convert-scroll-rhythm

name	convert-scroll-rhythm
slash_command	false
pack	business-conversion
family	visual_conversion
description	Orchestrate scroll depth across a long-form direct-response page: map zones to The Three Locks (Want → Trust → Excuse), engineer reading-pattern flow (F-pattern body / Z-pattern hero), place CTA anchors at decision points, and pace section transitions for The Greased Chute. Use when designing the visual flow of a sales page, VSL page, or long bridge page where each scroll position must serve a specific Method lock. Not for hero-only spec (use /convert above-fold) and not for short single-purpose pages (use /convert squeeze).
triggers	["scroll rhythm","scroll-depth design","page flow design","how should the page flow","section order for sales page","three locks layout","want trust excuse flow","donahoe scroll rhythm"]
negative_triggers	["just the hero","just the proof section","audit an existing page"]
tags	["conversion","page","scroll","donahoe-method","three-locks","greased-chute","visual"]
priority	80
version	1.0.0
author	Wayland Business Pack
license	MIT
metadata	{"wayland":{"related_skills":["convert","convert-above-fold","convert-three-locks","convert-chute","convert-proof-stack","convert-mobile","convert-sales-page"]}}
attribution	{"lineage":"The Donahoe Method - Three Locks (Want / Trust / Excuse) + Greased Chute (Wayland-owned operating system); Nielsen Norman Group eye-tracking research on F-pattern (2006) and Z-pattern (2020) reading flows"}

Convert Scroll-Rhythm - Scroll-Depth Orchestration Aligned to The Three Locks

"Three things must happen - roughly in this order - before someone buys. Think of them as three locks on a door. You need to open all three." - The Donahoe Method, Framework 3

Scroll position is not a layout problem. It's a persuasion problem. Every screen the reader scrolls past is a chance to open one of the locks (Want → Trust → Excuse) or lose them. This skill maps scroll zones to Method locks and engineers the rhythm of momentum that connects them.

When to Use

Trigger phrases: "scroll rhythm", "scroll-depth design", "page flow design", "how should the page flow", "section order for sales page", "three locks layout", "want trust excuse flow", /convert scroll-rhythm <product>.

Use when:

• Designing the section order of a long-form sales page or VSL page
• The page has the right copy but a wrong order - proof appears too early, the close lands too soon, the Excuse never gets opened
• Mapping CTA anchor frequency across the page (where do CTAs go and why?)
• Diagnosing why a long page loses readers at a specific scroll depth

Do NOT use for:

• Above-fold-only spec - use /convert above-fold
• Single-purpose pages (squeeze, opt-in) - they don't have scroll rhythm; they have one screen
• Auditing an existing live page - use /market landing <url> for CRO teardown
• Generating the actual section copy - use /convert sales-page (this skill specs the order, sales-page writes the content)

The Three Locks (Donahoe Method, Framework 3)

Every long-form page must open three locks in roughly this order:

1. Lock 1 - The Want. Sell the state, not the product. Sensory, visceral, specific.
2. Lock 2 - The Trust. They want it; now they need to believe it's possible - and that you can deliver. Built through Conversational Proof + voice authority.
3. Lock 3 - The Excuse. They want it, they believe it; now they need the rational argument they'll use to justify the buy. Math, comparisons, risk reversal.

Miss any lock and the door stays closed. Get the order wrong and the locks fight each other (e.g., closing on math before they want it = tone-deaf).

Scroll Zones (the Method's three thirds)

A long-form direct-response page divides into three vertical thirds. Each third owns one Lock.

+----------------------------+
|        TOP THIRD            |  ← Lock 1: Want
|  Hero (Open + 5-sec test)   |     Promise + first proof + CTA #1
|  Want zone                  |     ~Pattern: Z-pattern hero,
|                             |              F-pattern body
+----------------------------+
|       MIDDLE THIRD          |  ← Lock 2: Trust
|  Pain → solution            |     Proof rhythm, mechanism reveal,
|  Mechanism, bonuses         |     CTA #2 + CTA #3
|  Trust zone                 |     ~Pattern: F-pattern dominant
+----------------------------+
|       BOTTOM THIRD          |  ← Lock 3: Excuse
|  Stack → Math → Safety Net  |     Cascade Close + P.S. + P.P.S.
|  Door + FAQ                 |     CTA #4, #5, #N
|  Excuse zone                |     ~Pattern: F-pattern + scannable
+----------------------------+