hiring-signal-play · diff

v1.0.0 to v1.0.0

5 added, 9 removed. Audit A to A.

---

name: hiring-signal-play

description: >-

Outbound play triggered by specific hiring signals — VP Sales, RevOps, SDR

manager, CRO postings signal budget and strategy shift. Triggers on: "hiring signal",

"job post outbound", "hiring trigger", "new role outreach".

license: MIT

compatibility: Claude Code, Jesse, Codex, Hermes, Windsurf, OpenCode, Gemini CLI, Copilot, Zed, VS Code, Goose

metadata:

version: "1.0.0"

author: LeadMagic

category: sales-plays

tags: [sales-plays, hiring, signals, trigger-based, outbound]

frameworks:

- "Signal-Based Selling"

- "ColdIQ Trigger Selling"

- "Winning by Design — SPICED"

---

# Hiring Signal Outbound Play

## Overview

A company posting to hire a VP Sales, CRO, RevOps lead, or SDR manager signals

one thing: they're investing in revenue. This is a buying moment. The new hire

will evaluate and change tools within their first 90 days. This play targets

both the hiring manager (who just got budget) and the new hire (who will build

their stack).

- ## Frameworks Referenced

- This skill is grounded in public frameworks and source material relevant to the task:

+ ## Authoritative Foundations

- - **Signal-Based Selling.** Use the relevant method or published guidance where it improves the requested deliverable; do not cite it as decoration.

- - **ColdIQ Trigger Selling.** Use the relevant method or published guidance where it improves the requested deliverable; do not cite it as decoration.

- - **Winning by Design — SPICED.** Use the relevant method or published guidance where it improves the requested deliverable; do not cite it as decoration.

+ - **Signal-Based Selling** — Named methodology governing recommendations in this skill's process.

+ - **ColdIQ Trigger Selling** — Named methodology governing recommendations in this skill's process.

+ - **Winning by Design — SPICED** — Bowtie lifecycle model — align sales, marketing, and CS on stage-based outcomes.

## When to Use

- "Run a hiring signal play"

- "Outreach based on job postings"

- "Target companies hiring sales leaders"

- "New VP Sales outbound"

## Core Principle

> Job postings are the most overlooked buying signal in B2B. A company doesn't

> hire a VP Sales to maintain the status quo — they hire to build, change, and

> scale. Your window: the 90 days after the hire starts, when they're

> evaluating everything.

## Step-by-Step Process

### Phase 1: Signal Detection

Monitor job boards and LinkedIn for:

- **Hiring Manager:** VP Sales, CRO, Head of Revenue, VP Growth (decision-maker with budget)

- **Builder:** RevOps Manager, Head of Sales Ops, Sales Enablement Manager (builds the stack)

- **Scaler:** SDR Manager, Head of Outbound (increases team size, needs tools)

- **Specialist:** Head of Partnerships, Customer Success Director (expands into new motions)

### Phase 2: Timing Strategy

- **Week 1-2 of posting:** Reach out to CEO/Founder (they just approved the budget)

- **Week 3-8:** The role likely gets filled. Research who they hired.

- **Week 1-30 of new hire:** Outreach to the new hire. They're in "evaluation mode."

- **Week 30-60:** New hire is building their team and tech stack.

- **Week 60-90:** New hire is executing. If you're not in the stack by now,

you've missed the window.

### Phase 3: CEO/Founder Outreach (Week 1-2 of posting)

Subject: "Saw the VP Sales role — question"

Body: "Saw you're hiring a VP Sales. Most teams at your stage I work with

are dealing with [X problem] that new VP will have to solve. How are you

thinking about this as you build out the GTM function?"

Angle: You're not selling yet — you're offering perspective from working

with similar teams. Peer-to-peer, insight-first.

### Phase 4: New Hire Outreach (Week 1-30 post-hire)

Subject: "Assuming you're evaluating [their domain]"

Body: Reference their previous company (what you know about their stack there),

connect to what they likely need to build here. "Most people coming from [X]

into [Y] find [Z problem]. How are you thinking about this?"

Angle: You understand their world because you've seen this transition before.

### Phase 5: Multi-Thread Touch Plan

- Week 1: Email to CEO/Founder

- Week 3: LinkedIn connection to new hire (if announced)

- Week 5: Email to new hire (first outreach)

- Week 8: LinkedIn DM to new hire with relevant content

- Week 12: Breakup — "Assuming you've got this covered." (often gets reply)

## Output Format

Hiring play playbook with: signal monitoring setup, role-to-relevance mapping,

timing strategy, CEO and new hire sequence templates, and multi-thread calendar.

## Quality Check

Before delivering, verify:

- [ ] All required sections are complete

- [ ] Output matches the user's stated need

- [ ] Named frameworks are cited for key recommendations

- [ ] No vague claims — every recommendation has a specific action

- [ ] Deliverable is ready for operational use, not just conceptual

## Common Pitfalls

1. **Skipping research.** Building output without understanding the specific context. Fix: always gather required inputs before producing deliverables.

2. **Generic output.** "Improve your process" without concrete steps. Fix: every recommendation must include a specific action, timeline, and owner.

3. **Missing framework citations.** Advice without named authorities. Fix: ground every recommendation in a cited framework from a recognized authority.

## Execution Artifacts

- This skill includes lightweight artifacts the agent can load on demand:

- `references/framework-notes.md` — named frameworks, citation anchors, and operating assumptions

- `templates/output-template.md` — copy-paste deliverable structure for the user

- `scripts/check-output.py` — local checklist validator for required sections

+ This skill includes lightweight artifacts the agent can load on demand:

Use the artifacts when the user asks for an implementation-ready deliverable, a repeatable workflow, or a quality check rather than generic advice.

## Implementation Depth

Use this section when the user asks for a finished asset, not a high-level explanation.

### Diagnostic Questions

1. What is the primary motion: founder-led, sales-led, product-led, partner-led, or lifecycle-led?

2. Which ICP tier is the output for: small business, mid-market, enterprise, or mixed?

3. What proof is available today: customer stories, usage data, third-party validation, screenshots, or none?

4. What system will execute the work: CRM, sequencer, warehouse, support desk, product analytics, or manual workflow?

5. What decision will the user make from this output: launch, prioritize, route, rewrite, score, coach, or measure?

### Framework Application

Map the recommendation explicitly to the named frameworks in this skill:

- Signal-Based Selling: apply only the part that directly improves the requested deliverable.

- ColdIQ Trigger Selling: apply only the part that directly improves the requested deliverable.

- Winning by Design — SPICED: apply only the part that directly improves the requested deliverable.

### Deliverable Standard

A strong output from this skill includes:

- A crisp diagnosis of the current situation

- A recommended path with tradeoffs, not a generic list

- A concrete artifact the user can use immediately: table, script, checklist, scorecard, sequence, dashboard spec, or implementation plan

- A measurement plan with leading and lagging indicators

- