Surely you have seen many videos or articles that talk about success stories in various companies.
These are usually very dynamic and accurate in the information that shows how a brand achieved success through some marketing campaign.
Well, then I will talk to you about the importance of preparing success stories for your business and I will guide you step by step in the preparation process.
But let’s start with the basics…
What are success stories?
Success stories, also known as case studies, are a type of content that focuses on presenting or telling stories of real customers who have had a good experience and good results from purchasing a product or service from a company. .
They are great for the MOFU (middle-of-the-funnel) stage, which is when prospects are looking at different options and success stories can lead them to identify themselves and take the final step toward acquisition.
They can be highly effective if they are put together well because they make it possible to demonstrate the achievements and results of others. In addition, the fact that your clients give their permission for you to tell their story is a sign that they trust you and are happy with what they have received.
This positively impacts the acquisition of new customers.
Why create a success story?
When people are about to make a purchase, the first thing they do is research, either on the web or with friends, how the product or service has worked for other people.
They know that what we are selling them is good, has quality and will never fail them, but it is more convincing that this is said by a person outside the company that is offering them the product.
People trust third-party opinions more than the seller, since these are more impartial.
As an example of this, Search Engine Land carried out a survey in which 85% of those surveyed said that they read up to 10 reviews on the internet before deciding on any option on the market.
Creating success stories for your business will give it credibility and will be proof that what you sell works and has helped others solve their problems.
Your potential consumers will think, when they see the success story: “If they could do that with them, imagine what they could do with my business!”.
Storytelling, key to your success stories
Although the data and other elements provide credibility and trust, success stories must go further and tell an inspiring story that is totally honest. This is where Storytelling comes in.
An effective success story must be structured as follows:
- Present the customer’s problem
- Show the solution provided by the company
- Demonstrate the results that were obtained
With this, you will be able to persuade others to purchase your product or service, especially those who are already in the decision stage.
Remember that trust is key to any business and this information is incredible so that they can realize what they can achieve if they trust you and your products or services.
Advantages of success stories
Success stories, as you may have realized, can help you in many ways.
Next, you will be able to see what other benefits or advantages it has to include this type of content on your website.
1. They impact decision making
Telling good success stories can have a positive impact on the decision making of prospects.
Everyone at the bottom of the sales funnel really already knows your company, they already know that it could provide the solution you need, so they just need a final push, which comes with trust.
Success stories can perfectly serve as arguments for prospects to opt for your business.
2. They show the value of your products or services
Leave behind the strategies to sweeten the ear of your potential clients and vague promises.
The best way to show the value of your products is through success stories, since you do it through real results, which are useful for those who are interested in acquiring your services or products.
This way you make sure not to give subjective evaluations. Nothing better than verifying achievements with evidence and figures.
3. They help differentiate your company
The differentiator of your company is key, but it is even more important that it is clear to your prospects. It is not enough that you and your employees know it; It has to be obvious to your potential customers.
How can you show what differentiates your product from the competition? With success stories.
Because? Because you can show in what way, which is totally different from the rest of the competitors in the market, you are capable of transforming a business, making it more evident that your company is the best option.
4. They allow your prospects to identify with your company
Success stories allow other people to identify with your satisfied customers by presenting real situations of others who have had success with your products or services.
This is excellent for persuading consumers, who are constantly looking to reaffirm their decisions and convince themselves that the step they are going to take is the right one.
Also, think about it… what is more reliable? What does a company say about itself or what others say about it? Of course, the second. That is why success stories are so important.
5. They help reduce objections
Objections are always present and latent when a service or product purchase is going to be made, and towards the end of the funnel, this does not change.
The main ones are those related to time and money. And success stories can help you reduce them.
You just have to create them thinking about the obstacles of the clients and making it very clear how they overcame them, being totally honest. So prospects can identify themselves, realize they’re drowning in a glass of water, and keep moving forward with the purchase.
Best formats to create a success story
There are several formats that can work very well when creating a success story. I am going to mention some of the best so that you can choose the one that best suits you and your company.
1. Text
It is a favorite because it is a little easier to make.
You just have to use an interesting narrative style, attractive and that attracts prospects so that they really read and identify with the success stories.
In case of choosing this format, the most common is that they are placed in:
- Some specific page of your website
- blog post
- Ebook or downloadable
- Presentations in PDF format
You can combine different places to see which works best and thus reach more potential customers.
