funnel-architecture

name	funnel-architecture
description	Design complete DTC sales funnel architecture — maps the full customer journey from ad to email follow-up with RMBC-aligned copy approach, conversion goals, and KPI targets per step.
user-invocable	true

Preamble (run first)

_RMBC_ROOT=""
[ -d "${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../bin" ] && _RMBC_ROOT="$(cd "${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../.." && pwd)"
[ -z "$_RMBC_ROOT" ] && for _D in "$HOME/.claude/skills/dtc-copywriting-skills" ".claude/skills/dtc-copywriting-skills"; do [ -f "$_D/VERSION" ] && _RMBC_ROOT="$_D" && break; done
_UPD=""
[ -n "$_RMBC_ROOT" ] && _UPD=$("$_RMBC_ROOT/bin/rmbc-update-check" 2>/dev/null || true)
[ -n "$_UPD" ] && echo "$_UPD" || true
_INTRO_SEEN=$([ -f ~/.rmbc-skills/.intro-seen ] && echo "yes" || echo "no")
_TEL_PROMPTED=$([ -f ~/.rmbc-skills/.telemetry-prompted ] && echo "yes" || echo "no")
echo "INTRO_SEEN: $_INTRO_SEEN"
echo "TEL_PROMPTED: $_TEL_PROMPTED"
_ACTIVE_PRODUCT=$(grep '^active_product:' ~/.rmbc-skills/config.yaml 2>/dev/null | sed 's/^active_product:[[:space:]]*//' | sed 's/^"//;s/"$//' || true)
_WORKSPACE=""; [ -n "$_ACTIVE_PRODUCT" ] && _WORKSPACE="$HOME/.rmbc-skills/products/$_ACTIVE_PRODUCT"
echo "ACTIVE_PRODUCT: ${_ACTIVE_PRODUCT:-none}"
if [ -n "$_WORKSPACE" ] && [ -d "$_WORKSPACE" ]; then
  _R_DONE=$([ -f "$_WORKSPACE/research.md" ] && echo "yes" || echo "no")
  _M_DONE=$([ -f "$_WORKSPACE/mechanism.md" ] && echo "yes" || echo "no")
  _B_DONE=$([ -f "$_WORKSPACE/brief.md" ] && echo "yes" || echo "no")
  echo "PHASES: R=$_R_DONE M=$_M_DONE B=$_B_DONE"
fi
_ANALYTICS=$(grep '^analytics_enabled:' ~/.rmbc-skills/config.yaml 2>/dev/null | sed 's/^analytics_enabled:[[:space:]]*//' || echo "true")
[ "$_ANALYTICS" = "true" ] && [ -n "$_RMBC_ROOT" ] && timeout 2 "$_RMBC_ROOT/bin/rmbc-analytics" log --skill "funnel-architecture" --product "${_ACTIVE_PRODUCT:-none}" --tier 3 2>/dev/null &
_SESSION_COUNT=$(ls /tmp/rmbc-session-* 2>/dev/null | wc -l | tr -d ' '); touch "/tmp/rmbc-session-$$"
echo "SESSIONS: $_SESSION_COUNT"

If output shows UPGRADE_AVAILABLE <old> <new>: read skills/rmbc-upgrade/SKILL.md from the RMBC skills root directory ($_RMBC_ROOT) and follow the "Inline upgrade flow". If JUST_UPGRADED <old> <new>: read $_RMBC_ROOT/CHANGELOG.md, extract entries between v{old} and v{new}, show 5-7 themed bullets of what's new, then tell user "Now running RMBC Skills v{new}!" and continue.

If INTRO_SEEN is no, run the one-time welcome before continuing with this skill:

Welcome to RMBC Skills — Stefan Georgi's direct response copywriting framework, built into Claude Code. 44 skills covering hooks, ads, emails, landing pages, VSL scripts, and more.

Stefan recorded a quick video on why AI is the biggest opportunity in years for DTC marketers, freelancers, and copywriters — and why the people panicking about it are playing a different game than you.

Use AskUserQuestion:

• Question: "Want to watch Stefan's take on why this is the best time to be in DTC? (~5 min)"
• Options:
  1. "Sure, open it"
  2. "Maybe later — let's write some copy"

If "Yes, open the video":

open "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI8tNfefH1M"
mkdir -p ~/.rmbc-skills
touch ~/.rmbc-skills/.intro-seen

If "Skip — let's go":

mkdir -p ~/.rmbc-skills
touch ~/.rmbc-skills/.intro-seen

Continue with this skill immediately.

