Case Study Builder

---
name: case-study-builder
description: >-
  Create customer case studies in sales-ready format — Challenge→Solution→Results
  structure, before/after metrics, quote integration, two-length formats (1-page
  summary + full version). Use when creating case studies, customer success stories,
  proof content, or sales collateral. Triggers on: "case study", "customer story",
  "success story", "proof content", "customer example", "results story", or any
  request to document customer outcomes.
license: MIT
compatibility: Claude Code, Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, Goose, Hermes, Windsurf, Zed
metadata:
  version: "1.1.0"
  author: LeadMagic
  category: design
  tags: [case-studies, customer-stories, proof, content, sales]
  related_skills: [customer-marketing, sales-enablement, roi-calculator]
  frameworks:
    - "Before-After-Bridge copy formula"
    - "Joanna Wiebe (Copyhackers) — Voice-of-customer copy"
    - "Nielsen Norman Group — How users read on the web"
---

# Case Study Builder

## Overview

A case study is the most versatile proof asset in B2B. It proves your product
works in someone else's hands. This skill produces sales-ready case studies:
one-page for quick sharing, full version for late-stage deals, always with
specific metrics and real quotes.

The golden rule: a case study without numbers is a testimonial. Every case
study must answer "what changed, and by how much?"

## Authoritative Foundations
- **Before-After-Bridge copy formula** — Structure the story as the customer's situation before, the result after, and the product as the bridge between them.
- **Joanna Wiebe (Copyhackers) — Voice-of-customer copy** — Quote the customer's own words for the problem and result; interview transcripts beat marketing paraphrase.
- **Nielsen Norman Group — How users read on the web** — Readers scan in an F-pattern, so lead with the metric, use subheads, and keep proof in the first screen.

## When to Use

- "Create a case study about [customer]"
- "Write a customer success story"
- "Build proof content for sales"
- "Document customer results"
- "Create a case study for our website"
- "I need customer proof for a deal"

## Step-by-Step Process

### Phase 1: Information Gathering

Collect from the customer:
- Company profile (industry, size, use case)
- Challenge before your product (what was broken, what it cost)
- Solution (how they use your product, implementation timeline)
- Results (specific metrics — "reduced X by Y%" not "improved efficiency")
- Customer quote (in their words, not yours)
- Permission to use their name and logo

### Phase 2: Structure

**1-Page Summary (for quick sharing):**

```
┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ CASE STUDY: [Customer Name]              │
│                                          │
│ [Customer logo]                          │
│ Industry: [X] | Size: [Y employees]      │
│                                          │
│ THE CHALLENGE                            │
│ [2-3 sentences. What was broken?         │
│  What did it cost?]                      │
│                                          │
│ THE SOLUTION                             │
│ [2-3 sentences. How they use us.         │
│  Implementation timeline.]               │
│                                          │
│ THE RESULTS                              │
│ • [Metric 1 — specific number]           │
│ • [Metric 2 — specific number]           │
│ • [Metric 3 — specific number]           │
│                                          │
│ "[Customer quote — in their words]"       │
│ — [Name, Title]                          │
│                                          │
│ [CTA: Book a demo / See full case study] │
└──────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

**Full Version (for late-stage deals):**

Add: detailed implementation story, additional metrics, second quote from
a different stakeholder (e.g., end user + executive), "what's next" section
showing expansion plans, and a comparison table (before vs after).

### Phase 3: Writing Guidelines

- **Lead with the result.** Not "Company X uses our product." — "Company X
  reduced time-to-close by 40% in 90 days. Here's how."
- **Customer's words, not yours.** Use their language. If they say "it was a
  nightmare," say "it was a nightmare" — not "they faced significant challenges."
- **Specific over impressive.** "Saved $247,000 annually" beats "drove
  significant cost savings." Specific numbers build credibility.
- **One story, one takeaway.** Don't try to prove everything. Pick the
  strongest story and tell it well.

### Phase 4: Approval and Distribution

- Customer approval: send draft, let them edit quotes, get written permission.
- Sales distribution: add to CRM, sales portal, pitch deck, proposal templates.
- Marketing distribution: website, social, email nurture, paid retargeting.

## Output Format

Two versions: 1-page summary (for email, LinkedIn, quick sharing) and
full version (for late-stage deals, website, sales portal).

## Quality Check

- [ ] Specific, named metrics (not "improved efficiency")
- [ ] Customer quote in their words (not marketing language)
- [ ] Challenge → Solution → Results structure
- [ ] Customer name and logo included (with permission)
- [ ] 1-page version scannable in 30 seconds
- [ ] Full version has implementation detail
- [ ] Customer has approved final text
- [ ] CTA present on both versions

## Common Pitfalls

1. **No metrics.** "They love our product" is a testimonial, not a case study.
   Every case study needs specific, named numbers.

2. **Marketing language in quotes.** "We leveraged their best-in-class solution"
   — no human talks like this. Use their actual words.

3. **Too many results.** 3-4 metrics max. Pick the strongest ones. More
   metrics dilute the impact of each.

4. **No customer approval.** Never publish a case study without written
   permission. Include the approval step in your process.

5. **One format for everything.** Sales needs a 1-pager. Marketing needs a
   story. Website needs both. Build both formats.

## Execution Artifacts

- `references/framework-notes.md` — named frameworks, citation anchors, and operating assumptions
- `templates/output-template.md` — copy-paste deliverable structure for the user
- `scripts/check-output.py` — local checklist validator for required sections
This skill includes lightweight artifacts the agent can load on demand:
Use the artifacts when the user asks for an implementation-ready deliverable, a repeatable workflow, or a quality check rather than generic advice.

## Related Skills

- **customer-marketing**: Customer advocacy program
- **sales-enablement**: Sales collateral package
- **roi-calculator**: Quantify results for case studies