case study request email template

Case study email templates

A great way to convince potential customers that your company can solve their problems is by providing real-life examples. Case study emails can do this by being the social proof that showcases how your customers use your products or services and what results they get. That could be driving sales, increasing productivity, or improving customer service, just to name a few examples.

How is a case study defined?

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Use our fully customizable pre-sale email templates to spark your potential and existing customer's interest in your sales campaigns.

Use our customer email templates to invite users to join your customer portal, reset their password, provide feedback, and more.

Email still remains one of the major customer service channels for a huge number of consumers. Check out our free customer service templates.

The article discusses the importance of email in sales and marketing with a potential return on investment of up to 4400%. Ready-made email templates for different occasions like sales introduction, prospect follow-up, loyalty programs, and customer birthday offer emails are featured. Reminder email templates for trial expiration, renewing subscription, and overdue payments are also discussed. Survey email templates, including tips for gaining customer feedback, and examples of bad email practices with tips for writing effective business emails are included as well.

You will be in Good Hands!

Supercharge your Cold Emails

The Complete Guide to Creating Effective Case Study Emails

Want your emails to drive more leads and sales? Forget generic blasts. You need strategic customer success stories that convert.

This guide will teach you how to craft compelling case study emails that grab attention and inspire action.

You’ll get hands-on tips to:

• Choose the perfect success stories
• Structure emails for higher open rates
• Write persuasive copy that sells
• Integrate case studies into your funnel
• Promote studies across every channel

Ready to turn your customer wins into an arsenal of selling case studies? Let’s get started!

Page Contents

What is a Case Study Email?

A case study email is a specialized type of email used in marketing and sales outreach . As the name suggests, case study emails showcase a detailed case study of how a customer achieved success using your product or service.

But what exactly is a case study? And how do case study emails differ from other email types you may use? Let’s break it down.

What is a Case Study?

A case study tells a data-driven story showcasing how a customer overcame a challenge by using your product or service. It focuses on quantifiable results and ROI achieved.

Case studies typically include:

• Problem: The customer’s situation and pain points before using your product.
• Solution: A summary of how your product or service solved their problem.
• Results: Concrete metrics and ROI the customer realized after implementation.
• Testimonial: A client quote or review validating your product’s impact.

For example, an HR SaaS company could share a case study about how Client X reduced time-to-hire by 37% and saved $284,000 in recruitment costs after using their AI-powered hiring platform.

The in-depth analysis proves your ability to deliver results and builds trust.

How Case Study Emails Differ from Other Email Types

Case study emails have a specific purpose – to showcase customer success stories to convert and persuade. This sets them apart from other types of emails:

• Sales emails aim to introduce your solution, pique interest, and directly sell. Case study emails take a subtler educational approach.
• Promotional emails announce offers and promotions. Case study emails focus on social proof.
• Newsletter content shares company updates, thought leadership , and engagement. Case study emails highlight client results.
• Transactional emails facilitate purchases, tracking, and customer service. Case study emails drive leads and conversions.

The unique format of case study emails helps position your product as the proven solution to customers’ needs through real-world examples .

When Should You Send Case Study Emails?

There are several strategic times when sending case study emails can make a big impact:

1. To Qualified Leads in the Consideration Stage

Prospects researching solutions and weighing options are perfect targets . Case studies can tip the scales by proving you understand their pains and can deliver results.

2. To Customers in Free Trial or Pilot Programs

Use case studies to convince satisfied trial users to convert to paid accounts.

3. During Customer Renewal/Retention Outreach

Remind customers why they chose you and reinforce the value delivered through case studies.

4. To Upsell/Cross-sell Existing Customers

Upgrade current customers to higher tiers or expanded offerings backed by proof points.

5. To Prospects Who Previously Showed Interest But Went Dark

Re-engage old leads with new success stories and incentives to revisit your solution.

6. When releasing new products or features

Back up your claims about new offerings with relatable stories of client wins.

7. To Support Content Marketing and Nurture Campaigns

Sync case study emails with your blog, social media, and nurture streams.

8. After Industry Events, Conferences, or Webinars

Follow up with highly relevant case studies around themes and verticals discussed.

Matching case studies to prospect needs and the stage of their journey is key to driving conversions.

Why are Case Study Emails Effective?

Case study emails give you an edge because they:

• Establish Credibility: 82% of buyers view case studies as trustworthy. They prefer validated peer experiences over claims from vendors.
• Showcase ROI: Case studies highlight the concrete ROI – time, money, efficiency – your solution drove for customers. This quantifiable proof accelerates and eases purchase decisions.
• Increase Perceived Value: Compelling stats on the results you’ve achieved make your solution seem more valuable and buyers more likely to pay higher prices.
• Differentiate from Competitors: Unique customer stories and quantifiable outcomes can set you apart and give you a competitive edge.
• Improve Conversion Rates: Emails with case studies can generate conversion rates up to 313% higher than product feature emails.
• Provide Social Proof: 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Case studies offer this social proof.

But not all case study emails are created equal. To maximize impact, you need compelling stories paired with skilled execution.

Let’s look at how to put together a winning case study email.

In summary, case study emails leverage the credibility of customer success stories to connect with prospects and tip them towards your solution. Sending them strategically can significantly move deals forward. Just be sure to highlight relevant examples and metrics tailored to each recipient’s needs. With well-crafted case study emails in your arsenal, you’ll be well on your way to driving conversions and revenue!

Elements of an Effective Case Study Email

Crafting a stellar case study email that captures attention and drives conversions takes skill. Let’s break down the key ingredients for case study email success.

Subject Line

The subject line is the first and possibly only chance to get your email opened.

Best Practices for Case Study Email Subject Lines

Apply these best practices when writing subject lines:

• Keep it short and scannable – Under 50 characters is best.
• Highlight the core benefit – Summarize the main outcome in 1-2 words like “increased sales” or “reduced costs.”
• Include specifics – Quantify results or mention the customer’s name.
• Trigger urgency – “In 30 days” or “How we achieved X% growth in 3 weeks.”
• Ask a question – “What if you could [benefit]?”
• Use power words – “Case study,” “Success story,” “Results.”
• Mention key terms – Include relevant keywords prospects seek.
• Test different options – A/B test to determine the highest performing subject line.

Case Study Email Subject Line Examples

Here are some example subject lines that apply the above tips:

• “Case Study: How Acme Co Increased Sales 72% in 6 Months”
• “See How We Reduced Hiring Costs 37% for Client X”
• “Client Story: 30-Day Trial to $2.4M in Lifetime Value”
• “What If You Could Gain 8 Hours Per Week? See How Client Y Did It”
• “Success Story – Beating the Competition with 147% More Engagement”

The subject line sets expectations about the value the email provides. Use it wisely to maximize open rates.

Introduction

The introduction paragraph serves two purposes:

• Grabs the reader’s attention
• Provides context on the case study

To craft an effective intro:

• Hook readers quickly – Ask a question, state an impressive stat, or reference recent news.
• Make it relevant – Connect to the prospect’s needs or industry.
• Establish credibility – Note your experience and expertise.
• Set expectations – Summarize the core benefit covered in the case study.

Here are two example opening paragraphs:

“Are you struggling to break through the noise on social media? See how partnering with our social media management experts helped Client X become an industry leader with content that generates 147% higher engagement than competitors.”

This introduction hooks readers by asking about a common pain point, positioning the sender as an expert, and setting expectations by previewing impressive results.

“As leaders in recruiting for Fortune 500 companies, we understand the challenges of finding top-tier executive talent. That’s why we developed our Executive Leadership Placement Program – an exclusive service that reduces time to hire senior roles by 45% on average. Read on to see how we partnered with Client Y to make their Director of Engineering placement a huge success.”

This introduction establishes credibility in a niche, relates to the target audience, and summarizes the program and results covered in the case study.

An engaging intro pulls readers in so they want to keep reading. Take the time to make this critical first impression count.

Problem Statement

The problem statement section explains:

• The customer’s situation before using your product
• Specific difficulties and pain points they faced

Illustrating the customer’s initial struggles enables prospects to relate to the scenario and primes them to see how you provided the solution.

To craft an effective problem statement:

• Provide specifics – Quantify their issues with metrics when possible.
• Use visuals – Charts demonstrating pain points make them more memorable.
• Limit jargon – Explain in simple terms easily understood by any reader.
• Tell a story – Build empathy by bringing the problem statement to life.

Here’s an example problem statement:

Client X is a fast-growing mid-sized SaaS company that struggled with an inefficient hiring process. Their team of 5 recruiters couldn’t keep up with the current needs of the engineering team. This resulted in:”

• Average time to fill a role of 89 days, 35% higher than industry benchmarks
• Peak recruiting costs of $8,400 per hire
• A negative impact on engineering productivity and product roadmap progress

This statement uses metrics, relatable challenges, and storytelling to help readers connect with Client X’s hiring struggles.

Vividly articulating the customer’s difficulties before your product builds anticipation for the solution.

Solution Summary

After setting the stage with the problem, the next step is showing how you swooped in to save the day.

The solution summary section explains:

• How your product or service solved the customer’s challenges
• The approach, program, or package you implemented

To write an effective solution summary:

• Connect to the problem – Explain how your solution addresses the root causes.
• Provide an overview – Briefly describe your product or methodology without getting into granular details.
• Use visuals – Diagrams of your workflow or solution design help cement understanding.
• Spotlight innovation – Highlight any proprietary processes or unique expertise you applied.

Here’s a sample solution summary:

“We customized our Executive Recruiting Program to meet Client X’s specific needs. This included:”

• Leveraging our network of passive executive candidates through invite-only ChannelRx
• Assigning a dedicated 3-person recruiting team with competency mapping expertise
• Proprietary Candidate Fit scoring using 1000+ datapoints to surface best matches
• Streamlined processes to accelerate interviews and offer timelines

This overview explains the solution, touches on differentiators like a proprietary scoring system, and sets the stage for impressive results.

Succinctly convey how you addressed the customer’s problem to spotlight the value you provide.

Results/Benefits

This is your chance to dazzle with jaws-dropping metrics that prove your solution worked wonders.

The results section quantifies:

• The concrete ROI and outcomes achieved
• How the customer benefitted from your product

When presenting results:

• Use specific metrics – % improvement, dollar amounts saved, higher scores, etc.
• Add visuals – Charts demonstrating dramatic before and after results.
• Quote metrics – Call out impressive stats in the body text.
• Provide timeframes – State the period over which the results occurred.
• List multiple benefits – Cover the wide range of improvements across metrics.

Here’s a results section example:

“Partnering with us enabled Client X to completely transform their hiring process and outcomes, including:”

• 55% reduction in time-to-fill for senior engineering roles – from 89 days to 40 days
• $13,000 lower recruiting cost per hire – a 65% reduction
• 4X more high-quality candidates identified through our ChannelRx network
• 79% of placed candidates still with Client X after 2 years, improving retention

Quantifiable proof of ROI and benefits is the whole point of case study emails – so make your results shine.

Social Proof

Social proof builds credibility through voices other than your own, like testimonials.

Include social proof via:

• Client quotes – Word-for-word glowing testimonials about your solution.
• Client logos – Instant brand recognition when prospects see logos of brands they know.
• Reviews – Ratings, awards, and media recognition validate quality.
• Case study details – Location, title, and details on the customer establish legitimacy.

Let’s look at some examples:

Client Quote

“Partnering with [Company] to upgrade our recruiting function has been transformational. The 55% reduction in time-to-fill critical roles has completely changed our hiring game.” – [Name, Title, Client X]

Client Logo

Featured Case Study: [Client Logo]

Rated #1 recruiting agency by Forbes 3 years running

Case Study Details

Acme Healthcare, Silicon Valley’s top hospital network with 10 locations…

Social proof elements lend third-party credibility to back up your amazing claims.

Call-to-Action

Every effective case study email needs a strong CTA guiding the reader to take your desired next step.

Strategic CTAs to include:

• “Schedule a Consultation” – Direct readers to book calls with sales reps .
• “Request a Free Demo'” – Get prospects to view personalized platform walkthroughs.
• “Get a Custom Proposal'” – Move top leads closer to purchase with pricing.
• “Read More Case Studies” – Send to your case study library to peruse more proof.
• “Join Our Upcoming Webinar'” – Promote related nurture content.
• “Download the Full Case Study PDF” – Share an in-depth looks at the client win.
• “Contact Our Team” – Make it easy for intrigued prospects to reach out.

And optimize your CTAs by:

• Making the CTA copy clear, concise, and action-oriented.
• Placing CTAs strategically at the bottom and in a section by themselves.

-Formatting CTAs prominently with color, size, and spacing to draw the eye.

• Using urgency triggers like “limited spots remaining.”

Here are examples of compelling case study email CTAs:

*See More Success Stories in Our Downloadable Case Study Collection [Download PDF]

Learn How We Can Replicate These Results for You [Schedule a Consultation]

Request a Custom Demo Tailored to Your Recruiting Needs [Get Your Demo]

Join Our Webinar on Cutting Hiring Timelines by 45% [Save Your Seat]

The CTA is one of the most critical elements – as it prompts the next step leading to a sale. Make it count.

With these essential ingredients – subject line , introduction, problem, solution, results, social proof, and call to action – you have a proven formula to create high-converting case study emails.

Now let’s look at some overarching strategies to take your case study email success to the next level.

Strategies for Successful Case Study Emails

You’ve got all the components to craft a persuasive case study email – but how do you take it to the next level?

Let’s explore proven strategies to get your emails opened, read, and driving conversions.

Research and Personalization

Generic case study emails sent en masse see dismal open and conversion rates.

To connect with recipients, you need personalized outreach tailored to their needs.

Strategies for personalization include:

Persona Targeting

Determine what buyer personas you want to reach, like CEOs, marketing managers, developers, etc. Identify their common pain points and goals. Then tailor your case study emails with relevant examples and messaging.

For instance, an email to developers might highlight technical challenges overcome. For CEOs, showcase executive-level ROI metrics.

Individual Research

For your most valued contacts and existing customers, research them more deeply through:

• LinkedIn profiles
• Company websites
• News mentions
• Academic and career backgrounds
• Previous correspondence

Then work these personal details into your emails . Reference past conversations, company milestones, and industry trends relevant to them.

This shows you did your homework and get much better response rates.

Trigger-based Outreach

Send targeted case studies when you know of triggers impacting recipients like:

• Renewing services
• Recently raised funding
• Launched rebranding/new strategy
• Job change/promotion
• Merger or acquisition
• Won an award
• Appeared at an event/conference

Connecting your case studies to what’s currently top of mind for recipients makes your outreach timely and relevant.

Dynamic Content

Marketing automation tools let you dynamically insert personalized content into case study emails like:

• Prospect’s name
• Website/company details
• Specific pain points they cited
• Mutual connections

This level of tailored messaging outperforms generic blasts.

Industry-Specific Stories

Send case studies featuring companies in the prospect’s same industry. For example, retailers want to see success stories from other retailers.

These highly aligned examples make it easier for recipients to envision the results they could achieve.

Personalized, contextual outreach shows recipients you understand their needs and captures more attention.

Follow-Up Sequence

One-off case study emails see very low conversion rates. You need multiple follow up touches over time to drive results .

Best practices for effective follow-up include:

Send at least 3 emails

Studies show it takes an average of 5-12 contacts to convert a cold lead. Sending just one email results in poor conversion.

Three emails is the minimum needed – initial outreach plus two follow ups for non-responders spaced 3-5 days apart.

Experiment with timing

Try different time intervals between follow-up emails to see what converts best. Some common approaches:

• 3 emails in 9 days (3/3/3 cadence)
• 5 emails in 3 weeks (3/5/7/9/11 cadence)

Pay attention to which follow ups get the most opens/clicks and conversions.

Progress through stages

Move contacts through a sequence that mirrors the standard sales funnel:

Email #1: Broad case study overview Email #2: Targeted case study matching needs Email #3: Custom proposal, demo, or call-to-action

Gradually provide more value and get more direct with your asks.

Send “breakup” emails

If non-responsive after 3+ emails, send a “breakup email” letting them know you’ll stop contacting them.

Ironically, many prospect reply to breakup emails to re-engage. Don’t leave follow-up sequences too soon.

Automate for efficiency

Marketing automation enables you to set up sequences, logic, and triggers to run campaigns seamlessly. No manual emailing required.

Don’t stop at one touch – persistently follow up for up to 10x better conversion.

