How to review pitches and quotes without strangling them

Focus your review on truth, permission, clarity, and what the company is prepared to say. Let the agency handle the writing and outreach decisions you hired it to make. Good feedback makes the material more accurate and useful without turning every sentence into committee copy.

Start with the facts and meaning

Check the product description, numbers, dates, customer references, and claims. If something is wrong, explain the correction and point to the right information.

Then ask whether the draft says something useful to its intended reader. A pitch can be accurate yet buried in jargon. Tell the agency what is unclear or overstated and let it solve the wording.

For example, a fictional reviewer might write: “This sounds as if the feature is available to every customer. It is currently a limited beta. Please make that clear.” That gives the writer a concrete problem to fix.

Protect the speaker's actual view

An attributed quote should reflect what the named person believes, knows, and would be comfortable defending. Ask the speaker to check the substance and voice.

Avoid replacing a clear statement with a string of approved slogans. An executive who would never say the proposed words should explain the idea in their own language so the agency can revise it.

Customer quotes and examples need permission from the customer. A previous approval may not cover a materially different claim or use.

Explain which comments are necessary

Distinguish a factual correction, a confidentiality concern, an unclear argument, and a wording preference. When a change is optional, say so.

Collect colleagues' feedback into one coherent response where possible. Resolve conflicting instructions internally rather than making the agency guess which reviewer wins.

For members, the PRSA Code of Ethics emphasizes accurate communication and correcting errors. The agency should challenge questionable claims too.

Give routine work room to move

Agree which messages and facts the agency may use without another item-by-item review. Bring new claims, sensitive details, and attributed language back to the relevant person.

Specialist review belongs where the subject warrants it. A regulated health claim, financial disclosure, or incident statement is different from a routine product description. Explain the specific issue to the reviewer rather than asking every department to approve everything.

Return useful feedback within the available window

Agree on a normal review turnaround and a way to flag genuine external deadlines. If you cannot review in time, tell the agency so it can adjust, ask for more time, or decline.

The approval guide helps set those boundaries. If a draft repeatedly needs extensive repair, discuss the underlying misunderstanding with the agency rather than rewriting every version yourself.