Case studies are powerful marketing tools for any coach, but they are particularly effective for business coaches. We recommend business coaches write a case study for every successful client so they can demonstrate the results and coaching process to prospective clients. Case studies capture so much more than a testimonial ever can and can highlight the benefits for different types of clients. It can be helpful to look at some examples of case studies for business coaches before you write your own. Here are 3 examples of case studies for business coaches.
The Benefit of Case Studies for Business Coaches
There are countless benefits to using case studies to market your business. Here are the 3 ways that case studies can help your business.
Evidence of Your Business Coaching Results
The best thing about case studies for business coaches is that it sells your coaching services without feeling like a sales pitch. A case study uses storytelling to show the transformation your client had, starting with what their life was like before coaching. The goal of the “before coaching” section of the case study is to be relatable for your ideal coaching clients.
The “before coaching section” should talk about the company size, what it does, the wins it has, and the problems it faces. You want your ideal business coaching clients to see the similarities between the case study client and their own business.
Then, your case study moves on to show what your business coaching addressed and how you supported them in solving their problems. You will talk about secondary problems as well as the main problem you worked on. It is also appropriate to show how you helped your coaching client to overcome any setbacks or wrinkles that occurred along the way. You want your case study to pre-emptively address any doubts or feelings of “I could never” that your readers may be having.
The business coaching case study should finish with the results the client had achieved at the end of coaching. An important element that case studies often neglect is how the client intends to leverage or continue to build upon those results in the future. Your ideal coaching clients who have seen themselves in the “before coaching” section can then see the results that are possible if they work with you.
If it has been 6-12 months (or more) since you worked with that coaching client, consider touching base with the client to find out where they are now. It can be incredibly powerful to show that the results continue and grow long after coaching.
Lead Warming Tactic
Case studies are a great way to warm leads and audience members who are starting to go a little stale. Perhaps they are interested in what you do, but it isn’t the right time, or they are nervous about investing in a business coach. Perhaps they just aren’t sure you help people like them. Case studies for business coaches allow you to show the different types of businesses you work for, the different stages each business owner has been in, and the different problems you can solve for your coaching clients.
It helps your prospective coaching clients realise that, actually, you might be the right person to help them after all. By offering case studies that show the results of your coaching services for different types of clients, different types of problems, and different results, your leads can make an informed decision.
Interesting Content for Your Audience
Case studies for business coaches make for interesting content. It is common to use case studies as blog content, email content, and even social media content. In that way, case studies can double as content.
Examples of Case Studies for Business Coaches
Here are 3 examples of case studies for business coaches that show the power of a case study and how to create a case study for your coaching business.
Miss Marketing Case Study
This is a perfect example of a case study for coaches. Here is what we like about it:
- It has a strong title that shows the who, the what, and the how of their results (How Oak and Orange grew their website traffic 26x by implementing SEO.)
- It uses graphs and solid numbers to add credibility to the results they are sharing.
- The case study explains why the client chose SEO to increase traffic rather than any other available method. (Benefits)
- It breaks down the 3-pronged approach that the business took to increase SEO and explains the concepts behind these ideas.
- The case study is littered with tips that their ideal coaching clients can try for themselves but would still benefit from expert advice. Ideal coaching clients can make small improvements after reading this case study but would go to this business coach if they wanted to see amazing results in a short period of time.
- It advertises the SEO course that the case study client took to achieve those results and some other resources that their ideal coaching clients may find useful.
Read the case study for the SEO coaching program here.
In Equilibrium Case Study
This is an example of a case study for coaches where there are no metrics that they can include in their results. Here is what we like about it:
- It explains the situation that prompted the client to seek out coaching and what their hopes were.
- The case study explains the steps that the coach took to understand the person they were coaching so that their approach was tailored.
- It shows (rather than tells) that the approach was sympathetic to the person they were coaching. Rather than labelling them as a bully, they look at where the disconnect is happening in their interpersonal relationships and try out techniques to bridge the gap.
- The case study states the timeline of the process. (3 months of intensive coaching and quarterly reviews for a 1-year period after that.)
- Feedback from the coaching client (which, in this case, is the business.)
Read the case study for this corporate coach here.
If there is one thing that we could change to strengthen this case study, it would be to include a testimonial or quote from the client (either the business or the person they were coaching.) This adds extra credibility to the case study. If your business coaching doesn’t have any metrics you can include in the results, try to get feedback from your clients that you can use as a testimonial.
Also, don’t forget to use this opportunity to tell your readers about the program that helped the case study client achieve the results they did and how they can find out more information about it.
Performance Consultants Case Study
This is an example of a case study for a performance management coach. Here is what we like about it:
- They take more of a standard case study approach with clearly labelled headings.
- The case study shows that the coach took the time to get to know the client and their goals. They demonstrate why those goals were important to the client and what a good result would look like in practice.
- It includes quotes from the client.
- It details the steps taken, including a pilot study before it was rolled out UK-wide.
- The case study provides results and gives context to a result that may seem small without the context.
- It shows how the coaching empowered members of staff to be able to replicate that coaching over and over within the company – creating a lifetime of compounding results for the client.
Read the case study for this performance management coach here.
How to Pick Coaching Clients for Case Studies
Choosing the right clients to write case studies about is the foundation of a successful case study. Pick a client who:
- Represents the type of client you want to work with.
- Provides a unique aspect of the coaching experience compared to your other case studies. (Unique business type, unique problem, unique approach, etc.)
For example, you wouldn’t write a case study about clients who barely put in the work. Firstly, the results may not accurately reflect what is truly possible in your coaching. Secondly, you don’t want to attract a whole bunch of coaching clients who won’t put the work in. People are moved to action by case studies because they see that someone like them got the results they want. If your case studies feature clients who were difficult, you’ll get more of the same. Feature clients who put in the work in your case studies and illustrate how you supported your clients to do the necessary work.
Pick case studies from clients who you want to replicate.
Case Study Copywriters for Business Coaches
Want a case study for your coaching business? Contact us to hire a case study copywriter. We write case studies for coaches starting at £300 per case study or £1,000 for 5 case studies.