A/B Testing

There’s no one “perfect” case study email for all purposes. You need to experiment and test different approaches.

Areas to A/B test include:

Subject Lines

Try multiple subject line options per campaign segment to see which earns higher open rates. Look at factors like:

• Word choice and phrasing
• Use of questions, numbers, power words
• Specificity (client name, metrics mentioned)
• Length and formatting

Email Content

Test how sections like the problem statement or results are written. For example, which converts better – 3 metrics or 5? Client logo visible or not?

Also test the overall style and tone of writing.

Calls-to-Action

Test placement on the page, wording, design, color, and actual offering. See which CTAs attract the most clicks.

Try different formats for images, charts and other visual elements. See if any significantly outperform in terms of engagement.

Email Length

Test shorter 1-2 paragraph case studies vs. longer, more in-depth stories. Length can impact open and completion rates .

Try minimum 3 variants per campaign and allocate at least 250 recipients per option for statistical significance.

Optimization through testing can improve performance by 49%. Find winning combinations.

Lead Nurturing Integration

Don’t send one-off case study emails randomly. Integrate them into your nurture programs for maximum impact.

Strategic nurturing approaches include:

New Lead Nurturing

Use case studies early in nurture journeys to showcase what you can deliver for leads similar to them. Builds credibility and trust .

Content Upgrades

Offer access to exclusive case studies as an upgrade incentive for providing contact info or completing a form.

Webinar Promotions

Support marketing webinars with case study emails reinforcing the topic being presented.

Renewal Nurturing

Send case studies recapping previous success working together when renewals approach.

Re-engagement Nurturing

Use case studies to remind inactive contacts of past wins and prompt re-engagement.

New Customer Onboarding

Welcome new customers by showcasing case studies aligned to their goals and use cases.

Customer Advocacy Nurturing

Ask satisfied customers for case study participation to turn them into powerful advocates.

Work case study emails into your nurture strategy rather than using them ad hoc.

Metrics Tracking

To refine your case study emails, you need to carefully track performance data.

Key metrics to monitor:

Shoot for 20-50%+ open rates depending on list size and segment. If too low, revisit subject lines and sender info.

Click-through Rates

Click-through rates on CTAs over 2% are decent. If lagging, test CTA design and copy.

Lead Conversion Rates

Measure the % of recipients who convert into sales qualified leads. Good conversion rate goals depend on list quality.

Unsubscribe Rate

High unsubscribe rates signal relevance issues. Improve list health and email personalization.

Engagement Times

When are emails opened? When are links clicked? Activity soon after sending is best.

Sales Impact

Ultimately, tie case study emails to pipeline influence, deal acceleration, and closed revenue.

Tools like Google Analytics make tracking email metrics simple. Analyze data to continuously improve.

Now let’s look at some best practices to take your case study emails to the next level.

Best Practices and Tips

Let’s round out your case study email expertise with some pro tips and best practices.

Follow these guidelines to take your efforts to the next level.

Choosing the Right Customer Stories

Not all customer success stories make compelling case studies. You need to carefully select which to highlight.

Ideally, choose stories that are:

Select clients in the prospect’s same industry, company size, role, etc. Similar pain points and use cases establish relevance.

For example, don’t highlight a Fortune 500 case study when targeting a startup.

While showcasing your long company history has merit, recent case studies are most relatable. Focus on wins from the past 2 years.

Choose clients that provide ample specifics on metrics, challenges, and results. Thin or vague stories don’t prove much.

Credentials

Showcasing instantly recognizable logos like Amazon or Apple brings built-in credibility. Big brands pack more punch.

Pull different types of companies, stats, and industries into the mix. This showcases your wide applicability.

Look beyond big name brands to niche but impressive client wins that highlight your expertise in specific areas. Provides depth.

Vet case study options using these criteria to feature your most powerful stories.

Highlighting Specific Use Cases

Rather than covering your solution broadly, zero-in on very specific use cases and challenges you’ve addressed.

For example:

Too broad: “We help recruiters improve their hiring.”

Specific: “We help staffing firms shorten time-to-fill for senior engineering roles.”

Ultra-targeted case studies showcase your specialized expertise needed to solve niche issues prospects face.

Optimizing Deliverability

Even amazing case study emails drive zero conversions if they land in spam folders.

Ensure proper deliverability through:

Sender reputation – Build trust and credibility for your domain with good email habits over time.

List hygiene – Ongoing list maintenance to remove inactive/bounced addresses.

Spam testing – Use tools like MailTester to check spam potential before sending.

Authentication – Implement email authentication like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.

Personalization – Recipient-specific content shows you’re a real person emailing, not a bot.

Engagement metrics – Monitor unsubscribe rates, abuse reports, etc. Address issues lowering deliverability.

ISP relationships – Proactively report fraudulent emails impersonating your brand to major ISPs. Build trust.

Deliverability should be top priority – optimize it through best practices.

Leveraging Visuals

Emails with visuals see insane boosts in engagement – up to 200-300% higher CTRs.

Types of visuals to include:

• Client logos – Instant social proof and credibility
• Charts/graphs – Visually demonstrate impressive metrics and ROI
• Screenshots – Show your solution and UI/UX in action
• Photos – Spotlight customers looking happy/successful thanks to you
• Infographics – Creative way to showcase compelling stats
• Videos – Bring the case study to life (where possible)

Keep visuals consistent with your brand, aligned to content, and designed for easy mobile viewing.

Let visually-driven storytelling boost engagement.

Promoting Case Studies

Don’t silo case study emails. Promote your success stories across channels:

• Website – Create a public case study section prospects can browse.
• Blog – Publish in-depth studies on your blog and promote via email .
• Social media – Share client wins on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.
• Ads – Run paid social/ SEM ads focused on your top case studies.
• Sales collateral – Feature on company fact sheets, sales presentations.
• PR – Pitch journalists to cover your most impressive customer stories.
• Events – Present case studies at webinars, conferences, and talks.

Cross-channel promotion expands your reach and positions studies as cornerstones of your marketing.

Now let’s switch gears to common mistakes to avoid with case study emails. Learn from others’ flubs!

Mistakes to Avoid

Creating winning case study emails takes skill. It’s also easy to make missteps that tank your results.

Let’s review common pitfalls to avoid.

Sending Without a Clear CTA

The purpose of case study emails is to drive prospects to take action. That doesn’t happen without a strong call to action.

Yet many neglect to include any CTA or bury it in the text.

Without clear direction, readers don’t convert.

Other CTA mistakes include:

• Weak CTAs like “Contact us with questions.” These won’t compel action.
• Linking to general website pages versus specific conversion-oriented pages. Don’t send readers into a confusing maze.
• Using “Learn More” as the default CTA for everything. Tailor CTAs to each use case and recipient.
• Relying solely on hyperlinked text. Buttons and contrasting colors better highlight CTAs.
• Assuming recipients will see and understand the value of clicking. Spell it out clearly.

Prioritize concise, benefit-driven CTAs in prominent positions. Don’t be afraid to explicitly guide recipients into converting.

Failing to Personalize

Yet another common stumbling block is sending blanket case study emails en masse without personalization.

This ignores the fact that the key to winning attention amidst inbox noise is relevance. Portray how you understand each prospect’s needs specifically.

Failure to tailor typically stems from:

• Rushing to blast out campaigns without strategic list segmentation
• Forgetting to integrate dynamic content and messaging options
• Not researching prospects beyond contact info to uncover pain points
• Having tight budgets or limitations preventing 1:1 outreach

Lack of personalization causes lower open rates, disconnected messaging, and poor conversion rates.

Segmenting lists, researching contacts, and integrating dynamic content is mandatory. Don’t take shortcuts – do the work to personalize.

Missing Follow-Up Opportunities

We’ve stressed the need for persistent follow-up when sending case study emails. But this step still gets skipped too often.

You might assume recipients not interested if they don’t open or respond to the first email. In reality, they probably just missed it in their crowded inbox.

Reasons for dropping the ball on follow-ups include:

• Lacking documented processes and workflows to manage follow-up
• Difficulty tracking where recipients are in sequences manually
• Allowing contacts to fall through the cracks when team members are out
• Not factoring in adequate workload capacity for systematic following up
• Assuming reaching out once or twice is sufficient

Don’t leave money on the table. Set reminders, document procedures, use automation, and keep following up.

Sloppy Metrics Tracking

How do you know what’s working if you aren’t tracking email performance data? Shockingly, many still don’t properly monitor metrics.

Common tracking mistakes:

• Not enabling tracking in email services to capture opens/clicks
• Failing to integrate analytics for attribution monitoring
• Tracking at aggregate rather than campaign-specific levels
• Lacking processes to regularly review and act on metrics
• Not optimizing emails based on response rate data

Blindly sending case study emails without optimization is wasted effort. Implement tracking early and use data to improve.

Irrelevant Case Studies

And finally, a mistake you want to avoid at all costs – featuring case studies with no relevance to the recipient.

For example, don’t send:

• Dissimilar industry examples. Real estate to auto manufacturer.
• Small business case studies to enterprise contacts.
• Stories about solutions they clearly don’t need. HR software to a bakery.
• Outdated stories from decades ago. Times change.

Mismatched or irrelevant case studies signal you don’t understand your prospect. They hurt rather than help your outreach efforts.

Do your homework to identify aligned stories and ask yourself “Does this resonate?” If not, find a better match or don’t send.

Steer clear of these common stumbling blocks and your case study emails will be primed for success.

Now let’s tackle some frequently asked questions.

FAQs about Case Study Emails

Let’s wrap up with answers to some frequently asked questions about creating and sending case study emails.

How long should a case study email be?

When it comes to email length, shorter is generally better in terms of driving engagement and conversions. But how short is too short?

Aim for 250 – 750 words.

Anything less than 150 words is usually too brief to establish context and make a persuasive case.

At the same time, ultra long-form case studies are best sent as collateral documents rather than in the body of emails.

250 – 750 words lets you cover crucial details without overwhelming readers. Use tools like WordCounter to perfect length.

And remember – well-designed emails with clear formatting and visuals aid scannability so more text feels less intimidating.

When should you send case study emails?

As discussed earlier, key times to deploy case study emails include:

• To prospects demonstrating initial research interest
• To leads reaching a decision stage
• To customers up for renewal
• For new product launches
• To inactive contacts to re-engage
• Alongside related nurture content
• After conferences/events on covered topics

Essentially, timed around moving recipients into and through your funnel.

Ongoing use of case studies builds familiarity and trust over the buyer’s journey rather than limiting to a one-off blast.

What makes a strong case study email subject line?

Strong case study email subject lines:

• Clearly indicate the email contains a case study
• Spotlight the main benefit achieved
• Are scannable (<50 characters ideally)
• Use power words like “success” “results” “case study”
• Incorporate specifics like company names or metrics
• Create intrigue and urgency

This compels the desired action – getting recipients to open and read the full story.

How many case study emails should you send?

Ideally, you won’t blanket blast case study emails. They require a personalized approach tailored to each recipient.

But in terms of frequency, aim to nurture leads with relevant case studies:

• Once early in the awareness stage
• 2-3x more through the consideration stage
• 1-2x near the decision stage

So roughly 4 – 6 case study emails spaced over several months works well for an average sales cycle .

And follow up persistently when you do send an individual email – at least 3+ times.

What CTAs work best for conversions?

The most effective case study email CTAs:

• Direct readers to book meetings/calls with sales
• Lead to demo requests or proposal forms
• Offer access to gated content like full PDF studies
• Promote related webinars and nurture content
• Allow recipients to browse additional social proof

Value-driven, conversion-focused CTAs – not generic “Contact us” or “Learn more” links.

Words like “talk”, “see”, “get”, and “attend” prompt action. And remember to A/B test options.

Other Relevant Questions

What is the best length for a case study email?

Aim for 250-750 words. Anything less than 150 words is usually too brief. But avoid extremely long emails over 1,000 words as well.

Strategic times include reaching out to new leads, customers up for renewal, re-engaging inactive contacts, promoting new products, and aligning with nurture content.

What makes a good case study email subject line?

Strong subject lines highlight the core benefit achieved, use power words like “results” and “success story”, and create intrigue. Keep them scannable at under 50 characters.

How many case study emails should you send to a prospect?

Ideally nurture prospects with 4-6 relevant case study emails spaced over the buyer’s journey, along with persistent follow-up on each message.

What’s a good metric benchmark for case study emails?

Aim for open rates of 20-50% and CTRs over 2% at a minimum. Conversion rate targets depend on list quality.

How do you get customers to agree to a case study?

Offer incentives like discounts, improved services, or publicity. Present it as an opportunity to showcase leadership. Start by featuring your best relationships first.

What makes a good case study CTA?

CTAs should match prospect needs and clearly direct them to convert – like scheduling sales calls, requesting demos, or downloading content.

How do you promote case studies across channels?

Share case studies on your website, blog, ads, email, social media, at events, through PR, etc. Repurpose them widely.

Now let’s discuss helpful software and tools.

Tools and Software for Case Study Emails

The right tools and software make creating, sending, and tracking case study emails much easier. Let’s explore solutions to support your efforts.

Email Service Providers

Email service providers (ESPs) like MailChimp, Constant Contact, and Campaign Monitor provide core email marketing capabilities for building and sending case study emails.

Key ESP features include:

Easy Email Creation

Drag-and-drop editors to create professional emails with custom templates and branding .

Contact Management

Collect recipient contact info and group into segments for targeted messaging.

Automated Campaigns

Set up triggers and sequences to send drip campaigns and follow-ups.

Delivery Optimization

Tools to manage subscriber lists, authentication, and deliverability.

Reports on opens, clicks, bounces, and unsubscribes for optimization.

Split test different email content and formats for improvement.

Leading ESPs like MailChimp offer free and paid plans to accommodate needs.

Marketing Automation Platforms

More advanced marketing automation platforms (MAP) like HubSpot and Marketo supercharge case study email capabilities.

MAP benefits include:

CRM Integration

Unified databases centralize prospect/customer data for targeted messaging.

Lead Scoring

Automatically track interest levels to send matching case studies.

List Segmentation

Divide contacts into highly-specific lists and groups.

Visually map nurture programs and complex campaigns.

Landing Pages

Capture leads from case study emails with custom landing pages.

In-depth analytics on multi-touch attribution, conversions, and ROI.

MAPs require considerable investment but maximize results at scale.

Analytics and Tracking

Dedicated analytics platforms provide robust tracking and attribution.

Google Analytics

The gold standard for free email and website analytics. Track opens, clicks, location, devices, and more. Integrate with your ESP.

Specializes in tracking anonymous website traffic to tie back to email and ad campaigns.

Advanced analytics capabilities for web and mobile apps beyond Google Analytics.

Focuses on multi-touch attribution modeling across channels like email, paid social, and search.

Choose stand-alone or plug-in analytics based on your use case.

Syncing your CRM and email marketing provides a complete view of prospect interactions.

Industry-leading CRM integrates with all major ESPs and MAPs like Pardot.

Combines CRM, email, landing pages, and analytics on one connected platform.

Affordable CRM with native email marketing capabilities or ESP integrations.

CRM focused on visual pipelines pulls in email engagement data.

Choose a CRM with bi-directional ESP/MAP syncing to centralize data.

With the right technology combination, your case study email process can scale while providing visibility into what’s working. The technology options are plentiful – pick solutions tailored to your needs and budget.

Let’s wrap things up with some final thoughts.

Key Takeaways

Case study emails are a powerful tool to engage prospects and tip them towards becoming customers.

Here are the key lessons to create emails that convert:

• Define the problem – Explore the customer’s situation and struggles before your product. Use specifics and storytelling to build empathy.
• Explain your solution – Connect how your offering specifically addressed root causes and solved issues.
• Dazzle with results – Quantify the exact ROI, metrics improvements, and benefits gained after using your product.
• Leverage social proof – Weave in testimonials, recognizable logos, awards, and reviews for third-party credibility.
• Drive action with CTAs – Guide recipients into converting through strategic calls-to-action personalized to their needs.
• Research and personalize – Tailor messaging with individual prospect research, targeted use cases, and dynamic content.
• Schedule follow-ups – Persistently follow up at least 5-12 times via workflows and automation to boost conversions.
• A/B test and optimize – Try different approaches for subject lines, content, offers, and more to improve performance.
• Integrate with your funnel – Sync case study emails into your lead nurturing journeys for maximum impact.
• Fix deliverability issues – Authenticate your domain, maintain sender reputation, and monitor blacklists to ensure inboxing.
• Leverage visuals – Infographics, charts, screenshots, logos, and other visuals can boost engagement up to 200-300%.
• Promote everywhere – Extend case studies across your website, ads, blog, social media, sales collateral and more.

