value-statement

name	value-statement
description	Build a value statement for an account — what value has been realized, against which success criteria, with what evidence. Use before a QBR, executive check-in, renewal conversation, or when preparing an expansion signal handoff to the AE. Produces two versions: an internal analysis (with health signals and expansion context) and a customer-facing value narrative (clean, evidence-based, no internal data). Distinct from qbr-builder: this skill isolates the value story without the full QBR structure.
argument-hint	[account name] [--internal | --customer | --exec-brief | --ae-handoff]
version	1.0.0
deployment_target	plugin

/value-statement

[PROPOSED]

Use When

• Drafting value messaging for a QBR, renewal, or business review
• Building a value narrative for a customer-facing success summary
• Preparing renewal positioning that leads with value delivered
• Generating internal expansion signal documentation (expansion mode — never customer-facing)

Do NOT Use For

• Renewal commercial prep (pricing, negotiation) — use /csm:renewal-readiness
• Full QBR deck construction — use /csm:qbr-builder
• Success plan updates — use /csm:success-plan-builder
• Expansion business case for AE/AM — use /csm:expansion-business-case

Typical Activation

"/csm:value-statement Acme Corp" "/csm:value-statement Acme Corp --renewal" "/csm:value-statement Acme Corp --qbr" "Draft a value statement for [account]" "Write the value narrative for [customer]'s renewal"

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Articulate the value this account has received — in their terms, with evidence, calibrated to the audience.

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Pre-flight

Read ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-customer-success/csm/CLAUDE.md and ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-customer-success/company-profile.md.

If either is missing or contains [PLACEHOLDER] markers, stop and prompt for /csm:cold-start-interview.

Critical configuration to apply:

• Primary value metric — the configured north-star measure of customer success
• Success criteria model — account-specific or standard template
• CS motion — shapes narrative depth and audience framing
• Value categories configured for the company (e.g., efficiency, risk reduction, revenue impact, cost savings, user experience)

G-code dependency: All G-code guardrails referenced in this skill (G1–G9) are defined in the CLAUDE.md config loaded above. If Pre-flight halts or config is missing, G-codes are undefined — do not proceed with partial config.

Reasoning Protocol

Before generating output, apply these primers:

1. CLASSIFY: What type of value statement request is this?

   • Evidence-Rich ROI Narrative — account has quantitative data and agreed success criteria; build a metrics-backed value story
   • Criteria-Gap Value Framing — no formal success criteria exist; infer value from usage signals and flag every claim as unvalidated
   • Renewal-Context Value Defense — value statement serves an upcoming renewal; lead with strongest verified outcome, acknowledge gaps honestly
   • Expansion-Signal Packaging — value statement supports an AE handoff; separate proven ROI from speculative expansion signals
   • Executive Visibility Summary — C-level audience; prose-only, 2-3 headline outcomes with one number each, under 400 words

2. CONSTRAINTS: What limits the solution space?

   • Value claims require evidence with source annotation — unsupported claims get [review] or are omitted from customer output
   • Expansion signals never appear in customer-facing output under any circumstances
   • Revenue implications (ARR trajectory, renewal probability) require reviewer validation before distribution
   • Customer-facing output uses the customer's business language, not product terminology
   • Success criteria gaps must be acknowledged explicitly — never construct post-hoc success framing silently
   • G1: Do not classify accounts as likely to churn or assign churn probability — present component signals only
   • G5: Internal data (health scores, ARR, expansion signals) must never appear in customer-facing output
   • G7: Flag any data older than 30 days with source date and staleness indicator

3. EXPERT CHECK: What would a veteran CSM verify first?

   • Are the success criteria sourced from an agreed document (success plan, kickoff, prior QBR), or are they inferred? If inferred, flag before proceeding.
   • Does every metric map to a goal the customer actually stated, or is it a product adoption proxy dressed as customer value?
   • Is the data current enough to stake a conversation on? (Usage >30 days old is directional; NPS >90 days is stale.)

