Content Rules

When to Apply

• Generating any marketing or sales content
• Reviewing drafts for quality
• Creating sales support materials
• When content feels generic or product-centric
• Preparing materials for pipeline Steps 5-7

Core Framework

Customer-as-Protagonist

The customer is the hero. The product is the tool that helps them succeed.

Detection rule: If content contains >30% "we" statements -> rewrite.

BAD (company-centric):
  "We built an innovative AI platform that revolutionizes..."
  "Our product features include..."
  "We are excited to announce..."

GOOD (customer-centric):
  "CTOs at seed-stage startups waste 10h/week on manual reporting.
   [Product] cuts that to 30 minutes."
  "Your sales team closes 3x more demos when..."
  "Imagine opening your dashboard Monday morning and seeing..."

Inflated Language Filter

Detect and replace hollow superlatives with concrete value:

Rule: If you can't replace the adjective with a number or specific outcome, the claim is hollow. Remove it.

Precision Targeting

Content must target a specific persona. Never "everyone."

BAD: "Perfect for businesses of all sizes"
GOOD: "Built for CTOs at 10-50 person B2B SaaS companies
       who don't have a dedicated data team"

Test: Can you name 3 specific people who fit this description? If not, the targeting is too vague.

Sell Results, Not Products

Frame all messaging around customer outcomes, never product features.

BAD (feature): "AI-powered analytics dashboard with 50+ integrations"
GOOD (result): "Know exactly which channel drives revenue — in 2 clicks,
                not 2 hours of spreadsheet wrangling"

BAD (feature): "Automated email sequences with personalization"
GOOD (result): "Your prospects get messages that feel hand-written.
                You get 3 hours back every day."

Anticipatory Selling (Steps 5-7 Sales Support)

Auto-generate 5 materials for pipeline Steps 5-7. Principle: "You're not selling to the buyer — you're arming them to sell internally."

1. Competitive Comparison Table

• Honest, not trash-talking
• Your strengths vs competitor strengths
• Use cases where each excels
• Price comparison (if public)

2. 3-Year TCO Analysis

• Total cost of ownership including hidden costs
• Implementation time and cost
• Ongoing maintenance and training
• Opportunity cost of alternatives

3. Internal Proposal Template

• Pre-written template the buyer can adapt
• Executive summary, problem statement, proposed solution
• Expected ROI with conservative estimates
• Implementation timeline
• Risk mitigation plan

4. Objection Rebuttals

• Top 5-7 objections with evidence-based responses
• Each rebuttal includes data source
• "Too expensive" -> Value Stick reframe
• "We can build it ourselves" -> TCO comparison
• "Not the right time" -> Cost of delay calculation

5. Phased Implementation Timeline

• 30/60/90 day milestones
• Quick wins in first 30 days
• Clear success criteria per phase
• Rollback plan (reduces risk perception)

Decision Rules

1. Customer-as-protagonist always — >30% "we" triggers rewrite
2. No inflated language — every adjective must be replaceable with a number
3. Persona-specific — content targets named personas, never "everyone"
4. Results over features — lead with outcome, follow with how
5. Arm the internal champion — anticipatory materials help buyers sell internally
6. Honesty in comparisons — competitive tables are honest, not adversarial

Anti-Patterns to Detect