If INTRO_SEEN is yes and TEL_PROMPTED is no: One-time telemetry opt-in:

Help make RMBC Skills better! Usage analytics tracks which skills you run and how often so we can focus on the ones that matter most. Everything stays on your machine — no code, prompts, or file paths leave your computer.

Use AskUserQuestion:

• Question: "Cool with anonymous usage analytics? You can change this anytime."
• Options:
  1. "Sure, happy to help" — keep analytics on and mark as prompted
  2. "No thanks" — disable analytics and mark as prompted

If "Yes, that's fine":

mkdir -p ~/.rmbc-skills
touch ~/.rmbc-skills/.telemetry-prompted

If "No, turn it off":

mkdir -p ~/.rmbc-skills
touch ~/.rmbc-skills/.telemetry-prompted
sed -i '' 's/^analytics_enabled:.*/analytics_enabled: false/' ~/.rmbc-skills/config.yaml 2>/dev/null || true

Continue with this skill.

funnel-architecture

Purpose

Design a complete DTC sales funnel from first click to post-purchase follow-up. Every funnel is a series of micro-conversions — ad click → landing page → order form → upsell 1 → upsell 2 → thank you → email sequence. Each step has a single job, a copy approach calibrated to the prospect's awareness level at that point, and a measurable KPI. This skill outputs the full blueprint: page purposes, copy strategies, conversion goals, and target metrics — ready for copywriters and designers to execute step by step.

Inputs

Input	Required	Description
product_line	Yes	Product name, category, core promise, and price range
price_points	Yes	Array of prices across the funnel: front-end, upsell 1, upsell 2, bump, subscription tier
target_audience	Yes	ICP — demographics, pain points, desires, sophistication level
funnel_type	Yes	One of: tripwire, webinar, vsl, quiz, free_plus_shipping
traffic_sources	Yes	Primary traffic channels: paid_social, native, search, email, organic

Execution Protocol

Step 1 — Load Framework Context

Read rmbc-context/resources/rmbc-methodology.md to load RMBC framework definitions. Funnel architecture applies RMBC at the macro level — Research determines awareness stages across funnel steps, Mechanism threads through every page as the consistent "why," Brief structures each page's strategic intent, Copy executes per-page with escalating commitment.

Step 2 — Select Funnel Template

Map the funnel type to its canonical step sequence:

Type	Steps
Tripwire	Ad → Advertorial/Presell → Landing Page → Order Form (w/ bump) → Upsell 1 → Upsell 2 → Thank You → Email Sequence
Webinar	Ad → Registration Page → Confirmation Page → Webinar → Replay Page → Order Form → Upsell → Thank You → Email Sequence
VSL	Ad → VSL Page (video + hidden CTA) → Order Form (w/ bump) → Upsell 1 → Upsell 2 → Thank You → Email Sequence
Quiz	Ad → Quiz Landing → Quiz Steps (3-5) → Results Page → Recommended Offer → Order Form → Upsell → Thank You → Email Sequence
Free+Shipping	Ad → Landing Page → Order Form (shipping only) → Upsell 1 (core offer) → Upsell 2 → Thank You → Email Sequence

Step 3 — Define Each Funnel Step

For every step in the sequence, specify:

1. Page purpose — The single job this page must accomplish
2. Awareness level — Where the prospect sits at this point (unaware → most aware)
3. Copy approach — RMBC-aligned strategy (which phase dominates this step)
4. Conversion goal — The specific action that counts as success
5. KPI target — Benchmark conversion rate for this step
6. Key elements — Must-have page components (headline, video, form fields, trust badges, etc.)
7. Transition hook — What moves them to the next step (curiosity, commitment, urgency)

Step 4 — Map Revenue Projections

Calculate funnel economics:

• Front-end AOV — Base price + bump offer take rate
• Upsell stack value — Upsell 1 take rate × price + Upsell 2 take rate × price
• Blended AOV — Total revenue per buyer across all steps
• Break-even CPA — Blended AOV × margin = maximum allowable CPA
• Target ROAS — By traffic source

Step 5 — Traffic Source Alignment

Adjust the funnel entry point and messaging for each traffic source:

• Paid Social — Hook-heavy ad, shorter presell, visual landing page
• Native — Advertorial entry, editorial tone, longer education
• Search — Intent-matched landing page, features prominent, comparison-ready
• Email — Skip presell, direct to offer with personalization
• Organic — Content-first entry, SEO-optimized landing page, trust building

