| name | biz-dev-credentials |
| description | Generates the agency credentials document — the "who we are" document sent to prospective clients — plus a matching 8-slide deck outline for in-person presentations. Invoke when a consultant or agency needs to produce a credentials pack, capabilities document, or credentials presentation to share with a prospective client. |
Agency Credentials Generator
Produce two outputs from a single set of inputs: (1) a written credentials document and (2) an 8-slide deck outline. Both are ready to share or present without major editing. Apply East African English and professional register throughout.
Use when
- Generates the agency credentials document — the "who we are" document sent to prospective clients — plus a matching 8-slide deck outline for in-person presentations. Invoke when a consultant or agency needs to produce a credentials pack, capabilities document, or credentials presentation to share with a prospective client.
- Use this skill when it is the closest match to the requested deliverable or workflow.
Do not use when
- Do not use this skill for graphic design, video production, software development, or legal advice beyond the repository's stated scope.
- Do not use it when another skill in this repository is clearly more specific to the requested deliverable.
Workflow
- Collect the required inputs or source material before drafting, unless this skill explicitly generates the intake itself.
- Follow the section order and decision rules in this
SKILL.md; do not skip mandatory steps or required fields.
- Read files in
references/ only when the body points to them or when you need the deeper framework, examples, or evidence.
- Review the draft against the quality criteria, then deliver the final output in markdown unless the skill specifies another format.
Anti-Patterns
- Do not invent client facts, performance data, budgets, or approvals that were not provided or clearly inferred from evidence.
- Do not skip required inputs, mandatory sections, or quality checks just to make the output shorter.
- Do not drift into out-of-scope work such as code implementation, design production, or unsupported legal conclusions.
Outputs
- A structured markdown document, plan, playbook, or strategy ready for client-facing or internal use.
References
- Read
references/proposal-frameworks.md when you need the deeper framework, examples, or supporting material it contains.
Required Input
Ask for the following before generating anything:
- Agency name — trading name and any tagline
- Founder name and background — professional history, relevant experience, what prompted founding the agency
- Services offered — list of services (up to 6); plain-English descriptions
- Three client results — anonymised is acceptable; must include a measurable outcome for each
- Team members — for each: name, role, 3-sentence bio, key expertise areas
- Contact details — phone, email, website, physical address or city
- Country/city — defaults to Kampala, Uganda if not specified
If any of these are missing, ask for them before proceeding.
Output 1: Written Credentials Document
Generate each section in order. Do not skip sections.
1. Agency Overview and Founding Story
Write 3–4 sentences. Cover: what the agency does, who it serves, when it was founded, and why. Tone must be confident but not boastful — let the facts speak. Reference the founder's background naturally. Do not use superlatives ("the best", "leading", "premier").
Example register: "Meridian Social was founded in 2021 by [Founder Name], a communications professional with eight years' experience across corporate and NGO sectors in Uganda. The agency specialises in social media strategy and content management for small and medium-sized businesses seeking measurable growth. [Agency Name] brings together strategic rigour and practical execution — giving clients senior-level thinking without the overhead of an in-house team."
2. Services Offered
List 4–6 services. For each service:
- Service name (bold)
- One sentence describing what it is
- One sentence on who it is for or what problem it solves
Do not use jargon. Write as if explaining to a capable but non-specialist business owner.
3. Approach and Methodology
Describe how the agency works in 3–4 numbered steps. Each step has a title and 1–2 sentences. Frame this as a repeatable process that gives the client confidence. Reference the RACE framework (Chaffey, 2024) at the appropriate step — typically the planning or strategy phase.
Example step structure:
- Discovery — ...
- Strategy — ...
- Execution — ...
- Review — ...
4. Client Success Stories (Three)
For each story, use this format:
Client [A/B/C] — [Industry or anonymised descriptor, e.g. "Kampala-based retail brand"]
- Problem: One sentence. Specific challenge.
- Approach: One sentence. What was done.
- Result: One sentence. Specific metric or outcome. Use real numbers from the input. Never write "significant improvement".
5. Team Profiles
For each team member:
[Full Name]
[Role/Title]
[3-sentence bio: sentence 1 — professional background; sentence 2 — what they bring to clients; sentence 3 — a relevant personal or professional detail that adds colour without being informal.]
Expertise: [3–5 key areas, comma-separated]
6. Contact and Next Steps
Include:
- Full contact details as provided
- A short paragraph (2–3 sentences) inviting the prospective client to get in touch. Warm, professional, not pushy.
- A clear call to action: "We would welcome the opportunity to discuss your goals. Kindly reach out via [contact method] to arrange a conversation."
Output 2: 8-Slide Deck Outline
Generate immediately after the written document. Use the exact slide format from CLAUDE.md:
Slide N — [Slide Title]
Headline: [The one thing the audience must remember]
Bullets:
- [3–5 bullets maximum]
Speaker Notes: [What the presenter says — context and depth not shown on the slide]
Visual Direction: [Layout, imagery, colour, chart type]
Slide Structure
Slide 1 — Cover
Agency name, tagline, presenter name, date. Clean and professional.