With a strategic approach, compelling examples, and persistence, case study emails can become one of your most valuable lead generation assets. Use the templates, strategies and tools in this guide to start showcasing your customer success stories effectively.

How to Write a Case Study: Bookmarkable Guide & Template

Published: November 30, 2023

Earning the trust of prospective customers can be a struggle. Before you can even begin to expect to earn their business, you need to demonstrate your ability to deliver on what your product or service promises.

Sure, you could say that you're great at X or that you're way ahead of the competition when it comes to Y. But at the end of the day, what you really need to win new business is cold, hard proof.

One of the best ways to prove your worth is through a compelling case study. In fact, HubSpot’s 2020 State of Marketing report found that case studies are so compelling that they are the fifth most commonly used type of content used by marketers.

Below, I'll walk you through what a case study is, how to prepare for writing one, what you need to include in it, and how it can be an effective tactic. To jump to different areas of this post, click on the links below to automatically scroll.

Case Study Definition

Case study templates, how to write a case study.

• How to Format a Case Study

Business Case Study Examples

A case study is a specific challenge a business has faced, and the solution they've chosen to solve it. Case studies can vary greatly in length and focus on several details related to the initial challenge and applied solution, and can be presented in various forms like a video, white paper, blog post, etc.

In professional settings, it's common for a case study to tell the story of a successful business partnership between a vendor and a client. Perhaps the success you're highlighting is in the number of leads your client generated, customers closed, or revenue gained. Any one of these key performance indicators (KPIs) are examples of your company's services in action.

When done correctly, these examples of your work can chronicle the positive impact your business has on existing or previous customers and help you attract new clients.

Free Case Study Templates

Showcase your company's success using these three free case study templates.

• Data-Driven Case Study Template
• Product-Specific Case Study Template
• General Case Study Template

You're all set!

Click this link to access this resource at any time.

Why write a case study? 

I know, you’re thinking “ Okay, but why do I need to write one of these? ” The truth is that while case studies are a huge undertaking, they are powerful marketing tools that allow you to demonstrate the value of your product to potential customers using real-world examples. Here are a few reasons why you should write case studies. 

1. Explain Complex Topics or Concepts

Case studies give you the space to break down complex concepts, ideas, and strategies and show how they can be applied in a practical way. You can use real-world examples, like an existing client, and use their story to create a compelling narrative that shows how your product solved their issue and how those strategies can be repeated to help other customers get similar successful results.  

2. Show Expertise

Case studies are a great way to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise on a given topic or industry. This is where you get the opportunity to show off your problem-solving skills and how you’ve generated successful outcomes for clients you’ve worked with. 

3. Build Trust and Credibility

In addition to showing off the attributes above, case studies are an excellent way to build credibility. They’re often filled with data and thoroughly researched, which shows readers you’ve done your homework. They can have confidence in the solutions you’ve presented because they’ve read through as you’ve explained the problem and outlined step-by-step what it took to solve it. All of these elements working together enable you to build trust with potential customers.

4. Create Social Proof

Using existing clients that have seen success working with your brand builds social proof . People are more likely to choose your brand if they know that others have found success working with you. Case studies do just that — putting your success on display for potential customers to see. 

All of these attributes work together to help you gain more clients. Plus you can even use quotes from customers featured in these studies and repurpose them in other marketing content. Now that you know more about the benefits of producing a case study, let’s check out how long these documents should be. 

How long should a case study be?

The length of a case study will vary depending on the complexity of the project or topic discussed. However, as a general guideline, case studies typically range from 500 to 1,500 words. 

Whatever length you choose, it should provide a clear understanding of the challenge, the solution you implemented, and the results achieved. This may be easier said than done, but it's important to strike a balance between providing enough detail to make the case study informative and concise enough to keep the reader's interest.

The primary goal here is to effectively communicate the key points and takeaways of the case study. It’s worth noting that this shouldn’t be a wall of text. Use headings, subheadings, bullet points, charts, and other graphics to break up the content and make it more scannable for readers. We’ve also seen brands incorporate video elements into case studies listed on their site for a more engaging experience. 

Ultimately, the length of your case study should be determined by the amount of information necessary to convey the story and its impact without becoming too long. Next, let’s look at some templates to take the guesswork out of creating one. 

To help you arm your prospects with information they can trust, we've put together a step-by-step guide on how to create effective case studies for your business with free case study templates for creating your own.

Tell us a little about yourself below to gain access today:

And to give you more options, we’ll highlight some useful templates that serve different needs. But remember, there are endless possibilities when it comes to demonstrating the work your business has done.

1. General Case Study Template

Do you have a specific product or service that you’re trying to sell, but not enough reviews or success stories? This Product Specific case study template will help.

This template relies less on metrics, and more on highlighting the customer’s experience and satisfaction. As you follow the template instructions, you’ll be prompted to speak more about the benefits of the specific product, rather than your team’s process for working with the customer.

4. Bold Social Media Business Case Study Template

You can find templates that represent different niches, industries, or strategies that your business has found success in — like a bold social media business case study template.

In this template, you can tell the story of how your social media marketing strategy has helped you or your client through collaboration or sale of your service. Customize it to reflect the different marketing channels used in your business and show off how well your business has been able to boost traffic, engagement, follows, and more.

5. Lead Generation Business Case Study Template

It’s important to note that not every case study has to be the product of a sale or customer story, sometimes they can be informative lessons that your own business has experienced. A great example of this is the Lead Generation Business case study template.

If you’re looking to share operational successes regarding how your team has improved processes or content, you should include the stories of different team members involved, how the solution was found, and how it has made a difference in the work your business does.

Now that we’ve discussed different templates and ideas for how to use them, let’s break down how to create your own case study with one.

• Get started with case study templates.
• Determine the case study's objective.
• Establish a case study medium.
• Find the right case study candidate.
• Contact your candidate for permission to write about them.
• Ensure you have all the resources you need to proceed once you get a response.
• Download a case study email template.
• Define the process you want to follow with the client.
• Ensure you're asking the right questions.
• Layout your case study format.
• Publish and promote your case study.

1. Get started with case study templates.

Telling your customer's story is a delicate process — you need to highlight their success while naturally incorporating your business into their story.

If you're just getting started with case studies, we recommend you download HubSpot's Case Study Templates we mentioned before to kickstart the process.

2. Determine the case study's objective.

All business case studies are designed to demonstrate the value of your services, but they can focus on several different client objectives.

Your first step when writing a case study is to determine the objective or goal of the subject you're featuring. In other words, what will the client have succeeded in doing by the end of the piece?

The client objective you focus on will depend on what you want to prove to your future customers as a result of publishing this case study.

Your case study can focus on one of the following client objectives:

• Complying with government regulation
• Lowering business costs
• Becoming profitable
• Generating more leads
• Closing on more customers
• Generating more revenue
• Expanding into a new market
• Becoming more sustainable or energy-efficient

3. Establish a case study medium.

Next, you'll determine the medium in which you'll create the case study. In other words, how will you tell this story?

Case studies don't have to be simple, written one-pagers. Using different media in your case study can allow you to promote your final piece on different channels. For example, while a written case study might just live on your website and get featured in a Facebook post, you can post an infographic case study on Pinterest and a video case study on your YouTube channel.

Here are some different case study mediums to consider:

Written Case Study

Consider writing this case study in the form of an ebook and converting it to a downloadable PDF. Then, gate the PDF behind a landing page and form for readers to fill out before downloading the piece, allowing this case study to generate leads for your business.

Video Case Study

Plan on meeting with the client and shooting an interview. Seeing the subject, in person, talk about the service you provided them can go a long way in the eyes of your potential customers.

Infographic Case Study

Use the long, vertical format of an infographic to tell your success story from top to bottom. As you progress down the infographic, emphasize major KPIs using bigger text and charts that show the successes your client has had since working with you.

Podcast Case Study

Podcasts are a platform for you to have a candid conversation with your client. This type of case study can sound more real and human to your audience — they'll know the partnership between you and your client was a genuine success.

4. Find the right case study candidate.

Writing about your previous projects requires more than picking a client and telling a story. You need permission, quotes, and a plan. To start, here are a few things to look for in potential candidates.

Product Knowledge

It helps to select a customer who's well-versed in the logistics of your product or service. That way, he or she can better speak to the value of what you offer in a way that makes sense for future customers.

Remarkable Results

Clients that have seen the best results are going to make the strongest case studies. If their own businesses have seen an exemplary ROI from your product or service, they're more likely to convey the enthusiasm that you want prospects to feel, too.

One part of this step is to choose clients who have experienced unexpected success from your product or service. When you've provided non-traditional customers — in industries that you don't usually work with, for example — with positive results, it can help to remove doubts from prospects.

Recognizable Names

While small companies can have powerful stories, bigger or more notable brands tend to lend credibility to your own. In fact, 89% of consumers say they'll buy from a brand they already recognize over a competitor, especially if they already follow them on social media.

Customers that came to you after working with a competitor help highlight your competitive advantage and might even sway decisions in your favor.

5. Contact your candidate for permission to write about them.

To get the case study candidate involved, you have to set the stage for clear and open communication. That means outlining expectations and a timeline right away — not having those is one of the biggest culprits in delayed case study creation.

Most importantly at this point, however, is getting your subject's approval. When first reaching out to your case study candidate, provide them with the case study's objective and format — both of which you will have come up with in the first two steps above.

To get this initial permission from your subject, put yourself in their shoes — what would they want out of this case study? Although you're writing this for your own company's benefit, your subject is far more interested in the benefit it has for them.

Benefits to Offer Your Case Study Candidate

Here are four potential benefits you can promise your case study candidate to gain their approval.

Brand Exposure

Explain to your subject to whom this case study will be exposed, and how this exposure can help increase their brand awareness both in and beyond their own industry. In the B2B sector, brand awareness can be hard to collect outside one's own market, making case studies particularly useful to a client looking to expand their name's reach.

Employee Exposure

Allow your subject to provide quotes with credits back to specific employees. When this is an option for them, their brand isn't the only thing expanding its reach — their employees can get their name out there, too. This presents your subject with networking and career development opportunities they might not have otherwise.

Product Discount

This is a more tangible incentive you can offer your case study candidate, especially if they're a current customer of yours. If they agree to be your subject, offer them a product discount — or a free trial of another product — as a thank-you for their help creating your case study.

Backlinks and Website Traffic

Here's a benefit that is sure to resonate with your subject's marketing team: If you publish your case study on your website, and your study links back to your subject's website — known as a "backlink" — this small gesture can give them website traffic from visitors who click through to your subject's website.

Additionally, a backlink from you increases your subject's page authority in the eyes of Google. This helps them rank more highly in search engine results and collect traffic from readers who are already looking for information about their industry.

6. Ensure you have all the resources you need to proceed once you get a response.

So you know what you’re going to offer your candidate, it’s time that you prepare the resources needed for if and when they agree to participate, like a case study release form and success story letter.

Let's break those two down.

Case Study Release Form

This document can vary, depending on factors like the size of your business, the nature of your work, and what you intend to do with the case studies once they are completed. That said, you should typically aim to include the following in the Case Study Release Form:

• A clear explanation of why you are creating this case study and how it will be used.
• A statement defining the information and potentially trademarked information you expect to include about the company — things like names, logos, job titles, and pictures.
• An explanation of what you expect from the participant, beyond the completion of the case study. For example, is this customer willing to act as a reference or share feedback, and do you have permission to pass contact information along for these purposes?
• A note about compensation.

Success Story Letter

As noted in the sample email, this document serves as an outline for the entire case study process. Other than a brief explanation of how the customer will benefit from case study participation, you'll want to be sure to define the following steps in the Success Story Letter.

7. Download a case study email template.

While you gathered your resources, your candidate has gotten time to read over the proposal. When your candidate approves of your case study, it's time to send them a release form.

A case study release form tells you what you'll need from your chosen subject, like permission to use any brand names and share the project information publicly. Kick-off this process with an email that runs through exactly what they can expect from you, as well as what you need from them. To give you an idea of what that might look like, check out this sample email:

8. Define the process you want to follow with the client.

Before you can begin the case study, you have to have a clear outline of the case study process with your client. An example of an effective outline would include the following information.

The Acceptance

First, you'll need to receive internal approval from the company's marketing team. Once approved, the Release Form should be signed and returned to you. It's also a good time to determine a timeline that meets the needs and capabilities of both teams.

The Questionnaire

To ensure that you have a productive interview — which is one of the best ways to collect information for the case study — you'll want to ask the participant to complete a questionnaire before this conversation. That will provide your team with the necessary foundation to organize the interview, and get the most out of it.

The Interview

Once the questionnaire is completed, someone on your team should reach out to the participant to schedule a 30- to 60-minute interview, which should include a series of custom questions related to the customer's experience with your product or service.

The Draft Review

After the case study is composed, you'll want to send a draft to the customer, allowing an opportunity to give you feedback and edits.

The Final Approval

Once any necessary edits are completed, send a revised copy of the case study to the customer for final approval.

Once the case study goes live — on your website or elsewhere — it's best to contact the customer with a link to the page where the case study lives. Don't be afraid to ask your participants to share these links with their own networks, as it not only demonstrates your ability to deliver positive results and impressive growth, as well.

9. Ensure you're asking the right questions.

Before you execute the questionnaire and actual interview, make sure you're setting yourself up for success. A strong case study results from being prepared to ask the right questions. What do those look like? Here are a few examples to get you started:

• What are your goals?
• What challenges were you experiencing before purchasing our product or service?
• What made our product or service stand out against our competitors?
• What did your decision-making process look like?
• How have you benefited from using our product or service? (Where applicable, always ask for data.)

Keep in mind that the questionnaire is designed to help you gain insights into what sort of strong, success-focused questions to ask during the actual interview. And once you get to that stage, we recommend that you follow the "Golden Rule of Interviewing." Sounds fancy, right? It's actually quite simple — ask open-ended questions.

If you're looking to craft a compelling story, "yes" or "no" answers won't provide the details you need. Focus on questions that invite elaboration, such as, "Can you describe ...?" or, "Tell me about ..."

In terms of the interview structure, we recommend categorizing the questions and flowing them into six specific sections that will mirror a successful case study format. Combined, they'll allow you to gather enough information to put together a rich, comprehensive study.

Open with the customer's business.

The goal of this section is to generate a better understanding of the company's current challenges and goals, and how they fit into the landscape of their industry. Sample questions might include:

• How long have you been in business?
• How many employees do you have?
• What are some of the objectives of your department at this time?

Cite a problem or pain point.

To tell a compelling story, you need context. That helps match the customer's need with your solution. Sample questions might include:

• What challenges and objectives led you to look for a solution?
• What might have happened if you did not identify a solution?
• Did you explore other solutions before this that did not work out? If so, what happened?

Discuss the decision process.

Exploring how the customer decided to work with you helps to guide potential customers through their own decision-making processes. Sample questions might include:

• How did you hear about our product or service?
• Who was involved in the selection process?
• What was most important to you when evaluating your options?

Explain how a solution was implemented.

The focus here should be placed on the customer's experience during the onboarding process. Sample questions might include:

• How long did it take to get up and running?
• Did that meet your expectations?
• Who was involved in the process?

Explain how the solution works.

The goal of this section is to better understand how the customer is using your product or service. Sample questions might include:

• Is there a particular aspect of the product or service that you rely on most?
• Who is using the product or service?

End with the results.

In this section, you want to uncover impressive measurable outcomes — the more numbers, the better. Sample questions might include:

• How is the product or service helping you save time and increase productivity?
• In what ways does that enhance your competitive advantage?
• How much have you increased metrics X, Y, and Z?

10. Lay out your case study format.

When it comes time to take all of the information you've collected and actually turn it into something, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. Where should you start? What should you include? What's the best way to structure it?

To help you get a handle on this step, it's important to first understand that there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to the ways you can present a case study. They can be very visual, which you'll see in some of the examples we've included below, and can sometimes be communicated mostly through video or photos, with a bit of accompanying text.

