B2B Customer Stories | Content Writer

Customer Stories

Who doesn’t love reading a good story? That’s why B2B customer stories continue to increase conversion rates time and again. In fact, I’ve seen just one wonderful story help win £10,000, even £100,000 in new business.

"She has worked very well with our customers, and has a special knack for finding a great, unique hook every time. Anna’s work is always delivered on time and often requires little-no amends (and we’re a fussy bunch!)."

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Alisa McPhail

Xelix

Ditch your ancient case studies

Sales teams used to knock up case studies themselves, concluding them with one brief line from the customer. How times have changed.

Your buyers want to read stories told by those who’ve gone before them – in their own words. They can see right through George from sales spouting about your “cutting-edge” design and your “world-class” reputation. That’s why I champion my customer-first approach that ensures a fascinating read every time.

Not sure what a customer story looks like? Read examples I’ve previously written.

“But you’ll never get to talk to our customers, Anna!” said many a B2B marketer to me. And it’s rarely been true. I can help you get the green light from your customer, before leaving everything else to me.

How it works

Proposal

Let’s first confirm what you need. My service always includes project management from start to finish. That means minimal hassle for you – usually about an hour of your time.

Introduce your customer

For each story (and I’m happy to start with one), I need an approved customer contact. That means you’ve contacted them to confirm they’re happy to get involved. Not sure how to do that? Just ask me.

Give me the basics

Via email or a quick chat, tell me what you know. What did they buy? Where were they at? How long have they been a customer? What have they achieved? I can supply a short list of questions to achieve this

I chat with your customer

Now, sit back while I crack on. At a convenient time, I’ll chat with your customer for around 45 minutes, broadly covering what was going on when they called on your services and how your product has helped achieve their goals.

I create your customer's story

Having completed any further online research, I now plan and write your customer’s story. You receive a draft for review (usually within ten days of the call), then I ask your customer to provide feedback too.

Managing the approval process

My fees include one set of revisions from yourself and another from your customer. I liaise with both of you to ensure everyone’s happy with the final story.

Your customer story is ready to showcase

Fully approved and delivered in a Word document, start showcasing your new story straightaway. And remember, client success stories support your marketing for years, so keep promoting them wherever you can.

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Fees for customer stories

My fee to create a customer story includes managing the project from start to finish and interviewing one customer contact in-depth. Should your requirements differ, or you have several stories to create at once, please contact me to discuss a fee.

Typical fee £1,000.00 + VAT

Frequently asked questions

How many stories do I need?

There’s no perfect number and it depends on your budget. Three would serve you well in the short term, but many businesses aim for double figures and keep building their library over time. Customer success stories have a long shelf life, and you can repurpose them in so many ways.

You might also want to create stories around different products or sectors of your business. Or different customer types. This is something we can chat through.

Why do you say customer story, not case study?

Because there’s a distinct difference in my opinion. And customer stories deserve to be showcased as the better option today.

Customer stories share how your customer solved their problem or achieved their goal using your product. Narrated using a story structure, your customer is firmly at the centre, readily commenting in their own words.

Case studies provide little first-hand insight on your customer’s journey. A sentence or two at best. They often rely on a ‘challenge, solution, results’ structure and focus more on your product than your customer and the experience they had.

Here’s the thing: your prospective customers trust what your customers have to say far more than what you say. So why not lean into this?

How do I get my customer to say “yes” they’ll do this?

When you ask the right way, customers see the value in creating their story. Many welcome the opportunity to talk about themselves and their experience.

Start with the right mindset (you’re not “asking a favour”, you’re offering a collaboration opportunity) and a well-crafted email.

My article – Creating customer stories, how to get them to say “yes” – provides practical advice AND an email template.

Explain the process clearly and reassure them you only need around 45 minutes of their time. Then, highlight how they might benefit from the story and assure them they have final approval.

Basically… read my article.

How long will it take you to create each story?

This depends on your customer’s availability and mine. From having an in-depth call with your customer, I aim to create the draft story within ten days. You review this and then it goes to your customer for their feedback and approval. I ask them to respond within a week. Most do, but should delays occur, I’ll keep chasing.

So, when all parties respond promptly, expect an approved customer success story within three to four weeks of my call with your customer.

How can I use my customer stories?

Customer stories are such an engaging read, you’ll want to use them everywhere you can. Here’s a list of ideas:

Put them on your website and link to them from various pages
Promote them across your social media, and tag your customer
Showcase them via your email list
Create flyers or PDFs for your sales team to use
Use them at shows and events
Create a ‘customer story book’
Ask trade press if they’d like to use your stories editorially
Show them to your suppliers
Show them to other customers
Make sure your entire team sees them – they boost morale

Can’t I just get some shorter testimonials?

There’s a place for testimonials. But they’re not as powerful as absorbing your reader in a success story from your client’s perspective. The story helps them imagine what it would be like to buy from you or work with you. It helps them see the value of choosing you to solve the problem they have.

Also, my clients gain short quotes and brief testimonials from reworking aspects of their customer stories. A bonus that’s easy to achieve.

Do we really have to involve my customer? Can’t I just give you the detail?

Not if you want all the benefits of a customer story. You see, the reader will relate to the emotion and the language your customer uses. It’s far more believable than you saying: “Mr Jones was delighted when he purchased our widgets…”