2. Social networks
Lately, it is more common for success stories to also be included and published on social networks.
It can be in different formats: images, videos or text.
For example, on Instagram, one of the best ways is through image reels. This makes it easier to read and understand.
3. Videos
Video is one of people’s favorite formats because they are easier to consume.
For this reason, video success stories tend to have more reproductions and an impact on the audience. Also, it gives a little more credibility, because they can hear the live voice story of your satisfied customers.
You just have to be creative and figure out a way to collect their testimonials without making it too tedious for them. Otherwise, they might refuse.
How to make success stories
Now that you know why it is important to develop success stories. Let’s see step by step how to do it.
1. Establish the objective of the success story
Success stories are to show the value of your services or products, but you can pursue some other goals.
Ask yourself what you want to provoke in customers or prospects and what impact this can have on your business, for example:
- close more sales
- Get more leads
- Generate more income
2. Identify the best candidates
You should keep in mind that it is not advisable to ask all your clients, since each one is different.
You are looking for candidates who speak well of your brand, so you have to be careful when selecting testimonials.
Here are some methods to select the best ones.
Good knowledge of your product
Opt for those customers who know the product or service you offer from head to toe.
They will surely be enjoying all the advantages they have received when buying from you.
Therefore, they will speak positively of what your business gave them.
A tip: if there is something new in your product that this client is already using successfully, select them to give their testimonial.
Who left the competition for you
People who, before coming to you, used competitive products and did not get good results, are good candidates. What better than someone who says how your brand is the best in the industry.
People who had extraordinary results
Find those customers who are seeing great results from your product. They are usually eager to publicly share the success they are having and it will be tied to what you sold them. They will undoubtedly speak highly of you.
Big trademark
If within your client portfolio there are big brands (B2B) or recognized names (B2C), you can ask them to give their testimony. Nothing better than a great in the industry guarantees the quality of your product.
Well, now you may wonder where do I find my best candidates? There are various sources at your fingertips that can give you the data you need to select the best testimonials.
Your sales and your work team
The members of your sales team are the ones who have the most direct contact with customers.
Therefore, they know first-hand who has had the best results using your products or services.
They can give you suggestions on possible candidates.
internet reviews
A good tip is to check on various web portals if there are any clients speaking well of you. You can contact him to participate in your success story.
You can use this source of information to help you find who to ask to participate in your success story.
The best places where you can check this information are Amazon reviews if you have a B2C business or Better Business Bureau or Glassdoor for B2B.
CRM
The data you have in your CRM can provide information on which product you sell the most, where your customers come from, which ones buy the most, etc.
This is a good quantitative source for finding the best candidates.
Social networks
Investigate who is talking about you on the various social networks. If they publicly say positive things about your product, they will surely be happy to participate in your success story.
The best platform that you can monitor is Facebook, since 88% of users who use it follow some brand of the products they buy.
3. Contact the best
Once you’ve selected the people you want to testify, it’s time to approach them.
You can start by sending them an email congratulating them on the success they have had and explaining why you need them for the success story.
How to write an effective email
- Be courteous . Praise him/her in such a way that they feel really special and it is easier for them to say yes to sharing their experience in public.
- Be brief . Don’t include too many details about dates and times. Simply suggest a time to talk more in depth about what your participation would consist of and that’s it. Don’t saturate it.
- Attach some questions you might ask. So you can decide if you want to participate or not.
- Be personal . Include the name of the person you are addressing and also use yours, not the company’s. This will give you more confidence that you are dealing with someone who understands you.
Remember that your customers are just as busy as you are, so don’t expect an immediate response.
Once they respond, you can schedule a call or an appointment to explain in more detail.
4. Create the outline of your success stories
It is ideal that you have a skeleton or scheme about the process that will be carried out to have the success stories.
Think carefully about what questions you are going to ask based on your objectives. Some of them can be:
- What objectives do you have with your company?
- What problems did you have before acquiring our service?
- How does our product help solve that problem?
- What differentiates our product from those of the competition?
- How was your decision-making process?
Always create the questionnaire thinking about what can help you obtain more information about the success of your clients and what you want to convey with your cases.
This will be just a guide, but let spontaneous questions also arise as the interview progresses to obtain more data that may later help you shape your success stories.
When you have the outline of the questionnaire, show them so that they know how the development will be and you can get the most out of it.