Here are the sections we suggest, which we'll cover in more detail down below:

• Title: Keep it short. Develop a succinct but interesting project name you can give the work you did with your subject.
• Subtitle: Use this copy to briefly elaborate on the accomplishment. What was done? The case study itself will explain how you got there.
• Executive Summary : A 2-4 sentence summary of the entire story. You'll want to follow it with 2-3 bullet points that display metrics showcasing success.
• About the Subject: An introduction to the person or company you served, which can be pulled from a LinkedIn Business profile or client website.
• Challenges and Objectives: A 2-3 paragraph description of the customer's challenges, before using your product or service. This section should also include the goals or objectives the customer set out to achieve.
• How Product/Service Helped: A 2-3 paragraph section that describes how your product or service provided a solution to their problem.
• Results: A 2-3 paragraph testimonial that proves how your product or service specifically benefited the person or company and helped achieve its goals. Include numbers to quantify your contributions.
• Supporting Visuals or Quotes: Pick one or two powerful quotes that you would feature at the bottom of the sections above, as well as a visual that supports the story you are telling.
• Future Plans: Everyone likes an epilogue. Comment on what's ahead for your case study subject, whether or not those plans involve you.
• Call to Action (CTA): Not every case study needs a CTA, but putting a passive one at the end of your case study can encourage your readers to take an action on your website after learning about the work you've done.

When laying out your case study, focus on conveying the information you've gathered in the most clear and concise way possible. Make it easy to scan and comprehend, and be sure to provide an attractive call-to-action at the bottom — that should provide readers an opportunity to learn more about your product or service.

11. Publish and promote your case study.

Once you've completed your case study, it's time to publish and promote it. Some case study formats have pretty obvious promotional outlets — a video case study can go on YouTube, just as an infographic case study can go on Pinterest.

But there are still other ways to publish and promote your case study. Here are a couple of ideas:

Lead Gen in a Blog Post

As stated earlier in this article, written case studies make terrific lead-generators if you convert them into a downloadable format, like a PDF. To generate leads from your case study, consider writing a blog post that tells an abbreviated story of your client's success and asking readers to fill out a form with their name and email address if they'd like to read the rest in your PDF.

Then, promote this blog post on social media, through a Facebook post or a tweet.

Published as a Page on Your Website

As a growing business, you might need to display your case study out in the open to gain the trust of your target audience.

Rather than gating it behind a landing page, publish your case study to its own page on your website, and direct people here from your homepage with a "Case Studies" or "Testimonials" button along your homepage's top navigation bar.

Format for a Case Study

The traditional case study format includes the following parts: a title and subtitle, a client profile, a summary of the customer’s challenges and objectives, an account of how your solution helped, and a description of the results. You might also want to include supporting visuals and quotes, future plans, and calls-to-action.

Image Source

The title is one of the most important parts of your case study. It should draw readers in while succinctly describing the potential benefits of working with your company. To that end, your title should:

• State the name of your custome r. Right away, the reader must learn which company used your products and services. This is especially important if your customer has a recognizable brand. If you work with individuals and not companies, you may omit the name and go with professional titles: “A Marketer…”, “A CFO…”, and so forth.
• State which product your customer used . Even if you only offer one product or service, or if your company name is the same as your product name, you should still include the name of your solution. That way, readers who are not familiar with your business can become aware of what you sell.
• Allude to the results achieved . You don’t necessarily need to provide hard numbers, but the title needs to represent the benefits, quickly. That way, if a reader doesn’t stay to read, they can walk away with the most essential information: Your product works.

The example above, “Crunch Fitness Increases Leads and Signups With HubSpot,” achieves all three — without being wordy. Keeping your title short and sweet is also essential.

2. Subtitle

Your subtitle is another essential part of your case study — don’t skip it, even if you think you’ve done the work with the title. In this section, include a brief summary of the challenges your customer was facing before they began to use your products and services. Then, drive the point home by reiterating the benefits your customer experienced by working with you.

The above example reads:

“Crunch Fitness was franchising rapidly when COVID-19 forced fitness clubs around the world to close their doors. But the company stayed agile by using HubSpot to increase leads and free trial signups.”

We like that the case study team expressed the urgency of the problem — opening more locations in the midst of a pandemic — and placed the focus on the customer’s ability to stay agile.

3. Executive Summary

The executive summary should provide a snapshot of your customer, their challenges, and the benefits they enjoyed from working with you. Think it’s too much? Think again — the purpose of the case study is to emphasize, again and again, how well your product works.

The good news is that depending on your design, the executive summary can be mixed with the subtitle or with the “About the Company” section. Many times, this section doesn’t need an explicit “Executive Summary” subheading. You do need, however, to provide a convenient snapshot for readers to scan.

In the above example, ADP included information about its customer in a scannable bullet-point format, then provided two sections: “Business Challenge” and “How ADP Helped.” We love how simple and easy the format is to follow for those who are unfamiliar with ADP or its typical customer.

4. About the Company

Readers need to know and understand who your customer is. This is important for several reasons: It helps your reader potentially relate to your customer, it defines your ideal client profile (which is essential to deter poor-fit prospects who might have reached out without knowing they were a poor fit), and it gives your customer an indirect boon by subtly promoting their products and services.

Feel free to keep this section as simple as possible. You can simply copy and paste information from the company’s LinkedIn, use a quote directly from your customer, or take a more creative storytelling approach.

In the above example, HubSpot included one paragraph of description for Crunch Fitness and a few bullet points. Below, ADP tells the story of its customer using an engaging, personable technique that effectively draws readers in.

5. Challenges and Objectives

The challenges and objectives section of your case study is the place to lay out, in detail, the difficulties your customer faced prior to working with you — and what they hoped to achieve when they enlisted your help.

In this section, you can be as brief or as descriptive as you’d like, but remember: Stress the urgency of the situation. Don’t understate how much your customer needed your solution (but don’t exaggerate and lie, either). Provide contextual information as necessary. For instance, the pandemic and societal factors may have contributed to the urgency of the need.

Take the above example from design consultancy IDEO:

“Educational opportunities for adults have become difficult to access in the United States, just when they’re needed most. To counter this trend, IDEO helped the city of South Bend and the Drucker Institute launch Bendable, a community-powered platform that connects people with opportunities to learn with and from each other.”

We love how IDEO mentions the difficulties the United States faces at large, the efforts its customer is taking to address these issues, and the steps IDEO took to help.

6. How Product/Service Helped

This is where you get your product or service to shine. Cover the specific benefits that your customer enjoyed and the features they gleaned the most use out of. You can also go into detail about how you worked with and for your customer. Maybe you met several times before choosing the right solution, or you consulted with external agencies to create the best package for them.

Whatever the case may be, try to illustrate how easy and pain-free it is to work with the representatives at your company. After all, potential customers aren’t looking to just purchase a product. They’re looking for a dependable provider that will strive to exceed their expectations.

In the above example, IDEO describes how it partnered with research institutes and spoke with learners to create Bendable, a free educational platform. We love how it shows its proactivity and thoroughness. It makes potential customers feel that IDEO might do something similar for them.

The results are essential, and the best part is that you don’t need to write the entirety of the case study before sharing them. Like HubSpot, IDEO, and ADP, you can include the results right below the subtitle or executive summary. Use data and numbers to substantiate the success of your efforts, but if you don’t have numbers, you can provide quotes from your customers.

We can’t overstate the importance of the results. In fact, if you wanted to create a short case study, you could include your title, challenge, solution (how your product helped), and result.

8. Supporting Visuals or Quotes

Let your customer speak for themselves by including quotes from the representatives who directly interfaced with your company.

Visuals can also help, even if they’re stock images. On one side, they can help you convey your customer’s industry, and on the other, they can indirectly convey your successes. For instance, a picture of a happy professional — even if they’re not your customer — will communicate that your product can lead to a happy client.

In this example from IDEO, we see a man standing in a boat. IDEO’s customer is neither the man pictured nor the manufacturer of the boat, but rather Conservation International, an environmental organization. This imagery provides a visually pleasing pattern interrupt to the page, while still conveying what the case study is about.

9. Future Plans

This is optional, but including future plans can help you close on a more positive, personable note than if you were to simply include a quote or the results. In this space, you can show that your product will remain in your customer’s tech stack for years to come, or that your services will continue to be instrumental to your customer’s success.

Alternatively, if you work only on time-bound projects, you can allude to the positive impact your customer will continue to see, even after years of the end of the contract.

10. Call to Action (CTA)

Not every case study needs a CTA, but we’d still encourage it. Putting one at the end of your case study will encourage your readers to take an action on your website after learning about the work you've done.

It will also make it easier for them to reach out, if they’re ready to start immediately. You don’t want to lose business just because they have to scroll all the way back up to reach out to your team.

To help you visualize this case study outline, check out the case study template below, which can also be downloaded here .

You drove the results, made the connection, set the expectations, used the questionnaire to conduct a successful interview, and boiled down your findings into a compelling story. And after all of that, you're left with a little piece of sales enabling gold — a case study.

To show you what a well-executed final product looks like, have a look at some of these marketing case study examples.

1. "Shopify Uses HubSpot CRM to Transform High Volume Sales Organization," by HubSpot

What's interesting about this case study is the way it leads with the customer. This reflects a major HubSpot value, which is to always solve for the customer first. The copy leads with a brief description of why Shopify uses HubSpot and is accompanied by a short video and some basic statistics on the company.

Notice that this case study uses mixed media. Yes, there is a short video, but it's elaborated upon in the additional text on the page. So, while case studies can use one or the other, don't be afraid to combine written copy with visuals to emphasize the project's success.

2. "New England Journal of Medicine," by Corey McPherson Nash

When branding and design studio Corey McPherson Nash showcases its work, it makes sense for it to be visual — after all, that's what they do. So in building the case study for the studio's work on the New England Journal of Medicine's integrated advertising campaign — a project that included the goal of promoting the client's digital presence — Corey McPherson Nash showed its audience what it did, rather than purely telling it.

Notice that the case study does include some light written copy — which includes the major points we've suggested — but lets the visuals do the talking, allowing users to really absorb the studio's services.

3. "Designing the Future of Urban Farming," by IDEO

Here's a design company that knows how to lead with simplicity in its case studies. As soon as the visitor arrives at the page, he or she is greeted with a big, bold photo, and two very simple columns of text — "The Challenge" and "The Outcome."

Immediately, IDEO has communicated two of the case study's major pillars. And while that's great — the company created a solution for vertical farming startup INFARM's challenge — it doesn't stop there. As the user scrolls down, those pillars are elaborated upon with comprehensive (but not overwhelming) copy that outlines what that process looked like, replete with quotes and additional visuals.

4. "Secure Wi-Fi Wins Big for Tournament," by WatchGuard

Then, there are the cases when visuals can tell almost the entire story — when executed correctly. Network security provider WatchGuard can do that through this video, which tells the story of how its services enhanced the attendee and vendor experience at the Windmill Ultimate Frisbee tournament.

5. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Boosts Social Media Engagement and Brand Awareness with HubSpot

In the case study above , HubSpot uses photos, videos, screenshots, and helpful stats to tell the story of how the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame used the bot, CRM, and social media tools to gain brand awareness.

6. Small Desk Plant Business Ups Sales by 30% With Trello

This case study from Trello is straightforward and easy to understand. It begins by explaining the background of the company that decided to use it, what its goals were, and how it planned to use Trello to help them.

It then goes on to discuss how the software was implemented and what tasks and teams benefited from it. Towards the end, it explains the sales results that came from implementing the software and includes quotes from decision-makers at the company that implemented it.

7. Facebook's Mercedes Benz Success Story

Facebook's Success Stories page hosts a number of well-designed and easy-to-understand case studies that visually and editorially get to the bottom line quickly.

Each study begins with key stats that draw the reader in. Then it's organized by highlighting a problem or goal in the introduction, the process the company took to reach its goals, and the results. Then, in the end, Facebook notes the tools used in the case study.

Showcasing Your Work

You work hard at what you do. Now, it's time to show it to the world — and, perhaps more important, to potential customers. Before you show off the projects that make you the proudest, we hope you follow these important steps that will help you effectively communicate that work and leave all parties feeling good about it.

Editor's Note: This blog post was originally published in February 2017 but was updated for comprehensiveness and freshness in July 2021.

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How to write a case study — examples, templates, and tools

It’s a marketer’s job to communicate the effectiveness of a product or service to potential and current customers to convince them to buy and keep business moving. One of the best methods for doing this is to share success stories that are relatable to prospects and customers based on their pain points, experiences, and overall needs.

That’s where case studies come in. Case studies are an essential part of a content marketing plan. These in-depth stories of customer experiences are some of the most effective at demonstrating the value of a product or service. Yet many marketers don’t use them, whether because of their regimented formats or the process of customer involvement and approval.

A case study is a powerful tool for showcasing your hard work and the success your customer achieved. But writing a great case study can be difficult if you’ve never done it before or if it’s been a while. This guide will show you how to write an effective case study and provide real-world examples and templates that will keep readers engaged and support your business.

In this article, you’ll learn:

What is a case study?

How to write a case study, case study templates, case study examples, case study tools.

A case study is the detailed story of a customer’s experience with a product or service that demonstrates their success and often includes measurable outcomes. Case studies are used in a range of fields and for various reasons, from business to academic research. They’re especially impactful in marketing as brands work to convince and convert consumers with relatable, real-world stories of actual customer experiences.

The best case studies tell the story of a customer’s success, including the steps they took, the results they achieved, and the support they received from a brand along the way. To write a great case study, you need to:

• Celebrate the customer and make them — not a product or service — the star of the story.
• Craft the story with specific audiences or target segments in mind so that the story of one customer will be viewed as relatable and actionable for another customer.
• Write copy that is easy to read and engaging so that readers will gain the insights and messages intended.
• Follow a standardized format that includes all of the essentials a potential customer would find interesting and useful.
• Support all of the claims for success made in the story with data in the forms of hard numbers and customer statements.

Case studies are a type of review but more in depth, aiming to show — rather than just tell — the positive experiences that customers have with a brand. Notably, 89% of consumers read reviews before deciding to buy, and 79% view case study content as part of their purchasing process. When it comes to B2B sales, 52% of buyers rank case studies as an important part of their evaluation process.

Telling a brand story through the experience of a tried-and-true customer matters. The story is relatable to potential new customers as they imagine themselves in the shoes of the company or individual featured in the case study. Showcasing previous customers can help new ones see themselves engaging with your brand in the ways that are most meaningful to them.

Besides sharing the perspective of another customer, case studies stand out from other content marketing forms because they are based on evidence. Whether pulling from client testimonials or data-driven results, case studies tend to have more impact on new business because the story contains information that is both objective (data) and subjective (customer experience) — and the brand doesn’t sound too self-promotional.

Case studies are unique in that there’s a fairly standardized format for telling a customer’s story. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for creativity. It’s all about making sure that teams are clear on the goals for the case study — along with strategies for supporting content and channels — and understanding how the story fits within the framework of the company’s overall marketing goals.

Here are the basic steps to writing a good case study.

1. Identify your goal

Start by defining exactly who your case study will be designed to help. Case studies are about specific instances where a company works with a customer to achieve a goal. Identify which customers are likely to have these goals, as well as other needs the story should cover to appeal to them.

The answer is often found in one of the buyer personas that have been constructed as part of your larger marketing strategy. This can include anything from new leads generated by the marketing team to long-term customers that are being pressed for cross-sell opportunities. In all of these cases, demonstrating value through a relatable customer success story can be part of the solution to conversion.

2. Choose your client or subject

Who you highlight matters. Case studies tie brands together that might otherwise not cross paths. A writer will want to ensure that the highlighted customer aligns with their own company’s brand identity and offerings. Look for a customer with positive name recognition who has had great success with a product or service and is willing to be an advocate.

The client should also match up with the identified target audience. Whichever company or individual is selected should be a reflection of other potential customers who can see themselves in similar circumstances, having the same problems and possible solutions.

Some of the most compelling case studies feature customers who:

• Switch from one product or service to another while naming competitors that missed the mark.
• Experience measurable results that are relatable to others in a specific industry.
• Represent well-known brands and recognizable names that are likely to compel action.
• Advocate for a product or service as a champion and are well-versed in its advantages.

Whoever or whatever customer is selected, marketers must ensure they have the permission of the company involved before getting started. Some brands have strict review and approval procedures for any official marketing or promotional materials that include their name. Acquiring those approvals in advance will prevent any miscommunication or wasted effort if there is an issue with their legal or compliance teams.

