How to write a quote for a press release: give one named speaker one plain sentence of opinion that the release body does not already state, in words that person would say aloud.
A product launch is drafted, the facts are tight, and the quote slot still holds a line about being thrilled. This guide sets out concrete quote patterns, each with a before-and-after rewrite, so that slot adds something a journalist can use. The sample company, product and speakers are invented, so swap in details you can verify.
A quote is one part of the wider tech press release format. It works best when the body already carries the news and the quote supplies the human reaction.
What journalists make of release quotes
Release quotes are used unevenly. A Goldman McCormick roundup of journalist surveys reports that about 28% of journalists use release quotes regularly while 13% never touch them. The same piece says 34% of journalists complain that quotes lack substance and 50% say the language sounds unnatural.
Those two complaints shape every pattern below. A usable quote has substance, meaning an opinion or reason the body lacks. It also sounds like a person talking. The wordsworks guidance adds the underlying principle, that press releases are there to serve the media, not the company. A quote earns its place by giving a reporter something to print.
Interview first, then draft
Quotes written from a blank page tend to read like committee prose. The wordsworks advice is to talk to the person being quoted, even for just two or three minutes. Ask why the news matters and what customers have been struggling with. Then lift the most natural phrase from the answer.
The same source describes the quote as a chance to put the company’s representative in the media. That only works if the words belong to the representative. Draft from their phrasing, then edit for length and clarity rather than rewriting into house style.
An opinion the body lacks
This is the core pattern. Goldman McCormick advises to reserve quotes for feelings or opinions, and let straight facts stay in paraphrase. It suits any launch where the body already states what the product does. Its limit is that the opinion has to be one the speaker actually holds, not a restated feature.
- Before: “This is an exciting milestone and a game-changing solution that empowers teams to unlock value.”
- After: “Support teams know which bugs hurt customers most, but engineers rarely see that, and Relay closes the gap.”
The rewrite names a problem and a stance. A reporter can quote it without repeating the release body, which already explains what Relay does. The wordsworks guidance also warns that a quote that is a blatant sales pitch for your company should be dropped, so keep the opinion about the problem rather than about the company’s greatness.
Plain words from the product lead
A product lead suits releases where the news is a feature, integration or technical change. The usual failure is jargon. Wordsworks puts it bluntly: you’re going to have to be ruthless with jargon. A second test comes from Ronn Torossian’s press release guide: if the executive would never use a phrase in a meeting, cut it from the quote.
- Before: “Relay leverages a best-in-class, end-to-end integration paradigm to streamline cross-functional workflows.”
- After: “Nobody should have to copy a ticket into another tool by hand.”
Read the revised line aloud. Wordsworks suggests asking whether the person would really say that quote, in those words, and cutting lines that sound like a management textbook. The quote should state the human point, and the body can carry the technical description. For that body copy, see how to write about technical products for journalists.
A CEO line on direction and stakes
A chief executive suits news about company direction, funding, partnerships or strategy. The CEO adds weight when the opinion concerns why the company is making the move. It adds little when the news is a minor feature and the line only praises the team. For hire announcements the quote has a specific job, covered in the executive appointment press release template.
- Before: “Northwind is the market-leading provider of support tooling, and Relay further cements our leadership position.”
- After: “Customers kept asking why a bug they reported was still open, and Relay is the answer to that.”
The before version is the self-promotion pattern. The after version explains the motive and could only come from someone who hears customer complaints. Leave the company description to the boilerplate, which Ronn Torossian says to copy unchanged from the last release. The quote then spends its words on a point of view.
A customer quote with a reason
A customer quote suits releases about adoption, partnerships or proof that a product works in practice. It carries credibility the company cannot supply about itself. Its limits are practical: the customer must approve the wording, and a generic line such as “great product, great team” adds nothing.
- Before: “Relay is great, and the Northwind team is a pleasure to work with.”
- After: “Engineers now see the tickets behind each bug, so the argument about what to fix first mostly goes away.”
