Review Criteria -- Business Artifact Review
Cialdini Ethical Boundaries
Each principle has a clear line between ethical influence and manipulation:
| Principle |
Ethical Use |
Manipulation (Flag) |
| Reciprocity |
Genuine unsolicited value before asking |
Imposing unwanted gifts, artificial obligation |
| Commitment |
Progressive asks aligned with stated values |
Low-balling, pressuring into misaligned commitments |
| Social Proof |
Real testimonials from named, similar clients |
Fake reviews, inflated numbers, fabricated popularity |
| Authority |
Genuine credentials, real citations, third-party data |
Fake titles, unearned credentials, superficial signals |
| Liking |
Authentic shared values, genuine observations |
False flattery, pretending similarity, manufactured friendliness |
| Scarcity |
Real capacity limits, actual deadlines |
Artificial countdown timers, false "last chance", fake urgency |
| Unity |
Genuine shared identity, real community |
Falsely claiming membership, manufactured exclusivity |
Test: "Is this representing genuine value honestly, or fabricating value deceptively?"
Legal Compliance Checklist
CAN-SPAM Requirements
- Physical mailing address present in email
- Subject line honestly represents content (no deceptive "Re:" or "Fwd:" on first contact)
- Functional unsubscribe mechanism (must work within 10 business days)
- "From" field accurately identifies sender
- Commercial nature disclosed if not obvious
GDPR Requirements (EU Prospects)
- Lawful basis for processing: legitimate interest (B2B prospecting) or consent
- Data minimization: only necessary data collected
- Right to erasure: process for deletion requests
- No special category data without explicit consent
- Privacy notice accessible
Email Deliverability Standards
- SPF, DKIM, DMARC authentication configured
- Sending limit: 50-100 emails per mailbox per day
- Bounce rate: under 2%
- Spam complaint rate: under 0.3%
- Domain warming: 3-6 weeks before scaling (start 5-10/day)
- Dedicated sending subdomain (not root domain)
Numerical Benchmarks
Outreach Metrics
| Metric |
Baseline |
Good |
Elite |
| Cold email reply rate |
3.43% |
5.5%+ |
10.7%+ |
| Signal-based reply rate |
15-25% |
-- |
-- |
| Open rate (personalized subject) |
+26% vs generic |
-- |
-- |
| Subject line length |
36-50 chars optimal |
-- |
-- |
| Email body length |
Under 80 words |
-- |
-- |
| Sequence length |
4-7 touchpoints |
-- |
-- |
| First email reply share |
58% of all replies |
-- |
-- |
Pipeline Metrics
| Metric |
Benchmark |
| MQL to SQL conversion |
10-30% (top: 40%) |
| SQL to opportunity |
42% |
| Overall win rate |
~21% across qualified |
| Sales cycle (mid-market) |
~90 days (<$25K) |
| Pipeline coverage ratio |
3:1 to 4:1 (target 4:1) |
| Lead response time |
53% conversion within 1hr vs 17% after 24hr |
| Pipeline velocity |
(Opps x Win% x Avg Deal) / Cycle Days |
Pricing Benchmarks
| Metric |
Benchmark |
| Value-based price |
10-20% of quantified value delivered |
| Customer ROI target |
5:1 to 10:1 |
| Good tier price |
30-40% of Better tier |
| Best tier price |
2.5-4x Better tier |
| Target tier distribution |
20% Good / 65% Better / 15% Best |
| B2B SaaS value-based adoption |
78% of SaaS companies |
| Good/Better/Best adoption |
40.8% of B2B |
TAM/SAM/SOM Validation
- TAM: Total addressable market via top-down industry data -- acceptable as directional only
- SAM: Must have bottom-up calculation (ICP count x avg deal size) -- "1% of TAM" is not a methodology
- SOM: Realistically achievable in 12-18 months given current resources -- for a 3-person company, SOM over EUR 1M year 1 needs strong justification
Unit Economics
- CAC payback: under 12 months for services, under 18 months for SaaS
- LTV:CAC ratio: minimum 3:1, target 5:1
- Gross margin: 70%+ for SaaS, 50%+ for services/consulting
Copywriting Framework Checks
PAS (Problem-Agitate-Solution)
- Problem: specific, researched pain point (not generic)
- Agitate: emotional amplification of consequences (not fear-mongering)
- Solution: clear offer tied to the specific problem
BAB (Before-After-Bridge)
- Before: prospect's current painful state (researched)
- After: desired future state (specific, measurable)
- Bridge: how your offer gets them there
Signal-Based Personalization
Every outreach must reference at least one verifiable business signal:
- Leadership changes (14-25% reply rate impact)
- Funding rounds (12-20%)
- Hiring surges (10-18%)
- Earnings call mentions (10-15%)
- Technology changes (8-15%)
Flag generic outreach with no signal reference as HIGH severity.