3. Conduct research and compile data

Substantiating the claims made in a case study — either by the marketing team or customers themselves — adds validity to the story. To do this, include data and feedback from the client that defines what success looks like. This can be anything from demonstrating return on investment (ROI) to a specific metric the customer was striving to improve. Case studies should prove how an outcome was achieved and show tangible results that indicate to the customer that your solution is the right one.

This step could also include customer interviews. Make sure that the people being interviewed are key stakeholders in the purchase decision or deployment and use of the product or service that is being highlighted. Content writers should work off a set list of questions prepared in advance. It can be helpful to share these with the interviewees beforehand so they have time to consider and craft their responses. One of the best interview tactics to keep in mind is to ask questions where yes and no are not natural answers. This way, your subject will provide more open-ended responses that produce more meaningful content.

4. Choose the right format

There are a number of different ways to format a case study. Depending on what you hope to achieve, one style will be better than another. However, there are some common elements to include, such as:

• An engaging headline
• A subject and customer introduction
• The unique challenge or challenges the customer faced
• The solution the customer used to solve the problem
• The results achieved
• Data and statistics to back up claims of success
• A strong call to action (CTA) to engage with the vendor

It’s also important to note that while case studies are traditionally written as stories, they don’t have to be in a written format. Some companies choose to get more creative with their case studies and produce multimedia content, depending on their audience and objectives. Case study formats can include traditional print stories, interactive web or social content, data-heavy infographics, professionally shot videos, podcasts, and more.

5. Write your case study

We’ll go into more detail later about how exactly to write a case study, including templates and examples. Generally speaking, though, there are a few things to keep in mind when writing your case study.

• Be clear and concise. Readers want to get to the point of the story quickly and easily, and they’ll be looking to see themselves reflected in the story right from the start.
• Provide a big picture. Always make sure to explain who the client is, their goals, and how they achieved success in a short introduction to engage the reader.
• Construct a clear narrative. Stick to the story from the perspective of the customer and what they needed to solve instead of just listing product features or benefits.
• Leverage graphics. Incorporating infographics, charts, and sidebars can be a more engaging and eye-catching way to share key statistics and data in readable ways.
• Offer the right amount of detail. Most case studies are one or two pages with clear sections that a reader can skim to find the information most important to them.
• Include data to support claims. Show real results — both facts and figures and customer quotes — to demonstrate credibility and prove the solution works.

6. Promote your story

Marketers have a number of options for distribution of a freshly minted case study. Many brands choose to publish case studies on their website and post them on social media. This can help support SEO and organic content strategies while also boosting company credibility and trust as visitors see that other businesses have used the product or service.

Marketers are always looking for quality content they can use for lead generation. Consider offering a case study as gated content behind a form on a landing page or as an offer in an email message. One great way to do this is to summarize the content and tease the full story available for download after the user takes an action.

Sales teams can also leverage case studies, so be sure they are aware that the assets exist once they’re published. Especially when it comes to larger B2B sales, companies often ask for examples of similar customer challenges that have been solved.

Now that you’ve learned a bit about case studies and what they should include, you may be wondering how to start creating great customer story content. Here are a couple of templates you can use to structure your case study.

Template 1 — Challenge-solution-result format

• Start with an engaging title. This should be fewer than 70 characters long for SEO best practices. One of the best ways to approach the title is to include the customer’s name and a hint at the challenge they overcame in the end.
• Create an introduction. Lead with an explanation as to who the customer is, the need they had, and the opportunity they found with a specific product or solution. Writers can also suggest the success the customer experienced with the solution they chose.
• Present the challenge. This should be several paragraphs long and explain the problem the customer faced and the issues they were trying to solve. Details should tie into the company’s products and services naturally. This section needs to be the most relatable to the reader so they can picture themselves in a similar situation.
• Share the solution. Explain which product or service offered was the ideal fit for the customer and why. Feel free to delve into their experience setting up, purchasing, and onboarding the solution.
• Explain the results. Demonstrate the impact of the solution they chose by backing up their positive experience with data. Fill in with customer quotes and tangible, measurable results that show the effect of their choice.
• Ask for action. Include a CTA at the end of the case study that invites readers to reach out for more information, try a demo, or learn more — to nurture them further in the marketing pipeline. What you ask of the reader should tie directly into the goals that were established for the case study in the first place.

Template 2 — Data-driven format

• Start with an engaging title. Be sure to include a statistic or data point in the first 70 characters. Again, it’s best to include the customer’s name as part of the title.
• Create an overview. Share the customer’s background and a short version of the challenge they faced. Present the reason a particular product or service was chosen, and feel free to include quotes from the customer about their selection process.
• Present data point 1. Isolate the first metric that the customer used to define success and explain how the product or solution helped to achieve this goal. Provide data points and quotes to substantiate the claim that success was achieved.
• Present data point 2. Isolate the second metric that the customer used to define success and explain what the product or solution did to achieve this goal. Provide data points and quotes to substantiate the claim that success was achieved.
• Present data point 3. Isolate the final metric that the customer used to define success and explain what the product or solution did to achieve this goal. Provide data points and quotes to substantiate the claim that success was achieved.
• Summarize the results. Reiterate the fact that the customer was able to achieve success thanks to a specific product or service. Include quotes and statements that reflect customer satisfaction and suggest they plan to continue using the solution.
• Ask for action. Include a CTA at the end of the case study that asks readers to reach out for more information, try a demo, or learn more — to further nurture them in the marketing pipeline. Again, remember that this is where marketers can look to convert their content into action with the customer.

While templates are helpful, seeing a case study in action can also be a great way to learn. Here are some examples of how Adobe customers have experienced success.

Juniper Networks

One example is the Adobe and Juniper Networks case study , which puts the reader in the customer’s shoes. The beginning of the story quickly orients the reader so that they know exactly who the article is about and what they were trying to achieve. Solutions are outlined in a way that shows Adobe Experience Manager is the best choice and a natural fit for the customer. Along the way, quotes from the client are incorporated to help add validity to the statements. The results in the case study are conveyed with clear evidence of scale and volume using tangible data.

The story of Lenovo’s journey with Adobe is one that spans years of planning, implementation, and rollout. The Lenovo case study does a great job of consolidating all of this into a relatable journey that other enterprise organizations can see themselves taking, despite the project size. This case study also features descriptive headers and compelling visual elements that engage the reader and strengthen the content.

Tata Consulting

When it comes to using data to show customer results, this case study does an excellent job of conveying details and numbers in an easy-to-digest manner. Bullet points at the start break up the content while also helping the reader understand exactly what the case study will be about. Tata Consulting used Adobe to deliver elevated, engaging content experiences for a large telecommunications client of its own — an objective that’s relatable for a lot of companies.

Case studies are a vital tool for any marketing team as they enable you to demonstrate the value of your company’s products and services to others. They help marketers do their job and add credibility to a brand trying to promote its solutions by using the experiences and stories of real customers.

When you’re ready to get started with a case study:

• Think about a few goals you’d like to accomplish with your content.
• Make a list of successful clients that would be strong candidates for a case study.
• Reach out to the client to get their approval and conduct an interview.
• Gather the data to present an engaging and effective customer story.

Adobe can help

There are several Adobe products that can help you craft compelling case studies. Adobe Experience Platform helps you collect data and deliver great customer experiences across every channel. Once you’ve created your case studies, Experience Platform will help you deliver the right information to the right customer at the right time for maximum impact.

To learn more, watch the Adobe Experience Platform story .

Keep in mind that the best case studies are backed by data. That’s where Adobe Real-Time Customer Data Platform and Adobe Analytics come into play. With Real-Time CDP, you can gather the data you need to build a great case study and target specific customers to deliver the content to the right audience at the perfect moment.

Watch the Real-Time CDP overview video to learn more.

Finally, Adobe Analytics turns real-time data into real-time insights. It helps your business collect and synthesize data from multiple platforms to make more informed decisions and create the best case study possible.

Request a demo to learn more about Adobe Analytics.

https://business.adobe.com/blog/perspectives/b2b-ecommerce-10-case-studies-inspire-you

https://business.adobe.com/blog/basics/business-case

https://business.adobe.com/blog/basics/what-is-real-time-analytics

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Table of contents

7 effective email templates for requesting customer testimonials.

Client testimonials are a form of social proof. They show potential customers that other people have had a positive experience with your product or service. This can be a powerful motivator, as people are more likely to trust customer feedback given by those who have used your product/service than they are to trust your marketing materials.

In addition, testimonials and customer reviews can help you improve your website’s search engine ranking. Google and other search engines give more weight to websites that have high-quality content, including testimonials. So, by asking for testimonials, you can improve your chances of ranking higher in search results.

Asking for customer testimonials might seem like a daunting task, but with the right approach, it can be a seamless and successful process. 

In this blog, we will share seven highly effective testimonial request email templates that have been proven to yield great results. These templates are designed to elicit genuine and impactful testimonials, helping you establish trust and credibility in your potential customer base.

Table of Contents

1. case study collaboration email.

Work closely with satisfied B2B clients to create detailed case studies that highlight their challenges, the solutions provided by your product, and the results achieved. Case studies offer valuable insights into real-world applications of your solution, which can be highly influential for potential customers.

Subject: Collaboration Opportunity: Share Your Success Story with [Your Product] Dear [Customer Name], I hope this email finds you well. We have been thrilled to witness the outstanding results you’ve achieved with [Your Product]. Your success story is truly inspiring, and we believe it can make a significant impact on other businesses facing similar challenges. We would like to invite you to collaborate on a detailed case study that highlights your journey with [Your Product]. This case study will showcase the specific challenges you encountered, the solutions our product provided, and the remarkable results you achieved. Your participation will not only help us improve our offerings but also enable other businesses to understand the true value of [Your Product]. We are excited to share your story and celebrate your success together. If you are interested in participating, please let us know, and we will coordinate the process and schedule a convenient time for an interview. Thank you for considering this collaboration, and we look forward to working with you. Best regards, [Your Name]

2. Success Story Webinar Email

Invite happy customers to participate in a live webinar where they can share their success stories and experiences with your SaaS product. Webinars offer an interactive platform to showcase your product’s benefits, answer questions in real-time, and demonstrate the value your solution brings.

Subject: Join Our Webinar: Sharing Your Success with [Your  Product] Dear [Client’s Name], We hope this email finds you well. Your journey with [Your  Product] has been nothing short of remarkable, and we believe your experiences can inspire other businesses to achieve similar success. We are hosting a live webinar where we’ll be spotlighting success stories of our valued clients. We cordially invite you to participate in this webinar and share your insights on how [Your  Product] has transformed your operations and achieved outstanding results. The webinar will provide a fantastic opportunity for you to connect with industry peers and potential clients, answering questions and sharing your experiences first-hand. Please let us know if you are interested in being a part of this exciting webinar, and we’ll be more than happy to coordinate the details with you. Thank you for being a valued partner, and we look forward to hearing from you soon. Best regards, [Your Name] [Your Title/Position] [Your  Company]

3. Client Spotlight Blog Series Email

Launch a blog series featuring different clients and their unique use cases for your product. These blog posts not only provide positive testimonials but also serve as educational resources for prospects seeking solutions to similar challenges.

Subject : You’re Featured! Share Your Unique [Your  Product] Journey Dear [Client’s Name], We hope this email finds you thriving in your endeavors. At [Your  Company], we take pride in the success stories of our esteemed clients like you. We are excited to inform you that we have launched a client spotlight blog series, and we’d be honored to feature your unique journey with [Your  Product]. Your experiences and challenges can provide valuable insights to our readers and potential customers. If you are willing to participate, we’ll conduct a brief interview with you to craft an engaging blog post showcasing your achievements and the transformative impact of [Your  Product]. Please let us know if you’re interested in being featured in our blog series, and we’ll proceed with scheduling the interview at your convenience. Thank you for your invaluable contribution, and we can’t wait to share your inspiring story! Best regards, [Your Name] ( Note : In the email, you can also include details about the format and estimated length of the interview to set expectations.)

4. LinkedIn Endorsement Request Email

Any business owner in the digital age knows that having solid endorsements for your brand on social media is priceless. Reach out to your B2B clients on LinkedIn and kindly request an endorsement for your product. LinkedIn endorsements add credibility to your brand and can be seen by the client’s network, expanding your reach to potential prospects.

Subject: Endorsement Request: Help Us Showcase [Your  Product] Dear [Client’s Name], I hope this email finds you well. We greatly appreciate your partnership with [Your  Company] and the trust you’ve placed in our product, [Your  Product]. We kindly request your endorsement on LinkedIn, showcasing your positive experience and outcomes achieved with [Your  Product]. Your endorsement will add credibility to our brand and can make a significant impact on potential customers who visit our LinkedIn page. If you’re comfortable providing an endorsement, please visit our LinkedIn company page and click the “Endorse” button. We genuinely appreciate your support and are grateful for your valuable feedback. Thank you for being an invaluable part of our journey! Best regards, [Your Name] [Your Title/Position] [Your  Company] (Note: Include a direct link to your company’s LinkedIn page to make it easier for the client to endorse your  product.)

5. Success Metrics Request Email

Ask clients to share specific success metrics or key performance indicators (KPIs) they achieved using your solution. Quantifiable data adds a level of objectivity to your testimonials, making them more compelling for data-driven businesses.

Subject : Share Your Success Metrics with [Your  Product] Dear [Client’s Name], I hope this email finds you thriving in your business endeavors. We are continually inspired by the positive impact [Your  Product] has had on your operations. We would be immensely grateful if you could share specific success metrics or key performance indicators (KPIs) you’ve achieved with our product. Your data-backed insights will add an objective perspective to our testimonials, making them even more compelling to potential customers. Please let us know if you’d be willing to share these metrics with us. Your contribution will undoubtedly strengthen our brand and assist other businesses in making informed decisions. Thank you for your time and support. Best regards, [Your Name] [Your Title/Position] [Your  Company] (Note: In the email, you can also reassure the client that their data will be handled securely and confidentially.)

6. In-App Feedback Request Email

Incorporate a feedback or testimonial request feature directly within your SaaS platform. Send timely in-app messages or emails to prompt users to share their experiences. In-app requests catch users when they are engaged with your product, increasing the likelihood of receiving feedback.

Subject : Help Us Improve! Share Your Feedback within [Your  Product] Dear [Client’s Name], We hope you’re having a productive experience with [Your  Product]. At [Your  Company], we strive to provide the best possible solutions to our valued clients. To ensure that we’re meeting your needs effectively, we kindly request your feedback. Within [Your  Product], you’ll find an in-app feedback form where you can share your experiences, suggestions, and success stories. Your feedback is instrumental in guiding our product development and enhancing the overall user experience. We greatly appreciate your participation in this endeavor. Thank you for being a part of our journey, and we’re looking forward to hearing from you soon! Best regards, [Your Name] [Your Title/Position] [Your  Company] (Note: Include clear instructions on where to find the in-app feedback form.)

7. Referral Program Testimonial Incentive Email:

Implement a referral program where clients can earn rewards like discount codes or gift cards for referring new customers. Ask for a testimonial as part of the referral process. Referral programs encourage satisfied customers to promote your product while providing valuable testimonials.

Subject : Refer & Share Your Success with [Your  Product] Dear [Client’s Name], We hope you’re enjoying the benefits of [Your Product]. Your satisfaction means the world to us, and we truly value your partnership. As a token of our appreciation, we’ve launched a referral program that rewards you for sharing the value of [Your  Product] with others. Not only will you earn exciting rewards for successful referrals, but you’ll also have an opportunity to showcase your success story through a testimonial. We kindly request you to participate in our referral program and share your experiences with our product. Your testimonial will inspire others to explore the potential of [Your Product]. To get started, simply click on the referral link below and follow the instructions to refer your connections and provide your testimonial. [CTA Button: Refer & Share Your Testimonial] Thank you for your continued support, and we’re thrilled to have you as part of our referral program! Best regards, [Your Name] (Note: Include clear instructions on how to participate in the referral program and submit the testimonial.) Remember to personalize each email with the client’s name.

Get Started

Remember, regardless of the approach you choose- video testimonials, endorsements on social media, or anything else, always ensure that the testimonial collection process is convenient for your customers. Respond promptly to their submissions, thanking them for their valuable contribution. Building strong customer relationships through testimonials can lead to long-term loyal customers and brand advocates.

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What is case study email.

A Case Study Email is a type of email marketing communication that highlights a specific success story or example of how a company's product, service, or solution has provided value to a customer or client. Case study emails are used to showcase real-world examples of how the company's offerings have addressed a customer's challenges, solved problems, and delivered positive outcomes.

