Writing a case study (the secret to showing your work)

Writing a case study is one of the best ways to sell your services. 

It’s a lot easier than it sounds. You can use a case study to show clients what it will be like to work with you. They want to know how you think. It’s an opportunity to prove your work is worth doing.

Keep your personal brand in mind. 

Are there any keywords you want associated with you? Creative problem solver, great communicator, leader, project manager? These and more can all be shown in a case study. 

All you have to do is explain your work to let them shine through. 

Tip: Jot down your brand keywords so they are in front of you as you write.

Don’t have any projects to talk about yet? Find out how to get experience.

Step 1: Write a first draft to get your ideas on paper.

Now that you know what you want to convey, create a case study for each project you want to showcase. Start with a first draft, don’t worry about editing right now. You need something to start with.

1. Who was the client? 
2. What problem needed solving?
3. Why did it need solving at that moment?
4. What steps did you (or your team) take to solve the problem? Include how long it took you to do the work.
5. What did the project help the company achieve? 

Step 2: Edit and make it readable.  

It seems counterintuitive, but simple writing sounds more intelligent. It also keeps people on your profile because it's easy to read. A junior high student should be able to understand what you are writing.

• Break up long sentences by making them two short ones. 
• Review your work, can some long words be swapped for shorter words?
• Write the way you’d talk, read your case study out loud to someone.

Step 3: Add any details.

Do you have any numbers you can share? Perhaps you improved something by a percentage or made something 3X more efficient? Include any numbers to prove how your work helped your clients.

Remember, what you show is what you sell. 

Choose your projects carefully. Keep your ideal clients and their values in mind. Show projects that are like the work you want to do! 

Keep reading to learn more:

How to get experience when you don’t have any

Writing to sell

Make sales by being authentically you