“I don’t want to be that pushy salesperson.”

I hear this at least once a week from a client who has a hot prospect and needs help closing the deal.

So how do you take a warm prospect, one who seems really serious and excited and even ready to work with you, and turn them into a paying client, all without becoming a pushy salesperson?

That’s everyone’s fear – coming on too strong and seeming too desperate.

So you play it cool. You sit back and wait, hoping they’ll come to you if they really want you, so you don’t have to be pushy.

But it rarely works.

Now, I’m not saying you have to be pushy. (Although I doubt you, dear creative professional, could ever be that dreaded pushy salesperson, even if you tried to.)

What I’m saying is that there is an alternative: case studies. 

The right case study has closed the deal for me numerous times. 

Why? 

• Because it's informational and relevant.
• Because it shows what you can actually do for a client. 
• Because it speaks the language of your prospect and bypasses hyperbole (my nemesis these days).

There are many different approaches to case studies, from short one-pagers to long, white paper-style tomes -- none is the "right" way. It depends on how much detail you have to share and what your prospects will appreciate and value.

I would always err on the side of giving more, being more generous with your content (this is content marketing, after all). 

One of my favorite case study examples is on the site of a recent Marketing Mentor client, Wendy Wood of www.wendywood.com. Her portfolio (under the navigation label "Results") consists of 5 case studies -- clearly and elaborately described projects presented for easy web reading. 

Need help with your case studies?

If you need help creating your own case studies, check out my new Case Study Bundle. The 156-page download is packed with solid tips and simple instructions to build your own, including:

• 7 simple steps and best practices for case studies that make your client say, “This is exactly who we need!”
• Bonus Article: How to close the deal (and what to say!)
• Simple 1-page Worksheet: Build Your Next Case Study
• PLUS 14 Excellent Examples of Actual Case Studies from generous creative professionals