--- 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, Jesse, Codex, Hermes, Windsurf, OpenCode, Gemini CLI, Copilot, Zed, VS Code, Goose 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: - "Challenge-Solution-Results" - "Before-After-Bridge" - "Nielsen Norman Group — Usability Heuristics" --- # 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 - **Challenge-Solution-Results** — Shapes deliverables for this skill — A case study is the most versatile proof asset in B2B. - **Before-After-Bridge** — Shapes deliverables for this skill — A case study is the most versatile proof asset in B2B. - **Nielsen Norman Group — Usability Heuristics** — Usability Heuristics ## 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