This way both parties will be prepared and you will be able to gather more valuable and useful information for your purpose, which is to create good success stories.
5. Prepare for the interview
Once you have all the script or outline, you have to prepare so that everything goes well.
Review all the history of your client, what solutions he adopted, what results he has obtained, etc.
The objective is that you really know it and have all its relevant information fresh so that you can ask more questions with that data.
6. Interview your clients
It is recommended that the interview flow like a conversation, but covering all the topics you want to address. Basically you should ask them about:
Their experience before using your product or service
- What did they use before your product or service?
- Summarize three obstacles you faced.
- What was the moment you decided to try something different?
Their experience using your product or service
- How easy or difficult was it to start using your product or service ?
- How has our product/service helped you overcome the challenges you have?
- How different is it from other alternatives you have tried?
- What is your favorite part about using this product/service? because?
The results you have had with your product/service
- How has this product/service helped you achieve your business/personal goals?
- Do you have some metrics or data that testifies to this? (If he is reluctant with them, ask him about percentages or estimates)
Would I recommend this product/service?
- What is the main reason why you would recommend it?
It is important that your client feels comfortable in the interview, so you should be in charge of conducting it to encourage them to share their experience and encourage others to use your product / service with their answers.
Ask if you can record the interview.
This way you can focus on the answers they give you and not on scoring. It will also help you to consult some details that you have missed.
Do not entertain doubts.
If the client doesn’t know how to explain himself well and you can’t fully understand what he’s trying to say, help him by asking him to be more clear.
This way there will be no gaps in the information he or she gives you, and he or she will feel that you are interested in obtaining clear data.
7. Organize the information and write
Now that you have obtained all the useful information from your client, it is time to organize it so that whoever reads it fully understands the success story.
This is the recommended format:
Summary
Before delving into the hard information, it is advisable to add an attractive title that will stick in the mind of the readers.
Then, in less than 4 lines, briefly introduce what you are about to tell. You can add 2-3 metrics that show customer success.
About the client
Use the information about your client from their LinkedIn profile or from their website.
The challenges
Describe the obstacles your customer had before finding your product.
In less than 100 words, explain the challenges and goals that you wanted to achieve, but that you had not been able to overcome until the arrival of your brand.
The solution
In less than 150 words, detail how your company and your client found the solution to their challenges and how it is still effective today.
The results
In 2-3 short paragraphs, talk about the impact of your product on your customer and how you helped them achieve their goals. Feel free to use metrics and data that explain ROI.
Phrases
This is additional. If you wish, you can include a phrase at the end or in the body of the text. Quote who said it and add a photo of the author.
CTA
Very important and sometimes forgotten: add a call to action that invites you to make an appointment or make a call with your sales team.
After they’ve seen how you helped someone exceed their goals, they may be eager to learn how you can support them.
How to publicize success stories
Very well, up to here you already have your success stories… now what next? You have to work to make them known and reach the right people, that is, those who are at the end of the funnel and who can become customers.
How can you make your success stories reach more people ? I give you some functional strategies.
1. Publish your success stories on your website
Regardless of the format you choose, try to make your success stories available and visible on your website.
That is where potential clients can arrive and, when they do, what better thing is that they realize what you have been able to do for other people, identify themselves and visualize themselves as the next success stories.
2. Ask your customers to share them
When you do the success stories, always maintain communication with the clients who were the protagonists.
As soon as they are ready, tell them so they have the opportunity to also share it through their social networks.
Most clients tend to feel proud of being a success story, so it can be easy for them to really want to share it and show their results to their own clients.
3. Create landing pages with your success stories
Success stories are excellent for closing sales or advancing them, so they can be key to generating conversions from landing pages (destination pages).
For this, the ideal is to create shorter versions of the case studies; it can be on video, with quotes and images or however you think can work effectively.
4. Use email marketing
You can also schedule a lead nurturing flow through email marketing.
Success stories are much more useful in the final stage of the funnel, that is, when people are already making a purchase decision.
They can be the last push to achieve the sale, so plan your emails well so that you have a good success rate.
final thoughts
Ready.
Now you can show the world that your product works, that you have helped other people solve their problems with it, and that you are an industry expert.
If your business already had credibility, now it is more than consolidated, since you have real proof of your success.
You can do as many success stories as you want, it’s just a matter of following these tips and I assure you that your future clients will believe in you more from now on.
