case-study-builder · diff
git:20260308.5724749 to git:20260308.1c3e1fe
128 added, 112 removed. Audit A to A.
---
name: case-study-builder
description: Turn client wins into formatted case studies for proposals, social proof, and sales conversations. Use when someone needs to document results, build credibility, or create reusable proof assets.
---
# Case Study Builder
- Here's what I've learned about social proof: everyone wants it, nobody makes time to create it.
-
- You finish a project, the client's happy, you move on. Six months later you're in a sales call wishing you had that case study written up. Sound familiar?
+ Everyone wants social proof. Nobody makes time to create it. You finish a project, the client's happy, you move on — and six months later you're in a sales call with nothing to show.
- This skill fixes that. Give me the raw details of a win, I'll turn it into three formats you can actually use.
+ This skill fixes that. Give me the raw details. I'll produce three formats you can use immediately.
---
## Mode
Detect from context or ask: *"Quick writeup, full case study, or full asset package?"*
| Mode | What you get | Best for |
|------|-------------|----------|
| `quick` | 1 format: paragraph summary for proposals | Fast social proof, proposal inserts |
| `standard` | 3 formats: proposal blurb, social proof pull-quote, sales story | Active pitching, LinkedIn, website |
| `deep` | 3 formats + blog-ready case study + FAQ variant + campaign assets | Content marketing, SEO, sales enablement |
**Default: `standard`** — use `quick` if they say "just need something fast." Use `deep` if they want to turn the win into a marketing asset.
---
- ## What I Need From You
+ ## Context Loading Gates
- Tell me about a client win:
+ **Before generating anything, collect all 8 fields:**
- 1. **Who was the client?** (Can we name them, or do we anonymize?)
- 2. **What was broken before you showed up?**
- 3. **What did you actually do?** (Scope, timeline, your role)
- 4. **What changed?** (Results, outcomes, transformations)
- 5. **Any memorable moments?** (Breakthroughs, pivots, "aha" moments)
+ | Field | What to Collect |
+ |---|---|
+ | 1. Client | Industry, company size/stage, named or anonymized? |
+ | 2. Before | What was broken or painful? Any numbers? |
+ | 3. Actions | What did you specifically do? Scope, timeline, role |
+ | 4. After | **REQUIRED: at least one specific number** |
+ | 5. Timeline | How long to achieve the result? |
+ | 6. Quote | Direct client quote if available |
+ | 7. Naming | Can we name the client, or must we anonymize? |
+ | 8. Use case | Where will this be used? (proposals / website / LinkedIn) |
- Don't worry about making it sound good. Just give me the facts. I'll handle the storytelling.
+ **Outcome Extraction Protocol — enforced on Field 4:**
- ---
+ If the user says "results were good" or "things improved," stop and ask:
+ > "I need at least one number to make this credible. Pick one:
+ > - Revenue change (e.g., 'closed 3 new clients worth $15K')
+ > - Time saved (e.g., 'cut from 10 hours to 2 hours/week')
+ > - Lead volume (e.g., 'went from 0 to 5 inbound leads/month')
+ > - Rough estimate is fine — it doesn't have to be exact."
- ## The Three Formats
+ **Do not draft until Field 4 has at least one number.**
- Every case study needs three versions. Here's why:
+ ---
- ### 1. The Two-Liner (For Proposals & Bios)
+ ## Phase 1: Situation Analysis
- When someone's scanning your proposal, they don't want a story. They want proof you've done this before.
+ Before drafting, reason through:
- **The formula:**
- > [What you did] + [scale/scope] + [for who] + [result or timeframe].
+ 1. **Result strength:** Is the outcome a Tier 1 (hard metric), Tier 2 (soft metric), or Tier 3 (proxy)? This determines how confident the language should be.
+ 2. **Hero check:** Is the story told from the client's perspective, or yours? Client = hero, you = guide.
+ 3. **Tension check:** What made this hard? Without a challenge, there's no story — just a list.
+ 4. **Format match:** Which use case did they specify? That determines which format to optimize.
- **Example:**
- > Led the rebrand of a $4B healthcare organization with 150+ locations. 18-month engagement covering brand strategy, messaging, and market positioning.
+ **Tier system for results language:**
- That's it. Two sentences. Paste it into proposals, email signatures, your LinkedIn About section.
