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skills/cold-email-personalization/SKILL.md

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+---
+name: cold-email-personalization
+description: Complete cold email system teaching research-driven personalization, "poke the bear" openers, custom signal hunting, and strict QA.
+---
+
+# Cold Email Personalization Skill
+
+## When to Use
+- **Cold Outbound Ideation**: Drafting initial emails and subject lines.
+- **Personalization**: Mapping research signals to first lines.
+- **Sequence Building**: Creating follow-up sequences that rotate value propositions.
+- **QA & Optimization**: Reviewing drafts against a strict rubric before sending.
+
+## Framework
+1. **Message Market Fit > Cleverness**: Show you understand the person/company immediately.
+2. **Research IS the Personalization**: Custom signals prove you did your homework.
+3. **Personalization in the First Line**: Use bracketed variables `{{...}}` or whole-offer strategy.
+4. **Tight, Conversational Copy**: Plain text, minimal fluff, 60–120 words.
+5. **One Job Per Email**: Single sharp question or CTA.
+6. **Earn Replies, Not Just Meetings**: Confirm situation before selling.
+
+### Core Principles
+- **Targeting > Messaging**: Good targeting with bad messaging wastes qualified prospects.
+- **Two Paths to Personalization**: Custom Signal Research (Path A) vs. Whole Offer Strategy (Path B).
+- **The "Specifically" Line**: "Specifically, it looks like you're trying to sell to {{customer_type}}..."
+
+## Templates
+- **[Research Playbook](assets/research-playbook.md)**: How to find custom signals.
+- **[Variable Schema](assets/variable-schema.md)**: Standard variables to capture.
+- **[Email Structure](assets/email-structure.md)**: Subject lines, body copy, and "punchiness".
+- **[Campaign Types](assets/campaign-types.md)**: Custom Signal, Creative Ideas, Whole Offer, Fallback.
+- **[Creative Ideas](assets/creative-ideas.md)**: Generating credible ideas for prospects.
+- **[Follow-Up Strategy](assets/follow-up-strategy.md)**: Sequence logic and value rotation.
+- **[ICP & Objection Mapping](assets/icp-objection-mapping.md)**: Role-playing the skeptical prospect.
+- **[QA Checklist](assets/qa-checklist.md)**: Pre-send verification.
+- **[Scoring Rubric](assets/scoring-rubric.md)**: 0-100 quality score.
+- **[Examples](assets/examples.md)**: Real campaign examples.
+
+## Tips
+- **Role-Play First**: Always complete the [ICP & Objection Mapping](assets/icp-objection-mapping.md) before writing.
+- **Strict QA**: Use the [QA Checklist](assets/qa-checklist.md) to ensure every email meets the 3:1 recipient:sender ratio.
+- **Fresh Signals**: Only use signals from the last 90 days.
+- **Don't Hallucinate**: If you can't verify a fact, don't use it.