4. ANTI-PATTERNS: Common mistakes to avoid:

   • Metric dump without narrative — tables of numbers the customer cannot interpret as business value
   • Proxy metric substitution — reporting DAU when the customer's goal was cost reduction
   • Gap hiding in renewal context — omitting known underperformance the customer already sees
   • Signal-as-opportunity leap — treating a champion's casual mention as a qualified expansion opportunity
   • Feature-language leakage — using product names in customer-facing or exec-level output
   • Confidence inflation — presenting single-source or anecdotal evidence with the same certainty as verified outcomes

After execution, verify:

• Does the output answer the implicit question the CSM is asking?
• Are all data sources timestamped and staleness-flagged?
• Is the output mode matched to the actual need?
• Confidence: [High] if 2+ live sources corroborate / [Medium] if single-source or partially stale / [Low] if user-provided context only — state which.

Mode

--internal: Full value analysis for CSM use — health signals included, expansion signals tagged, source annotations on every value claim. Default.

--customer: Clean, customer-facing value narrative. Evidence-based. No internal health data, no expansion signals, no source annotations. Appropriate to share directly or embed in a deck or email.

--exec-brief: 1-page executive summary version of the customer-facing statement. Built for a C-level audience. No metrics tables — prose narrative with 2-3 headline outcomes. Under 400 words.

--ae-handoff: Expansion-signal handoff package for the AE/AM. Internal. Includes qualified expansion signals, account health context, and CSM-recommended next step for the commercial conversation.

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Data gathering

Connector error categorization: When a connector call fails, distinguish the error type before proceeding:

• Rate-limited (transient): Connector returns HTTP 429 or equivalent throttle signal. Note the rate limit explicitly in output ("CRM data temporarily rate-limited — retry in 60 seconds recommended") and offer to retry rather than proceeding with degraded output.
• Unavailable (permanent for this session): Connector is not configured, authentication has expired, or service is down. Fall back to the manual-input path below and label all affected sections as "connector unavailable — manual input used." Do not conflate these — a rate-limited connector will return data shortly; an unavailable connector will not.

First, check if account-research or qbr-builder ran this session. Use that context rather than re-pulling from connectors.

If not, pull from connected integrations:

• CS Platform: product usage trends, milestone completion, feature adoption
• CRM: ARR, contract terms, stakeholder contacts, prior value conversation notes
• Document storage: existing success plan, prior QBR, kickoff notes
• NPS: most recent score and verbatim if available

Success criteria source: From configured success criteria model, or from a connected success plan document. If neither is available:

"To build a meaningful value statement, I need this account's agreed success criteria. What did the customer say they wanted to accomplish — at kickoff, in their success plan, or in a prior QBR? Paste the criteria or describe them."

If no criteria are available: build with usage and engagement signals, flag every value claim as [review — not validated against agreed success criteria], and recommend establishing criteria as an explicit action.

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Internal value analysis (--internal)

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Value Analysis — [Account Name] [Date] · INTERNAL — not for distribution

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Account snapshot

Field	Value
ARR	$[amount]
Renewal	[date] — [N] days
Segment	[segment]
Health	[Red / Yellow / Green]
CS motion	[High-touch / Tech-touch / Hybrid]
Primary value metric	[configured metric]

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Value realized — against success criteria

For each agreed success criterion, show current status:

Success Criterion	Target	Actual	Status	Evidence source
[Criterion 1]	[metric]	[result]	✅ / 🟡 / ⛔ / ⏳	[CS Platform / CRM / self-reported]
[Criterion 2]
[Primary value metric]	[configured target]	[actual]

If success criteria are unknown: replace with "signals observed" framing.

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Value narrative (internal)

Interpret the table in 3-5 sentences. Go beyond restating the data.

