Case Study Builder (Problem, Approach, ROI)

A case study is a sales document dressed as a story. Prospects read it to answer one question: did this work for someone like me? The answer has to be specific — a named customer, a concrete problem, what was done and numbers that changed. This builder walks you through that structure and does the arithmetic, so the story is easy to read and the figures add up.

The structure

Open with a headline that leads with the result: “How Northwind Clinics cut patient wait times by 38%”. A one- or two-sentence summary follows, then the customer’s industry, size and location. The body has three parts. The challenge describes what was wrong and what it cost. The approach explains what was done, by whom and over what timeline. The results show what changed. A customer quote and a call to action close it.

Writing the challenge

Describe the problem the way the customer would, with its cost: hours lost, money spent, customers leaving, risks taken. “Patients waited an average of 42 minutes and 1 in 9 appointments was missed” is more convincing than “inefficient processes”. Readers recognise their own situation in the details.

Choosing metrics

Pick two or three numbers that changed and that the customer agrees to publish. Enter the before and after values and the unit; the change is calculated for you. Ordinary values show a percentage change — a wait falling from 42 to 26 minutes is −38%. Values that are already percentages show the change in points, so 11% to 5.5% reads −5.5 points rather than a confusing −50%.

Calculating ROI and payback

Enter the total cost (licences, setup and staff time) and the yearly benefit (savings plus any new revenue). Return on investment is the benefit over the chosen years minus the cost, divided by the cost. Payback is the cost divided by the monthly benefit. In the example, $48,000 spent and $61,000 a year saved gives 281% over three years and a payback of 9.4 months. Say in the text how the benefit was measured; a skeptical buyer will ask.

The quote

Ask the customer what changed for them, then use their words. The best quotes describe a feeling or consequence the numbers cannot (“our receptionists finally have time to look after the people standing in front of them”). Attribute it with name, title and company.

Output

Copy the Markdown for a CMS or document, download it as an .md file, or download a styled HTML page with an at-a-glance panel of the metrics, ready to print or attach. Send the final version to the customer for approval before publishing.

Getting the customer’s approval

Agree on publication before the interview, not after: which numbers can be shared, whether the company can be named, and who signs off. Send the draft with the figures and the quote highlighted, and ask the customer to confirm both. A case study that has to be withdrawn because a figure was not cleared does more harm than no case study at all.

Where to use it

The same material serves several formats: a web page with the full story, a one-page summary for sales calls, a slide with the three headline numbers, and a short paragraph for a newsletter. Write the long version first; the Markdown is easy to cut down for the others.

Related tools

Check an investment from scratch with the ROI Calculator, announce the partnership with the Press Release Generator, compare plans or products in the Comparison Table Maker, or write the team’s bios with the Bio Template Builder.