| name | conversation-first-outreach |
| description | Create, diagnose, and roleplay live outreach conversations using a conversation-first method for booking calls, follow-ups, and next steps across cold calling, door-to-door, and direct outreach. Use when the user mentions “conversation-first outreach,” “cold outreach conversation,” “cold calling,” “door to door,” live outreach, follow-up, objection handling, or booking calls. Also trigger when drafting scripts, improving outreach, structuring an outbound conversation, or roleplaying prospect conversations. |
Conversation-First Outreach
Live outreach works by giving the prospect safety of no: structure questions so a prospect can comfortably answer “no,” because in this method no often functions as consent or forward movement (“no means yes”). Then help them take problem ownership, drill into example-impact-root cause, and close only after enough problem energy exists.
Source: user-provided conversation-first outreach framework notes captured in sources.md. Use exact templates from references/templates.md when the user wants wording.
Run sequence
- Choose the branch. Classify the request as script/call plan, diagnosis, teaching, roleplay, objection handling, gatekeeper, or follow-up. Completion: the response format matches the branch instead of giving generic sales advice.
- Get the outreach basics. Identify ICP/title, company/context, offer, top 2-3 pains with consequences, channel, and desired next step. Completion: if any missing piece blocks a useful script, ask for it; otherwise state assumptions.
- Open with safety of no. Use candid unfamiliarity, relevance, and a no-oriented low-pressure question. Completion: the opener makes it easy for the prospect to answer “no” without feeling trapped, and treats that no as permission to continue when appropriate.
- Pitch problems, not the product. Name 2-3 pains other similar prospects mention, each with a consequence, then negative-frame the opposite. Completion: the prospect is invited to pick a problem or say they have none.
- Create problem ownership. Drill the chosen problem through
example -> impact -> root cause -> summary. Completion: before any close, the prospect has given at least one concrete example and the agent has summarized it back.
- Handle prospect questions with the qualifying framework. Treat prospect questions as chances to qualify. In most cases, respond with a qualifying question instead of answering directly. If a direct answer is necessary for basic clarity or trust, keep it to one sentence, then qualify with Clarify, Options, or The Why. Completion: the response turns the prospect's question into problem relevance, meaning, or priority instead of over-explaining the offer.
- Handle friction by returning to the problem. For objections, acknowledge, ask permission to ask a question, then challenge the objection and redirect to the owned problem. Completion: the response does not debate the objection in isolation.
- Use OLQ for dead air or exits. If the conversation stalls, ask permission for one last question, then revive with an improvement, change, closed-mind, or objection-tailored question. Completion: the OLQ seeks truth, not a forced yes.
- Close at the emotional peak. Close only when the prospect is agitated, detailed, or self-persuading about the problem. Completion: the close asks for a low-pressure sit-down/exploration tied to their stated problem.
- Post-close against flake risk. Give one more objection, reconfirm the problem, confirm the invite, send an agenda separately, and arrange a pre-meeting confirmation call/text. Completion: the next step has time, agenda, and confirmation plan.
Branches
Script or call plan
Return: opener, problem pitch, negative frame, drill questions, objection redirects, OLQ options, close, post-close confirmation. Completion: every line is speakable out loud.
Diagnosis
Score the conversation against: safety of no, problem pitch, negative frame, problem ownership, example, impact, root cause, summary, close timing, post-close. Completion: name the weakest missing link and rewrite that section.
Teaching
Explain the method as a live conversation arc, then show a tiny example. Completion: the user can see what to do next in their own outreach.
Roleplay
Play the prospect or seller as requested. Keep replies realistic, resistant, and problem-centered. Completion: after roleplay, give a short debrief on what worked, what broke, and the next drill.
Gatekeeper
Use either power through or get help from references/gatekeepers.md. Completion: the script asks for the prospect without over-explaining to the gatekeeper.
Core patterns
- Safety of no / no-oriented question: Ask so “no” is the safe forward answer: “Would you be mad if I asked you something?” / “Would it be a bad idea to have a sit down?” / “Is there any reason to not put some time aside?”
- Negative frame: “Perhaps you don't have any of these issues and you're in {ridiculously positive opposite}.”
- Clarify: “I'm confused. When you say {x}, what does that mean?”
- Options: “When you say {x}, do you mean A, B, or C?”
- The Why: “I'm guessing {x} is important to you for a reason?”
- Disqualify: “Even if we could fix that, it wouldn't be a priority, right?”
- OLQ: “You okay if I ask one last question before I go?”
- Final challenge: “Do you mind if I ask a tough question? Have you accepted this is the way things are?”
Example conversation
Seller: “John, we don't know each other. Would you be mad if I asked you something about your sales team?”
Prospect: “No, go ahead.”
Seller: “I work with teams like yours, and a few problems usually come up: reps have good conversations but don't book enough meetings, follow-ups slip through the cracks, or prospects say they're interested and then ghost. But maybe none of that is happening and everything is running perfectly.”
Prospect: “No, the ghosting thing definitely happens.”
Seller: “What does that look like?”
Prospect: “They'll say send me info, then we never hear back.”
Seller: “What's the impact of that?”
Prospect: “Pipeline looks better than it is. Reps think they have opportunities that aren't real.”
Seller: “Where do you think that comes from?”
Prospect: “Probably not creating enough urgency on the first call.”
Seller: “Let me see if I got this right: prospects show interest, reps leave thinking there's a real opportunity, but because the problem wasn't made painful enough, those prospects disappear. Is that fair?”
Prospect: “Yeah, exactly.”
Seller: “Do you mind if I ask a tough question? Have you accepted this is just the way outbound works?”
Prospect: “No, but it feels hard to fix.”
Seller: “Would it be a bad idea to put some time aside and see if I can help you tighten that first-call structure?”
Prospect: “No, that'd be fine.”
Seller: “You sure you're not going to wake up that morning and think, ‘I don't actually have this problem’?”
Prospect: “No, it's definitely a problem.”
Seller: “Perfect. I'll send the invite with an agenda, and I'll text you beforehand to confirm.”
Concept map for the example
- Safety of no: “Would you be mad if I asked you something?” lets the prospect say “No, go ahead,” so no creates permission.
- Problem pitch: The seller lists common peer problems before mentioning any product.
- Negative frame: “Maybe none of that is happening and everything is running perfectly” gives the prospect room to reject the premise.
- Problem ownership: The prospect chooses “ghosting” instead of being told what their problem is.
- Example: “They'll say send me info, then we never hear back.”
- Impact: “Pipeline looks better than it is...” turns the symptom into business pain.
- Root cause: “Not creating enough urgency...” locates why the problem keeps happening.
- Summary: The seller recaps the problem, example, and impact before closing.
- Final challenge: “Have you accepted this is just the way outbound works?” tests whether the problem has energy.
- No-oriented close: “Would it be a bad idea...” lets “No” mean yes to the meeting.
- Post-close anti-flake: The seller gives one more objection and reconfirms the problem before sending the invite.
Guardrails
- Do not pitch features before the prospect owns a problem.
- Do not default to answering prospect questions directly; use qualifying questions first whenever possible, and only add a brief answer when clarity or trust requires it.
- Do not close before the prospect gives a concrete example.
- Do not chase yes; design no-oriented questions where a safe “no” creates consent, correction, or forward movement.
- Do not treat objections as separate debates; redirect them to the problem.
- Do not make cold email or DM the default; this skill is for live conversations.
