Ask the sales team to record a few real uses. A small, specific log is more useful than a general request to “use the case studies more.”
Record the question that prompted the story
Fictional example log:
| Buyer question | Story used | What happened next | Editorial action |
|---|---|---|---|
| “How did another team introduce the process?” | Rollout interview | Buyer asked about the first team test | Keep; add an easy-to-find link to that section |
| “Can this work across several locations?” | Single-team story | Story did not answer the scale question | Find suitable multi-location evidence |
| “Who needs to approve the change?” | Process diagram story | Buyer shared it with an operations colleague | Ask whether the role detail was useful |
The log records what happened, not what marketing hopes the asset caused.
Keep customer and prospect details in the appropriate private system. A public editorial review can use anonymised summaries.
Ask salespeople useful questions
Which story did you choose and why? Was the relevant detail easy to find? What did the buyer still need to know? Was there a story you wanted but could not locate?
Avoid asking only whether they “liked” the content. A beautiful story may be irrelevant to the questions they receive.
If nobody used the asset, investigate distribution and discoverability before commissioning a replacement. The title, internal library or sales handoff may be the problem.
Choose the right improvement
Hard to find: improve the library label, summary or internal sharing route.
Useful detail buried: add a clear heading, excerpt or timestamp without changing the approved meaning.
Question unanswered: identify the missing evidence and assess whether an existing customer can provide it.
Story outdated: review the changed detail before further use.
Use the coverage audit for a genuine new gap and the evidence register for claims that need support.
Keep commercial reporting proportionate
You can record that a story was sent, discussed or associated with an opportunity. That does not by itself show that the story caused the purchase.
If you evaluate influence, define the records, period and method with the sales team. Separate a reported helpful moment from a causal claim about revenue.
For a small programme, the first useful result may be a better answer to a recurring buyer question. That can guide the next commission without inventing a conversion rate.
Close the loop with production
Give the writer or agency the actual question, what the existing story lacks and the desired output. “We need a video that explains a multi-location rollout decision” is a stronger brief than “we need more content.”
The aim is a library salespeople can use thoughtfully, with the next investment tied to a real buyer conversation.