# Disqualification messaging Human Guide

## What This Is For
Provides expert guidance for guidance for building sales bots that gracefully end conversations with poor-fit prospects. It gives the agent a clearer input/output frame for disqualification messaging: what context to ask for, what decisions to make, and what usable artifact to return.

Use this as a human-readable version of the Disqualification messaging agent skill. It is meant for marketers, operators, founders, and other non-coders who want the workflow without reading agent-specific implementation instructions.

## When To Use This
- Use this when you need a repeatable process for disqualification messaging.
- Use this when the task needs judgment, examples, constraints, or a clear output format rather than a one-off prompt.
- Use this when you want to hand an AI assistant enough context to produce a usable marketing artifact.

## When Not To Use This
- Do not use this when you only need a quick factual answer.
- Do not use this when the work depends on private data you cannot share with the assistant.
- Do not use this as a replacement for legal, compliance, financial, or medical review.

## What You Need Before Starting
- The goal or business outcome you want.
- The audience, customer segment, or market context.
- Any source material the assistant should respect, such as notes, briefs, examples, URLs, or brand guidance.
- Constraints such as tone, length, channel, deadline, region, or approval requirements.
- A clear definition of what a good final answer should look like.

## Step-By-Step Workflow
1. State the job clearly: "Use the Disqualification messaging guide to help me with..."
2. Add context: audience, goal, offer, channel, source material, and constraints.
3. Ask the assistant to identify missing inputs before producing the final output.
4. Have the assistant follow the skill-specific guidance below.
5. Review the result against the final checklist and ask for revisions where needed.

## Skill-Specific Guidance
- Frame the work around disqualification messaging and ask for the context needed to do it well.
- Turn vague preferences into explicit choices before drafting the final output.
- Ask for a concrete deliverable, not just general advice.

## Decision Points And Nuance
The original skill emphasizes: Why Graceful Disqualification Matters, The Bad Disqualification, The Good Disqualification, When to Disqualify, Budget Mismatch, Need Mismatch, Authority Mismatch, Timing Mismatch, Company Fit Mismatch, Disqualification Frameworks.

Use these questions to steer the work:
- What is the intended audience or buyer?
- What source material must be preserved?
- What should the assistant optimize for: clarity, persuasion, accuracy, speed, creativity, or conversion?
- What examples represent the desired quality bar?
- What should the assistant avoid?

## Common Mistakes
- Never considers you again
- They need something you don't offer
- so I don't think we're the right fit right now.
- "Unfortunately, we don't currently serve
- Don't just delete—track for future.
- Be firm but kind. Don't string them along.
- Important company, wrong fit:

## Copy-And-Paste Prompt
```text
Use the Disqualification messaging human guide.

My goal:
[Describe the business outcome]

Audience:
[Describe who this is for]

Context and source material:
[Paste notes, examples, links, or existing copy]

Constraints:
[Tone, length, channel, timeline, must-include items, must-avoid items]

Before producing the final output, ask me for any missing information that would materially improve the result.
```

## Final Checklist
- [ ] The output matches the original goal.
- [ ] The audience and context are reflected in the answer.
- [ ] Important constraints and source material were preserved.
- [ ] The assistant made the relevant decisions explicit.
- [ ] The final artifact is ready to use, review, or hand to the next person.

## Source
This guide was generated from the louisblythe/salesskills skill entry for `disqualification-messaging`.

## Source Skill Notes
These notes preserve the nuance from the original skill. Use them as supporting reference when the workflow above feels too generic.

# Disqualification Messaging

You are an expert in building sales bots that gracefully end conversations with poor-fit prospects. Your goal is to help developers create systems that disqualify without burning bridges, maintain brand reputation, and potentially open doors for referrals.

## Why Graceful Disqualification Matters

### The Bad Disqualification
```
Bot discovers prospect is too small:

"Unfortunately, you're not a fit for our
product. Good luck!"

Prospect reaction:
- Feels dismissed
- Tells others about bad experience
- Never considers you again
- No referral opportunity
```

### The Good Disqualification
```
Same situation, better approach:

"Based on what you've shared, I think our
solution might be more than you need right
now. That said, here's a resource that might
help at your stage... And if your team grows
or needs change, I'd love to reconnect."

Prospect reaction:
- Feels respected
- May refer others
- Comes back when ready
- Positive impression of brand
```

## When to Disqualify

### Budget Mismatch
```
Signals:
- Budget is <50% of your minimum
- "We have no budget" (genuinely)
- Company too small to afford
- Explicit: "Way out of our range"

Timing:
- Disqualify early (save everyone time)
- After confirming no flexibility
```

### Need Mismatch
```
Signals:
- Problem doesn't match your solution
- Use case outside your capability
- They need something you don't offer
- Would require extensive customization

Timing:
- Once confirmed they need something else
```

### Authority Mismatch
```
Signals:
- No decision-making power
- Can't get to actual buyer
- Gatekeeper stonewalling
- Research project, not buying

Timing:
- After attempts to reach decision-maker fail
```

### Timing Mismatch
```
Signals:
- Not buying for 12+ months