Making a Case Study Out of Nothing

We’ve all had to create THAT case study. You know the one I’m talking about; it’s the case study you were asked to make in order to justify the companies most recent work. It’s the case study that talks about generating a few extra thousand dollars of revenue over the last year. Perhaps it is the case study about an implementation that generated a few extra clicks, trials, or other desired action. It’s really a case study about failure.

Why do case studies/examples/white papers/etc. have to be about successes? The old adage “you learn from your mistakes” speaks volumes, yet most businesses and individuals ignore it. There is nothing wrong with admitting you made a mistake, learn from it. Nobody is going to be right all of the time. By making case studies out of your mistakes, not only are you showing that you are learning from your mistakes, but you also helping to educate other companies or individuals.

The next time you make a mistake, don’t bury it, make a case study out of it and see what happens.

On a similar note, don’t try to make a case study out of nothing. Case studies are supposed to be remarkable not mediocre. If you generated a few extra thousands dollars in revenue over 6 months when the overall revenue is in the millions, then that obviously will not make for a great case study.

Making case studies out of the things that matter will show clients that not only are you willing to embrace your successes and your failures, but also that you are committed to improving yourself and educating those around you.