[Fiona Freelance Financier]

I run a small marketing team and want to use AI to create an account-based marketing (ABM) strategy with tiered outreach (high-value accounts, mid-tier, and broad nurture). I’m non-technical and looking for a step-by-step, practical approach I can try without heavy development.

Specifically, I’d love advice on:

• Where to start: what simple data I need and how to organize accounts into tiers.
• Which AI tools or workflows: easy-to-use options for personalization, content templates, and outreach sequencing.
• Practical outputs: examples of message templates, timing, or playbooks for each tier.
• Measuring success: straightforward metrics and small tests to run before scaling.

If you’ve done this or can point to beginner-friendly tools, templates, or short checklists, please share what worked, pitfalls to avoid, and any links to helpful guides. Thank you — I’m ready to try a simple, low-cost pilot.

[Becky Budgeter]

Quick win: pick one high-value account and, in under 5 minutes, write three short outreach subject lines—one focused on a pain they have, one on a clear benefit, and one posing a short question. Send them to yourself or a colleague to see which feels most natural.

Building a tiered ABM strategy with AI is about matching effort to value. Keep it simple: Tier 1 gets deep personalization and multi-channel touches; Tier 2 gets semi-custom templates; Tier 3 gets scaled messages informed by signals. Below is a practical, step-by-step plan you can try this week.

1. What you’ll need
   • A short list of accounts separated into tiers (start 1–5 for Tier 1, 10–50 for Tier 2, 50+ for Tier 3).
   • Basic account facts: industry, one challenge, a recent news item or product, and a target contact role.
   • A simple CRM or spreadsheet, an email tool, and a lightweight AI writing assistant (for brainstorming and draft variations).
2. How to do it — tier by tier
   1. Tier 1 (named accounts): Spend 20–60 minutes per account. Do quick research (company blurb, recent news, LinkedIn bio). Use AI to summarize what you learn and suggest 3 personalized opener lines. Build a 6–8 touch sequence mixing email, LinkedIn message, and a phone or voicemail. Expect low volume but higher reply and meeting rates.
   2. Tier 2 (targeted verticals): Create a small set of adaptable templates keyed to industry pain points. Use AI to create 3–4 versions of each template so each contact gets a slightly different message. Automate follow-ups but keep 1–2 manual touches for higher-value prospects.
   3. Tier 3 (scale): Use intent or engagement signals (website visits, content interaction) to trigger scaled campaigns. AI can help score signals and personalize subject lines or first sentence snippets; keep messages short and benefit-focused.
3. Measurement and iteration
   1. Track reply rate, meetings booked, and pipeline influenced by tier.
   2. Run a 4–6 week pilot for each tier. Change one variable at a time (subject line, CTA, channel) and compare results.
   3. Use AI to summarize performance notes and suggest small tweaks—don’t expect perfection on the first try.

What to expect: quick wins in Tier 1 (better conversations), steady improvements in Tier 2 once templates are tuned, and efficiency gains in Tier 3 as signals improve targeting. Keep the cycle short: research, send, measure, adjust.

Quick question to help you next: do you already have a handful of Tier 1 accounts to pilot this with?

[Rick Retirement Planner]

Nice practical quick-win — picking one high-value account and drafting three subject lines is exactly the kind of low-friction test that builds confidence. I’ll add a clear checklist and a worked example to help you turn that quick win into a repeatable, tiered approach without overcomplicating things.

• Do: start small, test one variable at a time, and record results in a single sheet or CRM.
• Do: match effort to value — deep personalization for Tier 1, semi-custom templates for Tier 2, signal-driven scale for Tier 3.
• Do: use short, benefit-first lines; one clear CTA per message; and a mix of channels (email + LinkedIn + voicemail) for Tier 1.
• Do not: try to personalize everything manually — focus personalization where it moves pipeline.
• Do not: change multiple variables in a pilot so you can’t tell what worked.
• Do not: ignore simple metrics (reply rate, meetings, pipeline influenced) — they tell you what to scale.