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26 Email templates to ask for a meeting politely

How to ask for a meeting politely?

When it comes to asking for a meeting, politeness is key. You don't want to come across as pushy or demanding. Think about it for a minute, how do you respond to marketing or sales emails that the introduction is just a call to action rather than a cordial summary of who the sender is and what he intends to achieve by sending the email?  

Here are some suggestions for how to ask for an appointment politely:

• Start by introducing yourself and explaining your reason for requesting the appointment. For example, you might say something like "Hello, my name is [Your Name] and I am calling to inquire about setting up an appointment to discuss [Specific Topic]."
• Ask if the person you are speaking with is available to schedule an appointment and if so, when they might be available. For example, you might say something like "Are you available to schedule an appointment at some point in the next few weeks? I am flexible and would be happy to work with your schedule."
• If the person you are speaking with is not able to schedule an appointment, ask if they can direct you to someone who can. For example, you might say something like "I understand if you are not able to schedule an appointment. Can you please let me know who I should speak with in order to set up a meeting?"
• Thank the person for their time and assistance, and let them know how to contact you if they are able to schedule an appointment. For example, you might say something like "Thank you for your help. If you are able to schedule an appointment, please feel free to contact me at [Your Contact Information]. I look forward to speaking with you."

In general, it is important to be polite and respectful when requesting an appointment and to be flexible and understanding if the person you are speaking with is not able to accommodate your request. By following these suggestions, you can politely and effectively ask for an appointment.

The following tips will help you strike the right balance and get the meeting you want. Here are some tips on how to ask for an appointment politely.

• Introduce yourself and your company.
• Build a rapport - ask how your prospect's day is going or ask about the weather or an event happening in their neighborhood. This breaks the ice, personalizes the conversation, and can earn you, their attention for a few more seconds.
• Be specific about why you would like to meet, what you hope to accomplish during the meeting, and how your client will benefit from the meeting.
• Keep your request brief and to the point. Be clear about what kind of meeting you are looking for (e.g., coffee, lunch, phone call, etc.).
• Suggest a few specific dates and times that work for you.  Finding the best time to meet is challenging, especially if you're meeting with people in different time zones. When you suggest a meeting time for meeting attendees from different regions, it's especially important to include a time zone in your meeting request email.
• Close by thanking the person again for their time and expressing your hope that they will be able to accommodate your request.
• Write a clear and concise subject line for the meeting request email
• Send a follow-up if needed

Select the language that is most appropriate for the situation. Language can be

• Formal - "May I ask permission to meet with you in person?"
• Neutral - "Would it be possible for us to meet?"
• Informal - "Could we meet to discuss it?"

The tone is a combination of Word choice, Sentence structure, and Punctuation choices. The right tone has to be used depending on whether you are sending a meeting request email to warm contacts or new contacts as a cold email outreach.

Emojis are always informal. In English, first names are generally used (and not last names) in emails.

Warm contacts already have one-on-one contact with you or your company or brand. Emails to warm contacts are considered warm emails. Cold emailing refers to sending emails to individuals with no existing relationship with you and your business.

Cold and warm meeting request emails require different strategies. With cold meeting request emails, you need to introduce yourself and build enough interest in the recipient that they book the meeting—all without overwhelming them with too much text. With a warm meeting request email, you have the luxury of building on the relationship they already have with your brand.

Here are sample quick one-liners to ask for a meeting. You can use them while sending personalized meeting request emails.

• Are you free for a chat at some time on 2021/07/26, 5:00 PM?
• Can we schedule a meeting for tomorrow at 3 pm?
• Do you have time next week Tuesday to grab a cup of coffee?
• Don’t you wish you could also [solve the main pain point] with it?
• Will you be present on Tuesday after he speaks?
• Would either [two choices of date and time] be a good time for you?
• Would either [two choices of date and time] work for you?
• Want to book a quick meeting this week to see what we can do?

Meeting with colleagues, clients, or potential customers can become challenging when everyone's schedules are similarly jam-packed. What's more, a great deal of valuable time can be wasted by means of back-and-forth emails or messages to decide the meeting date and time.  Online appointment scheduling software gives your invitees the ability to book meeting 24/7 without the back-and-forth emails or messages. This convenience factor is a major selling point for customers. If you're in sales, then you know that time is money. And if you're not using appointment scheduling software, you're losing out on potential sales. Scheduling software helps you keep track of your appointments and leads, so you can close more deals and boost your sales.

Here are 24 email templates to help you ask for an appointment in a way that is both professional and polite. Feel free to customize them to fit your own needs. Be sure to proofread your email before sending it off.

Template 1: Generic Meeting Request for Collaboration

Subject line: Request for an appointment

Hi [Recipient’s name],

I hope this email finds you well. I am [Your name] from [Your company].

I recently came across your website/blog/social media profile and was impressed with your work. I would love to discuss the possibility of working together with you on [project name].

Would it be possible to schedule a meeting with you so that we can discuss further this? I promise it will be worth your time. :)

Thank you for your time and consideration!

Template 2: Request for an informational interview

I hope this message finds you well!

I am writing because I am interested in learning more about your work as a [job title]. Might you have time for a brief discussion so that I can ask some questions and learn more? I promise to take up no more than 30 minutes of your time.

Thank you very much for your consideration!

Template 3: Generic Meeting Request

I hope this email finds you well!

I am [Your Name], and I would love the opportunity to speak with you about [Topic]. Would you be available for a brief chat sometime in the next few days?

I promise it will be worth your time! Thank you so much for considering my request.

Template 4: Generic sales follow-up meeting request

Dear [Recipient’s name],

It was nice talking to you last week. It would be great if we could arrange a time to continue our conversation in person. I would love to tell you more about how [product] can [tackle their pain point]. How does 11 am on Tuesday sound?

Let me know if that works for you; I'd love to speak to you again.

[Your name]

Template 5: Sales Meeting Request

I hope this email finds you well! My name is [your full name] and am from [your company]. I would love the opportunity to speak with you about how [product] will increase your [revenue/rate of success/etc].  

If you are free for a quick coffee next week at the new cafe on Roland Street, I’m open any day.

In the meantime, I’ve attached a case study that might interest you.

Please let me know when and where you would like to meet.

I look forward to speaking with you.

Template 6: Cold email on Meeting request for Collaboration or partnership

Dear [Recipient’s name]

I hope this email finds you well! I’m [your name], and work at [company’s name]. We work in [area of expertise]. Given that you are a leading player within our niche, I believe a collaboration would be in both our interests.

I’d love to ask you for a meeting [mention location], at [mention a flexible date and time], where we can discuss this further.

Feel free to prefer another time and location if that doesn’t work for you.

[Your Name]

Template 7: Cold Sales Email with Your Introduction and asking for a meeting

I hope this email finds you well! I’m [your name] from [your company name]. We specialize in [your area of expertise]. We’ve clientele from pioneering startups to Fortune 500 companies like [mention some well-known companies you’ve worked with].

If you are free for a chat at [mention time range], we could help you with some [mention some pain points of recipient].

Template 8: Requesting a meeting with someone you met at an event/conference

Hey [Recipient’s name]!

We met at [Event/Conference name] last week. Seems like you were interested in some of our [your services or expertise] Want to chat over a quick meeting this week? Let’s see what we can do together.

Please, do let me know when you are available.

Template 9: Sales cold outreach email requesting a meeting for collaboration

Hi [ Recipient’s name],

I read/saw [recent news/accomplishment]. I’m a [your position or title] at [your company name]. Your company’s focus on [the interesting detail or accomplishment] got me thinking about ways we could collaborate to achieve [the goal of the meeting].

I’d like to meet with you to discuss this further if you are interested.

Would you be available for a quick chat?

Template 10: Meeting request email from a mutual connection

Subject line: [first name], have time for a quick chat?

Hi [ Recipient’s name]!

[Referral Name] recommended you as a [what they do].

I was interested in the [brief reference to one of their accomplishments, something they published, or something in their portfolio]. I liked how you [what you liked].

As the [your position or title] at [your company name], I’m always looking to build connections with [what they do]. Given that you are a leading player within our niche, I believe a collaboration would be in both our interests to achieve [the goal of the meeting].

Template 11. Product demo email to customer

Thanks for getting in touch — we’re excited to chat with you! Request you to share your availability for the demo or feel free to book a time that works best for you using the link: <Scheduling Link>.

We look forward to talking with you soon.

Template 12. Product demo email to customer [based on the request made on the website]

​Hi [ Recipient’s name]!

I’m reaching out to follow up on the demo request you made on [company name]’s website a few months ago.

I’d love to find out what else we can do to help with [value proposition]. We have a lot of resources to offer you.  However, to get you the best materials, I would like to schedule a meeting to discuss your needs and make sure we’re on the same page.

Email me back when you have a moment, so we can decide whether a demo is appropriate. If you are ready to schedule a time with me now, just click here and pick a date that works for you.

Template 13. A quick follow-up email to the customer with a call to action

​Subject: Book a time for our consultation

It was great speaking with you this afternoon. I would like to propose a one-hour discovery call, at which time we can further unpack [Company]’s revenue goals.

To schedule a time with me, please click here and find a time that works for you.

If you have any questions prior to the meeting, just reply to this email and let me know!

Template 14: LinkedIn InMail

I came across your LinkedIn profile and am so impressed with your work experience. We are looking for people with your background. I was wondering if you would like to connect and discuss possibilities.

If yes, please use the below link to find a time for our conversation at your convenience without back and forth. Let me know if you have any questions!

<scheduling-link>.

Template 15. Request for a meeting with a potential client

Dear [Name],

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to reach out and introduce myself as the [Your Position] at [Your Company]. I came across your company's profile and it seems like our services align with your business needs. I would like to schedule a meeting to discuss how we could potentially work together and how we can help your business grow. Please let me know your availability and we can arrange a meeting that works for you.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Template 16. Request for a meeting with a current client

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to reach out and schedule a meeting to discuss how our services have been meeting your business needs and how we can continue to support you in achieving your goals. Please let me know your availability and we can arrange a meeting that works for you.

Thank you for your continued partnership.

Template 17. Request for a meeting with a colleague

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to reach out and schedule a meeting to discuss [specific topic]. I believe we can collaborate and share our expertise to improve our work and achieve our goals. Please let me know your availability and we can arrange a meeting that works for you.

Template 18. Request for a meeting with a supervisor

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to schedule a meeting to discuss [specific topic] and how I can improve my performance and contribute to the team. Please let me know your availability and we can arrange a meeting that works for you.

Thank you for your time and guidance.

Template 19. Request for a meeting with a vendor

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to reach out and schedule a meeting to discuss how we can work together and how your products/services can meet our business needs. Please let me know your availability and we can arrange a meeting that works for you.

Template 20. Request for a meeting with a job candidate

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to reach out and schedule a meeting to discuss your qualifications and how you can contribute to our team. Please let me know your availability and we can arrange a meeting that works for you.

Thank you for your time and interest in our company.

Template 21. Request for a meeting with a mentor

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to reach out and schedule a meeting to discuss [specific topic] and how you can guide me in achieving my career goals. Please let me know your availability and we can arrange a meeting that works for you.

Thank you for your time and expertise.

Template 22. Request for a meeting with a university professor

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to reach out and schedule a meeting to discuss [specific topic] and how you can support me in my studies. Please let me know your availability and we can arrange a meeting that works for you.

Template 23. Request for a meeting with a government official

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to reach out and schedule a meeting to discuss [specific topic] and how we can work together to support our community. Please let me know your availability and we can arrange a meeting that works for you.

Thank you for your time and dedication to public service.

Template 24. Request for a meeting with a potential business partner

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to reach out and schedule a meeting to discuss how we can potentially collaborate and grow our businesses together. Please let me know your availability and we can arrange a meeting that works for you.

Template 25. Request for a meeting with a recruiter

Subject: Follow-up Request for Meeting

Dear [Recruiter's Name],

I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to follow up on our previous conversation regarding the [Job Title] position at [Company Name]. I am still very interested in the opportunity and would like to request a meeting to further discuss my qualifications and the position.

Since our last conversation, I have taken some time to further research [Company Name] and I am even more excited about the potential to contribute to your team. I am confident that my skills and experience align well with the requirements of the role, and I am eager to share more about how I can add value to the team.

I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to meet with you in person or via a virtual meeting to discuss my application in more detail. I am available at your convenience, and I can adjust my schedule to accommodate yours. Please let me know a time and date that works best for you, and I will make sure to block off that time in my calendar.

In the meantime, please let me know if there are any additional materials or information you may need from me to facilitate the meeting. I am happy to provide any necessary documents or references.

Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the possibility of meeting with you and discussing how I can contribute to the success of [Company Name].

Best regards,

Template 26. Request for a meeting with a recruiter

Subject: Meeting Request - [Job Title] Position

I hope you're doing well. I wanted to follow up on our previous conversation about the [Job Title] position at [Company Name]. I'm still very interested and would like to request a meeting to discuss my qualifications further.

I've researched [Company Name] and I'm excited about the opportunity to contribute to your team. I believe my skills align well with the position's requirements, and I'm eager to share more about how I can add value.

Could we schedule a time for an in-person or virtual meeting? I'm available at your convenience, and I can adjust my schedule accordingly. Please let me know a time and date that works best for you.

Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the possibility of meeting with you to discuss my candidacy.

B2B Email Mastery

Master cold outreach with our collection of the 33 best B2B sales email templates. Strengthen your communication strategy with our guides on crafting polite meeting request emails [ 26 Email templates to ask for a meeting politely ], discovering the top digital marketing tools for 2024 [ 85 Best Digital Marketing Tools of 2024 ], sharing your scheduling link seamlessly [ 28 Email templates to share your scheduling link politely ], and sending timely reminders [ 25 Meeting Reminder Email Templates ].

Please note that these are general templates, and you may need to adjust the language and format to suit your specific situation and relationship with the recipient.

Do let us know if you have successfully used other strategies to get meetings with your prospects via emails or have used any other email templates for requesting meetings. We would be happy to publish those in our blog so that others can benefit from them.

Increase your bookings by reducing the customer friction

Leadmonk is a mobile-first scheduling platform that offers flexible booking options, automated reminders, and promotional landing pages. It reduces the booking friction by giving the flexibility to your customers to book appointments using their mobile number or email address without the back-and-forth emails or messages. You can let invitees opt-in for WhatsApp or SMS notifications if they book with their mobile number, so they get updates on the go.

Meet one-on-one or in a group or as a team (Collective, and Round Robin appointment types). Meet online or in person. Leadmonk supports all meeting combinations.

It is built for customer-facing teams such as Sales, Marketing, Customer Success, and Freelancers/Consultants. It is also suitable for industry sectors such as Doctors, Dentists, Chiropractors, Entrepreneurs, Educators, Coaches, Recruiters, and Professional Services companies such as Legal, Accounting, and Real Estate.

It integrates natively with Google, G-Suite, Outlook and Office 365 Calendars, Google Meet, MS Teams, Zoom, Stripe, PayPal, Zapier, HubSpot, and other popular business apps to support your business in a wide range of prospect and customer scheduling scenarios.

It is perfect for any person or business no matter if you are starting off or have been around for a while.

Save time on scheduling. Spend time on the things that matter. Check leadmonk.io to know more.

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20 questions for faster and better b2b lead qualification, the ultimate guide to generating leads and converting them into meetings, unlocking cost savings: inside sales teams and appointment scheduling software, 28 proven strategies and techniques for lead generation and conversion, how to increase lead qualification with self-qualification forms, close more deals by routing leads to the right sales rep, double your inbound conversion using leadmonk.

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9 Cold Email Case Studies with Great Reply Rates

Be sure to check out our previous post in this series:  Cold Emailing: Best Outbound Sales Automation Tools

Cold e-mailing is hard.

It’s tough to get people’s attention through all the noise that’s out there. On average, we get 147 e-mails a day , only spend significant time answering about 12 of them, and delete 71 e-mails in under 3.2 seconds .

It takes a lot of work to build a successful cold e-mail campaign. You have to:

• do in-depth research to make sure you’re not just spamming out generic templates
• make sure your messages are personalized to your specific target
• manage data entry for your leads
• send out massive volume to see results

And the truth is, your customers judge you on your ability to sell. So if you have an off day, you not only have to deal with not getting any conversions, but also with the negative judgements from your prospects.

When you’re crafting your cold e-mail campaigns, it can be helpful to know what everyone else is doing to benchmark your own numbers so you know that you’re on the right track.