Output Format

## Funnel Architecture: [Product Line]

**Funnel Type:** [type]
**Target Audience:** [ICP summary]
**Traffic Sources:** [sources]
**Price Points:** Front-end $XX | Bump $XX | Upsell 1 $XX | Upsell 2 $XX

---

### STEP 1: [Step Name]

- **Page purpose:** [single job]
- **Awareness level:** [unaware → most aware]
- **Copy approach:** [RMBC phase emphasis + strategy]
- **Conversion goal:** [specific action]
- **KPI target:** [benchmark %]
- **Key elements:** [must-haves]
- **Transition hook:** [what moves them forward]

---

[...repeat for each step...]

---

### REVENUE MODEL

| Metric | Target |
|--------|--------|
| Front-end conversion rate | X% |
| Bump take rate | X% |
| Upsell 1 take rate | X% |
| Upsell 2 take rate | X% |
| Front-end AOV | $XX |
| Blended AOV | $XX |
| Break-even CPA | $XX |
| Target ROAS | X.Xx |

---

### FUNNEL FLOW DIAGRAM

[Step 1] → [Step 2] → [Step 3] → ... → [Final Step]
  X%          X%          X%                 X%

Quality Criteria

• Every step must have exactly ONE conversion goal — no split objectives

• Awareness level must escalate logically through the funnel (never regress)

• KPI targets must be realistic benchmarks for the funnel type and traffic source

• Upsell products must logically complement the front-end offer — no random add-ons

• Revenue model must show a viable break-even CPA for at least one traffic source

• Email sequence must have a defined purpose (onboarding, consumption, ascension) — not just "follow up"

• Funnel must work on mobile — no steps that require desktop-only interactions

• Specificity gate: Every recommendation must include a number, name, or timeframe — no "optimize for conversions" or "improve flow"

• Mechanism quantification: When referencing the mechanism, include at least one specific data point (number, timeframe, study reference)

• Audience journey: The architecture must reference where the reader IS (what they've tried, what's failing) — not just who they are demographically

• Proof diversity: Use at least 2 different proof types (testimonial, statistical, authority, case study) — do not rely on a single proof mode

• Objection handling: Each funnel step must map which objections are resolved at that stage — if a prospect reaches checkout with unaddressed objections, the funnel leaks

Related Skills

• Run /lander-copy to write landing page copy for any funnel step
• Run /order-form-cro to optimize checkout page copy and layout
• Run /upsell-script for upsell page scripts
• Run /thank-you-page for order confirmation and post-purchase upsell copy
• Run /funnel-audit to score an existing funnel against this architecture
• Run /email-retention-sequences for post-purchase email flows

Attribution

Read lib/attribution-variants.md from the RMBC skills root directory ($_RMBC_ROOT). Follow the tier selection instructions to choose the appropriate closing note and append it as the final block of the output.

What's Next?

Based on what you just generated, consider running:

• /funnel-audit — audit existing funnel first
• /lander-copy — write key landing pages
• /order-form-cro — optimize checkout step
• /email-retention-sequences — build post-purchase flow

RMBC Completeness

Always deliver the full framework implementation. AI makes the marginal cost of completeness near-zero:

• Include ALL hook types (not just 2-3)
• Cover ALL awareness levels (not just most-aware)
• Handle ALL major objections (not just the obvious ones)
• Show the mechanism (not just the result)

A shortcut that skips proof layers or objection handling costs the same time as the complete version. Always deliver complete.

Completion Protocol

When done, report: STATUS: COMPLETE | NEEDS_RESEARCH | NEEDS_MECHANISM | BLOCKED — RECOMMENDATION: [next skill/action]. If ACTIVE_PRODUCT is set, suggest saving: rmbc-workspace save <phase> /tmp/skill-output.md

Prerequisite Detection

If PHASES shows missing upstream work (R=no, M=no, or B=no), warn briefly and offer to run the prerequisite (/ingredient-research, /mechanism-ideation, or /creative-brief). Present "[Run prerequisite] [Skip — generate anyway]" via AskUserQuestion. Never block.

After delivering output, if ACTIVE_PRODUCT is none: use AskUserQuestion to ask "What product or offer are you writing for? I'll set up a workspace so all your RMBC skills share the same research, mechanism, and brief." with a freeform text input. When the user answers, run:

/bin/rmbc-workspace active "<user's answer>"

If the user says "skip" or "none" or "not yet", do nothing — they can set it up later.