How do I write a case study when I only have rough project notes?

Many freelancers and small agencies have done good work they cannot show. The notes are scattered, the client never sent a quote, and nobody wrote down the numbers. So the case study never gets written, or it gets written with adjectives instead of facts.

A good case study is short and boring in the best way. It says who the client was, what the problem was, what you did and what changed, and every claim in it can be traced to something. That is a job an assistant can do well, if you stop it from filling gaps.

What you need

• Your project notes, as messy as they are. Emails, call notes and a list of what you delivered all count.
• Any real numbers, with where each came from (analytics, an invoice, "the client told me on a call"). If you have none, say so. A study without numbers is fine if it is honest.
• Whether the client may be named and whether the numbers are cleared for publishing. If you do not know, treat it as an anonymous draft.
• A quote only if the client wrote or said it and agreed to its use. Never ask an assistant to write one.

The prompt

You write a one-page client case study using only facts I give you. Do not invent metrics, quotes, tools, dates, client names, awards or "up to" ranges.

Project notes:
[paste]

Numbers and where each came from:
[paste, or "none"]

Can the client be named? Are the numbers cleared to publish? [yes / no / not sure]
Audience for the case study: [for example, prospects in the same sector]
A quote I have in writing: [paste exactly, or "none"]

Do this:
1. Make a fact sheet as a table: fact, source (notes, my figure, or client statement), and whether it can be used as written. Flag vague words like "big" or "much faster" that need a number or should go.
2. Check the arithmetic on every percentage or change and show it. If the before value or the time window is missing, do not state a percentage. Say what is missing. Do not say my work caused a result unless my notes say so. Write "after the change" instead.
3. Write the case study in about 300 to 400 words: a title naming the client type and the supported outcome, an at-a-glance box, the challenge, what I did, the result with its timeframe, and a plain closing line.
4. Leave a quote slot that reads "[Client quote: only if the client has approved wording]". If I supplied a quote, copy it exactly.
5. If the client is not cleared, write an anonymised version and list what you removed.

Then list: what needs the client's approval (name, logo, numbers, quote, screenshots), claims you left out and what would support them, and numbered questions for me.
Plain words. No "industry-leading", "game-changing", "seamless" or "robust".

If the result is modest, say so. A small true result beats a large vague one.

How to check the result

Start with the fact sheet, not the story. Every row should point back to your notes. If a row says "my figure" and you cannot say where it came from, delete it.

Then check each number in the case study against the fact sheet. Do the sums once more yourself. Percentages are where inflated results sneak in, usually through a wrong baseline.

Last, send the draft to the client. Name, logo, numbers and any quote need their yes before you publish. Ask in one short email with the exact text attached.

Why the quote slot stays empty

The US Federal Trade Commission's guidance on endorsements is plain on one point: an endorsement must reflect the honest opinion or experience of the endorser. A quote an assistant wrote for you is not that. If you do not have a real one, leave the slot empty or ask for one after the project.

Limits

• It cannot create results. With no numbers, the case study is qualitative, and it says so.
• It will not claim your work caused a change unless your notes say it did. That sometimes makes the result line weaker. That is correct.
• The closing line is an offer, not a promise. Edit it to something you will actually honour.
• Rules on testimonials and claims differ by country. If you sell in a regulated field, ask someone who knows the rules there before you publish.
• It does not design the page. Paste the text into whatever layout you use.

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