What’s a good email open rate ? What’s a good reply rate? What does a good cold e-mail template look like? How many people should you be able to convert to a sales call?

Today, we’ll answer those questions for you. We’ll peel back the curtain on some cold e-mail case studies and discuss which strategies companies used to boost their reply rates and conversions.

Their expertise has helped Nextiva grow its brand and overall business

Case Study #1: Ambition

Ambition  is a software product that helps companies increase employee productivity. They built their platform with millennial employees in mind, and are used by such companies as  Lyft , Carbonite , and Continuum .

In this case study , they wrote about how they cold-emailed 578 prospects, got a total of 6 responses, and used follow up e-mails to get 67 additional responses (for a total response rate of about 12.6%).

They ran a six-week campaign, targeted 291 VPs of sales as well as 287 VPs of sales operations, and ended up with a total of 73 new leads.

Check out this graph that is instructive about the overall nature of the campaign as well as cold e-mailing in general:

Source: Ambition.com

Around half the recipients opened the initial e-mail but zero people replied.

However, with each additional touchpoint, or follow up, more prospects replied to the initial e-mail. Notice that no single e-mail generated more than 18% of the grand total number of leads. In fact, the eighth e-mail generated just as many leads as the second!

According to Ambition , the factor that mattered most here was just pure persistence. By following up constantly with prospects, they were able to skyrocket the number of leads they got versus if they just followed up once like most other sales reps. 

Because they were following up so often, they split the time interval between each e-mail by at least a week:

In fact, this was one of the problems we had at Growth Everywhere — there was a lot of manual work involved in keeping track of follow ups, and that was a major point of failure that kept cold e-mail response rates low. Once that was fixed, we saw a 333% increase in response rates !

For prospects, your product isn’t at the center of their world, so if they don’t respond, it’s likely just because they’re busy — not because they’re not interested. The moral of the story is to always follow up more than you think is necessary.

Dive Deeper: * How to Write a Follow-up Email (That People Actually Respond To)

Case Study #2: Shane Snow

Shane Snow is the bestselling author of a book called Smartcuts: How Hackers, Innovators, and Icons Accelerate Success . He wrote the book to outline the process that highly accomplished people throughout history have used to achieve success in a short period of time. He’s also a journalist at Fast Company.

In this post , he wrote about how he explored a cold e-mail strategy for anyone who wanted to connect with important people for mentorship and advice.

To start off, he got the e-mail addresses of the 1,000 busiest business people in America — C and VP level executives from Fortune 500 companies and C level executives from the Inc 500.

The average person gets 147 emails a day , but these execs get significantly more as a result of their status. Shane wanted to see whether he could come up with a strategy to “cut through the noise” in their inbox to grab their attention and get a response from them.

After gathering the e-mail addresses, he wrote a cold e-mail with a simple CTA where he asked them what type of cold e-mail they preferred to receive. Here’s a sample e-mail script he and his team sent out:

Hi [Exec’s First Name],

I’m doing a study on cold emails and want to ask if you could share some thoughts on what differentiates an effective cold email from a bad one?

Your insight will contribute to research I’m conducting to help a lot of people get better at email, which will make the world a little better for us all.

He then changed different elements in this “base” e-mail to test out the results when adding in differences.  For example, he tested variables like:

• Subject lines (vague vs specific subject lines)
• Saying thank you (e-mails with no thank you vs e-mails that said something like “thanks in advance”)
• Length (short vs long e-mails)
• Purpose (selfless vs selfish — i.e. he changed the benefit from “your insight will contribute to…make the world a little better for us all” to “it would be great for me and my project”)
• Request (asking for their knowledge — i.e. “sharing your thoughts” — vs asking for a favor).

Here’s a quick summary of the results he saw out of the 1,000 e-mails sent to high level executives from Fortune 500 and Inc 500 companies:

• 293 e-mails bounced
• 45.5% open rate (this was exceptionally good, since according to Mailchimp , the open rate for most business-related e-mails is barely over 20%)
• short, vague subject lines (i.e. “quick question”) got 51.2% opens while longer, specific subject lines got slightly less opens at 48.8% — interestingly enough, the reply rate on the “quick question” subject line was around double that of the longer subject line.

However, according to the case study , the previously mentioned variables (i.e. subject lines, length, purpose, etc.) played a much lower role in determining the results than expected — only 1.7% of those who received Shane’s e-mails actually responded.

Shane came to the conclusion that the one thing he could have implemented in the study which would have made all the difference in terms of bumping up his reply rates was personalization . He wrote: 

“With the right subject line, it’s not inherently harder to get a busy executive to click on your email than someone else. The important part is making the content speak to the question, ‘why me?’”

Case Study #3: Jake Jorgovan

Jake Jorgovan is a creative strategist who helps consulting companies win dream clients. He wrote in this pos t how he was able to generate $12,030 just through cold email  — including some Fortune 500 clients.

According to Jake, there are two different ways you can approach cold e-mailing.

• The “quantity” approach  — if you e-mail enough prospects, then you will inevitably land a sale. The only thing that matters here is playing the numbers game: send enough e-mails and you’ll probably close some deals. Shane Snow’s cold e-mail campaign of getting a 1.7% reply rate is a good example of this.
• The “quality” approach — focus on sending out fewer pitches, but make them top notch. For example, you might pick around 20-25 dream customers who you would do anything to get.

Once you define your approach, Jake suggests that you create at least one high-quality case study . The case study should show a portfolio piece that you’re proud of, feature a raving testimonial, and outline three major things:

• the situation the client was in
• the solution that you provided
• the end result for the client

Then you should choose your specific target audience. Ideally, this target audience should be similar to the customer you helped in your case study. For example, if you’re reaching out to dentists, then you should have a case study where you helped a dentist. If you’re reaching out to a Fortune 500 tech company, you should have a case study where you helped a tech company.

It’s a psychological fact  that people believe that they’re special  and that their situation is unique. Because of that, they want solutions that feel like a “tailored fit” for them. If you worked with a tech company, you might be able to use those same fundamentals to help dentists, but dentists won’t feel like you can help them unless you show them that you’ve already worked with dentists.

Next, Jake writes that you need to find a list of prospects. The ideal place to look for this kind of information is in sales or trade organization directories for the industry that you’re in.

Finally, it’s time to write an e-mail that actually gets responses. Here’s an e-mail script that landed Jake a $4,250 client:

[Prospect names],

Recently I came across [Company name] in the [Directory where I found their information] and I wanted to reach out. My name is Jake Jorgovan and recently I finished up a website design project for [case study client] and wanted to reach out to similar companies.

When I came across the [Client’s website], I noticed [review of 2-3 things that I found wrong with the client’s website]. With the [case study client], we were able to build a professional site and get it up and running in under three weeks. Their site is mobile friendly and extremely easy for anyone at the company to update.

If you are interested in rebuilding your website, please let me know and we would be more than happy to help you out. Also, I have attached a case study for [Case study client] with a raving testimonial from the owner of the company.

Thank you [Prospect name] and I look forward to hearing from you.

Jake Jorgovan

According to Jake, the most important part of the e-mail is in the second paragraph where you list the 2-3 things you found regarding the client’s site/product/service that you feel you can fix. If you’re writing blanket statements that don’t feel tailored to the prospect’s specific situation, your response rates go down.

Jake also sends follow up e-mails 7-10 days after the initial inquiry. Here’s a sample e-mail script he uses for this:

[Prospect name],

I wanted to send a quick follow up to see if you received my e-mail from last week in regards to your new website design. Please let me know if you are interested and I look forward to hearing from you.

Much like the Ambition case study, Jake was surprised to find that many prospects responded to the second e-mail after ignoring the first.

Learn More:  4 Reasons Why You Should Be Pushing Email Marketing

Case Study #4: LeadFuze

LeadFuze is a lead generation product that helps salespeople quickly gather contact information of prospects and automatically send personalized e-mails. They’ve been used by companies like Bidsketch and CrazyEgg .

Justin McGill, the founder LeadFuze, used cold e-mail to grow his company’s revenue to $30k/month in 12 months.

As a first step, he used his own software to find leads and build out his outbound campaign. Here’s how he used the search feature within LeadFuze to find the e-mail addresses for his target audience:

Source: Pagely

From there he was able to look at a list of prospects that he could potentially add to a list. Once the relevant prospects were added, the software pulled information about the prospect.

Once you have your leads, the next step is to write a high-quality cold e-mail. Justin has a formula for writing cold e-mails which he calls the “QVC Formula” (Question, Value prop, and CTA). Here’s how all those components fit together:

• Question. The first sentence is absolutely crucial in an e-mail. This is the sentence that will show up on their phones and as a preview in their inbox. According to Justin, it’s not advisable to start off with an introduction about yourself because that just shows your prospects that they don’t know you.
• Value prop . Don’t go on and on about how amazing your service is and all that you have to offer. Cut to the core of your message quickly and talk about what makes you different from everyone else.
• CTA . Most salespeople end their e-mails in a generic, weak way (usually something like “I look forward to hearing from you.”). The best way to close an e-mail is to ask directly to schedule a call or ask a question to get a specific response.

Here’s an example of a cold e-mail that Justin sent on behalf of LeadFuze:

Like a normal e-mail blast, it’s important to let your prospects know that there’s a “way out” from receiving your e-mails and your follow ups. If you’re sending out e-mails to a list, then you already have an “unsubscribe” link that readers can click on to opt out of your e-mails.

For cold e-mails, Justin uses the following line in his “P.S.” below the signature:

He explicitly states that it’s okay for the prospect to tell him not to follow up anymore.

After the initial e-mail is written and sent, you should also have a follow up sequence ready. As we’ve seen before, the magic is in the follow up . Most salespeople never follow up, or if they do, they stop after the first or second time.

Steli Efti from Close.io writes that he follows up as many times as necessary until he gets a response. In fact, once he followed up with an investor 48 times before getting a meeting — which led to that person investing in Close.io.

In follow up e-mails, you shouldn’t just “check in” or rehash the same exact message that you already sent the first time. Instead, you should use this opportunity to send new, valuable information that could help your prospect move closer to making the decision. For example, you might want to include a relevant case study, or results that you got for someone else.

Justin from LeadFuze writes that he has seen success with the following cold e-mail sequence:

• Initial “QVC” outreach e-mail
• Case study (follow up #1)
• Value add, i.e. blog post link, relevant news article, another case study, etc. (follow up #2)
• Let them know that you won’t be writing to them anymore (break-up e-mail)

Here’s an example of a break-up e-mail :

Source: HubSpot

By using a sales automation service like Outreach , Mailshake , or Reply , you can craft your own custom follow up sequence for prospects who don’t respond so that you don’t have to manually go in and send every single e-mail.

Using this simple process, LeadFuze scaled to $30k/month within just one year.

Case Study #5: Crazy Eye Marketing

Crazy Eye Marketing helps small businesses and entrepreneurs plan, build, and optimize sales funnels. They use marketing automation systems to convert more leads into customers.

In this case study , they wrote about a cold e-mail campaign they ran for a small mobile app company: they sent out 4,897 cold e-mails and analyzed what worked and what didn’t.

First, Crazy Eye started off with a list of leads provided to them by the client, a mobile app company. After removing duplicates, they ran the list through a service called Kickbox ,  which helps verify whether the e-mail addresses are actually legit or not, and had a final number of  2,160 good addresses.

Next, they used Reply  to set up a cold e-mail autoreponder campaign. This way, you won’t have to comb through your inbox to see which prospects responded and which didn’t, and then copy and paste the right follow up e-mails to the right prospect. There’s a lot of potential for human error in this process, which is why using an outbound sales automation tool can save you lots of valuable time while doing the work more effectively.

Crazy Eye then connected Reply to Gmail for the cold e-mail campaign. They created five different e-mail series and sent them to a few hundred people to test the effectiveness. From there, they sent the most effective series to the rest of the list.

The winning series was a three-email sequence along with a CTA that asked for 15 minutes of the prospect’s time :

Subject : Quick question

Hi [first name]

My name is Nathan and I am the founder of the Car App. We work with used car dealerships to help them stay connected with their prospective customers.

The Car App is a mobile app for used car dealers. Our solution is 7 times more likely to result in vehicle sales than Craigslist, Autotrader, and eBay combined.

Is it possible to get 15 minutes on your calendar to further discuss the benefits the Car App would bring to [company]?

Subject: (replied in the same thread)

I’m sorry to trouble you again. At my company, the Car App, we make keeping in touch with prospective customers a breeze through our one-of-a-kind “push” messaging system that instantly, and automatically, notifies them when the car they want is in stock.

Our mobile app not only makes your life easier, but generates more sales and revenue without any added effort. Who would be the person to speak to about this at [company]?

Subject: Just checking

Hi [first name],

I wanted to make sure that you saw my earlier message. I’d like to learn about the struggles you have with staying in touch with prospective customers at [company].

If you’re the appropriate person to speak with, what does your calendar look like for early next week? If not, who do you recommend that I talk to?

T hese were the results of their three-email sequence.

Source: Crazy Eye Marketing

They received open rates around 50% for every one of their e-mails, and got reply rates just under 10%.

Notice how the reply rate for the second and third e-mails is similar to the reply rate for the first e-mail. This shows that your follow up e-mails are equally as valuable as your initial outreach e-mails.

Salespeople who don’t follow up are leaving a lot of money on the table.

Case Study #6: Marco Massaro

Marco Massaro runs a web consultancy that works with tech companies and high-growth startups. The consultancy works on UX design and web development.

Marco closed a $15,000 consulting project with a cold e-mail campaign.

Before diving in and blasting out e-mails to hundreds of people, he started off by outlining who exactly he was targeting. He needed to identify his ideal clients.

The more specific you can get at this step, the more targeted your cold e-mails will be when you send them out. Marco got extremely specific about who he wanted to work with. Here are the main categories he filtered companies by:

• Industry. Marco wanted to work with tech companies: SaaS, B2B, B2C, social.
• Company location . He wanted to work with English speaking companies only that were based in USA, UK, and Europe.
• Funding . To make sure they could afford his rates, he focused on companies that were at seed sage and Series A with at least $200,000 in funding.
• Revenue . If the companies had no funding, they would have to at least have $500,000 to $1,000,000 in yearly revenue.
• Company size . Marco targeted smaller companies because larger companies were able to afford employees to handle their web development and design in house.
• Person to e-mail . Lastly, he made a note of the people within the company who he would have to e-mail — the decision makers.

Next, he had to find companies that matched this profile.

He used Crunchbase because his target was mostly early stage tech companies, but other lead gen sources might include AngelList , or even software products like LeadFuze . Outreach  also has a Chrome plugin that allows you to quickly extract contact information from professional profiles on LinkedIn which makes lead gen more efficient.

The next step was actually writing up the cold e-mail pitches and sending them out.

Marco crafted a quick e-mail with the goal of grabbing the recipient’s attention right off the bat, and getting them interested in his services:

Subject: Work together

I wanted to find out if you have any design needs at [company] (redesign, landing pages, UX, etc)?

We can increase sales, engagement, conversions, and more through our design and UX strategies.

Interested? Email me back, I’d love to chat.

Notice how this e-mail doesn’t jump right into an introduction in the first sentence?  People don’t care about you until they are interested in what you have to offer first. You shouldn’t waste your valuable first few sentences talking about something that your prospect isn’t going to read anyway.

The e-mail also addresses the recipient by name. However, it could be a bit more personalized as it doesn’t include how web development or design consulting could help the prospect with their specific situation.

Marco sent this e-mail to 500 prospects, received 67 replies, and got a response rate of around 13.4%.

Apart from personalizing it more, other ways that the process could be improved include 1) A/B testing subject lines or CTAs, and 2) integrating with an outbound sales automation tool to keep the campaign more efficient. According to Marco, the lack of structure here made it confusing at times to remember where they were in the sales process for each prospect.

Learn More: Cold Email Templates that Get Responses

Case Study #7: Bryan Harris

Bryan Harris is the founder of Videofruit , a company that provides step-by-step plans for entrepreneurs to grow their business. He decided to pitch HubSpot about creating a video series for their blog.

HubSpot is notoriously difficult to write for. Because they’re one of the biggest names in marketing and have a prominent blog, they get tons of pitches everyday — and they reject most of them. But Bryan was not only able to get his e-mail noticed , he got HubSpot to say “yes.”

