Glossary

Case study

sales & growthUpdated October 2026 · reviewed by the Forge team

A short story of a client result - the problem, what the agency did, and the outcome - used as proof to win similar work.

For example, the agency writes up how it grew a client's leads 40% in three months, with the numbers and the approach. That one page does more to convince a similar prospect than any list of services.

Why it matters to your firm: case studies are an agency's most persuasive sales asset, turning past results into proof that de-risks the next buyer's decision. A library of them, mapped to your ideal client, raises win rate and supports value-based pricing by making the outcome concrete.

What a strong case study includes

  • The client and their starting problem
  • What you did, briefly
  • The result, with numbers
  • A client quote
  • A clear call to action
Common mistakes
  • Describing what you did, not the result the client got.
  • No numbers or before-and-after.
  • Never getting the client's sign-off to publish.
Common questions

Frequently asked questions

What is a case study?

A short story of a client result - the problem, what the agency did, and the outcome - used as proof to win similar work.

What should an agency case study include?

The client's situation and goal, the approach you took, and the measurable result - ideally with a quote and real numbers.

Why are case studies effective in sales?

They are proof, not claims - a relevant result lowers the buyer's perceived risk more than any feature list.

How do case studies support value-based pricing?

By making the outcome concrete and credible, they help justify pricing on results rather than hours.

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