How to Get Great Customer Quotes (That Actually Convert)
A great customer quote can do the selling for you. Learn how to find the right ones, what to listen for, and where to use them for maximum impact.
Erin Westover
10/22/20259 min read
Sometimes, the right quote is all a prospect needs to decide to buy. A single line can do what paragraphs of copy can’t, adding emotional color, credibility, and truth straight from the source. That’s why companies feature quotes as proof of value and why publications bold them to draw readers in. People crave truth, and the right quote delivers it.
When I interview customers, thought leaders, or anyone with a story worth telling, that’s what I’m searching for. It’s a balance between curiosity and direction, following the thread of conversation while knowing when you’ve struck gold. The goal is always the same: to create conversations that feel authentic yet purposeful.
“Quotes do what marketing copy can’t: they let your customers speak for you.”
Here is how to have great conversations that result in quotes that convert.
What Makes a Quote “Convertable?”
Let’s start with the basics: the purpose of a quote is to add perspective and gain credibility.
Quotes are not used for the who, what, where, and when of a story. Remember, quotes paint the picture. If prospects can recognize themselves in the feelings of current customers - that’s gold. A salesperson’s feelings and perspective can only go so far. Customers need to see themselves in each other.
So what turns a regular quote into one that converts? These are the four qualities I listen for every time.
Qualities of a High-Converting Quote
Specificity
When it comes to selling, hard data matters. If a customer mentions a change in their processes, ask them if they have any hard numbers behind that. Ask what changed, and if they saved money, ask if they have a rough estimate for that.
Time-crunched prospects might not read an entire case study and instead might scan for before-and-after numbers to see if the solution they’re considering is all it’s cracked up to be.
This one can be harder to pull, as not everyone tracks in a granular way. Keep your ear tuned for “before and after” moments as they are often your strongest proof points.
❌ Low Conversion Quote:
“This product saves us time and money.”
✔️ High Conversion Quote:
“We used to spend a whole day counting inventory, now we can do it in an hour.”
Emotion + story
What makes marketing the most effective? When you know what the ‘why’ is behind everything you put out. A customer story is just a customer story, unless you add quotes that tell why it matters. Quotes are not used for narrating the story, quotes are used to add color and engage readers.
When interviewing, keep an ear out for quotes that show exactly what the interviewee felt about a situation at a particular time. How did it make them feel? Emotions are powerful and are the things that grab readers the most. Most of all, it brings authenticity into the story.
❌ Low Conversion Quote:
“Before this product, business wasn't doing well.”
✔️ High Conversion Quote:
"I considered closing our location because we didn’t have the staff. But when we started automating the tasks we couldn't do, we started growing again.”
Relatability
People are skeptical that marketers are trying to solve their problems. They think we’re just selling. But the truth is, we’re doing both. The best way to earn trust is by using quotes from customers who sound like your prospects.
❌ Low Conversion Quote:
“I started a nonprofit to make a difference.”
✔️ High Conversion Quote:
“I didn’t start this company to do paperwork. I started it to make a difference. With this tool, I feel like I can do both well.”
Clarity
It’s true, most people are scanning articles. With this being the case, being able to ask the right questions to get interviewees to think and reflect can sometimes result in a quote that does all the work for you. It speaks to the problem, the solution, and the results.
It might be funny, insightful, or moving. It might have an aspect of any of the above qualities. It’s also the hardest to elicit authentically because, let’s face it, not everyone has the gift of words.
But if you stay aware during the interview process, you will notice when a quote is fire emoji. You’ll know it because it seems to do all the selling for you.
❌ Low Conversion Quote:
“This product has helped our business grow.”
✔️ High Conversion Quote:
“I’ve always been hesitant to spend money when you can’t easily determine the ROI. But our business is growing and our team is stronger than ever. To me, that’s priceless.”
How to Get Great Quotes
Always approach the way you get quotes with a high level of integrity. Let people know why you are collecting information or running the interview. Remember, you don’t need to run an entire interview to get quotes that will convert. You simply have to show how it’s a win-win for everyone involved.
For example, instead of saying “I need you to praise the work we’ve done”, you could frame it as, “this will help me do my job better” or “your feedback will help other customers who need us find us.”
Embedded in Surveys and Interviews
From a marketing perspective, sometimes you’ll have a campaign that requires being bolstered up with quotes. Offering a small incentive can increase participation but the reward should be for completing the survey, not for what they say. I recommend collecting surveys if you go this route, with the option of providing written feedback that you can turn into a quote. Otherwise, surveys can be turned into hard data that you can use for campaigns (ie. 70% of our customers reported higher post interactions).
During Onboarding, Check-ins, or Touchpoints
Your customer success teams or support teams can be great assets in gathering quotes. It also offers a way to review the effectiveness of different processes.
This kind of interaction with customers is anchored in strong relationship building and creates trust. If customers feel that they are listened to and trust you, they are more likely to share their experiences with you. If you can capture their wins in a quote, it’s more likely to convert.
Just like planning survey campaigns from a marketing perspective, customer facing teams need to have the feedback collection process built into their day-to-day. Keeping that feedback loop open helps you catch unexpected results, which can prove your value better than any marketing claim.
After a Big Win or Milestone
This is where customer-facing teams and marketing teams come together to create something that only provides evidence through a quote, but celebrates a customer. People want to share their wins, it’s not just about your company at that point. This makes it easy to get customers to want to publicly share and it feels a lot less like selling.
It’s also another reason to have systems in place to nurture relationships with current customers. Keeping that opportunity for feedback could make the difference in picking up on the unexpected results of your product. If your product or service helped an individual or company achieve something, that’s exciting. The proof of your value there.
Remember: it’s all about how you frame your ask. A win for all will more likely result in getting the high-conversion quotes you’re after.
