Proof Points: Issue 1

Sometimes when I talk about ‘human case studies’, I can be the victim of an eye-roll. Why, because there’s a notion out there that all that really matters are the cold, hard KPIs - just the impact numbers and the results. But I want to flip that perspective and hopefully give you something to think about.

For me, putting the human at the centre of a case study isn't just a "nice to have" - it's actually a strategic must.

Here's my logic: the need for the human element isn’t about being touchy-feely. It’s about something much more fundamental, it’s about pattern recognition. When you share a human story, you give your audience the possibility to relate to the person and their story. They can see themselves in the situation described. They think,

That’s pattern recognition at play. By embedding human experiences, you make it easier for someone else to recognise, “Yes, this is my challenge too.”

That moment of recognition captures the reader's attention. Their curiosity is piqued, they’ll read on. They’ll learn from the story and they’ll have hope that maybe, just maybe, you can help them solve their problem.

So to be clear, it’s not about shoe-horning a human into your case study for the sake of it - it’s about gaining attention, providing hope and, far more importantly, building trust.

Then comes pattern matching. Once your sales and marketing teams has a library of these human-driven stories, their job is to match the right story to the right prospect. It’s not just about saying, “Here are our results.” It’s about saying, “Here’s a story that looks like your story.”

Your SDR, BDR, Account Execs, Growth Managers, Marketing Managers and even your Customer Success Managers can play the ‘pattern matching’ game. For me, the right story, served in the right way, can get everyone on the same page far more quickly than explanation alone.

Does this make sense to you? Do you agree or disagree? Would genuinely love to hear your thoughts. Just ‘Hit Reply’ and I’ll get back to you.

I’ll be back same time next week. Until then, thanks for reading and have a wonderful week.

PS - If you’ve got a question you’d like me to answer in the newsletter - just hit reply!