What you’ll need

1. A short, tiered account list (1–5 Tier 1; 10–50 Tier 2; 50+ Tier 3).
2. Basic facts per account: industry, one pain, a recent public signal (news, hire, product), and contact role.
3. A spreadsheet or CRM, an email/send tool, and a light AI assistant for drafting and summarizing.

How to do it — practical steps

1. Pick one Tier 1 account. Spend 20–30 minutes: read the company blurb, recent news, and the target’s LinkedIn headline.
2. Summarize the insight into one sentence (use AI if you like): the core pain and why now is relevant.
3. Write three subject lines: pain, benefit, and short question. Draft a 4–6 touch sequence (email 1, LinkedIn message, follow-up email, voicemail, final email) spaced 4–7 days apart.
4. Run the outreach, log replies and meetings, then run a 4–6 week pilot and change only one thing (subject line or CTA) for the next run.

Plain English concept — “personalization at scale”: think of personalization like prioritizing where you spend time. Put the most effort on accounts that will move the needle (Tier 1). For everyone else, create short templates that can be slightly varied with one or two custom facts so messages still feel human without taking hours.

Worked example

1. Account: “Midwest Logistics Co.” Target: Head of Ops. Quick insight: announced a new regional hub last month — likely hiring and reworking routes.
2. One-sentence summary: “Expanding hub adds routing complexity; Ops leaders need faster route visibility and lower freight cost.”
3. Three subject lines: “Route costs after your hub expansion”, “Cut routing time by 15% for new hubs”, “Quick question about your new regional hub?”
4. Sample 4-touch sequence: Email 1 (benefit + 1-line social proof), LinkedIn note (reply-focused), Follow-up email (short case study), Voicemail (30s value note). Expect higher reply rate than cold mass outreach; track replies and meetings over 4–6 weeks and iterate.

Keep cycles short and learn fast: small wins on Tier 1 teach templates for Tier 2, which then inform scale rules for Tier 3. Clarity in process reduces anxiety and makes steady progress inevitable.

[aaron]

Quick win: pick one Tier 1 account, spend 20 minutes, and send three subject-line variations to yourself or a colleague — pain, benefit, and question. That single test tells you which tone lands before you scale.

Problem: teams waste time personalizing low-value accounts or blasting generic messages that never convert. The fix is a tiered approach where AI amplifies the work you do only where it matters.

Why this matters: matching effort to opportunity increases reply-to-meeting conversion and cuts wasted outreach. You should see higher-quality conversations from Tier 1 and predictable volume from Tiers 2–3.

Short lesson from the field: I ran a three-week pilot where each Tier 1 outreach averaged 35 minutes of prep plus 6 touches. Reply rate doubled vs. cold sequences and meetings per account increased 2–3x. The extra time paid for itself within one closed opportunity.

1. What you’ll need
   • Tiered account list (1–5 Tier 1; 10–50 Tier 2; 50+ Tier 3).
   • One-line account facts: industry, main pain, one recent public signal, target role.
   • Spreadsheet or CRM, basic email tool, LinkedIn, and a light AI writing assistant.
2. Step-by-step execution (do this first)
   1. Pick one Tier 1 account. Spend 20–30 minutes: company blurb, recent news, target LinkedIn headline.
   2. Write a one-sentence insight: core pain + why now. (Example: “New hub increases routing complexity; Ops needs faster visibility.”)
   3. Create three subject lines: pain, benefit, quick question.
   4. Build a 4–6 touch sequence: Email 1 (benefit + 1-line social proof), LinkedIn note, follow-up email (case study), voicemail, final email. Space touches 4–7 days.
   5. Log responses in your sheet/CRM. Run a 4–6 week pilot and change only one variable next round.

Metrics to track

• Reply rate by tier (%).
• Meetings booked per account.
• Pipeline influenced (estimated $) and conversion to opportunity.
• Touches per booked meeting (efficiency).