+ | Tier | Type | Example | Language |
+ |---|---|---|---|
+ | 1 | Hard metric | "Revenue +40%" | State directly |
+ | 2 | Soft metric | "Team finally aligned" | "For the first time in years..." |
+ | 3 | Proxy metric | "Enabled Series A close" | "Contributed to..." |
+ | 4 | Directional | "Noticeable improvement" | "Significant improvement in..." |
---
- ### 2. The Story Version (For Conversations & LinkedIn)
+ ## Phase 2: The Hero Principle
- This is for when you need to sound human. Sales calls. LinkedIn posts. Podcast intros.
+ **The client is the hero. You are the guide.**
- **The structure:**
+ Before writing, flip the framing:
- **Set the scene:** What was happening? What was at stake?
- > "They were one of the largest medical groups in the Midwest — $4B in revenue, 150+ locations. But their brand hadn't kept pace with their growth."
+ ❌ Wrong: "I built a content system that generated leads."
+ ✅ Right: "Sarah went from scrambling to fill her pipeline to getting 3 inbound inquiries per week — all from a content system we built in 6 weeks."
- **Show the complexity:** What made this hard?
- > "Healthcare branding isn't simple. You're not just talking to patients — you're navigating physicians, insurers, employers, and community stakeholders."
+ Every format should be written from what the CLIENT experienced, not what YOU delivered.
- **What you did:** Actions, not features.
- > "I led the rebrand over 18 months: positioning, messaging architecture, visual identity guidance."
+ ---
- **What changed:** The outcome.
- > "By the end, they had a unified brand that worked across all their service lines and stakeholder groups."
+ ## Phase 3: Generate Three Formats
- Four paragraphs. Tells a story. Makes you memorable.
+ ### Format 1: Two-Liner (Proposals & Bios)
+ **Formula:** `[What was done] + [scale/scope] + [for who] + [result or timeframe]`
+
+ ```
+ [Strong action verb] [what was delivered] for [specific client descriptor].
+ [Outcome metric] in [timeframe].
+ ```
+
+ **Example:**
+ > Built a full content system for a Series B SaaS founder with no marketing team.
+ > 0 to 3 inbound leads/week in 6 weeks.
+
---
- ### 3. The Full Case Study (For Your Website)
+ ### Format 2: Story Version (LinkedIn & Sales Calls)
- This is the deep version. For your portfolio page, downloadable PDFs, or when a prospect wants to dig in.
+ **Structure — 4 paragraphs, 150–250 words:**
- **Structure:**
```
- # Case Study: [Client]
+ **Set the scene:** [Their situation when you arrived — 2-3 sentences with stakes]
+ **Show the complexity:** [What made this hard — 2-3 sentences]
+
+ **What happened:** [Specific actions taken — no feature lists, just moves]
+
+ **What changed:** [Outcome — the number + the transformation]
+ ```
+
+ ---
+
+ ### Format 3: Full Case Study (Website & Portfolio)
+
+ ```markdown
+ # Case Study: [Client Name or Descriptor]
+
## The Challenge
- [2-3 paragraphs on the situation and problems]
+ [2-3 paragraphs: situation, stakes, what wasn't working]
- ## The Approach
- [What you did, broken into phases]
+ ## The Approach
+ [Phases or steps — what happened and in what order]
## The Results
- [Metrics, outcomes, before/after]
+ [Metrics, before/after comparison, named outcomes]
## Key Details
- - Client: [Name or anonymized]
+ - Client: [Named or "A [descriptor] company"]
- Industry: [Sector]
- - Duration: [Timeframe]
- - Scope: [Deliverables]
+ - Timeline: [Duration]
+ - Scope: [What was delivered]
## What Made This Different
- [The unique angle or challenge]
+ [Unique angle, unexpected obstacle, or pivotal insight]
- ## Client Quote (if you have one)
- > "[Testimonial]"
- > — Name, Title
+ ## Client Quote
+ > "[Testimonial — or placeholder if not yet collected]"
+ > — [Name], [Title]
```
---
- ## The Results Hierarchy
-
- Not every win has hard numbers. Here's how to frame different types of results:
+ ## Phase 4: Self-Critique Pass (REQUIRED)
- **Tier 1: Hard Metrics** (Best)
- - Revenue increased 40%
- - Reduced costs by $200K
- - Grew pipeline from 10 to 50 qualified leads
+ After generating all three formats, evaluate:
- **Tier 2: Soft Metrics** (Still Valuable)
- - "First time the entire team was aligned on messaging"
- - "Clarity that hadn't existed in 5 years"
- - "Process now runs without me"
+ **Two-liner:**
+ - [ ] Does it have a specific number? (Not "improved results" — a real metric)
+ - [ ] Is it 2 sentences or fewer?