Negotiation Validation
Ackerman Sequence Check
Target price -> offers at 65% -> 85% -> 95% -> 100% of target
- Each increment decreasing (shows approaching limit)
- Final number: precise, non-round (e.g., EUR 14,850 not EUR 15,000)
- Verify math: each step correctly calculated from the target
BATNA Validation
- Is the alternative specific and actionable? ("Walk away" is not a BATNA)
- Is it realistically available? (Can you actually execute the alternative?)
- Does it have known value? (What specifically would you get?)
- For a 3-person company: losing a deal hurts more -- BATNA must account for this
ZOPA Check
- Seller's reservation price (minimum acceptable) defined?
- Buyer's reservation price estimated with evidence?
- Zone exists (buyer max > seller min)?
- If no ZOPA: flag that negotiation may be futile
Size-Credibility Calibration (3-Person Company)
Flag these claims as credibility violations:
- "Our team of experts" (you have 3 people -- say "our team" or name them)
- "Industry-leading" anything (prove it with evidence or remove)
- Fortune 500 client logos without verifiable relationship
- "Trusted by hundreds of companies" (if actual client count is under 20)
- "Enterprise-grade" for a bootstrapped consultancy
- Claims of 24/7 support with 3 people
- Scale language ("we serve clients globally") without evidence of global delivery
1---2name: nw-br-review-criteria3description: Review criteria, ethical boundaries, compliance checklists, and numerical benchmarks for business artifact review4---5
6# Review Criteria -- Business Artifact Review
7
8## Cialdini Ethical Boundaries
9
10Each principle has a clear line between ethical influence and manipulation:
11
12| Principle | Ethical Use | Manipulation (Flag) |
13|-----------|------------|---------------------|
14| Reciprocity | Genuine unsolicited value before asking | Imposing unwanted gifts, artificial obligation |
15| Commitment | Progressive asks aligned with stated values | Low-balling, pressuring into misaligned commitments |
16| Social Proof | Real testimonials from named, similar clients | Fake reviews, inflated numbers, fabricated popularity |
17| Authority | Genuine credentials, real citations, third-party data | Fake titles, unearned credentials, superficial signals |
18| Liking | Authentic shared values, genuine observations | False flattery, pretending similarity, manufactured friendliness |
19| Scarcity | Real capacity limits, actual deadlines | Artificial countdown timers, false "last chance", fake urgency |
20| Unity | Genuine shared identity, real community | Falsely claiming membership, manufactured exclusivity |
21
22Test: "Is this representing genuine value honestly, or fabricating value deceptively?"
