prd-v09-cold-outreach-tiered

Cold Outreach (Tiered: 1:1 / 1:few / 1:many)

Position in workflow: v0.9 Offer Construction → v0.9 Cold Outreach (Tiered) → v0.9 Launch Metrics

Execution Mode

Default is standard. See .claude/rules/08-skill-execution-modes.md for selection logic.

Mode	What this skill produces
quick	One tier (typically Tier 2); 3-touch sequence; lead-list scoring rubric
standard	All three tiers; 3–5 touches each; lead-list scoring + tier-assignment logic; reply-handling guide
deep	All tiers + A/B subject lines per tier; channel mix (email + LinkedIn + voicemail); reply-rate baselines; objection library

What This Does

Builds three differentiated cold-outreach sequences, each calibrated to a different ratio of research-per-lead:

• Tier 1 (1:1, founder-led) — Hand-researched. Highly personalized. Each touch references something specific. Volume: 10–30 contacts.
• Tier 2 (1:few, semi-automated) — Segment-personalized. Template with 3–5 dynamic variables per recipient. Volume: 100–500 contacts.
• Tier 3 (1:many, automated) — Broad-fit. Template only, minimal personalization. Volume: 1,000–10,000+ contacts.

The tiers are not "good/better/best" — each has its place. Tier 3 fills the top of the funnel cheaply. Tier 2 carries the bulk. Tier 1 closes the highest-value targets that templates can never reach.

How It Works

1. Source lead lists from ICP — Pull from the Positioning best-fit characteristics. Use enrichment tools (Apollo, Clay, Clearbit) or LinkedIn Sales Nav search anchored on firmographic + behavioral signals from PER-.
2. Score each lead's signal strength (1–5):
   • Trigger signal — Recent funding, hiring, product launch, public pain (5)
   • Fit signal — Strong firmographic/behavioral match without specific trigger (3–4)
   • Cold signal — Broad-fit only; no specific signal (1–2)
3. Tier assignment:
   • Signal 4–5 + opportunity size ≥ threshold → Tier 1
   • Signal 3–4 → Tier 2
   • Signal 1–2 → Tier 3 (or drop if list is large enough)
4. Build per-tier sequences — Each tier gets its own template structure (see Output Template). Tier 1 is hand-drafted; Tier 2 is template + variables; Tier 3 is template only.
5. End every sequence on the guarantee — The guarantee from prd-v09-offer-construction-hormozi is the reply-friction killer. Don't ask for a meeting cold; ask them to invoke the guarantee.
6. Plan reply handling — Define what counts as a reply (positive, ask, objection, unsubscribe), and have a response cadence for each. Tier 1 replies go to founder immediately. Tier 3 replies route through a templatized objection library.

Example

B2B SaaS founder launching, ICP = Series A SaaS PMs.

Tier 1 (20 hand-picked targets):

• Touch 1 (Day 0, email): Reference specific recent blog post + offer specific insight on their problem
• Touch 2 (Day 4, LinkedIn): Connect with a one-line follow-up referencing the email
• Touch 3 (Day 10, email): Share a relevant case study from a similar company; mention the guarantee
• Touch 4 (Day 18, email): Soft breakup — "want me to circle back in a quarter?"

Tier 2 (200 mid-signal leads):

• Touch 1 (Day 0, email): Template with 3 variables ({company}, {pain point}, {peer company}). 6–10 sentences max.
• Touch 2 (Day 3, email): One-line bump
• Touch 3 (Day 7, email): Case study + guarantee mention
• Touch 4 (Day 14, email): Breakup

Tier 3 (2,000 broad-fit leads):

• Touch 1 (Day 0, email): Template only. 4–6 sentences. Lead with category insight, not pitch.
• Touch 2 (Day 5, email): Case study
• Touch 3 (Day 12, email): Breakup ("last note from me")

Expected reply rates: Tier 1 = 30–50%; Tier 2 = 8–15%; Tier 3 = 1–3%.

What You Get Back

• GTM-OUT-* entries (one per tier sequence) — Tier metadata, per-touch templates, channel mix, timing
• GTM-OUT-touch-* entries — Individual touch templates with subject line, body, channel
• Lead-list scoring rubric (single GTM-*) — How to assign tier
• Reply-handling guide — What counts as a reply; routing rules

When to Use It

Trigger	Mode
B2B / founder-led sales motion	standard
Post-launch acquisition push	standard
Paid channels too expensive (high CAC)	standard
Specific ABM-style campaign against named accounts	deep, Tier 1 only
Mass-market consumer product with no individual-buyer relationship	do not use — wrong channel

