Keep a ledger of every claim you’re allowed to make

What it does

Proof wins deals: a result someone like them got, a customer they can call, a number they can check. But proof drifts. “About 8 hours a week” from one customer becomes “10+ hours” on the website a year later, and a quote stays up long after the customer has left. A proof ledger keeps every claim next to where it came from, so you only use what’s true and allowed.

What you need

• Your website, deck, emails and posts
• Your case studies, testimonials and the emails behind them
• A spreadsheet

How it works

1. 1

   List every claim in use today

   Every number, result, quote and customer logo on your website, in your deck, in your emails, ads and posts. Copy each one exactly as it’s written.

2. 2

   Find the source for each

   Google Sheets: paste into A1, one row per claim

   Claim, exactly as used	Where it's used	Source	Who	Date	Permission to use	Still true?	Status
   [CLAIM]	[WEBSITE, DECK, EMAIL]	[EMAIL, REPORT OR CALL]	[NAME, COMPANY]	[DATE]	[YES, IN WRITING / NO]	[YES / NO]	[CURRENT / OLD / UNPROVEN]

3. 3

   Mark each one current, old or unproven

   • Current: it has a source, you have permission, and it’s still true.
   • Old: it was true once, but the customer left or the numbers changed. Stop using it, or say when it was.
   • Unproven: nobody can find a source. It comes down today.
4. 4

   Fix what’s already out there

   Unproven claims come off your website and deck first, then out of your email templates and your copy bank.

5. 5

   Add every new result the week it happens

   Write down the number, how it was measured and who said it. Then ask for permission in writing.

   Email: asking to share a result

   Subject: can I share this?
   
   [FIRST NAME] - [THE RESULT, WITH THE NUMBER] is a great result, and it's yours.
   
   Could I share it? Something like: "[THE EXACT WORDS YOU'D USE]", with your name and company, or without them if you'd rather.
   
   Either answer is fine.
   
   [YOUR NAME]

What good looks like

Every claim you make can be traced to its source in under a minute, and nothing you publish is older or bigger than what the customer actually said.

Mistakes to skip

• Rounding up. “About 8 hours” turns into “10+” one edit at a time.
• Using a quote after the customer has left, without asking again.
• Keeping proof in someone’s head. If it isn’t in the ledger, it doesn’t get used.