Use customer quotations without changing their meaning

A customer says, ‘The first draft needed work, but the final explanation was clear.’ Publishing only ‘The final explanation was clear’ may remove context that mattered to the speaker. A quotation is not a box of favourable phrases to rearrange into the strongest possible endorsement.

Keep the original wording and context available while preparing an excerpt. Record where the quotation came from and what use has been agreed. Permission to send feedback privately is not the same as an agreed public testimonial. Confirm the proposed wording, attribution and placement with the appropriate person before publication.

Preserve the scope of the statement

A comment about one workshop should not appear as an endorsement of an entire course range. A remark about the booking process should not be placed beside a claim about teaching results in a way that implies support for that claim. Context includes the surrounding page, not only the words inside quotation marks.

When shortening, retain conditions or qualifications that affect meaning. If a useful excerpt cannot stand alone without distortion, introduce it with an explanation or choose a different quotation. Do not merge statements made at different times into one continuous quote without making the construction clear and obtaining approval.

Treat edits as edits

Correcting an obvious transcription error differs from rewriting a customer's voice into polished marketing language. If substantial rewriting is needed, present the proposed text to the speaker for approval rather than continuing to imply it is an untouched quotation. Never invent words because the original sentiment seems close enough.

Use an attribution that is accurate and permitted. A job title or organisation name may have changed since the comment was made. Where anonymity is necessary, explain the context honestly without adding invented identifying detail. A vague attribution should not disguise a fabricated customer.

Avoid claiming more from a quotation than it establishes. It records one person's stated experience; it is not proof that everyone will obtain the same outcome. Quantified or specialised claims inside testimonials may need additional verification before being used in promotional material.

Read the final page as a whole and ask whether the speaker would recognise both their words and the implication created around them. If the presentation changes that implication, revise it before asking the quotation to do persuasive work it was never meant to do.