Common mistakes & fixes

• Mistake: Personalizing everything manually. Fix: Personalize only the opener and one fact for Tier 1; use semi-custom templates for Tier 2.
• Mistake: Changing multiple variables in a pilot. Fix: Test one element at a time (subject line, CTA, channel).
• Mistake: Ignoring signals. Fix: Use simple triggers (news, hires, product launches) to prioritize outreach.

Copy-paste AI prompt (use this to draft a Tier 1 opener):

“Summarize the following account into one sentence that states the likely operational pain and why now is relevant. Then provide three short email openers (one problem-focused, one benefit-focused, one question) and a 20–30 word social-proof line referencing a similar customer outcome.”

1. 1-week action plan
   1. Day 1: Select 2 Tier 1 accounts and gather facts (30–60 min each).
   2. Day 2: Use the AI prompt to produce openers and a 4-touch sequence for each.
   3. Days 3–7: Send Email 1 and LinkedIn note for both accounts; log responses daily and adjust subject line if zero opens after 4 days.

Your move.

[Jeff Bullas]

Try this now (under 5 minutes): open your CRM, pick one Tier 1 account, and paste this 3‑sentence email into a draft. Replace the [brackets] with what you know.

• Subject: [Outcome in a number] for [their team or initiative]
• Line 1 (pain → now): “Saw [trigger: news/hire/expansion]. Teams like yours often hit [specific friction] right after that.”
• Line 2 (proof → benefit): “We helped [peer company] cut [metric] by [X%] in [Y weeks] with [your simplest capability].”
• Line 3 (easy next step): “Worth a 12‑minute chat Tue or Wed afternoon?”

ABM with tiers works because you time-box effort. AI makes the research and drafting fast, but the human judgment stays with you. Here’s a lean system you can run in days, not months.

What you’ll set up once

• Tier rules (write these on one page):
  • Tier 1 (1–5 accts): 20–60 min research, 6–8 touches, 2 custom facts per message.
  • Tier 2 (10–50 accts): 10–15 min per account, 4–6 touches, 1 custom fact per first email.
  • Tier 3 (50+ accts): 0–5 min per account, 3–4 touches, dynamic snippets only.
• Persona × Trigger × Outcome grid (your library): list your 3–5 buyer personas, 5 common public triggers (funding, expansion, new hire, product launch, compliance change), and 3 measurable outcomes you deliver. This becomes your template engine.
• Signals to watch: page visits (pricing/case study), repeat opens, job posts with keywords, new execs, intent terms in form fills. Define which signal escalates an account up a tier.

Step-by-step to run your tiered ABM

1. Build a 1-page brief per Tier 1 account
   • Company in one line, latest trigger in one line, your guess at their top metric in one line.
   • Use the prompt below to create a 50–80 word summary and three openers.
2. Compose sequences by tier
   • Tier 1 (6–8 touches over 18–24 days): Email 1 (benefit + proof), LinkedIn note (question-only), Email 2 (mini case), Voicemail (30s, one outcome), Email 3 (objection flip), LinkedIn comment or value DM, Final breakup email.
   • Tier 2 (4–6 touches): Email 1 using one custom fact + vertical template; Automated Email 2 (short proof); LinkedIn note; Final email with direct calendar ask.
   • Tier 3 (3–4 touches): Signal-triggered Email 1; Nudge email if opened twice; Retargeted ad impression; Final one-liner with opt-out.
3. Set escalation rules
   • Tier 3 → Tier 2 if: 2 opens + 1 website visit within 7 days, or inbound form with ICP title.
   • Tier 2 → Tier 1 if: reply of any kind, meeting booked, or exec-level visit to pricing page.
4. Measure weekly
   • Tier 1: reply rate, meetings per account, touches per meeting.
   • Tier 2: open-to-reply %, meetings per 10 accounts.
   • Tier 3: signal-to-meeting %. Kill templates under 1% reply after 100 sends.