Slide 2 — Who We Are
Founding story and agency overview. Headline should convey what makes the agency the right partner.
Slide 3 — What We Do
Services offered. Group into logical clusters if more than 4.
Slide 4 — How We Work
The methodology. 3–4 steps as a visual flow.
Slide 5 — Results We Have Delivered
Three case study snapshots — one per client story. Metric-led headline.
Slide 6 — Who We Work With
Ideal client profile: sectors, business sizes, maturity. Helps the prospect self-identify.
Slide 7 — What Working With Us Looks Like
Onboarding process, communication norms, typical engagement structure. Sets expectations.
Slide 8 — Let's Talk
Contact details, next step prompt, Q&A invitation.
Formatting Rules
- Use markdown headings and bold for section titles
- Credentials document: continuous prose with clear section breaks
- Deck outline: strict slide-by-slide format, no deviations
- No bullet points in the prose sections of the credentials document — write in full sentences
- Keep team bios in the specified format; do not pad with vague phrases ("passionate about", "dedicated to")
Social Proof Standards
Social Proof Taxonomy (Bly, 2018)
A credentials document must present all six social proof sources. Organise proof by client type and industry where possible — a financial services prospect is more convinced by financial services social proof than by a general mix across sectors.
| Source | What to Include | Placement in Credentials Document |
|---|
| Client testimonials | Named testimonials with photo (where consented), name, title, and organisation. Quote must reference a specific outcome, not general satisfaction. | Section 4 — Client Success Stories; or a dedicated testimonials page |
| Specific case study results | Numbers, percentages, and currency values from prior engagements. "Significant improvement" is not a result. | Section 4 — one specific metric per story |
| Crowd proof | Total number of clients served, total campaigns run, total posts published, years in operation. Specific numbers carry more weight than vague claims. | Section 1 — Agency Overview, or a dedicated "By the Numbers" callout |
| Expert endorsements | Referrals from named professionals, media features, speaking invitations, industry body memberships. Third-party endorsement from a recognised source outweighs ten self-claims. | Section 3 — Approach, or alongside team profiles |
| Award badges and media features | Platform certifications, industry awards, press mentions (Daily Monitor, NTV, Business Daily, etc.). Display as logos or named references. | Section 1, or a visual "As Seen In / Recognised By" strip |
| Process credentials | Documented methodology, tools used, quality control steps. Demonstrates that results are reproducible, not accidental. | Section 3 — Approach and Methodology |
When compiling the credentials document, verify that evidence exists for at least four of the six sources before finalising. Flag any source with insufficient evidence to the consultant — a credentials document with gaps is better than one with embellished or vague claims.
Brand Asset Scorecard
Killian, B., in Hahn (2003)
Use this 16-criterion scorecard to assess brand health before building a credentials deck. Rate each criterion 1–10. Low scores reveal gaps the credentials should address or acknowledge.
| # | Criterion | Score (1–10) | Notes |
|---|
| 1 | Brand Name | | |
| 2 | Packaging / visual identity | | |
| 3 | Reach and frequency | | |
| 4 | Ad / content quality | | |
| 5 | Promotions and offers | | |
| 6 | Consistency across channels | | |
| 7 | Distribution / availability | | |
| 8 | Newsworthiness | | |
| 9 | Likeability | | |
| 10 | Trade / partner support | | |
| 11 | Sales team capability | | |
| 12 | User / customer profile clarity | | |
| 13 | Product / service performance | | |
| 14 | Repurchasing / retention rate | | |
| 15 | Actionable research / data | | |
| 16 | Perceived value | | |
Scoring: 130–160 = strong brand; 90–129 = functional but gaps present; below 90 = significant brand investment required.
When completing a credentials deck for a prospect client, use this scorecard to identify the brand strengths to emphasise and the gaps to offer as consultancy opportunities.
Persuasion Frameworks
Apply frameworks from references/proposal-frameworks.md when generating this document.
Key principles for credentials documents:
- Credentials are Evidence (E in Sant's NOSE) — they belong after the client's need is established, not as the opener
- Lead with outcomes, not history — the most impressive client result appears first; the founding year is irrelevant to the client's decision (Sant: Primacy Principle)
- The credentials document is Physical Evidence (Hatton) — its quality, design, and accuracy signal the quality of the service it represents
- Eliminate Fluff: every superlative must be supported by a number or a named client result — "world-class" without evidence is noise (Sant: Fluff/Guff/Geek/Weasel Test)
- Frame credentials as proof for a specific outcome the prospective client wants, not as a general catalogue of past activity
Read references/proposal-frameworks.md for the full framework guide.
Quality Criteria
- Agency overview is factual, confident, and free of superlatives or vague claims
- Each client success story contains at least one specific metric (number, percentage, or concrete outcome)
- Team bios are professional and informative; each is distinct in voice and content
- Deck outline follows the exact format specified in CLAUDE.md with no missing fields
- Services are described in plain English a non-specialist business owner would understand
- Methodology references the RACE framework (Chaffey, 2024) at the appropriate step
- Contact and next steps section includes a clear, courteous call to action
- British English spelling throughout; no American variants
