mr. Case Study (http://www.mrcasestudy.com) also serves as a principal at One Straight Line, LLC (http://www.onestraightline.com). One Straight Line helps business grow by developing effective business strategies that connect the company with its customer. Contact David Leland at dleland @ onestraightline.com.

CONTACT: David Leland

One Straight Line

(831) 531-2897

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