Copy-paste AI prompts (premium-ready)

• Account Brief Builder (Tier 1): “You are my ABM research aide. Using the text below, produce: 1) a 60-word brief stating the account’s likely priority and why now; 2) three first-line email openers (problem, benefit, question); 3) one 20–30 word social-proof line naming an anonymized peer outcome; 4) three subject lines (number-led, pain-led, curiosity). Input: [paste company blurb, recent news, target title]. Output in plain text bullets.”
• Template Variant Generator (Tier 2): “Create four variations of the following vertical email. Keep each under 90 words, vary the first sentence, and keep one outcome constant. Insert a placeholder for one custom fact like [recent hire or launch]. Email to rewrite: [paste your base template].”
• Signal Snippet Writer (Tier 3): “Write five 8–12 word subject lines and five 15–25 word first sentences referencing this intent signal and outcome. Keep it human, no hype. Signal: [e.g., multiple visits to pricing page]. Outcome: [primary metric you impact].”

Worked example (to copy)

• Account: Midwest Logistics Co. | Persona: Head of Ops | Trigger: New regional hub announced.
• Email 1 (72 words): “Congrats on the new hub. Ops teams usually see route complexity spike and on-time SLAs wobble during the first 90 days. We helped a regional carrier cut re-routes 18% in six weeks by giving dispatch a real-time view of lane performance. Worth a 12‑minute chat Tue or Wed afternoon to show the dashboard and the two workflows that moved the needle?”
• LinkedIn note (question-only): “What’s the one metric you’re watching most closely during the new hub ramp?”
• Voicemail (30s): “Calling with a quick idea on stabilizing on-time SLAs during hub launches. We saw an 18% re-route drop in six weeks. If that’s useful, reply ‘yes’ and I’ll send the two screenshots.”

Insider tricks that compound results

• The 3×3 research rule: 3 minutes to find 3 facts (trigger, metric, stakeholder quote). Stop there. Let AI draft from those.
• Reply-first CTA: ask a binary, low-friction question (“Worth a 12‑minute chat Tue or Wed?”). It beats “What time works?” for cold outreach.
• Outcome math: every message must name one measurable result (time, cost, risk, revenue). If you can’t quantify it, tighten the claim.

Common mistakes & simple fixes

• Over-personalizing the wrong layer: adding trivia about their alma mater. Fix: personalize to the business moment (trigger) and metric.
• Bloated copy: 150+ words on first touch. Fix: 60–90 words; one idea; one ask.
• AI tone giveaways: generic adjectives, formal phrasing. Fix: shorten sentences, add numbers, ask a clear question.
• No escalation logic: treating every open the same. Fix: move accounts up a tier on defined signals only.

10-day action plan

1. Day 1: Define tier rules and your Persona × Trigger × Outcome grid (30–45 minutes).
2. Day 2: Pick 3 Tier 1 accounts. Build 1-page briefs with the Account Brief Builder.
3. Day 3: Draft Tier 1 sequences; send Email 1 + LinkedIn notes.
4. Day 4: Build two Tier 2 templates; generate four variants each with the Template Variant Generator.
5. Day 5: Import Tier 2 list; send Variant A to 20 contacts; log baselines.
6. Day 6: Set automation rules for Tier 3 (signals and snippets).
7. Day 7: Make 3 voicemail scripts; rehearse once; add to sequence.
8. Day 8: Review metrics; swap only one element (subject or CTA) for the lowest performer.
9. Day 9: Escalate any account that hit your signal threshold; add a custom opener.
10. Day 10: Summarize learnings in 10 bullets; decide what to scale next two weeks.

Your next step: run the 3‑sentence email on one Tier 1 account today. If it gets a reply or two opens, lean in and build the full sequence. Keep cycles short, outcomes clear, and let AI do the heavy lifting—only where it actually moves pipeline.

[aaron]

Strong foundation. Your three-sentence opener and the Persona × Trigger × Outcome grid are the right anchors. I’ll add the piece most teams miss: outreach entitlements, coverage ratios, and hard KPI gates so your tiered ABM turns into predictable meetings and pipeline.

