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MarketingB2B5 min read
The case study customers actually agree to
Asking for a case study after the sale closes gets you a polite no. The teams that ship case studies easily are doing something different much earlier.
The default ask — "would you do a case study with us?" — has a high refusal rate for good reasons. It sounds like extra work, requires legal approval, and feels like the customer is doing the vendor a favor for no return.
How to make it easy to say yes
- Plant the seed early — in the kickoff, mention a future case study is something you might ask about.
- Bring the draft, don't ask them to write.
- Lead with the numbers their team will want internally.
- Offer mutual credit — they look good for picking you well.
The ask itself
Not "can we do a case study" — "we'd like to write up what your team accomplished. We'll handle drafting and your legal approval. You'll get something useful to share internally too. Two-week ask?" The yes rate is dramatically higher.
Case studies are sales for both sides. Pitch them that way.