Demonstrate Your Expertise with Case Studies Potential clients may be interested in your qualifications and specialist skills, and they will often also look for evidence of how this works in practice Back to Making the Most of Your Membership Share Tweet LinkedIn Pin Why do case studies matter? Potential clients may be interested in your qualifications and specialist skills, and they will often also look for evidence of how you have applied them in practice. Case studies provide that evidence. They show how you have worked with a real challenge, the approach you took and the difference your work made. This gives potential clients a clearer understanding of your experience and helps them assess whether your services may be relevant to their own situation. As one ANLP member commented: “…the format that you created for the case studies really works nicely—and easily—to make the stories come together.” Yvonne Fernando, ANLP Professional Member A case study allows you to move beyond saying that you specialise in a particular area. It gives you the opportunity to demonstrate that specialism through a practical example. What makes an effective case study? A strong case study is a clear, factual account of a specific piece of work. It should help the reader understand: the challenge or goal presented by the client the context in which the work took place the approach or process used the changes or outcomes achieved the value the client gained from the experience ANLP uses the Four Es of Case Studies to help members structure their submissions. Evidence A case study provides narrative evidence of your work. Describe the presenting challenge clearly and explain what changed as a result of the work. Focus on the facts rather than making broad or unsupported claims. Empathy Demonstrate that you understood the client’s experience, circumstances and wider context. Explain how you established what the client needed and how you worked with them in a way that respected their individual situation and desired outcomes. Explicit Keep the case study focused on a specific challenge and outcome. Avoid vague descriptions or a one-size-fits-all account. Be clear about what the client wanted to address, what you did and what happened as a result. Endorsement A case study provides an implicit endorsement of your work because the client has permitted their experience to be shared. Even when identifying details are removed, the example demonstrates that you have used your skills in practice and supported a client towards a meaningful outcome. How do I create and submit a case study? You can create and submit case studies through your ANLP member dashboard. The online format guides you through the information required and helps you structure the case study clearly. Before submitting, consider: What was the client’s presenting challenge or desired outcome? What relevant context does the reader need to understand? What approach did I take? What changed during or following the work? How does this example demonstrate one of my specialist skills? Have I protected the client’s confidentiality? You must have the client’s appropriate permission before sharing their experience. Remove or change identifying information where necessary and ensure that the case study complies with your professional, ethical and data-protection responsibilities. A case study should never make guarantees about results or suggest that every client will experience the same outcome. You can submit your case study in writing or create a short video case study where this option is more appropriate. The Submit a Case Study guide includes: instructions for uploading your case study guidance on structuring the content an example video case study practical tips for recording a clear and professional video What difference will case studies make? Case studies add depth and credibility to your member profile. They can: provide evidence of your experience demonstrate your specialist skills in practice help potential clients understand how you work show the types of challenges you have supported reinforce the claims made elsewhere on your profile help visitors decide whether your services may be suitable contribute to your Member Directory search ranking One detailed case study may provide more useful information than several general statements about what you can do. A range of case studies can also show the breadth of your work across different clients, circumstances or specialist areas. As the Gold Standard Independent Professional Body for NLP, ANLP is committed to promoting professional practice supported by credible evidence. Case studies help us demonstrate the practical application of NLP across our membership. Act Now - Add your first (or next) case study today Log in to your ANLP dashboard and identify a piece of client work that demonstrates your experience clearly and ethically. Use the Four Es to structure your example, obtain the necessary permission and follow the Submit a Case Study Guide to submit it. Do not simply tell potential clients what you can do. Show them through a genuine example of your work.