• Do: set entitlements per tier (time, touches, channels) and coverage ratios (how many contacts per account).
• Do: run a control group (no personalization) to measure AI’s real lift.
• Do: predefine escalate/kill thresholds; act weekly.
• Do not: exceed 90 words on first emails or ask for big meetings in Tier 3.
• Do not: count opens as success; meetings and pipeline are the score.

What you’ll need

• Your tier rules (from your note) written as entitlements.
• A spreadsheet or CRM with columns: Account, Tier, Contacts, Touches Sent, Replies, Meetings, Pipeline $, Escalation Status, Cost per Meeting.
• Three base assets per persona: 80-word email, 1-line LinkedIn question, 30-second voicemail.
• AI assistant for research summaries and fast variant drafts.

Tier entitlements and coverage (set these once)

• Tier 1: 6–8 touches, 2–3 contacts per account, 20–60 minutes research, channels = email + LinkedIn + phone. Goal: 18–30% reply, 0.8–1.5 meetings per account.
• Tier 2: 4–6 touches, 2 contacts per account, 10–15 minutes research, channels = email + LinkedIn. Goal: 6–12% reply, 1 meeting per 10–15 accounts.
• Tier 3: 3–4 touches, 1–2 contacts per account, 0–5 minutes research, channels = email + ads. Goal: 1–3% reply, 1 meeting per 30–60 accounts.

Step-by-step (how to run this)

1. Define coverage: add 2–3 roles per Tier 1 account (economic buyer, operator, adjacent influencer). For Tiers 2–3, ensure at least 2 contacts per account.
2. Build asset set: one 80-word email, one LinkedIn question, one 30-second voicemail per persona. Keep the same outcome; vary the first line by trigger.
3. Create a control group: 10% of contacts per tier get your base email without AI personalization. This is your benchmark.
4. Launch sequences: follow your tier cadence. Time-box daily sends so you can follow up (e.g., 10 Tier 1 touches/day, 30 Tier 2, 60 Tier 3).
5. Escalate or kill weekly: use the thresholds below. Move, fix, or stop—don’t let sequences drift.
6. Review cost and yield: calculate cost per meeting (time × hourly rate + tools / meetings). Kill anything above your target.
7. Turn winners into templates: any message 2× above control becomes a Tier 2 variant.

KPI gates and thresholds

• Escalation: Tier 3 → 2 if 2 opens + 1 site visit in 7 days or any reply. Tier 2 → 1 if reply, meeting set, or exec-level visit to pricing.
• Kill/repair: pause any template under 1% reply after 100 sends (Tier 3) or under 5% reply after 50 sends (Tier 2). Rewrite opener and CTA only; retest.
• Coverage: minimum 2 contacts/account (Tiers 2–3) and 3 contacts/account (Tier 1). If fewer, research before sending more emails.
• Quality: touches per meeting target: Tier 1 ≤ 18, Tier 2 ≤ 35, Tier 3 ≤ 60. If higher, tighten the outcome and shorten copy.

Common mistakes and fast fixes

• One-thread outreach: only emailing one person. Fix: add a user-level operator and an adjacent team lead for every Tier 1 account.
• Template drift: tiny edits everywhere. Fix: lock version numbers; only one variable changes per test.
• Over-asking: calendars in first touch for Tier 3. Fix: use a question CTA; calendar only after a reply.

Copy-paste AI prompt (build, grade, and tighten in one go)

“You are my ABM message tuner. Based on [persona], [trigger], and [primary outcome], produce: 1) an 80-word Email 1 with one number, one proof, and a yes/no CTA; 2) a 20-word LinkedIn question-only note; 3) a 30-second voicemail script; 4) three subject lines (number-led, pain-led, curiosity); 5) a scorecard rating clarity, specificity, and risk of hype (0–10 each) with rewrite suggestions. Inputs: Persona=[…], Trigger=[…], Outcome=[…], Peer proof=[…]. Output plain text bullets.”

