Take a look at this alternative approach: Jo -- I am so pleased that our work is getting you the results you deserve! By Bill Metcalf. Note from Casey Hibbard: While I'm out on maternity leave until the end of July, this blog will feature a summer guest blogger series with content from experts in marketing, organizational storytelling and writing. One of the most powerful tools in any marketing arsenal is raving testimonials from your happy clients. Asking for testimonials from clients – yuck! no, let’s be honest here. beg, for a testimonial from a client? It’s embarrassing. Victory? MORE >>

The goal is to give buyers insight into what they might experience in working with a particular consultant. You’ll want to highlight the unique approach that the consultant takes in working with a specific customer. Also essential, show the specific outcomes of working with the consultant – in as detailed a manner as possible. Ultimately, buyers need to understand what’s going on behind-the-scenes so they can picture themselves working with a consultant – and feel confident in the buying decision. It’s not any sort of magic afterall. MORE >>

And while it was tough to work, and even harder to come up with new blog ideas, my radar for customer stories kept on working. There are a lot of cold remedies out there, and who knows what really works? This past week, I was down with a cold. But in our house, we turn to Cold-EEZE. Not sure if the zinc lozenges actually help reduce cold symptoms, or we just think they do. But while popping a Cold-EEZE, I discovered a little coaster-size card in the box. It's a customer testimonial, and a good one. What makes it good? Cold-EEZE saved her prom. MORE >>

From the following main page, users can take links to interactive environments where they can choose to look at various customer stories, such as "design work" or "development approaches." Have you ever had a conversation with someone and said, "for example," and proceeded to offer an anecdote to illustrate your point? That's what a customer case study should be - an example, a case in point to shed light on the topic of conversation. Just as anecdotes don't stand alone in conversations, customer anecdotes shouldn't stand alone on your website. MORE >>

Knowledge and experience about working with your products and services resides with people, and when those people leave, so too goes the information. What a difference a couple of months makes. Earlier this summer, I was talking with a friend/associate about customer stories. The web developer was excited to capture a case study on one of his customers who had a great experience with his firm. Not only did the web site deliver for the company but the main contact was a dream - eloquent, intelligent and very happy with the web firm's services. What happened? Call your contacts NOW. MORE >>