"The account has achieved [Criterion 1] — their team activated [N] users in [feature], which directly addressed the onboarding bottleneck they described at kickoff. [Criterion 2] is partial: they've reached [X%] of target, but adoption of [specific feature] is lagging; champion's last call indicated [reason]. The primary value metric — [configured metric] — is at [result], which [beats / misses / meets] the agreed target. The overall value story is strong but has one gap that should be addressed before the renewal conversation leads with outcomes."

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Value by configured category

Category	Evidence	Strength
[e.g., Efficiency]	[Specific metric or outcome — sourced]	[Strong / Partial / Weak / Unknown]
[e.g., Risk reduction]	[Specific metric or outcome]
[e.g., Revenue impact]	[Specific metric or outcome]
[e.g., User experience]	[Specific metric or outcome]

Only populate categories where evidence exists. Do not invent value claims.

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Expansion signals (internal — not for customer-facing output)

List any signals that indicate potential for expansion. Tag each as [early signal — not yet qualified].

• [Signal 1 — e.g., "Champion mentioned [adjacent team] is evaluating a similar workflow — not a formal request yet"] [early signal — not yet qualified]
• [Signal 2 — e.g., "Usage of [feature] is at 94% of licensed capacity — potential seat expansion"] [early signal — not yet qualified]

If none: "No expansion signals in available data."

Expansion signals go to the AE. Do not include in customer-facing value output. Use --ae-handoff to build the handoff package.

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Open items that weaken the value story

Things that should be resolved before using this value statement in a customer conversation:

Item	Impact	Recommended action
[e.g., NPS from 6 months ago]	[Stale sentiment — may not reflect current state]	[Request updated NPS before renewal conversation]
[e.g., Criterion 2 below target]	[Customer may not view this as full value delivery]	[Understand root cause; include in plan for next quarter]

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Customer-facing value narrative (--customer)

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What we've accomplished together — [Account Name] [Quarter / date range]

---

This document captures the value [Account name] has realized from [product] over [period], measured against the outcomes [Account name] said mattered at the start of [project/engagement/quarter].

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Your outcomes — what you said you wanted

[Customer goal 1 — in their words, not product language]

[Customer goal 2]

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What we delivered — evidence

[Outcome 1 — headline]

[2-3 sentences. Specific. Sourced. In the customer's business language, not product language. Example: "Your team now processes [N] [workflows] per week, compared to [baseline] before implementation — a [%] improvement that [business impact the customer described]."]

Source: [CS Platform / customer-reported / [specific data source]]

[Outcome 2 — headline]

[2-3 sentences.]

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[Primary value metric — configured]: [Result vs. target]

[If achieved: 1 sentence on what this means for their business.] [If not yet achieved: 1 sentence on trajectory and what's needed to reach it.]

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What's next

[1-2 sentences on the next value horizon — what success looks like in the next quarter. Forward-looking, based on agreed success criteria. Not a feature roadmap.]

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Note: Remove source annotations before sharing. Verify all figures against current data before distribution. Do not include health scores, expansion signals, or internal account notes in the customer-facing version.

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Executive brief (--exec-brief)

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[Account Name] — Value Summary Prepared by [CSM name] · [Date]

[2-3 sentences establishing the business context. What the company was trying to do when they partnered with [product]. Keep it in their language.]

What's working: [Headline outcome 1 with a specific number. One sentence.] [Headline outcome 2. One sentence.] [Headline outcome 3 if applicable. One sentence.]

What we're focused on next: [One forward-looking sentence on next-period priorities. Not a feature list.]

[Optional closing sentence reinforcing partnership — genuine, not promotional.]

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[Company name] · [CSM name] · [contact]

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AE handoff package (--ae-handoff)

For internal use. Route to AE/AM — not to the customer.

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Expansion Signal Handoff — [Account Name] [Date] · INTERNAL · Route to: [AE/AM name]

CSM: [name] Account health: [Red / Yellow / Green] Renewal: [date] — [N] days

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Why I'm flagging this now

[1-2 sentences. What specific signal triggered this handoff. Why now is the right moment to have the commercial conversation.]

