Deal Strategist
DATA RULE: Strategy must be grounded in actual deal state — not assumptions. Read the files first.
DATE RULE: Check currentDate. Output saved as YYYY-MM-DD-deal-strategy.md.
STEP 0 — Confirm Deal Context
Ask if not provided:
- Which account?
- Current stage (Research / Outreach / Discovery / Meeting Booked / Qualified)
- What's the problem? (e.g., "they went dark", "competitor entered", "stuck after verbal yes")
- When was the last meaningful interaction?
STEP 1 — Load Deal State
Read all available files in order:
accounts/{account}/account-brief.md → current MEDDPICC status + 3 Whys + stage
accounts/{account}/discovery/ → most recent call notes (look for MEDDPICC score + red flags)
accounts/{account}/meetings/ → most recent meeting brief or summary
memory/account-intel.md → confirmed contacts, warm intros, relationship history
Build the deal snapshot:
- Current MEDDPICC Score: ___ / 40
- Champion: confirmed / suspected / none
- Economic Buyer: named / not reached / unknown
- Compelling event: exists / unclear / none identified
- Competitor: in play / not mentioned / unknown
- Last meaningful interaction: [date + what happened]
STEP 2 — Diagnose Deal Problem
Identify ONE primary problem type (the root cause, not just the symptom):
| Problem Type |
Signals |
Framework to deploy |
| Complacent buyer |
No urgency, "we're fine", scores low on Why Anything |
Challenger — Rational Drowning + Emotional Impact |
| Competitive threat |
Competitor named, decision criteria shifting, going dark |
FIA + Landmine questions |
| Single-threaded |
Only 1 contact, champion won't broker EB, no internal movement |
Champion coaching plan |
| Process stall |
Verbal yes but nothing moving, procurement/legal silent, "waiting on" |
Pattern interrupt re-engagement |
State the diagnosis explicitly:
"This is a [Problem Type] situation because [2-3 specific signals from the files]."
STEP 3 — Build Strategy by Problem Type
If Complacent Buyer — Challenger Play
Reference: .claude/skills/write-outreach/references/challenger-messaging.md
- Identify the reframe: What does this buyer not realize about their problem?
- Find the rational drowning data: What's the cost of inaction? (use verified proof points only)
- Map the emotional impact: What does this mean for their team / career / competitive position?
- Draft the reframe message: Use Steps 2-4 of the Challenger sequence
Output: A reframe message + talking points for the next interaction.
If Competitive Threat — FIA Play
Reference: .claude/skills/discovery-prep/references/competitive-positioning.md + knowledge/competitive/{competitor}.md
- Identify the zone: Winning / Battling / Losing
- FIA response: Fact (acknowledge) → Impact (ask about their use case) → Act (reframe to your strength)
- Select 1-2 landmine questions relevant to this specific competitor and deal
- Identify the winning criterion the buyer has confirmed that favors you
Output: FIA positioning + landmine questions + next conversation approach.
If Single-Threaded — Champion Coaching Plan
- Assess the champion: Do they believe? Can they articulate the value? Will they carry it internally?
- Identify the gap: Is the champion unwilling, unable, or just not yet asked to broker access?
- Build the ask: What specifically are you asking them to do? (intro to EB, internal memo, stakeholder map)
- Create a 1-pager they can use internally: Problem statement (in their words) + value in their metrics + proposed next step
Output: Champion coaching script + 1-pager outline for internal use.
If Process Stall — Pattern Interrupt Re-engagement
- Find a new signal: Fresh news, funding, hire, competitive move, regulatory change — anything that creates a new reason to reach out
- New value angle: Something you haven't shared yet (proof point, case study, relevant benchmark)
- Reframe the urgency: What external event could create a new compelling reason to move?
- Pattern interrupt message: Not "just checking in" — a new signal + a new question
Output: Re-engagement message with new hook + a reframed Why Now argument.