23
24## Legal Compliance Checklist
25
26### CAN-SPAM Requirements
27- Physical mailing address present in email
28- Subject line honestly represents content (no deceptive "Re:" or "Fwd:" on first contact)
29- Functional unsubscribe mechanism (must work within 10 business days)
30- "From" field accurately identifies sender
31- Commercial nature disclosed if not obvious
32
33### GDPR Requirements (EU Prospects)
34- Lawful basis for processing: legitimate interest (B2B prospecting) or consent
35- Data minimization: only necessary data collected
36- Right to erasure: process for deletion requests
37- No special category data without explicit consent
38- Privacy notice accessible
39
40### Email Deliverability Standards
41- SPF, DKIM, DMARC authentication configured
42- Sending limit: 50-100 emails per mailbox per day
43- Bounce rate: under 2%
44- Spam complaint rate: under 0.3%
45- Domain warming: 3-6 weeks before scaling (start 5-10/day)
46- Dedicated sending subdomain (not root domain)
47
48## Numerical Benchmarks
49
50### Outreach Metrics
51| Metric | Baseline | Good | Elite |
52|--------|----------|------|-------|
53| Cold email reply rate | 3.43% | 5.5%+ | 10.7%+ |
54| Signal-based reply rate | 15-25% | -- | -- |
55| Open rate (personalized subject) | +26% vs generic | -- | -- |
56| Subject line length | 36-50 chars optimal | -- | -- |
57| Email body length | Under 80 words | -- | -- |
58| Sequence length | 4-7 touchpoints | -- | -- |
59| First email reply share | 58% of all replies | -- | -- |
60
61### Pipeline Metrics
62| Metric | Benchmark |
63|--------|-----------|
64| MQL to SQL conversion | 10-30% (top: 40%) |
65| SQL to opportunity | 42% |
66| Overall win rate | ~21% across qualified |
67| Sales cycle (mid-market) | ~90 days (<$25K) |
68| Pipeline coverage ratio | 3:1 to 4:1 (target 4:1) |
69| Lead response time | 53% conversion within 1hr vs 17% after 24hr |
70| Pipeline velocity | (Opps x Win% x Avg Deal) / Cycle Days |
71
72### Pricing Benchmarks
73| Metric | Benchmark |
74|--------|-----------|
75| Value-based price | 10-20% of quantified value delivered |
76| Customer ROI target | 5:1 to 10:1 |
77| Good tier price | 30-40% of Better tier |
78| Best tier price | 2.5-4x Better tier |
79| Target tier distribution | 20% Good / 65% Better / 15% Best |
80| B2B SaaS value-based adoption | 78% of SaaS companies |
81| Good/Better/Best adoption | 40.8% of B2B |
82
83### TAM/SAM/SOM Validation
84- TAM: Total addressable market via top-down industry data -- acceptable as directional only
85- SAM: Must have bottom-up calculation (ICP count x avg deal size) -- "1% of TAM" is not a methodology
86- SOM: Realistically achievable in 12-18 months given current resources -- for a 3-person company, SOM over EUR 1M year 1 needs strong justification
87
88### Unit Economics
89- CAC payback: under 12 months for services, under 18 months for SaaS
90- LTV:CAC ratio: minimum 3:1, target 5:1
91- Gross margin: 70%+ for SaaS, 50%+ for services/consulting
92
93## Copywriting Framework Checks
94
95### PAS (Problem-Agitate-Solution)
961. Problem: specific, researched pain point (not generic)
972. Agitate: emotional amplification of consequences (not fear-mongering)
983. Solution: clear offer tied to the specific problem
99
100### BAB (Before-After-Bridge)
1011. Before: prospect's current painful state (researched)
1022. After: desired future state (specific, measurable)
1033. Bridge: how your offer gets them there
104
105### Signal-Based Personalization
106Every outreach must reference at least one verifiable business signal:
107- Leadership changes (14-25% reply rate impact)
108- Funding rounds (12-20%)
109- Hiring surges (10-18%)
110- Earnings call mentions (10-15%)
111- Technology changes (8-15%)
112
113Flag generic outreach with no signal reference as HIGH severity.
114
115## Negotiation Validation
116
117### Ackerman Sequence Check
118Target price -> offers at 65% -> 85% -> 95% -> 100% of target
119- Each increment decreasing (shows approaching limit)
120- Final number: precise, non-round (e.g., EUR 14,850 not EUR 15,000)
121- Verify math: each step correctly calculated from the target
122
123### BATNA Validation
124- Is the alternative specific and actionable? ("Walk away" is not a BATNA)
125- Is it realistically available? (Can you actually execute the alternative?)
126- Does it have known value? (What specifically would you get?)
127- For a 3-person company: losing a deal hurts more -- BATNA must account for this
128
129### ZOPA Check
130- Seller's reservation price (minimum acceptable) defined?
131- Buyer's reservation price estimated with evidence?
132- Zone exists (buyer max > seller min)?
133- If no ZOPA: flag that negotiation may be futile
134
135## Size-Credibility Calibration (3-Person Company)
136
137Flag these claims as credibility violations:
138- "Our team of experts" (you have 3 people -- say "our team" or name them)
139- "Industry-leading" anything (prove it with evidence or remove)
140- Fortune 500 client logos without verifiable relationship
141- "Trusted by hundreds of companies" (if actual client count is under 20)
142- "Enterprise-grade" for a bootstrapped consultancy
143- Claims of 24/7 support with 3 people
144- Scale language ("we serve clients globally") without evidence of global delivery
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