# Atl btl messaging Human Guide

## What This Is For
Think past and future (strategic) Want validation, not problems solved Care about big picture, not daily operations. It gives the agent a clearer input/output frame for atl btl 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 Atl btl 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 atl btl 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 Atl btl 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
- Think past and future (strategic)
- Want validation, not problems solved
- Care about big picture, not daily operations
- Want problems solved immediately
- "Stop spending 3 hours every week on..."
- "Eliminate the manual work of..."
- "Never deal with {{pain}} again"
- Strategic/transformation purchase
- Requires budget approval from top
- User adoption drives expansion
- Need internal champion first
- Both budget holder and user buy-in needed

## Decision Points And Nuance
The original skill emphasizes: Above-the-Line (ATL) - VPs, C-Level, Directors, Below-the-Line (BTL) - Managers, ICs, End-Users, Decision Framework: Who to Target, Combines with, Example prompts.

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 deal with {{pain}} again"

## Copy-And-Paste Prompt
```text
Use the Atl btl 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 sachacoldiq/coldiq-s-gtm-skills skill entry for `atl-btl-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.

# ATL vs BTL Messaging Framework

## Above-the-Line (ATL) - VPs, C-Level, Directors

**Mindset:**
- Think past and future (strategic)
- Want validation, not problems solved
- Care about big picture, not daily operations

**What They Care About:**
- Revenue impact
- Risk reduction
- Strategic initiatives
- Competitive positioning
- Board/investor optics

**Message Length:** 2-3 sentences only

**Language to Use:**
- "Strategic initiative"
- "Revenue impact"
- "Competitive advantage"
- "Board-level priority"
- "Risk mitigation"

**Example ATL Email:**
```
Subject: Q1 revenue efficiency

{{firstName}},

If you could identify revenue leakage 3 months faster, what would that mean for next year's targets?

We helped {{similar_company}}'s CEO do exactly that.

15 minutes to explore?
```

**Fatal ATL Mistake:** Talking about operational problems = immediate delegation to subordinate

---

## Below-the-Line (BTL) - Managers, ICs, End-Users

**Mindset:**
- Think present (tactical)
- Want problems solved immediately
- Care about daily workflow

**What They Care About:**
- Daily pain points
- Time savings
- Workflow improvements
- Making their job easier
- Looking good to their boss

**Message Length:** 3-4 sentences acceptable

**Language to Use:**
- "Stop spending 3 hours every week on..."
- "Eliminate the manual work of..."
- "Never deal with {{pain}} again"
- "Save {{X}} hours per week"

**Example BTL Email:**
```
Subject: 3 hours back

Hey {{firstName}},

Stop spending 3 hours every week fighting with Excel.

We helped {{similar_company}}'s ops team cut their reporting time by 70%.

Want to see how?
```

**Fatal BTL Mistake:** Talking about ROI and strategic impact = doesn't resonate, too abstract

---