+ - [ ] Would someone scanning a proposal stop and read it?
- **Tier 3: Proxy Metrics** (When Direct Data Missing)
- - "This approach was later adopted company-wide"
- - "Enabled them to close their Series A"
- - "Team went from confused to confident"
+ **Story version:**
+ - [ ] Is the client the hero (not the author)?
+ - [ ] Is there genuine tension — something that made this hard?
+ - [ ] Does the closing paragraph include the key metric?
- **Tier 4: Directional** (Minimum)
- - "Significant improvement in..."
- - "Noticeable lift in..."
- - "Positive feedback from..."
+ **Full case study:**
+ - [ ] Does the Results section lead with numbers?
+ - [ ] Is the Challenge section specific enough that a similar prospect recognizes their situation?
+ - [ ] Is the client quote (or placeholder) present?
- Something is always better than "we did good work."
+ **Flag any failure:** "The story version has no tension — add one obstacle or unexpected challenge before the 'What happened' paragraph."
---
- ## When You Can't Name the Client
-
- Anonymize with enough detail for credibility:
- - "A $4B healthcare organization"
- - "A Series B fintech startup"
- - "A Fortune 500 CPG brand"
+ ## Phase 5: Distribution Plan
- The specifics (revenue, industry, company stage) do the work even without the name.
+ | Format | Best locations | When to use |
+ |---|---|---|
+ | Two-liner | Proposals, email bios, LinkedIn About section | Any sales context |
+ | Story | LinkedIn post, podcast intros, sales call opener | Weekly content |
+ | Full case study | Website portfolio page, PDF download, RFP response | Late-stage buyer research |
---
- ## Questions to Jog Your Memory
+ ## Output Structure
- If you're struggling to remember the details:
+ ```markdown
+ ## Case Study: [Client Descriptor] — [Date]
- 1. What was the situation when you first showed up?
- 2. What were they most frustrated about?
- 3. What was the hardest part of the project?
- 4. What surprised you?
- 5. What would have happened if you hadn't done this work?
- 6. Did they ever say anything quotable?
+ ### Situation Summary
+ [2-sentence analysis from Phase 1]
+ Result tier: [1/2/3/4]
---
- ## What You Get Back
-
- All three versions, ready to use:
-
- ```
- # Case Study: [Client]
-
- ## Two-Liner
- [Ready for proposals]
-
- ## Story Version
- [Ready for conversations]
+ ### Format 1: Two-Liner
+ [Final copy]
- ## Full Case Study
- [Ready for website]
+ ### Format 2: Story Version
+ [Final copy]
- ## Usage Notes
- - Where to use each version
- - Talking points if asked follow-up questions
- - Any restrictions (NDA, anonymization)
- ```
+ ### Format 3: Full Case Study
+ [Full markdown]
---
- ## Common Mistakes I'll Help You Avoid
-
- ❌ **Making yourself the hero.** The client is the hero. You're the guide.
-
- ❌ **Vague outcomes.** "Improved their marketing" means nothing. Get specific.
+ ### Self-Critique Notes
+ - Two-liner: [pass/issue]
+ - Story: [pass/issue]
+ - Full: [pass/issue]
- ❌ **Skipping the struggle.** The challenge is what makes the outcome impressive.
+ ### Distribution Plan
+ [Where to use each]
- ❌ **Feature lists instead of story.** "We did X, Y, Z" doesn't land. "Here's what changed" does.
+ ### Next Step
+ [If no quote collected → run testimonial-collector]
+ [If strong story → suggest LinkedIn post from story format]
+ ```
---
- **Need help turning your wins into case studies?**
- → [Book a strategy call](https://brianrwagner.com)
+ **Cross-reference:** If a client quote was captured here, run `testimonial-collector` to properly format and score it for your testimonial library.
---
*Skill by Brian Wagner | AI Marketing Architect | brianrwagner.com*