How do I install the Atl Btl Messaging skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add swan-gtm/atl-btl-messaging in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Atl Btl Messaging safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Atl Btl Messaging?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Atl Btl Messaging free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Atl Btl Messaging?

swan-gtm (@swan-gtm) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Atl Btl Messaging by swan-gtm — Agent Skill

Name: Atl Btl Messaging
Author: swan-gtm

Atl Btl Messaging

Use this skill when crafting messages for different seniority levels, deciding message length and tone, or adapting outreach to VPs and C-Level vs Managers and ICs — the Above-the-Line (ATL) / Below-the-Line (BTL) messaging framework for targeting executives vs end-users.

swan-gtm Updated Sep 17, 2026

File contents

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

Decision Framework: Who to Target

Target ATL (Executives) When:

Deal size > $50K ACV
Strategic/transformation purchase
Requires budget approval from top
Long sales cycle acceptable

Target BTL (End-Users) When:

Product-led growth motion
User adoption drives expansion
Bottom-up sale
Need internal champion first

Multi-Thread (Both) When:

Complex enterprise sale
Multiple stakeholders
Both budget holder and user buy-in needed

Combines with

Skill	Why
`cold-email-4-sequence`	Adjust sequence length for ATL vs BTL
`sdr-outbound-rules`	Apply word count rules by seniority
`outbound-triggers-6`	CXO Passdown for ATL targeting
`personalization-6-buckets`	Choose bucket by seniority level

Example prompts

Rewrite this email for a CFO (ATL) instead of a Finance Manager (BTL).

Create an ATL email about cost reduction for a VP Operations at a logistics company.

I have a BTL champion - write a BTL email I can ask them to forward to their VP.

Part of Frontal — free, open GTM skills for your AI agent. Browse the library →

---name: atl-btl-messagingdescription: Use this skill when crafting messages for different seniority levels, deciding message length and tone, or adapting outreach to VPs and C-Level vs Managers and ICs — the Above-the-Line (ATL) / Below-the-Line (BTL) messaging framework for targeting executives vs end-users.---# 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 backHey {{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---## Decision Framework: Who to Target**Target ATL (Executives) When:**- Deal size > $50K ACV- Strategic/transformation purchase- Requires budget approval from top- Long sales cycle acceptable**Target BTL (End-Users) When:**- Product-led growth motion- User adoption drives expansion- Bottom-up sale- Need internal champion first**Multi-Thread (Both) When:**- Complex enterprise sale- Multiple stakeholders- Both budget holder and user buy-in needed---## Combines with| Skill | Why ||-------|-----|| `cold-email-4-sequence` | Adjust sequence length for ATL vs BTL || `sdr-outbound-rules` | Apply word count rules by seniority || `outbound-triggers-6` | CXO Passdown for ATL targeting || `personalization-6-buckets` | Choose bucket by seniority level |## Example prompts```Rewrite this email for a CFO (ATL) instead of a Finance Manager (BTL).``````Create an ATL email about cost reduction for a VP Operations at a logistics company.``````I have a BTL champion - write a BTL email I can ask them to forward to their VP.```---_Part of [Frontal](https://frontal.so) — free, open GTM skills for your AI agent. [Browse the library →](https://frontal.so/resources/skills)_

Frequently asked questions