WordScience

Write the Quote You’d Like to See

In the B2B world, press release quotes come from:

• Your company spokesperson, who should to be director level or above, not the PR person
• Clients who have some connection to your announcement
• Industry analysts and gurus who can put your news in context or validate your positioning
• Business partners and collaborators who may be a part of the announcement
  

In reality, most B2B press release quotes are manufactured for these executives who “speak” them. “Write the quote you’d like to see,” recommends one marketing veteran. “The client will often use it or just modify slightly, so give it your best shot and use your own judgement.”

Ten Tips for Quote Writers

What’s the point of the press release quote? If a release doesn’t have one, does anyone notice? Maybe not, but why not take advantage of this special section of your release? Use your quote “real estate” strategically. It’s a chance for the company to speak. Consider these ideas as you plan your next press release quote:

• Quotes can be opinions, so if you need to sneak one into a release, that’s the place to do it.
• Work in something specific about why this announcement makes you better than the competition.
• Frame the announcement in context of your bigger corporate strategy.
• Weave in a key word or search phrase that just couldn’t fit in anywhere else.
• Point out industry trends that are relevant to the news.
• Make an emotional connection that isn’t suited to the otherwise factual nature of the rest of the release, but don’t say you’re happy/thrilled/excited or some other high school gush.
• Describe an example of how the news solves problems for your customers. Tell a little story.
• Talk about why your company felt this was an important step to take. Be specific and honest.
• Use “According to” to vary from “he/she said,” especially if there are multiple quotes in the release.
• Keep quotes short and to the point. Avoid multiple-paragraph quotes. We don’t like wordy people, so no wordy quotes, please.

Too Many Good Quotes? Quote Gallery!

Most B2B quotes are created by a PR person, but what if you actually conduct an interview to capture comments for your press release? And what if the result is  a hodge podge of interesting but disjointed comments? Don’t despair. Turn them into a “quote gallery” organized by topical subheads that a trade journal editor can pull from at will. It’s an approach well suited to the bite-size info needs of the online world.

Publish as an Interview

Instead a single quote, if you have a lot of good copy to work from, turn the press release into an interview with the person who’s being quoted. This makes the release a little different from the run-of-the-mill release. Just be sure the final quote-driven product is professional, focused on your release topic and something an editor can use as a standalone piece without embarrassment.

Keep It Real As You Make It Up

Make it real. Think conversation. What would your CEO tell an editor – or customer – about this news if they were sitting face to face over a cup of coffee or glass of beer? Make the quote sound like something a real person would actually say. Read it out loud to see if it sounds real.

Be Real Bold

Most executives are reluctant to “say” anything provocative or contrarian, and I can understand that. But a juicy, provocative quote, within limits, can drive more attention to your release. Take a risk. Be bold with your quote.

 Some Samples

For fun, here are a few random but actual quotes from B2B press releases. See if they do anything for you. And for transparency purposes, I did write one of these.

“For channel partners, we look for ISVs with customers generating documents, like contracts, renewals and invoices in vertical markets like insurance, government and banking. Integrating our software into their solution saves ISVs time and money. Instead of developing and maintaining their own document creation tool, they can almost immediately bring this functionality to customers through our software. ISVs can then differentiate themselves and strengthen client connections by providing this added value to their customers. Mary will help us identify and build relationships with ISVs who fit this profile,” said XYZ Software CEO, John Doe.

Looking forward to his new role, Williams said, “I am excited to bring my experience and knowledge to the team. I have never seen a product in this market that brings so much to the table in terms of functionality. JazzyJazz is an incredibly powerful tool that simplifies the entire workflow with a true turnkey solution from production to delivery to payment receipt.”

Blankety Food Service has acquired Yummies, a leading broadline foodservice distributor based in St. Louis, MI. Joe Snack, chief executive officer of Blankety Food Service, said, “Yummies is a great company with a strong family heritage. Their dedication to high-quality service is an ideal fit with Blankety Food Service’s culture and commitment to exceptional customer service.”

digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Tags: press release, press releases, trade journals