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90% of case studies are fluffy puffery.

Clive Griffiths
Clive Griffiths
1 min read

90% of case studies are fluffy puffery.
You can do better ... here's how.

The 10% that were a direct hit?
Written before the work even started.

How does that work?

Normally consultants are told to wait.

⇥ Wait until the project ends.
⇥ Wait until the results are in.
⇥ Wait to write the case study after the fact.

But you? You’re not wired for wait mode.
You’re here to lead outcomes, not narrate them in hindsight.

So write the case study before delivery starts.

That’s right.
You write the future you intend to make real for clients.

⇥ The metrics you’ll move.
⇥ The value you’ll drive.
⇥ The impact you want to be undeniable.

You make that story so sharp, so measurable, so compelling … that the only thing left to do is go deliver it.

Why this works:
↳ It gives your team clarity.
↳ It forces focus on what matters.
↳ It opens real conversations with clients.

You’ll start talking outcomes and impact ... not just outputs.
You'll stop being seen as a vendor when you start driving business value.

This isn’t about completing a client's task list.
This is about putting your name on the scoreboard.

Ask the hard questions early:

“What outcomes actually matter here?”

“What does success look like from your boardroom?”

“What will make this case worth telling?”

Your pre-delivery case study turns consultants into strategic operators.

→ They walk in with the win already visualised.
→ They build with the ending in mind.
→ They lead clients with intention.

And you get ...

→ Alignment not assumptions.
→ Accountability that bites.

It's a signal to the team that this isn’t just another project.
Pre-delivery case studies aren’t documentation.
They’re a declaration for success.

A promise you’re ready to keep.
Performance standards.
A partnership.

Don’t wait for the story. Write it.
Then go make it inevitable.

#Microblog11

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