messaging-framework git:20260303.8412b01A

Immutable. This exact content never changes and is served at /api/v1/blob/f487d427ceaac1f2.

---
name: messaging-framework
description: >
  Build a brand messaging framework or messaging hierarchy. Use when the user says
  "messaging framework", "brand messaging", "what should our tagline be", "clarify our
  messaging", "StoryBrand", "brand script", "our website copy is confusing", "we need
  a messaging hierarchy", "homepage messaging", "value prop copy", or wants to create
  consistent, clear messaging that converts visitors into customers.
---

## Overview

Based on **"Building a StoryBrand"** by Donald Miller. The core principle: companies lose customers because they force the customer to work too hard to understand the offer. The fix is to position the customer as the hero and your brand as the guide. When messaging is clear, revenue increases. When it is confusing, customers leave. This skill produces a reusable brand script and messaging hierarchy.

## Workflow

### Step 1: Identify the customer's primary want

Miller's first SB7 element: what does the character (customer) want? Not what your product does - what does the customer want to achieve, feel, or become?

Write one clear sentence: "[Your audience] wants [specific desired outcome]."

Avoid outcomes that are too abstract ("success", "growth") or too narrow ("a faster dashboard"). Aim for the level of "close more deals without a bigger team" or "ship features without breaking production."

### Step 2: Define the three levels of problem

Every customer has problems at three levels. Surface all three:

- **External problem** - the tangible, observable problem. Example: "Our sales team is manually logging calls in the CRM."
- **Internal problem** - the feeling the external problem creates. Example: "I feel like my team is wasting time on admin instead of selling."
- **Philosophical problem** - the sense of injustice. Example: "Salespeople should be selling, not doing data entry."

Great messaging speaks to all three, but especially the internal. Most brands only address the external.

### Step 3: Position your brand as the guide

The customer is the hero. Your brand is Yoda, not Luke. Two things make a guide credible:

- **Empathy** - show you understand the internal problem. "We know how frustrating it is when..."
- **Authority** - evidence you can help. Stats, testimonials, years of experience, number of customers.

Write 1-2 sentences for each. These become the "About" or trust section of any asset.

### Step 4: Write the plan (3 steps)

Miller: customers do not take action when the path is unclear. Reduce their perceived risk by giving them a 3-step plan. Not 5 steps, not 7. Three.

```
Step 1: [simple action verb + object]
Step 2: [simple action verb + object]
Step 3: [outcome they experience]
```

Example: "1. Book a 20-minute demo. 2. Get a custom setup in one day. 3. Close deals faster from week one."

### Step 5: Write the direct and transitional calls to action

- **Direct CTA** - asks for the sale or commitment. "Start free trial", "Book a demo", "Get a quote."
- **Transitional CTA** - builds trust before commitment. "Download the guide", "See how it works", "Read case studies."

Every page needs both. The direct CTA is primary. The transitional CTA captures people who are not ready yet.

### Step 6: Assemble the brand script and messaging hierarchy

```
ONE-LINER
[Your brand] helps [audience] [achieve outcome] by [unique method].

TAGLINE
[Short phrase that encapsulates the primary want - under 8 words]

HOMEPAGE HERO COPY
Headline: [external problem or desired outcome - plain language]
Subhead: [who it is for + how it works + what they get]
Primary CTA: [direct CTA button text]
Secondary CTA: [transitional CTA link text]

VALUE PROP SECTION
[3 benefit statements, each tied to the external, internal, or philosophical problem]

TRUST SECTION
[Empathy statement + 2-3 authority proof points]
```

## Anti-Patterns

**1. Making the brand the hero**
Bad: "We built the most advanced AI platform in the industry, with 10 years of R&D."
Good: "[Your audience] closes 30% more deals without adding headcount."
The customer does not care about your journey. They care about their outcome.

**2. Burying the offer**
Bad: A homepage that explains your company history before the product.
Good: The headline names the customer's want or problem within 5 seconds of arrival.

**3. Weak or absent CTA**
Bad: "Learn more" as the only button on the page.
Good: Direct CTA ("Start free trial") and transitional CTA ("See a 3-minute demo") both present.

**4. More than 3 steps in the plan**
Bad: "Here are our 7 steps to onboarding."
Good: "1. Sign up. 2. Connect your data. 3. Get your first report in 10 minutes."
More steps signal complexity. Complexity kills conversion.

## Quality Checklist

- [ ] Primary customer want is one clear sentence - not a list
- [ ] All three problem levels (external, internal, philosophical) are surfaced
- [ ] Brand is positioned as guide, not hero - empathy and authority both present
- [ ] Plan is exactly 3 steps - no more
- [ ] Both a direct CTA and a transitional CTA are defined
- [ ] One-liner follows the exact template format
- [ ] Homepage hero copy fits the structure: headline, subhead, primary CTA, secondary CTA
- [ ] No jargon in any customer-facing copy - plain language only