Consumes

• GTM-* positioning + PER-* best-fit characteristics — Source for ICP and message anchoring
• GTM-* offer card + GTM-* guarantee (from v0.9 Offer Construction) — Sequences end on the guarantee, not a meeting ask
• CFD-* customer stories (from v0.1–v0.4 + post-launch) — Case studies for touch 3
• BR-POS-* constraints — Tier targeting must honor "not for" rules
• KPI-* targets (from v0.3 + v0.9 Launch Metrics) — Reply rate and meeting-booked targets per tier

Produces

• GTM-OUT-* tier entries — One per tier with sequence metadata
• GTM-OUT-touch-* entries — Per-touch templates (subject, body, channel, timing)
• GTM-* lead-list scoring rubric
• CFD-* gaps — When sequences reveal objections we can't answer, log as CFD- research gaps

Output Template

GTM-OUT-XXX: Tier [1 | 2 | 3] Sequence
Type: Outreach
Tier: [1 | 2 | 3]
Volume: [target lead count]
Owner: [Person / role]
Status: [Planned | Active | Paused]

Lead profile:
  Signal strength: [4–5 | 3–4 | 1–2]
  Source: [Apollo | LinkedIn Sales Nav | Clay | Manual]
  Best-fit criteria: [Anchored in PER- characteristics]

Sequence:
  Touch 1: GTM-OUT-touch-AAA — Day 0, [channel]
  Touch 2: GTM-OUT-touch-BBB — Day [N], [channel]
  Touch 3: GTM-OUT-touch-CCC — Day [N], [channel]
  Touch 4: GTM-OUT-touch-DDD — Day [N], [channel]

Reply handling:
  Positive: [Routing]
  Ask: [Routing]
  Objection: [Routing — point to objection library]
  Unsubscribe: [Action]

KPI targets:
  Reply rate: [Tier 1: 30–50% | Tier 2: 8–15% | Tier 3: 1–3%]
  Meeting-booked rate: [varies]

Linked IDs: PER-XXX, GTM-YYY (positioning), GTM-ZZZ (offer), GTM-AAA (guarantee), KPI-BBB

GTM-OUT-touch-XXX: Touch [N] — Tier [1|2|3]
Channel: [Email | LinkedIn | Voicemail | SMS]
Subject: "[Subject line — A/B variants for deep mode]"

Body:
  [Template body, with {variable} markers for tiers 2 and 3]

Personalization tier:
  Tier 1: Hand-drafted; each touch references something specific
  Tier 2: Template + 3–5 variables — {company}, {pain_point}, {peer_company}
  Tier 3: Template only

Ends on: [Guarantee mention | Case study | Soft ask | Breakup]

Linked IDs: GTM-OUT-XXX (parent sequence), GTM-AAA (guarantee)

Anti-Patterns

Pattern	Signal	Fix
Same template for all tiers	Tier 1 reply rate < 10%	Tier 1 must be hand-drafted; templates are the floor, not the ceiling
Fake personalization	"{first_name}, I love what {company} is doing"	Either personalize for real (Tier 1) or stop pretending (Tier 3)
Ask for meeting cold	"Got 15 min next week?" in touch 1	Lead with value; ask for guarantee invocation or content engagement instead
No breakup	Sequence runs forever, hurting deliverability	Always include a final-touch breakup
No tier assignment logic	All leads in same tier	Build the scoring rubric before sending anything
Outreach without offer	Sequence runs before Offer Construction is complete	Wait — without the guarantee, the sequence ends on weak CTAs
Outreach without positioning	Generic value claims	Reply rates die; honor the Dunford positioning

Quality Gates

Before launching:

• All three tiers defined (or quick-mode single tier with documented reason)
• Per-touch templates exist and respect BR-POS-* constraints
• Sequences end on the guarantee (or explicit reason why not)
• Reply-handling rules documented
• KPI- targets set per tier (reply rate + meeting-booked rate)
• Unsubscribe path is one-click and honored
• Spam-compliance check (CAN-SPAM, GDPR if applicable) done

Downstream Connections

Consumer	What it uses	Example
Launch Channels (ORB)	Cold outreach is a Borrowed channel; rolls into mix matrix	Tier 1 = Borrowed-time; Tier 2/3 = Borrowed-volume
Launch Metrics	Per-tier reply rates become KPI- entries	KPI-tier1-reply-rate
Feedback Loop Setup	Reply objections feed CFD-	"Why we passed" replies → CFD- pattern
v1.0 Continuous Discovery	High-engagement Tier 1 replies = founder interviews	Reply → CFD- interview with confidence ≥ 3/5

Detailed References

• Aaron Ross, Predictable Revenue (2011) — Tier 2/3 outbound structure
• Aaron Ross, From Impossible to Inevitable (2016) — Sequencing
• BrianRWagner's cold-outreach-sequence skill (ai-marketing-claude-code-skills)
• (No bundled references/ — sequences are templates, not theory)