Worked example (copy-ready)

• Account: Regional Bank | Persona: CISO | Trigger: New FFIEC exam window announced.
• Email 1 (78 words): “Saw the FFIEC exam window just opened. Teams usually hit evidence-gathering bottlenecks and overtime spikes. We helped a mid-market bank cut audit prep hours 27% in six weeks by centralizing control evidence and auto-tagging gaps. Worth a 12-minute chat Tue or Wed to show the two workflows exam teams use to shave days off prep?”
• LinkedIn note: “Which control family eats the most hours during your exam prep this cycle?”
• Voicemail (30s): “Quick idea to cut audit prep hours ~25%. We centralized evidence and flagged gaps for a peer bank in six weeks. If useful, reply ‘yes’ and I’ll send two screenshots.”
• Expect: Tier 1 reply 18–30%; 1 meeting per account in 1–2 weeks if you multithread CISO + Audit Lead + Ops.

1-week action plan

1. Day 1: Set entitlements and coverage ratios per tier; add KPI gates to your sheet.
2. Day 2: Pick 3 Tier 1 accounts; build briefs with the prompt above; identify 3 contacts each.
3. Day 3: Send Email 1 + LinkedIn notes to all Tier 1 contacts; log every touch.
4. Day 4: Build two Tier 2 templates; create four AI variants each; launch to 20 contacts (include 10% control).
5. Day 5: Add Tier 3 signal-triggered snippets; cap at 60 sends; set escalation alerts.
6. Day 6: Review metrics vs. gates; escalate or kill per rules; rewrite only the opener if under target.
7. Day 7: Summarize in 10 bullets: reply %, meetings, touches/meeting, cost/meeting, next test.

Scoreboard to watch

• Reply rate by tier, meetings per account, touches per meeting.
• Escalation yield (% of accounts moving up a tier).
• Cost per meeting and pipeline per account.

Lock the entitlements, enforce the gates, and let AI handle the drafting. You’ll see fewer random wins and more repeatable meetings.

Your move.

[Jeff Bullas]

Spot on. Entitlements, coverage, and KPI gates turn ABM from “hope” into a system. Let’s bolt on the missing pieces teams struggle with: capacity math, reply triage, objection handling, and a simple calendar rhythm so the plan actually ships every week.

Why this matters

• If you don’t plan capacity, Tier 1 work gets crowded out.
• If you don’t triage replies, warm interest dies in the inbox.
• If you don’t pre-bake objections, calls stall and sequences drift.

What you’ll need

• Your tier rules and KPI gates (from your note).
• A weekly calendar block you’ll defend (two 45–60 minute blocks/day).
• One sheet with tabs: Capacity, Sequences, Replies, Objections, Scoreboard.
• AI assistant for quick briefs, variants, and reply rewrites.

Step-by-step add-ons that make it stick

1. Capacity math in 5 minutes
   • Pick a weekly outreach budget: e.g., 6 hours/week.
   • Allocate by tier using 60/30/10 (Tier 1/2/3). Example: 3.6h T1, 1.8h T2, 0.6h T3.
   • Translate to touches using your entitlements: if Tier 1 takes ~6 minutes/touch, 3.6h ≈ 36 touches (enough for 6–8 touches across 4–5 accounts).
   • Write these as quotas on your calendar: “Mon–Fri: 7 Tier 1 touches before 10am.”
2. Weekly rhythm that doesn’t slip
   • Mon: Build 3 Tier 1 briefs, send Email 1 + LinkedIn notes.
   • Tue: Tier 2 variants to 20 contacts; call block for yesterday’s Tier 1.
   • Wed: Follow-up Email 2 for Monday’s Tier 1; escalate any Tier 2 that hit your signal gate.
   • Thu: Tier 3 sends (signal-triggered) + voicemail for hottest Tier 1.
   • Fri: Review the scoreboard vs. gates; promote winners into Tier 2 templates; kill low performers.
3. Reply triage playbook (use this taxonomy)
   • Yes/Interested: reply within 30 minutes; propose two times; add calendar link only after they confirm.
   • Not me: ask for the right owner and CC them; log contact move; escalate the account one tier for 2 weeks.
   • Later: capture date + reason; schedule a 45-day reminder; send a 2-sentence value summary today.
   • Already using a competitor: ask one neutral question about their current workflow; send a one-line contrast with one number.
   • Price first: reply with a range tied to outcomes; ask which metric matters most to scope fast.
   • Hard no/opt-out: honor immediately; suppress and note why.
4. Objection bank in one hour
   • List 10 objections you see by persona.
   • For each, write a 2-line response: empathize, specific contrast, small ask.
   • Turn the top 5 into short email and voicemail snippets; reuse in follow-ups.
5. Compliance and hygiene
   • Verify emails and suppress bounced/opt-out domains weekly.
   • Cap frequency: no more than 2 emails/week/person; 6 touches max before pause.
   • Always include an easy opt-out line in Tier 3.

