Templates
Template: when a prospect asks for case studies or references
When a prospect asks for case studies, they are checking whether you are real and whether it has worked for someone like them. If you have only a few, send the closest one, give the number with the base it was measured on, say plainly what you do not have, and ask a question. Below are three replies: one close example, no close example, and a reference call.
Published by Sellinger AI. Numbers and settings checked on 25 October 2026 against the fact register. Report an error.
The text
Of course. The closest one to [their type of company] is [case study name]: [one result, with the base, for example 14 referrals from about 23 replies]. Here is the full write up, including what did not work: [link]. Does that look like your situation, or is yours different?
Fair question. We do not have a case study from [their industry] yet, and I would rather say so than stretch one. What we do have is [the nearest example, labelled as different]: [link]. If it is useful, I can show you the first week of a campaign on your own list so you judge the work rather than the story.
Happy to. [Customer name] has agreed to talk to people considering [what you offer]. I will introduce you by email if you tell me the best address and two questions you would want to ask them.
Why each line is there
| Line | Why it is there |
|---|---|
| The closest example, not the best one | A fit the prospect recognises beats a bigger number from another market. |
| The number with its base | A figure without a denominator is the first thing a careful reader doubts. |
| Saying what you do not have | Honesty about a gap is more credible than a stretched example, and it costs you nothing you could have proven. |
| Including what did not work | A write up with a limitation reads as evidence, not advertising. |
| A question at the end | Keeps the thread alive and tells you whether the example landed. |
What it measured
No data yet on these exact words. Sellinger publishes its case studies with the base and the limits next to each number, and that is the pattern this template copies. See the Lamothermic study for a full example, with the replies and referrals counted from the production system.
When not to use it
- When you would have to invent or round up a result. Send nothing rather than a number you cannot support.
- When a customer has not agreed to be named. Describe the type of company instead.
- As the first message to someone who has not asked for evidence.
How to use it in Sellinger
Add your approved case study links and the one line result for each to a text article in the knowledge base, so the agent can answer with them and never invents one. Sellinger's case studies show the format. Put the approved wording in a text article in a knowledge base collection and attach it to the persona, so the agent answers from it. If you would rather answer yourself, add a needs attention rule for this kind of reply, and the conversation is flagged for a person.
Common questions
What should I send when a prospect asks for case studies?
What if I have no case studies yet?
Should I name the customer?
Can the agent send case studies?
Sources and method
Wording is ours. The Lamothermic reference is the published case study, Sellinger production data, read only.
Related: Templates hub, Case studies, Ask a customer for a case study, Value proposition that gets read.