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Expansion signals

Signal	Evidence	Confidence	Recommended approach
[Signal 1]	[Specific evidence]	[High / Medium / Low]	[Commercial angle]
[Signal 2]

Important: These are unqualified signals at this point. The AE should validate them directly with the customer. The CSM has not made any expansion commitment or implied pricing.

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Value context for the commercial conversation

[2-3 sentences on realized value. What has the customer achieved? What's the strongest outcome to reference as proof of ROI before discussing expansion?]

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Stakeholder context

Name	Role	Engagement	Notes
[Champion]	[Role]	[Active / Declining]	[Relevant note for expansion conversation]
[Exec sponsor]	[Role]	[Active / Declining]	[Relevant note]
[Economic buyer if known]

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CSM recommended next step for AE

[Specific ask — e.g., "Schedule a 30-minute call with [champion name] to explore [use case]. I'll be on the call to anchor on realized value before you introduce the expansion topic. Avoid leading with pricing — they're still in the trust-building phase with the platform."]

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Reviewer note

⚠️ Reviewer note

• Sources: [CS Platform ✓ live | CS Platform [configured but unverified] | CRM ✓ live | CRM [configured but unverified] | success plan from [date] | user provided | not connected — conversation context only]
• Success criteria source: [Account-specific from [source] | configured standard template | CSM-provided — verify with customer before using in customer-facing communication]
• Value claims: [Sourced from data — see inline annotations | CSM-reported — not independently verified]
• Data as of: [timestamp per source]
• Expansion signals: [In internal version only — not in customer-facing output]
• Flagged for your judgment: [N items marked [review] inline | none]

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Output

Value statement output — format driven by flag (--internal, --customer, --exec-brief, --ae-handoff). Ranges from internal analysis with ROI evidence to customer-facing narratives to AE handoff packages. See mode-specific sections for field-level structure.

Guardrails

Value claims require evidence. A claim without a source is not a value claim. Flag unsupported claims [review] in the internal version; omit from customer-facing output until verified.

Customer language for customer output. The customer-facing narrative uses the customer's words for their goals — not the product's feature names or the CSM's internal categorization.

Expansion stays internal. Expansion signals appear only in the internal analysis and AE handoff. They do not appear in customer-facing value output under any circumstances.

No revenue implications without validation. If the value statement implies ARR trajectory, renewal probability, or revenue impact, flag for reviewer validation before sharing with leadership or finance.

Criteria gap acknowledgment. If success criteria were never formally agreed, the value statement says so explicitly rather than constructing a post-hoc success frame. Propose establishing criteria as a next action.

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After the statement

• "Customer-facing version ready — embed in a QBR: /csm:qbr-builder [account]"
• "Expansion signals confirmed — build the AE handoff: use --ae-handoff mode"
• "Preparing for a renewal conversation — run: /csm:renewal-readiness [account]"
• "Executive brief for exec check-in — add call prep: /csm:call-prep [account]"

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Reference Files

The following reference files govern this skill's detailed behavior. They are loaded on-demand when the relevant behavior is being applied — they are not front-loaded into every response.

File	Purpose
references/reasoning-blueprint.md	Problem classification taxonomy, domain heuristics, common failure modes, and expert judgment patterns for this skill

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Security & Permissions

• network_access: outbound_allowlist (CRM, CS platform, document storage per configured integrations)
• filesystem_write: false
• filesystem_read: config files only (~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-customer-success/csm/CLAUDE.md and company-profile.md)
• subprocess_execution: false
• dynamic_code_execution: false

Trust & Verification

• Expansion signals and internal upsell flags must never appear in customer-facing output
• Value metrics must reference the configured primary value metric — do not invent success criteria
• Revenue language (ARR, contract value, expansion potential) is internal-only unless explicitly included in a customer-facing deliverable by the CSM
• If config files are missing or contain [PLACEHOLDER] markers, halt and prompt for /csm:cold-start-interview