Practical Sales Training™ > How To Lose The Sale > Speech Marks
Speech Marks
What Is It
Whenever I see a word wrapped in speech marks, and it isn’t an actual quotation, something shifts in my head. It quietly tells me to be suspicious of whatever sits inside those marks.
Most people who do this have no idea it’s happening. They’re just adding emphasis, the way they might underline a word or write it in bold instead.
Yet the effect on the reader is completely different. Emphasis draws attention. Speech marks around a plain word plant doubt, whether the writer meant that or not.
Why Does It Work
It works because speech marks around a word basically signal doubt. Someone still uses the word, but the marks hint that it might not be entirely accurate.
For example, a sign reading we “fix” Hondas makes me think the fixing might be temporary. Maybe it’s not quite a fix at all. There might be some issue lurking underneath that phrasing.
If the same sign simply said “we fix Hondas,” there’d be no issue at all. That’s a plain statement, not a scare quote. The words are identical. Only the punctuation changes the meaning.
How Can You Use It
Understand Why It Happens
Most of the time, this comes from poor translation or simply not understanding English punctuation. Whatever the reason behind it, the impact on a reader stays exactly the same.
Know What It Signals To Buyers
If you want people to feel unsure about you, wrapping random “words” in speech marks does exactly that. It’s a reliable way to deter potential buyers. It makes people think twice, for entirely the wrong reasons.
“You’re welcome.”
When It Works Best
Spotting and fixing this habit pays off most wherever credibility matters immediately, like signage, menus, and first contact materials. These are the exact moments a buyer decides whether to trust you at all.
It also matters heavily for translated or multilingual content, where the habit shows up most often. A quick proofread before anything goes public catches almost every instance.
When It Becomes Dangerous
This habit becomes genuinely damaging the moment it appears on something a buyer sees before they’ve met you. First impressions form in seconds. An odd scare quote plants doubt before you’ve built a single ounce of trust.
It’s also risky in industries where reliability is the entire pitch, like repairs, medical services, or anything safety related. A stray quotation mark there does real reputational harm.
Common Mistakes
Using Speech Marks For Emphasis
Reaching for quotation marks instead of bold or italics is the single most common cause of this problem. Use proper emphasis formatting, and save speech marks for actual quotations only.
Never Proofreading Signage And Print
Teams edit digital copy constantly, but printed signs and menus often go unchecked for years. Review physical materials just as carefully as anything published online.
Assuming Nobody Will Notice
Once you’ve seen this pattern, you can’t unsee it. Plenty of buyers notice these small signals consciously. Many more pick up on them without knowing exactly why they feel uneasy.
Speech Marks – An Example
Hundreds Of Accidental Warnings
There are literally “hundreds” of examples like this scattered across the internet, on signs, menus, and storefronts everywhere. Once you start noticing them, they’re genuinely hard to stop seeing.
Each one was almost certainly meant as simple emphasis. Every single one ends up doing the opposite job instead.
See also
