Making Your CaseThink client testimonials are just icing on the cake? Think again. Case studies can be powerful sales vehicles for your company.

A case study is simply a "super-size" client testimonial. Exceptional case studies weave a company's products, benefits and solutions into a narrative that's easy to digest and that immediately connects with prospects. Featuring one client, a case study relates a story about how a happy, satisfied client used the services of a company to solve a specific business problem.

Why use case studies? Case studies are highly effective sales vehicles when they're crafted properly. More powerful than a brochure or a canned presentation, the case study allows prospects to see how your company has solved business hurdles for other clients. Entrepreneur Bill Abram, 51, explains: "Customer case studies help clarify complex business issues and define exactly how an entrepreneur's product or service can address those issues." Abram, founder and president ofPragmatix Inc., supplies his sales force with case studies to help them sell custom software applications. Based in Elmsford, New York, Pragmatix rang up an estimated $2 million in 2004 sales.