Over the years, I have written many success stories for customers. The stories vary in style and length, but all include the classic triad: challenge, solution, and results. It’s impossible to better describe the expertise of a company and its product than through a story. Or does it? I’d argue there is. It’s called feature format. Take a look.
Classic vs. Feature format
Be clear: the feature format isn’t radically different from the structure we are all familiar with. Storytelling still revolves around the three elements: challenge, solution, and results. What’s different is how the threads from a customer’s happy journey are woven into a compelling story.
If you use the feature format, you can inspire and impress your audience in just the time it takes to read a couple of pages. As an artist chooses colours and brushes to create a masterpiece, you must select the right words and storytelling to demonstrate your client’s problem-solving abilities.
Does that sound fanciful to your marketing style? Continue reading…
Quick Overview
Classic vs. feature formats
Storytelling in Business: The Power of Stories
Find the storyteller in you
How to write a compelling customer success story
A. Find your storyline, characters and setting
B. Gather your materials and do some research on the subject.
C. Write a compelling headline
D. Present the challenge and set the scene
E. Introduce the solution
F. Build anticipation
G. Turn the corner
H. Find a solution
The Power of Storytelling in Business
Even in industries that are not known for their glitz, such as engineering, logistics, and manufacturing, corporate storytelling is still important. By helping potential clients imagine their own successes by reading the stories of others, you can give them a reason to trust your company.
Humans are wired for stories. It’s important to us to know how things progress because that is how we interpret information. Stories fire up our imaginations and help us solve problems.
Who doesn’t love a happy ending?
Ask your top salespeople. They probably have some favourite stories that they can use to engage and educate their prospects.
Find the storyteller in you.
Even in B2B, storytelling has a significant impact. If you are not a good storyteller, it may be difficult to turn your customer success stories into compelling narratives.
Or maybe not…
I’ll show you how to present your customers’ journey, from the challenge to the triumph, in a way that immerses your readers in a relatable experience.
Are you ready to tell a tale?
HOW DO YOU WRITE A CUSTOMER SUCCESSFUL STORY?
A. Find a storyline with a cast of characters
1. Find your satisfied customers, but be selective. You are looking for customers who have a problem they can identify, which was solved to their satisfaction, and had tangible results (e.g. more revenue in dollars or minutes, ROI in percentages, etc.). Problems that affect an entire industry are particularly interesting.
After you’ve written your story, summarise it with one sentence. Find the angle that will make people click to read and to click to read. This is a crucial step. This step will determine the development of your story.
2. Who will tell your story?
Each story requires at least one actor in order to make it come alive. For business case studies, it is best to have two actors: one from you and one from the customer. Later, you’ll be interviewing these people to fill in the details of the story.
You can personalise your story by quoting and referring to real people. The person who represents your customer should have a similar role and be directly involved in the narrative. For example, production managers will be able to relate better to another producer than to a CEO or finance director.
B. Gather your materials and do some research on the subject.
1. Understand your product or service completely
Once you’ve gathered all the information you need about your solution, decide which features and benefits you want to emphasise in your story. Specifications can be helpful, but do not overwhelm your readers with details.
Keep your audience’s knowledge to a minimum and only give them enough information to make sure they understand your product. You don’t need to confuse or bore them, even if they are knowledgeable. You don’t want them to be distracted from the main message. Add a link to the product page or brochure.
2. Prepare two sets of questions for interviews and start interviewing
One list of questions is for your co-worker and another for your client. You can frame your questions to get the information that you are looking for. Avoid questions such as “How long has your business been around?” This information should be readily available on their website, or you can find out by asking.
Ask open-ended, complete questions and get both qualitative and quantitative responses. You want to gather enough information to back up your story and add a human touch.
Record your interviews (with the permission of course). Recordings reduce the need for note-taking and provide accurate quotes.
C. Write a compelling headline
1. Grab your readers’ attention
Your creative efforts will be wasted if you don’t get readers to click the link. You can do this by writing a headline that says they will benefit from the story. It is important to use the word “benefit”.
If you think that your readers will not benefit from reading about another person’s problems, they won’t bother to read your story. Write your headlines in the present to make your story appear newsworthy.
2. Be specific and firm
You will get more clicks if you include specific results in your headline. What is more persuasive to you? “improves substantially” and “reduces substantially” or “generates an extra $1 million” while “shrinks the costs by 25%.”
Avoid weak verbs if the customer cannot give you any specific metrics. Strong verbs don’t require any extra words to describe what is happening, whereas weak verbs do. Compare “helps” vs. “boosts,” “improves” vs. “energises,” and “cuts vs. “slash.
D. D. Set the scene.
1. Immerse the reader immediately in the story
All great stories begin the same way. They give the reader a vivid idea of the time and place where the story takes place. Success stories in business are no exception. At the top of the webpage, introduce the protagonist (your client), the location and the period. Incorporate the goals and challenges of the customer to make your intro more interesting. Use a dramatic or strong opening paragraph. Think like a reporter.
2. Focus on the impact of the product or service on the customer
It’s not sufficient to mention that they had five hours of downtime in production every week. Indicate the effect, such as lost revenue, delays in customer shipments or loss of business to competitors. Your target audience will be able to identify with your customer’s frustration.
E. Introduce the solution
1. Introduce your product or service to readers
Include a few key specifications. Remember that this isn’t a product description. To add credibility, describe your solution within the context of a customer’s factory, office or warehouse.
2. Showcase your unique selling points
Mention the reason why your customer came to seek help from you. Was your company the only one with this solution, or did they already have a list of vendors? Why did they choose you instead of your competitors? It is not the right time to be timid.
F. Build anticipation
1. Add some suspense to the story.
Take some techniques from a novelist. Make readers care about your protagonist (your client) by raising their concerns. Strengthen the antagonist (the challenge) with descriptions of its formidable nature.
2. Do not reveal the ending too soon
You don’t need to end each section with a dramatic cliffhanger. You do, however, want to take your readers on a trip. Step-by-step, describe how you guided your customer to the solution.
G. Turn the corner
1. How did the customer’s experience improve?
You have overcome the obstacle. It’s now time to describe the benefits that your client is receiving. Refer back to your goals and challenges in the introduction to give the reader a sense of closure.
2. Quantify results using specific data or metrics
Your argument will be more persuasive if you are more specific. Metrics, graphs and charts are powerful. Unfortunately, some customers cannot provide quantifiable results. In such situations, you can highlight the benefits of your product by listing each benefit in bullet form.
H. Bring a solution to the table
1. Showing genuine customer satisfaction
Now is the time to create your happy ending. Your readers should know why your client is satisfied with the outcome. You should summarise the value of your solution and your relationship with your client.
Include a quote that emphasises the main benefit that the customer received. Include any plans the customer may have for your solution.
2. Signposts to insert your story
Signposts can help structure a story. They are like signs on the highway that tell you where you are and what’s next. Case studies have traditionally used subheadings such as “background”, “challenge”, “solution” and “results”, but these are not original or compelling.
Use subheads to describe the situation and/or list the results. These signs complement your narrative style and support the overall message of your story. They also help readers scan and skim.
Wrapping up
Writing your customer success stories in narrative form is a great way to showcase your company’s knowledge and the value of your products. You are more likely to connect with your readers if you immerse them in a relatable experience. This, my friends, will encourage your readers to find out more about you and perhaps even ask for a demo, quote, or consultation.
