Despite the proliferation of marketing technology and digital media, the value of effective word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and colleagues remains paramount. As a result, businesses are increasingly leveraging success news to drive demand for their products and services. A well-written, compelling customer success story can provide a powerful and credible proof point for sales professionals and new prospects alike.
A success story provides a detailed account of your company’s customers, their situations prior to deploying your product or service and the subsequent positive impact on their business. The best stories have a clear beginning, middle and end and are centered around a specific business challenge, the strategies employed and the positive results that followed. To maximize the impact of your success story, use relevant data-driven results and include an internal or external quote from a business leader to help add credibility.
Start the story by describing your customer’s situation and why they were looking for a solution. This will create a connection with the reader and make them feel like they are already part of the story. If your customer is willing, you can also include a short testimonial from them to boost the authenticity of the story.
Next, describe the solution that your customer implemented and why it was successful. You can even include a before-and-after comparison chart to highlight the impact of your customer’s decision to deploy your software or service. Be sure to mention a concrete, measurable outcome such as increased revenue or improved efficiency. This will further entice prospects to contact your business and explore their options for a similar improvement in their own operation.
The final paragraph of your success story should detail the effects that your solution had on your customer’s business. This is what will truly convince prospective customers that your software or service is right for them. Using action words such as fortified security, turbocharged innovation and salvaged employee morale will resonate with your audience as they can relate to these specific benefits.
If you are able, try to interview your customers directly. This will allow them to voice their own experiences and ensure that your story is a genuine one. Use high-quality photos, infographics and screenshots to add visual interest and bolster key points of your success story. Using the same visuals in every story can become repetitive and detract from the power of the message, so rotate your sidebar placement, quote styles and subheading colors to avoid the same look on each page.