Free tool · Case Study Template (Proof-First) · about 45 minutes Proof, in order.

Start with the evidence. Eight fields turn a client interview and the client's own numbers into a one-page case study, and the page flags adjectives that stand in for numbers.

Eight fields

Vague-word check

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1 · Client and baseline

Client (Client)Where they started, with numbers and dates (Baseline)

2 · The decision

What they were choosing between and what worried them (The decision)

3 · What we did

Three to five steps, in order, naming the method (What we did)

4 · The result

The result, with its measure and period (Result and measure)Where the figure came from (Source)

5 · What else changed

Other influences on the result (Other changes)

6 · The cost

What it took in time and money, if the client agrees (Cost)

7 · The client's advice

One short approved quote (Client advice)

8 · What we do not claim

The sentence that stops this saying more than the evidence does (Not claimed)

Use only results you can trace to a source, and publish only what the client has approved in writing. If you are showing a hypothetical, label it as one. Nothing you type leaves this page.

Your case study

Then test it

Run the checks. Read the finished page against the six checks at the bottom. Any two failures mean another pass. Then send it to the client for approval and publish only the approved version.

The method is in The Brand Code: Most Case Studies Prove Nothing, How to Write a Case Study That Wins Clients and Case Study Template (Proof-First).

Questions

What is a proof-first case study?

One that starts from the evidence: a baseline, a measure, a period and a source. The story is built around those, not added to a story afterwards.

What if I have no baseline?

Then you have a story, not yet a case study. Next time, record the client's starting numbers at the beginning of the work.

Can I anonymise the client?

Yes. Keep the baseline, the measure and the period. A precise anonymous result still persuades.

Do I need the client's permission?

Yes, in writing, for the final text. Ask early, show the draft and let them change or remove anything.

Is my draft saved?

Only in your browser, on this device. Nothing is sent to us.

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