The rewrite describes a change in how the customer’s team works. Ask the account manager for that detail before drafting, then send the customer a short line for sign-off instead of a polished paragraph. Keep results to claims the customer can stand behind, since attribution should go to whichever source carries the most authority on the specific claim.
Choosing who to quote
Goldman McCormick’s guidance is that most releases need one to two speakers, not more. Choose by who has the most authority on the point being made, not by who is most senior.
| Speaker | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| CEO | Strategy, funding, partnerships and why the company is making the move | Vague praise that could apply to any company |
| Product lead | What changed in the product and why it matters to users | Jargon and feature lists that belong in the body |
| Customer | Evidence of how the product is used in practice | Unapproved wording and testimonial-style gushing |
The pairing logic comes from the authority principle in Goldman McCormick’s guidance, and the naming rules in Ronn Torossian’s press release guide apply to whichever speaker is chosen.
One short sentence
Length is where many quotes fail. Goldman McCormick’s advice is blunt: write one sentence, not two. It cites an average quoted length in sampled news of 19 to 20 words, with the most common length around seven words. Treat the average as a ceiling for comfortable reading, not a target. The wordsworks guidance agrees in spirit, saying it’s best not to include a quote that’s a four-line-long sentence.
- Before: “With Relay, which has been in development for a long time and reflects feedback from many customers across different industries, support and engineering teams can finally collaborate in ways that were previously difficult, which should change how teams work.”
- After: “Support and engineering finally work from the same list.”
This pattern suits any quote that has grown clauses during approvals. If the shortened line loses a necessary fact, move that fact into the body and leave the quote as the reaction.
Attribution that gives reporters someone to call
Attribution turns a line into a usable quote. Ronn Torossian points out that “a spokesperson said” gives a reporter no one to call back. Name the speaker, and use the full name and exact title in the same form each time, for example “Maria Chen, Chief Executive Officer of Acme Corp” in the guide’s own illustration.
- Before: “Nobody should have to copy a ticket into another tool by hand,” said a company spokesperson.
- After: “Nobody should have to copy a ticket into another tool by hand,” said Dana Whitfield, Chief Product Officer of Northwind.
Use the plain verb. Wordsworks says to introduce the quote with “John Smith said:”, so “said” beats “enthused” or “proclaimed”. Goldman McCormick’s summary of AP style adds the mechanics: use double quotation marks, place punctuation inside the quotes, and attribute quotes after the first sentence of a multi-sentence quote.
A pull quote that differs from the body quote
If the release uses a highlighted pull quote, it should be a different line from the one in the body. Goldman McCormick warns that reusing the same line in the body and as a pull quote wastes the opportunity. This suits longer releases with several speakers or a distinct customer view.
- Before: the body quote and the pull quote both read “Support and engineering finally work from the same list.”
- After: the body keeps that line, and the pull quote uses the customer’s remark about the argument over what to fix first going away.
The pull quote should be the sharpest line available that the reader has not already seen.
Pre-send checklist
- Check that the quote states an opinion, reason or stance that the release body does not.
- Read the line aloud and cut any phrase the speaker would never say in a meeting.
- Reduce it to one sentence, moving any necessary fact into the body.
- Remove any line that works as a sales pitch for the company.
- Name the speaker with their full name and exact title, using the plain verb “said”.
- Confirm the wording with the speaker or customer.
- Make sure any pull quote uses a different line from the body.
Frequently asked questions
Where in the release should the quote go?
Goldman McCormick says quotes are effective at the beginning, middle or end. Place the line where its opinion naturally follows the news angle it reacts to.
Should a quote ever be set as an indented block?
Rarely. Goldman McCormick notes that block quotes seldom belong in a press release, so keep the quote inline within a normal paragraph.
Should the quote describe the company?
No. Company description belongs in the boilerplate, which Ronn Torossian’s guide says to copy unchanged from the previous release. The quote is for the speaker’s point of view.