This is the e-mail Bryan sent:

I’m Bryan. I’m a huge HubSpot fan. I especially liked your recent piece on business card design. I work with companies like KISSmetrics and make weekly videos for their blog. Here’s one that published earlier this week on their site.

Just wanted to email you to see if HubSpot might be interested in a similar series.

I made a demo for you to show you what it might look like:

[insert demo]

Is this something you would be interested in?

— Bryan

Here’s why his pitch stood out from the rest, according to HubSpot :

His name was already familiar

Even though this was the first time he was sending them an e-mail pitch, it wasn’t the first time that the folks at HubSpot heard his name. Bryan had already been interacting with HubSpot bloggers and content for nearly two years. He was reading, commenting, sending “thank you” e-mails, and more.

So when Ginny Mineo – the person on the receiving end of his pitch – looked up his contact “record” in the HubSpot system, she quickly discovered that he wasn’t just a random stranger.

He knew HubSpot’s tone

Since Bryan had been regularly reading HubSpot’s blog, he had context on what they like to see in their cold e-mail pitches. He knew that they preferred a conversational tone, rather than a formulaic pitch that had terms like “keyword rich” or “SEO focused.”

By reading their blog and understanding the sort of guest post pitches they like getting, he was able to write an e-mail that stood out compared to most other e-mails.

He went above and beyond

One of the things marketers hate most about being on the receiving end of a cold e-mail pitch is that the fact that the sender doesn’t consider them “special.” In many cases, the sender is just copying and pasting a template, and blasting it to hundreds of people from a contact list. This makes recipients feel like the sender doesn’t really care about them.

But Bryan took a different approach. Instead of sending HubSpot a generic cold e-mail, he decided to invest time in creating a custom-made, minute-long video sample of what he could do for them.

This isn’t something that can be cranked out in a few seconds through copy and paste; creating a custom video takes hours or even days. Bryan had to write a script, produce the video, go through the editing process, etc. And after all that work, he had to be okay with the possibility of not getting a response from HubSpot.

The more personalized you make your pitch and the more time you spend crafting something that doesn’t seem like it can be (or was) replicated, the more likely it is that you’ll get a response.

Case Study #8: The Print Industry

Most cold e-mails usually end with an “ask” of some kind, like the sender trying to get a phone call or an in-person meeting with a prospect.

But according to Jeff Molander , that might not be the best idea. Instead, he suggests a different approach – getting prospects to talk about themselves.

Rather than trying to get an appointment for a phone call or a meeting, you could incentivize them to respond by revealing a conversation that’s already occurring in their mind . For example, here’s how a company in the print industry successfully starts cold e-mail conversations with new prospects:

Subject: How secure are your printers?

Real quick – how secure are your copiers and printers at XYZ LLC? Did you hear about the Illinois law firm – sued because the janitor removed their hard drives? He walked away with hundreds of thousands of documents.

Are you doing everything possible to mitigate your risk?

I don’t pretend to know your situation, but I’m curious. How are you managing security of your printers/copiers at XYZ LLC?

Thanks for considering, [first name],

[signature]

The reason this works is because it helps customers realize that they have a problem, and encourages them to talk to you about it. It starts the conversation painlessly.

By asking customers about their problems before you try to jump on a call and talk to them, you’ll have a better chance of developing a relationship. You’ll also separate your e-mail from the hundreds of other cold e-mails that your prospects get in their inbox.

Related Content: How Neville Medhora Grew AppSumo’s Customer Base to 750k With Email [podcast]

Case Study #9: Lead Genius

One of Lead Genius ’s clients ended up increasing their response rate from zero to 28% with one cold e-mail.

Here’s the e-mail template they used:

Source: JS-Marketing

Here are a few reasons why this worked so well:

• Intriguing headline. Adding a time constraint to achieving a desired result makes the proposition seem more appealing. For example, “15 minutes to get [company] more customers” sounds more compelling than “Get more customers for [company].”
• The introductory sentence. The first sentence of the e-mail says: “Would you like to hear an idea for a 15 minute hack that could significantly increase [company’s] conversion rate?” The word “hack” and “15 minute” both make it sound like something that won’t take up much of the prospect’s time.
• Credibility. The e-mail builds credibility by sharing a quick case study of a B2B client who saw a 47% increase in signups.
• Call to action. The call to action for a 15 minute call sounds much more appealing after the recipient sees that they’ll get a “15 minute hack” to increase their conversion rates. Nobody wants to get on the phone and be sold to, but they would want to hear about how they can improve their conversions.

Learn More: 7 Ways To Get More People To Open Your Email [podcast]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: cold e-mails are tough. There are many steps involved, and for most people it can be pretty time consuming.

You have to identify who exactly you’re targeting, scrape the Internet to figure out where those people are hanging out, and then figure out what their e-mail addresses are.

Finally, it comes down to how well you conduct your research of the people and the companies you’re targeting, how personalized your message is, how much of an attention grabber your subject line is, and how specific your call to action is.

To make things more efficient, remember that you can always use software tools to automate your processes. Tools like Outreach , Sendbloom  and  Reply  can help you craft the perfect follow up sequence for your prospects (so you never have to remember who’s in what part of the sales sequence) and also track all your data.

Now that you’ve had an “insider’s look” into some highly successful cold e-mail campaigns, you know exactly what sort of templates to use, what numbers to expect, and how to improve the templates going forward.

If you get all these points right and send out a massive volume of e-mails, you could see a number of responses that are large enough to change the course of your business.

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How to Write a Business Case (Template Included)

Table of Contents

What is a business case, how to write a business case, business case template, watch our business case training video, key elements of a business case, how projectmanager helps with your business case.

A business case is a project management document that explains how the benefits of a project overweigh its costs and why it should be executed. Business cases are prepared during the project initiation phase and their purpose is to include all the project’s objectives, costs and benefits to convince stakeholders of its value.

A business case is an important project document to prove to your client, customer or stakeholder that the project proposal you’re pitching is a sound investment. Below, we illustrate the steps to writing one that will sway them.

The need for a business case is that it collects the financial appraisal, proposal, strategy and marketing plan in one document and offers a full look at how the project will benefit the organization. Once your business case is approved by the project stakeholders, you can begin the project planning phase.

Projects fail without having a solid business case to rest on, as this project document is the base for the project charter and project plan. But if a project business case is not anchored to reality, and doesn’t address a need that aligns with the larger business objectives of the organization, then it is irrelevant.

Get your free

Use this free Business Case Template for Word to manage your projects better.

The research you’ll need to create a strong business case is the why, what, how and who of your project. This must be clearly communicated. The elements of your business case will address the why but in greater detail. Think of the business case as a document that is created during the project initiation phase but will be used as a reference throughout the project life cycle.

Whether you’re starting a new project or mid-way through one, take time to write up a business case to justify the project expenditure by identifying the business benefits your project will deliver and that your stakeholders are most interested in reaping from the work. The following four steps will show you how to write a business case.

Step 1: Identify the Business Problem

Projects aren’t created for projects’ sake. They should always be aligned with business goals . Usually, they’re initiated to solve a specific business problem or create a business opportunity.

You should “Lead with the need.” Your first job is to figure out what that problem or opportunity is, describe it, find out where it comes from and then address the time frame needed to deal with it.

This can be a simple statement but is best articulated with some research into the economic climate and the competitive landscape to justify the timing of the project.

Step 2: Identify the Alternative Solutions

How do you know whether the project you’re undertaking is the best possible solution to the problem defined above? Naturally, prioritizing projects is hard, and the path to success is not paved with unfounded assumptions.

One way to narrow down the focus to make the right solution clear is to follow these six steps (after the relevant research, of course):

• Note the alternative solutions.
• For each solution, quantify its benefits.
• Also, forecast the costs involved in each solution.
• Then figure out its feasibility .
• Discern the risks and issues associated with each solution.
• Finally, document all this in your business case.

Step 3: Recommend a Preferred Solution

You’ll next need to rank the solutions, but before doing that it’s best to set up criteria, maybe have a scoring mechanism such as a decision matrix to help you prioritize the solutions to best choose the right one.

Some methodologies you can apply include:

• Depending on the solution’s cost and benefit , give it a score of 1-10.
• Base your score on what’s important to you.
• Add more complexity to your ranking to cover all bases.

Regardless of your approach, once you’ve added up your numbers, the best solution to your problem will become evident. Again, you’ll want to have this process also documented in your business case.

Step 4: Describe the Implementation Approach

So, you’ve identified your business problem or opportunity and how to reach it, now you have to convince your stakeholders that you’re right and have the best way to implement a process to achieve your goals. That’s why documentation is so important; it offers a practical path to solve the core problem you identified.

Now, it’s not just an exercise to appease senior leadership. Who knows what you might uncover in the research you put into exploring the underlying problem and determining alternative solutions? You might save the organization millions with an alternate solution than the one initially proposed. When you put in the work on a strong business case, you’re able to get your sponsors or organizational leadership on board with you and have a clear vision as to how to ensure the delivery of the business benefits they expect.

Our business case template for Word is the perfect tool to start writing a business case. It has 9 key business case areas you can customize as needed. Download the template for free and follow the steps below to create a great business case for all your projects.

One of the key steps to starting a business case is to have a business case checklist. The following is a detailed outline to follow when developing your business case. You can choose which of these elements are the most relevant to your project stakeholders and add them to our business case template. Then once your business case is approved, start managing your projects with a robust project management software such as ProjectManager.

1. Executive Summary

The executive summary is a short version of each section of your business case. It’s used to give stakeholders a quick overview of your project.

2. Project Definition

This section is meant to provide general information about your projects, such as the business objectives that will be achieved and the project plan outline.

3. Vision, Goals and Objectives

First, you have to figure out what you’re trying to do and what is the problem you want to solve. You’ll need to define your project vision, goals and objectives. This will help you shape your project scope and identify project deliverables.

4. Project Scope

The project scope determines all the tasks and deliverables that will be executed in your project to reach your business objectives.

5. Background Information

Here you can provide a context for your project, explaining the problem that it’s meant to solve, and how it aligns with your organization’s vision and strategic plan.

6. Success Criteria and Stakeholder Requirements

Depending on what kind of project you’re working on, the quality requirements will differ, but they are critical to the project’s success. Collect all of them, figure out what determines if you’ve successfully met them and report on the results .

7. Project Plan

It’s time to create the project plan. Figure out the tasks you’ll have to take to get the project done. You can use a work breakdown structure template  to make sure you are through. Once you have all the tasks collected, estimate how long it will take to complete each one.

Project management software makes creating a project plan significantly easier. ProjectManager can upload your work breakdown structure template and all your tasks are populated in our tool. You can organize them according to your production cycle with our kanban board view, or use our Gantt chart view to create a project schedule.

8. Project Budget

Your budget is an estimate of everything in your project plan and what it will cost to complete the project over the scheduled time allotted.

9. Project Schedule

Make a timeline for the project by estimating how long it will take to get each task completed. For a more impactful project schedule , use a tool to make a Gantt chart, and print it out. This will provide that extra flourish of data visualization and skill that Excel sheets lack.

10. Project Governance

Project governance refers to all the project management rules and procedures that apply to your project. For example, it defines the roles and responsibilities of the project team members and the framework for decision-making.

11. Communication Plan

Have milestones for check-ins and status updates, as well as determine how stakeholders will stay aware of the progress over the project life cycle.

12. Progress Reports

Have a plan in place to monitor and track your progress during the project to compare planned to actual progress. There are project tracking tools that can help you monitor progress and performance.

Again, using a project management tool improves your ability to see what’s happening in your project. ProjectManager has tracking tools like dashboards and status reports that give you a high-level view and more detail, respectively. Unlike light-weight apps that make you set up a dashboard, ours is embedded in the tool. Better still, our cloud-based software gives you real-time data for more insightful decision-making. Also, get reports on more than just status updates, but timesheets, workload, portfolio status and much more, all with just one click. Then filter the reports and share them with stakeholders to keep them updated.

13. Financial Appraisal

This is a very important section of your business case because this is where you explain how the financial benefits outweigh the project costs . Compare the financial costs and benefits of your project. You can do this by doing a sensitivity analysis and a cost-benefit analysis.

14. Market Assessment

Research your market, competitors and industry, to find opportunities and threats

15. Competitor Analysis

Identify direct and indirect competitors and do an assessment of their products, strengths, competitive advantages and their business strategy.

16. SWOT Analysis

A SWOT analysis helps you identify your organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The strengths and weaknesses are internal, while the opportunities and threats are external.

17. Marketing Strategy

Describe your product, distribution channels, pricing, target customers among other aspects of your marketing plan or strategy.

18. Risk Assessment

There are many risk categories that can impact your project. The first step to mitigating them is to identify and analyze the risks associated with your project activities.

ProjectManager , an award-winning project management software, can collect and assemble all the various data you’ll be collecting, and then easily share it both with your team and project sponsors.

Once you have a spreadsheet with all your tasks listed, you can import it into our software. Then it’s instantly populated into a Gantt chart . Simply set the duration for each of the tasks, add any dependencies, and your project is now spread across a timeline. You can set milestones, but there is so much more you can do.

You have a project plan now, and from the online Gantt chart, you can assign team members to tasks. Then they can comment directly on the tasks they’re working on, adding as many documents and images as needed, fostering a collaborative environment. You can track their progress and change task durations as needed by dragging and dropping the start and end dates.

But that’s only a taste of what ProjectManager offers. We have kanban boards that visualize your workflow and a real-time dashboard that tracks six project metrics for the most accurate view of your project possible.

Try ProjectManager and see for yourself with this 30-day free trial .

If you want more business case advice, take a moment to watch Jennifer Bridges, PMP, in this short training video. She explains the steps you have to take in order to write a good business case.

Here’s a screenshot for your reference.

Transcription:

Today we’re talking about how to write a business case. Well, over the past few years, we’ve seen the market, or maybe organizations, companies or even projects, move away from doing business cases. But, these days, companies, organizations, and those same projects are scrutinizing the investments and they’re really seeking a rate of return.

So now, think of the business case as your opportunity to package your project, your idea, your opportunity, and show what it means and what the benefits are and how other people can benefit.

We want to take a look today to see what’s in the business case and how to write one. I want to be clear that when you look for information on a business case, it’s not a briefcase.

Someone called the other day and they were confused because they were looking for something, and they kept pulling up briefcases. That’s not what we’re talking about today. What we’re talking about are business cases, and they include information about your strategies, about your goals. It is your business proposal. It has your business outline, your business strategy, and even your marketing plan.

Why Do You Need a Business Case?

And so, why is that so important today? Again, companies are seeking not only their project managers but their team members to have a better understanding of business and more of an idea business acumen. So this business case provides the justification for the proposed business change or plan. It outlines the allocation of capital that you may be seeking and the resources required to implement it. Then, it can be an action plan . It may just serve as a unified vision. And then it also provides the decision-makers with different options.

So let’s look more at the steps required to put these business cases together. There are four main steps. One, you want to research your market. Really look at what’s out there, where are the needs, where are the gaps that you can serve? Look at your competition. How are they approaching this, and how can you maybe provide some other alternatives?

You want to compare and finalize different approaches that you can use to go to market. Then you compile that data and you present strategies, your goals and other options to be considered.

And then you literally document it.

So what does the document look like? Well, there are templates out there today. The components vary, but these are the common ones. And then these are what I consider essential. So there’s the executive summary. This is just a summary of your company, what your management team may look like, a summary of your product and service and your market.

The business description gives a little bit more history about your company and the mission statement and really what your company is about and how this product or service fits in.

Then, you outline the details of the product or service that you’re looking to either expand or roll out or implement. You may even include in their patents may be that you have pending or other trademarks.

Then, you want to identify and lay out your marketing strategy. Like, how are you gonna take this to your customers? Are you going to have a brick-and-mortar store? Are you gonna do this online? And, what are your plans to take it to market?

You also want to include detailed information about your competitor analysis. How are they doing things? And, how are you planning on, I guess, beating your competition?

You also want to look at and identify your SWOT. And the SWOT is your strength. What are the strengths that you have in going to market? And where are the weaknesses? Maybe some of your gaps. And further, where are your opportunities and maybe threats that you need to plan for? Then the overview of the operation includes operational information like your production, even human resources, information about the day-to-day operations of your company.

And then, your financial plan includes your profit statement, your profit and loss, any of your financials, any collateral that you may have, and any kind of investments that you may be seeking.

So these are the components of your business case. This is why it’s so important. And if you need a tool that can help you manage and track this process, then sign up for our software now at ProjectManager .

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