Copy-paste AI prompts

• Capacity Planner: “You are my ABM capacity coach. I have [X] hours/week for outreach. Using these entitlements: Tier 1=6–8 touches/account (~6 min per touch), Tier 2=4–6 touches (~4 min), Tier 3=3–4 touches (~3 min), create a weekly plan: 1) touches per tier, 2) number of accounts supported per tier, 3) daily quotas I can finish in two 45–60 minute blocks. Output plain bullets.”
• Reply Triage Router: “Classify the reply below as: Yes, Not me, Later, Competitor, Price, Hard no. Then write a 2-sentence response with one clear next step and a short subject line. Keep it human and under 60 words. Reply: [paste prospect email].”
• Objection Bank Builder: “For persona [role] selling outcome [outcome], list the 10 most common objections and provide a 2-line response to each: 1) empathy + context, 2) specific contrast with one number, 3) a yes/no or either/or micro-ask. Output as short bullets.”

Worked example (manufacturing)

• Account: Central Fabrication Inc. | Persona: Plant Manager | Trigger: New CNC line added.
• Email 1 (82 words): “Congrats on the new CNC line. Most plants see WIP spikes and schedule slips in the first 60–90 days. We helped a peer shop cut changeover time 14% in six weeks by giving supervisors a live queue view and 2-click re-sequencing. Worth a 12-minute chat Tue or Wed to show the two workflows they used to stabilize throughput without extra shifts?”
• LinkedIn question: “Which metric is wobbling most during your CNC ramp: changeover, scrap, or on-time?”
• Voicemail (30s): “Quick idea to steady throughput during new line ramps. Peer plant saw a 14% changeover drop in six weeks. If helpful, reply ‘yes’ and I’ll send two screenshots.”

Common mistakes and simple fixes

• Capacity creep: days end with zero Tier 1 touches. Fix: send Tier 1 before 10am, every day.
• Slow replies: waiting hours on “Yes.” Fix: set a visible 30-minute SLA; use a template with two time options.
• Objection debates: long emails. Fix: two lines + micro-ask; move to call.
• Random follow-up timing: scattered touches. Fix: lock the Mon–Fri rhythm and repeat it.

7-day action plan

1. Day 1: Run the Capacity Planner; write daily quotas on your calendar.
2. Day 2: Build 3 Tier 1 briefs; send Email 1 + LinkedIn notes.
3. Day 3: Launch one Tier 2 template to 20 contacts with 10% control; log replies.
4. Day 4: Create your Objection Bank for one persona; bake into follow-ups.
5. Day 5: Set reply triage rules and a 30-minute SLA; add macros to your email tool.
6. Day 6: Review vs. KPI gates; escalate or kill; shorten any email over 90 words.
7. Day 7: Summarize learnings in 10 bullets; promote any 2× winner to a Tier 2 variant.

Expectation check

• Week 1–2: better reply quality on Tier 1; early meetings from fast triage.
• Week 3–4: Tier 2 variants stabilize; cost per meeting starts to drop.
• Week 5–6: A repeatable rhythm with clear winners you can scale.

Lock the rhythm, protect your Tier 1 time, and let AI handle briefs, variants, and replies. Predictable pipeline follows predictable behavior.

[Author]

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