How to Ask the Right Questions (and Handle What Comes Up)
The best way to ask the right questions to get the best quotes? Do your research.
If you go into a meeting or interview without refreshing who this person or company is, the conversation will stay surface-level. People want to feel like they matter — and doing your research shows genuine curiosity, which naturally gets people to open up.
You can naturally steer the flow of a conversation and uncover great quotes in the process by understanding the overall structure of a story. No matter what piece of content you’re writing, storytelling follows the same framework. Learn what questions are required in each part below.
Four Part Storytelling Framework
Before (Context and Setup) – Sets the stage, and it simultaneously establishes context and helps readers identify with the customer. Focus questions around who, what, where, and when. It’s a powerful time to harness their ‘why’. Do your research beforehand, but open up the floor for them to tell their origin story.
Problem (Conflict and Tension) – Highlight the painpoint, obstacle, or gap that motivated a change. Identifying this is important because it acted as the catalyst that led a customer to you. Ask questions that uncover this: what were they experiencing, what was the impact, and how did it make them feel? A relatable or emotional quote is powerful, because remember, connecting with audiences creates more engagement.
Solution (Action and Change) – Explains what was done and why. It’s where your product, service, or process shows up as a possible hero. Ask questions that allow readers to understand their reasoning behind the choice and everyone who was involved. How did they find you? What was that decision like?
Results (Resolution and Transformation) – This is where you focus on the data. Seek out answers that are quantifiable (numbers, time saved, growth). As mentioned, not everyone has this, so a good fallback is asking how the customer felt about the change and its impact, and garner a great quote from that.
How to Handle Negativity
Even with the best preparation, not every conversation goes smoothly. If negativity surfaces, the best thing you can do is listen. It’s amazing how often that alone changes the tone.
Listen. You’d be surprised by how many people just want to be heard. And listening makes a huge difference in getting anyone back on your side.
Apologize. Sure, you didn’t do anything but saying something like “I’m sorry that happened” turns the focus on you around and reinforces that they are being heard.
Validate their experience. Sometimes, there’s nothing you can do to fix it. But oftentimes, saying something like, “that sounds really hard” releases any built up tension.
Share their feedback. People generally recognize that you can’t solve their problem. But this shows that they matter, which once again, garners trust.
Segue into something positive. The easiest way to get someone back on your side is to ask them about themselves. Ask about any recent wins, future plans, or lighter, more contextual information.
When You Can't Get an Interview
When an interview is low on someone’s priority list, due to unavailability or a busy schedule, there are other ways to collect great quotes.
Offer Different Formats: A recorded interview is great because you can use snippets for marketing purposes. However, a phone call can result in just as much detailed information. You can even email them a set of questions following the four part structure and prioritizing questions that are more likely to result in stronger quotes.
Let Them Know Short is Fine: As you start repeating the framework in all your interviews and do deep research beforehand, you’ll be amazed at what you can gather in only a few questions. You’ll also start training your ear to notice great quotes or when to pivot the conversation to focus on an area more.
Draft a Quote and Ask for Approval: This approach is common in B2B or marketing contexts (less so in journalism). As long as you’re transparent, it’s a great way to keep projects moving. Make sure it’s as unbiased as you can and not overblown. Send it to the person you are hoping to quote and let them change it however they see fit.
Transparency is key. Always get written approval for any drafted quotes before publishing.Be Flexible about Anonymity: Always allow people to choose to opt out of being directly cited. Sometimes, their quote is enough. However, make sure you don’t start relying on this method.
How to Use Quotes to Convert
Quotes are powerful because they do what marketing copy can’t: they let your customers speak for you. Real voices build credibility, evoke emotion, and make your story believable. And once you start collecting great quotes, they become one of your most versatile marketing assets.
On your website
Your website is often the first touchpoint, so quotes can create instant trust. On your homepage, they provide proof of value before visitors even learn what you do. On product or service pages, they can clarify benefits in plain language and add emotional context that bullet points can’t.
Tip: Choose quotes that mirror what your target audience is thinking or worrying about. They’ll see themselves in the quote.
In sales decks or proposals
When buyers are evaluating options, a well-placed quote can make the difference. It acts as third-party validation, proving you’ve delivered results before. Think of quotes here as your closer: they reassure prospects that your promises are backed by experience.
Tip: Match the quote to the stage of the buyer journey, ie. results-oriented quotes near the end and emotional or problem-focused ones up front.
As social proof visuals
Quote graphics are simple but incredibly effective. A single line can express your brand’s value, personality, and credibility all at once. Even if someone doesn’t know your company, a great quote communicates trust at a glance.
Tip: Use design and formatting to make the quote pop, such as a real face, brand colors, and a clear attribution to make it feel more human and shareable.
In cold outreach emails / pitches
When you have limited space, a short, powerful quote builds credibility fast. It makes your pitch relatable and anchors your claims in reality.
Tip: Choose quotes that mirror your prospect’s situation (“We were struggling with X until Y helped us...”). This signals empathy and relevance without extra copy.
In content pieces (blogs, newsletters)
Quotes can bring content to life and reinforce your authority. Whether you’re explaining a trend or making a recommendation, including a real customer voice transforms a statement into evidence.
Tip: Organize quotes by theme (pain points, results, benefits) so you can easily pull them to strengthen future articles or newsletters.
“Getting great quotes isn't about persuasion. It's about connection.”
There you have it. Now you know what makes a quote powerful and how to turn it into a conversion tool. You have strategies to collect them, ideas for where to use them, and ways to handle the moments that don’t go as planned.
Great quotes come from curiosity, emotional intelligence, and integrity. They’re born from genuine connection, not manipulation.
I’ve built my career on that belief. If you have upcoming campaigns, launches, or stories to tell, reach out.
Let’s create something great together.