STEP 4 — Build 3 Next Moves
Output exactly 3 moves. Each must be:
- Specific (not "follow up" — exact message / action / conversation)
- Ownable (who does it: seller, AE, or champion)
- Dated (proposed date — not "soon")
- Measurable (what does success look like for this move)
| Move |
Action |
Owner |
Date |
Success Measure |
| 1 |
[Specific action] |
[Seller / AE / Champion] |
[Date] |
[What changes if this works] |
| 2 |
[Specific action] |
[Seller / AE / Champion] |
[Date] |
[What changes if this works] |
| 3 |
[Specific action] |
[Seller / AE / Champion] |
[Date] |
[What changes if this works] |
STEP 5 — Save and Update
Save strategy as: accounts/{account}/meetings/YYYY-MM-DD-deal-strategy.md
Update account-brief.md:
- Stage: update if changed
- Deal health: add MEDDPICC score if new
- Next action: update to Move 1
Quality Gates
1---2name: deal-strategist3description: Diagnoses stuck deals and builds a 3-move recovery strategy using MEDDPICC scoring and targeted frameworks. Use when: deal is stalled, competitive threat identified, single-threaded, or process has stopped. Triggers: deal strategy, deal review, stuck deal, advance this deal, competitive play, challenger approach, deal health, how do I win this, competitive strategy, how to advance, deal blocked, reframe strategy.4---56# Deal Strategist78**DATA RULE:** Strategy must be grounded in actual deal state — not assumptions. Read the files first.910**DATE RULE:** Check `currentDate`. Output saved as `YYYY-MM-DD-deal-strategy.md`.1112---1314## STEP 0 — Confirm Deal Context1516Ask if not provided:171. Which account?182. Current stage (Research / Outreach / Discovery / Meeting Booked / Qualified)193. What's the problem? (e.g., "they went dark", "competitor entered", "stuck after verbal yes")204. When was the last meaningful interaction?2122---2324## STEP 1 — Load Deal State2526Read all available files in order:271. `accounts/{account}/account-brief.md` → current MEDDPICC status + 3 Whys + stage282. `accounts/{account}/discovery/` → most recent call notes (look for MEDDPICC score + red flags)293. `accounts/{account}/meetings/` → most recent meeting brief or summary304. `memory/account-intel.md` → confirmed contacts, warm intros, relationship history3132**Build the deal snapshot:**33- Current MEDDPICC Score: ___ / 4034- Champion: confirmed / suspected / none35- Economic Buyer: named / not reached / unknown36- Compelling event: exists / unclear / none identified37- Competitor: in play / not mentioned / unknown38- Last meaningful interaction: [date + what happened]3940---4142## STEP 2 — Diagnose Deal Problem4344Identify ONE primary problem type (the root cause, not just the symptom):4546| Problem Type | Signals | Framework to deploy |47|-------------|---------|-------------------|48| **Complacent buyer** | No urgency, "we're fine", scores low on Why Anything | Challenger — Rational Drowning + Emotional Impact |49| **Competitive threat** | Competitor named, decision criteria shifting, going dark | FIA + Landmine questions |50| **Single-threaded** | Only 1 contact, champion won't broker EB, no internal movement | Champion coaching plan |51| **Process stall** | Verbal yes but nothing moving, procurement/legal silent, "waiting on" | Pattern interrupt re-engagement |5253**State the diagnosis explicitly:**54> "This is a [Problem Type] situation because [2-3 specific signals from the files]."5556---5758## STEP 3 — Build Strategy by Problem Type5960### If Complacent Buyer — Challenger Play61Reference: `.claude/skills/write-outreach/references/challenger-messaging.md`62631. **Identify the reframe:** What does this buyer not realize about their problem?642. **Find the rational drowning data:** What's the cost of inaction? (use verified proof points only)653. **Map the emotional impact:** What does this mean for their team / career / competitive position?664. **Draft the reframe message:** Use Steps 2-4 of the Challenger sequence6768Output: A reframe message + talking points for the next interaction.6970---7172### If Competitive Threat — FIA Play73Reference: `.claude/skills/discovery-prep/references/competitive-positioning.md` + `knowledge/competitive/{competitor}.md`74751. **Identify the zone:** Winning / Battling / Losing762. **FIA response:** Fact (acknowledge) → Impact (ask about their use case) → Act (reframe to your strength)773. **Select 1-2 landmine questions** relevant to this specific competitor and deal784. **Identify the winning criterion** the buyer has confirmed that favors you7980Output: FIA positioning + landmine questions + next conversation approach.8182---8384### If Single-Threaded — Champion Coaching Plan85861. **Assess the champion:** Do they believe? Can they articulate the value? Will they carry it internally?872. **Identify the gap:** Is the champion unwilling, unable, or just not yet asked to broker access?883. **Build the ask:** What specifically are you asking them to do? (intro to EB, internal memo, stakeholder map)894. **Create a 1-pager they can use internally:** Problem statement (in their words) + value in their metrics + proposed next step9091Output: Champion coaching script + 1-pager outline for internal use.9293---9495### If Process Stall — Pattern Interrupt Re-engagement96971. **Find a new signal:** Fresh news, funding, hire, competitive move, regulatory change — anything that creates a new reason to reach out982. **New value angle:** Something you haven't shared yet (proof point, case study, relevant benchmark)993. **Reframe the urgency:** What external event could create a new compelling reason to move?1004. **Pattern interrupt message:** Not "just checking in" — a new signal + a new question101102Output: Re-engagement message with new hook + a reframed Why Now argument.103104---105106## STEP 4 — Build 3 Next Moves107108Output exactly 3 moves. Each must be:109- **Specific** (not "follow up" — exact message / action / conversation)110- **Ownable** (who does it: seller, AE, or champion)111- **Dated** (proposed date — not "soon")112- **Measurable** (what does success look like for this move)113114| Move | Action | Owner | Date | Success Measure |115|------|--------|-------|------|----------------|116| 1 | [Specific action] | [Seller / AE / Champion] | [Date] | [What changes if this works] |117| 2 | [Specific action] | [Seller / AE / Champion] | [Date] | [What changes if this works] |118| 3 | [Specific action] | [Seller / AE / Champion] | [Date] | [What changes if this works] |119120---121122## STEP 5 — Save and Update123124**Save strategy as:** `accounts/{account}/meetings/YYYY-MM-DD-deal-strategy.md`125126**Update account-brief.md:**127- Stage: update if changed128- Deal health: add MEDDPICC score if new129- Next action: update to Move 1130131---132133## Quality Gates134135- [ ] Deal state loaded from actual files (not assumptions)136- [ ] MEDDPICC score sourced from call notes or account-brief (not estimated)137- [ ] Problem type diagnosed with 2+ specific signals cited138- [ ] Correct framework loaded for the diagnosed problem type139- [ ] 3 next moves are specific, ownable, and dated140- [ ] Strategy saved with today's date141- [ ] account-brief.md updated with new next action