Quick answer: A case study deck presents one customer's successful use of the product. It's the proof asset in the sales deck, and it works because it follows one story end to end.

The structure

  1. The customer. The company, the role, and the context.
  2. The problem. The situation before the product.
  3. The search. The old way and why it failed.
  4. The rollout. How the product was adopted.
  5. The workflow. The customer's daily use.
  6. The result. The measurable change.
  7. The quote. The customer's own words.
  8. The summary and the CTA. The proof point and the next step.

The result must be real

The result is the core of the case study and must be a verifiable fact:

  • A time saved, with the measurement.
  • A cost reduced, with the comparison.
  • A change in retention, with the period.
  • A named workflow now possible.

The number must be agreed by the customer and must be the same number in the deck and the sales materials.

The quote

The customer quote is one or two sentences, attributed, and approved. The rules are the same as for testimonial graphics: real wording, permission, no invented claims.

The customer's story, not the product's

The case study is the customer's story, and the product is the tool. The slides follow the customer's process; the product enters when it is actually used.

Length

A focused case study is 6–10 slides; a long one can be a PDF document. The sales deck uses the short version; the website hosts the long version.

What to avoid

  • A case study without the customer's permission.
  • Numbers the customer didn't verify.
  • A vague "saved time" with no measurement.
  • A case study where the product is the entire story.
  • A quote edited to change meaning.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to name the customer? A named case study is much stronger; the unnamed version is rarely worth publishing. What if the customer won't share numbers? Use the workflow change and the qualitative result, and label the numbers as unavailable. How long does the result take? The case study is written after the result exists, which is usually weeks after the rollout. Can the deck be generated? The structure and the slides can be generated; the customer story and numbers are real and must be approved.

Open with the customer, follow the problem to the result, and quote the customer in their own words.

Related guide: the presentation deck types guide.