case-study-builder

name	case-study-builder
description	Create customer case studies in sales-ready format — Challenge→Solution→Results structure, before/after metrics, quote integration, two-length formats (1-page summary + full version). Use when creating case studies, customer success stories, proof content, or sales collateral. Triggers on: "case study", "customer story", "success story", "proof content", "customer example", "results story", or any request to document customer outcomes.
license	MIT
compatibility	Claude Code, Jesse, Codex, Hermes, Windsurf, OpenCode, Gemini CLI, Copilot, Zed, VS Code, Goose
metadata	{"version":"1.1.0","author":"LeadMagic","category":"design","tags":["case-studies","customer-stories","proof","content","sales"],"related_skills":["customer-marketing","sales-enablement","roi-calculator"],"frameworks":["Challenge-Solution-Results","Before-After-Bridge","Nielsen Norman Group — Usability Heuristics"]}

Case Study Builder

Overview

A case study is the most versatile proof asset in B2B. It proves your product works in someone else's hands. This skill produces sales-ready case studies: one-page for quick sharing, full version for late-stage deals, always with specific metrics and real quotes.

The golden rule: a case study without numbers is a testimonial. Every case study must answer "what changed, and by how much?"

Authoritative Foundations

• Challenge-Solution-Results — Shapes deliverables for this skill — A case study is the most versatile proof asset in B2B.
• Before-After-Bridge — Shapes deliverables for this skill — A case study is the most versatile proof asset in B2B.
• Nielsen Norman Group — Usability Heuristics — Usability Heuristics

When to Use

• "Create a case study about [customer]"
• "Write a customer success story"
• "Build proof content for sales"
• "Document customer results"
• "Create a case study for our website"
• "I need customer proof for a deal"

Step-by-Step Process

Phase 1: Information Gathering

Collect from the customer:

• Company profile (industry, size, use case)
• Challenge before your product (what was broken, what it cost)
• Solution (how they use your product, implementation timeline)
• Results (specific metrics — "reduced X by Y%" not "improved efficiency")
• Customer quote (in their words, not yours)
• Permission to use their name and logo

Phase 2: Structure

1-Page Summary (for quick sharing):

┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ CASE STUDY: [Customer Name]              │
│                                          │
│ [Customer logo]                          │
│ Industry: [X] | Size: [Y employees]      │
│                                          │
│ THE CHALLENGE                            │
│ [2-3 sentences. What was broken?         │
│  What did it cost?]                      │
│                                          │
│ THE SOLUTION                             │
│ [2-3 sentences. How they use us.         │
│  Implementation timeline.]               │
│                                          │
│ THE RESULTS                              │
│ • [Metric 1 — specific number]           │
│ • [Metric 2 — specific number]           │
│ • [Metric 3 — specific number]           │
│                                          │
│ "[Customer quote — in their words]"       │
│ — [Name, Title]                          │
│                                          │
│ [CTA: Book a demo / See full case study] │
└──────────────────────────────────────────┘

Full Version (for late-stage deals):

Add: detailed implementation story, additional metrics, second quote from a different stakeholder (e.g., end user + executive), "what's next" section showing expansion plans, and a comparison table (before vs after).

Phase 3: Writing Guidelines

• Lead with the result. Not "Company X uses our product." — "Company X reduced time-to-close by 40% in 90 days. Here's how."
• Customer's words, not yours. Use their language. If they say "it was a nightmare," say "it was a nightmare" — not "they faced significant challenges."
• Specific over impressive. "Saved $247,000 annually" beats "drove significant cost savings." Specific numbers build credibility.
• One story, one takeaway. Don't try to prove everything. Pick the strongest story and tell it well.

Phase 4: Approval and Distribution

• Customer approval: send draft, let them edit quotes, get written permission.
• Sales distribution: add to CRM, sales portal, pitch deck, proposal templates.
• Marketing distribution: website, social, email nurture, paid retargeting.

Output Format

Two versions: 1-page summary (for email, LinkedIn, quick sharing) and full version (for late-stage deals, website, sales portal).

Quality Check

• Specific, named metrics (not "improved efficiency")
• Customer quote in their words (not marketing language)
• Challenge → Solution → Results structure
• Customer name and logo included (with permission)
• 1-page version scannable in 30 seconds
• Full version has implementation detail
• Customer has approved final text
• CTA present on both versions

Common Pitfalls

1. No metrics. "They love our product" is a testimonial, not a case study. Every case study needs specific, named numbers.

2. Marketing language in quotes. "We leveraged their best-in-class solution" — no human talks like this. Use their actual words.

3. Too many results. 3-4 metrics max. Pick the strongest ones. More metrics dilute the impact of each.

4. No customer approval. Never publish a case study without written permission. Include the approval step in your process.

5. One format for everything. Sales needs a 1-pager. Marketing needs a story. Website needs both. Build both formats.

Execution Artifacts

• references/framework-notes.md — named frameworks, citation anchors, and operating assumptions
• templates/output-template.md — copy-paste deliverable structure for the user
• scripts/check-output.py — local checklist validator for required sections This skill includes lightweight artifacts the agent can load on demand: Use the artifacts when the user asks for an implementation-ready deliverable, a repeatable workflow, or a quality check rather than generic advice.

Related Skills

• customer-marketing: Customer advocacy program
• sales-enablement: Sales collateral package
• roi-calculator: Quantify results for case studies