The relevant-story close
Use a truthful, relevant example to make the decision more concrete.
When this helps
You have permission to share a real example that relates to the buyer’s situation.
A question to make your ownA client faced a similar handoff issue. Would it help to walk through what they tried, what changed, and what was different from your situation?
Choose relevance over drama
Use an example with a comparable problem or decision. Explain differences in company size, resources, implementation, and timeframe. A famous customer name is not a substitute for a relevant lesson.
Tell the complete story
Describe the starting situation, action, verified outcome, and limitations. Use approved facts and protect confidential details. Clearly label a hypothetical scenario; never turn it into a customer testimonial.
Bring the discussion back to the buyer
Ask what applies and what does not. Discuss what evidence they would need for their own decision. A case study provides context, not a guarantee of the same outcome.
What it can sound like
Illustrative conversation: Buyer: “Our data is less organized than theirs.” Seller: “That difference matters. We should assess cleanup effort before estimating your implementation.”
What to watch for
Inventing a customer, exaggerating results, or claiming a single success proves universal effectiveness.
One thing to try.
Prepare a 90-second case example with one verified result and two differences from the current buyer’s situation.
Put it into practiceTake it to your AI assistant
Add anonymized context to this prompt. Review the response against what you know about the buyer.