Case studies are one of the most powerful tools in B2B marketing. They bring credibility, show value and help buyers imagine their own success. So it’s disheartening to see so many fantastic success stories fall flat because of one big mistake: they focus too much on what the company did, and not enough on why it mattered.

Features over impact

With all the potential pitfalls and common case study mistakes, it’s disappointing to see how many customer stories become glorified implementation logs. They walk through tools, timelines and product details while completely forgetting or ignoring the reader; a person with a problem to solve, a lot of options and a need to be wowed. The result? Case studies that feel like an assignment to read instead of inspiration.

Great storytelling doesn’t simply detail what a product did but focuses on how it changed someone’s work, life and attitudes. It explains why the solution they used was meaningful. The hero of the story must be the customer, not the product they used.

Why it happens

Marketers are often closest to the solution. They know the features, the processes and the tech. They are also often stuck between creativity and the hard needs of their sales teams who want the products to be clearly described in the case studies. After all, they’re the ones encouraged to use these stories in their sales processes.

But buyers? They care about what a product did for someone like them.

This disconnect leads to case studies that are full of jargon and technical descriptions, heavy on process and centred on the vendor instead of the customer.

Why it matters

Harvard professor Gerald Zaltman suggests that 95% of purchase decisions are driven by emotion while VML puts this number at 66% in B2B contexts. What’s more, jargon-filled content erodes trust and causes doubt.

So, when planning your customer stories, ask yourself:

• Is the headline about you and your product or the customer’s transformation?
• Does the story have relatable or understandable stakes or tension?
• Are there quotes from customers sharing how their work changed?
• Are you telling a human story, or creating a product manual?

How to fix it

The best case studies start with the problem that needed to be solved. What was frustrating or broken? What was expensive financially and costly in effort and workload? Once you establish that, move to the star of the show: the people you helped. Show how the problem touched actual humans. What was the pain and who did it affect? How? Who needed things to change?

Your next step is to introduce your product or service but in the form of a gracious tour guide that leads you through the story. It’s the catalyst for change, not the main character. Use it to point to the emotional wins. Not just faster processes but less stress. Not just saved money but more confidence. Not simplified or streamlined software but fewer sleepless nights.

There is absolutely no room for jargon in this approach. You need to use simple and vivid language that helps your readers see and feel the transition. It needs to help them put themselves in the position described, draw parallels and make it personal.

A quick example

Take a look at the two examples below. Does one of them speak to you more? Why?

• Example #1: “After Company X implemented the software to manage supply chain workflows, it saw an immediate reduction in processing times by 30%.”
• Example #2: “Before the implementation, Anna’s team stayed late every Friday chasing down supplier approvals and worked 16-hour days at the end of each month to make sure all the numbers were correct. Now, with automated workflows and AI-enabled data, everyone gets back home on time, and no one misses a deadline.”

Same facts. Different story. Have you noticed that the second example doesn’t even use stats? There is always room for hard data, but it doesn’t necessarily need to be forcibly wedged in the middle of an evocative paragraph.

If you skipped to the end

Here is your takeaway. The best case studies don’t just explain what happened. They connect. Your reader should see and recognise themselves in the struggle and aspire to the outcome you describe. So ditch the jargon and the dry facts. There is place for them in the pullout boxes and overview bullets. For the case study itself, use emotion and relatable human reactions. Everyone will thank you for it.

Want to level up your storytelling?

Download our cheatsheet below, Words to Use/Words to Avoid in a B2B Case Study. Or sign up for our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn for more practical tips.