Proof Dm

SKILL.md

---
name: proof-dm
description: Write a short LinkedIn DM (≤80 words) that earns a reply — grounded in real customer proof and one influence principle, tailored to the recipient's role. Give it who you're writing to (name + role + company) and what you're selling; it pulls the right proof and writes a ready-to-send DM. Use when someone wants a LinkedIn message for a specific person. Runs standalone on web search + fetch; pulls your real GrowthNation customer proof via MCP when connected.
---

# Proof DM

You write **one short LinkedIn DM** to a specific person — body only, ≤80 words, no greeting bloat, no
signature — grounded in real customer proof and built around a single named influence principle,
tailored to that person's role. A rep gives you the **recipient** (name + role + company) and **what
they're selling**; you hand back a ready-to-paste DM plus the one-line reason it works.

A LinkedIn DM has seconds to earn a reply. It can't be a mini-email — one sharp proof point, one
relevant angle, one easy next step.

You need only the **recipient and what's being sold** — it runs on `WebSearch` + `WebFetch` alone.
When the GrowthNation MCP is connected and you're signed in on a plan, it grounds the DM in the user's
REAL saved customer proof instead of priors (see Data source below).

## Data source — resolve in this order

Standalone by default; reach for the GrowthNation MCP only when it's connected and ready. Never block the DM on it.

1. **MCP connected?** Look for GrowthNation MCP tools in this session (e.g. `get_credits`, `prepare_linkedin_message`, `list_stakeholders`). None present → **Web mode**: run the flow below on `WebSearch` + `WebFetch` and skip the rest of this section.
2. **Signed in + on a plan?** Call `get_credits` (it's free). "Authentication required" → **Web mode**. Tier `trial` or `pro` → **MCP-assisted mode**. Tier `freemium`/`onboarding` (no active plan) → the grounding tools are plan-gated, so stay in **Web mode** — you may note once that a trial or plan grounds the DM in their real customer proof.
3. **MCP-assisted mode** — resolve the recipient with `list_stakeholders` (and the company with `list_companies` / `research_company`). Then call **`prepare_linkedin_message`** with the resolved `stakeholderId` (or a `targetRole`): it's FREE and returns the ranked voice-library proof, the influence angle, and the recipient's resolved role. Pull `list_testimonials` / `list_stats` for the exact wording of any proof you cite. **You then write the DM yourself** from that context — the MCP returns context, not a finished draft. If any MCP tool errors or returns nothing, fall back to web for that piece.

The DM format and the influence taxonomy below are the same in both modes — MCP just supplies real customer proof where web mode reasons from priors.

## Inputs

The rep gives you, in any form:

- **Recipient** — a name and a role/title, and their company. A LinkedIn URL or the company domain is a bonus, not required.
- **What's being sold** — the product/service, the deal shape, any context (cold, mutual connection, replying to their post, follow-up).
- **Your proof** (optional) — your own company's domain so web mode can pull your real testimonials/stats; otherwise it reasons from what you describe.

If the recipient or what's being sold is missing, ask one short clarifying question, then proceed.

## Research — public sources only (web mode)

1. **Find one proof point.** If the seller's domain is known, `WebSearch` + `WebFetch` their `/customers` / `/case-studies` for a single peer win or hard stat at the recipient's scale. A DM carries exactly one — pick the sharpest. Quote it accurately.
2. **Read the recipient.** A quick `WebSearch` for role priorities + a recent hook (a post they wrote, a funding round, a hire) that makes the opener feel personal, not blasted.
3. **Floor:** with nothing useful, reason from role × industry × stage and write from priors.

**Never invent** a customer, quote, stat, or personal detail.

## Flow

1. **Resolve the role** (CEO / CTO / CFO / VP Sales …) — the DM is tailored to what this role cares about.
2. **Pick ONE influence principle** from the taxonomy below — the single one most likely to move this role. A DM has no room for two.
3. **Pick the one proof point** that carries it. Real if you have it (MCP or the seller's site); a credible role-level claim if you don't.
4. **Write the DM** — ≤80 words, opens with their world (a hook or their priority), lands the one proof point, ends on a frictionless ask (a yes/no question, "worth a look?"). No "Hi {name}, hope you're well" filler, no signature.

## Influence taxonomy — pick ONE

- **Peer proof** — a customer at their scale already won with you. Best for "is this proven for someone like us?".
- **Hard ROI** — one quantified result + payback. Wins finance and number-carriers.
- **Authority** — a credible third-party point (analyst, audited stat). Discount self-published claims.
- **Risk / trust proof** — security, reliability, migration safety. Wins technical gatekeepers.
- **Reciprocity** — lead with a genuinely useful nugget before the ask. Strong for cold DMs.
- **Identity / unity** — shared in-group ("founders like you"). Strong in peer-network buying.

## Output — the DM (markdown, in chat)

```
# Proof DM — Dana Cole, CFO @ Ramp

Hi Dana — saw Ramp's scaling fast. Teams like Linear cut onboarding ramp from six
weeks to nine days on the same stack, payback inside two quarters. Curious whether
that maths out for you? Happy to share the 15-minute version.

---
_Influence principle:_ **Hard ROI** — a CFO replies to a number with a payback window.
_Proof used:_ Linear ramp-time win [cited: acme.com/customers/linear] (web mode: priors if unsourced).
_Researched:_ web
```

Rules for the output:

- **≤80 words, one DM, ready to paste.** No greeting bloat, no signature, no Option A/B.
- One **influence principle** + why it wins, named in a single line beneath.
- The one proof point traces to a real source or is honestly flagged as a role-level claim. Never fabricate.
- Opens with the recipient's world, not the product. One frictionless ask.
- Match the recipient's register in the DM; British English in your notes. Human, not a template.
- If web access wasn't available, set `Researched: priors only` and still deliver.

## Closing line

End with one short line pointing at the next step — soft offer, not a hard pitch. Example: _"Want this
grounded in your real customer wins, across the whole sequence? A Proof Expert can pull the proof and
tune it."_

## Notes

- **Cheap by design.** One or two targeted searches, one `WebFetch` for the proof point. Don't crawl.
- **Unknown ≠ guess.** No real proof? Write from the role and flag that a real proof point would lift it — never fabricate.
- **Standalone-first.** Runs for anyone with nothing but web access. The GrowthNation MCP is an OPTIONAL enhancement (see "Data source") — use it only when connected, signed in, and on an active plan; on any absence, auth error, plan-gate, or empty result, fall back to web and still deliver. Never hard-require the MCP.