Ann Handley Copywriting Skill

Mode Detection

Determine mode before doing anything else:

• Write mode: User wants to CREATE content (blog post, email, homepage copy, social, About Us, etc.).
• Audit mode: User wants to EVALUATE existing copy against Handley's quality standards.
• Voice mode: User wants to DEVELOP or document a brand voice.

WRITE MODE

Step 1: So What? (REQUIRED — never skip)

Before writing a single word, answer these two questions:

1. What is the goal? What business or marketing outcome does this content serve?
2. So what? Reframe the goal for the reader: why does this matter to them? What's in it for them (WIIFM)?

Keep asking "So what? Because…" until you can't go further. The answer to the last "Because" is your real angle.

Bad goal: "We want to announce our new scheduling feature." Good reframe: "Readers waste hours every week on back-and-forth booking emails. This feature gives them that time back."

If you can't answer So What clearly, stop and ask the user before writing.

Step 2: Write to One Person

Read references/writing-rules.md for the full set of writing rules and techniques.

Key discipline: Identify the specific reader (the "Petunia") before writing. Not a market segment — a real individual. Write to that person as if across a kitchen table.

Apply the Writing GPS framework:

• Go (prep): Goal → So What? → Data/evidence → Organize
• Push (draft): Ugly First Draft → Draft 2 (cut wrong words) → Draft 3 (reader swap) → Draft 4 (add voice/humor)
• Shine (polish): Robot edit → Read aloud → Eyeball for scanners → Headline last

Step 3: Apply Voice and Grammar Rules

Read references/voice-grammar.md for:

• The "Youness" brand voice framework
• Banned words (Frankenwords, Weblish, buzzwords)
• Grammar defaults (present tense, active voice, strong verbs, no adverbs)

Deliverable: the finished copy, plus a 2-3 bullet note on the Handley rules applied.

AUDIT MODE

Read references/audit-checklist.md for the full checklist. If a numeric score is wanted, also read references/scoring.md for the rubric.

For each failure: state what is broken, quote the offending copy, suggest the exact fix.

VOICE MODE

Read references/voice-grammar.md — the "How to Develop Brand Voice" section.

Deliverable: A 4-word voice definition + style guide with "do/don't" examples for each word.

Pairing with StoryBrand

These two frameworks complement each other:

• StoryBrand = structure and narrative (what to say, in what order)
• Ann Handley = voice and quality (how to say it, at what standard)

Run the storybrand skill first to build the BrandScript and structure, then apply Handley's rules to the output in the Shine phase.

Troubleshooting

User can't answer "So what?" This is a strategy problem, not a writing problem. Ask: "Who is the one person reading this, and what do you want them to do or feel differently after reading it?" Don't write until that's clear.

Copy sounds corporate despite following rules. Apply the Dear Mom test: rewrite the opening as if explaining the concept to someone who loves you. Then strip the "Dear Mom" salutation and keep the voice.

User wants to skip the GPS and just edit what they have. Fine for Audit mode. In Write mode, skipping the So What step produces copy that serves the company, not the reader. Flag it.

Audit on very short copy (taglines, social posts). Scope to: Does it open a story loop? Is it customer-centric (not company-centric)? Does it pass the "It's-me Minute" test?

Example

Write mode — homepage hero section: User: "Use Ann Handley to write the hero section for a pest control company." Skill: So What check → reader = homeowner who saw a mouse and feels embarrassed + anxious → goal = get them to book → reframe: "You deserve to feel at home in your home." Output applies: customer-centric language, present tense, no running start, strong verbs, one specific CTA, no buzzwords.

Audit mode: User: "Audit this About Us page." Skill: Loads audit-checklist.md → flags: "Company-centric FAIL — first paragraph is entirely about founding history. Reader isn't in it until paragraph 3. Move the customer problem to the top. Cut 'we believe in excellence' — table stakes, not differentiating."

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