Case studies can be an effective form of advertising and persuasion when vendors include them in an RFP response. How would you feel about offering your own company's experience as a case study for a vendor's marketing material?
There can be a positive ego-boosting aspect to this as your reputation in your company or even in the Sourcing field can be enhanced when people read of the success your initiative has created. (Of course, published case studies are only about great successes!)
Another benefit of allowing a case study to be made from your experience is economic. Buyers should be able to negotiate lower prices, more perks, additional support, or even free products or services in return for allowing their story to be used.
This is not to say that the studies are in any way compromised by the participants' compensation. In fact, the compensation is a fair exchange for the extra time the Buyer and his/her colleagues put in to help the vendor gather the necessary information. Case study participants usually allow themselves to be used as references for the vendor's potential business, which can also add up to a significant amount of time on the Buyer's part.
Next time you and a vendor have a particularly good relationship, bring up the possibility of making your company the subject of a case study.
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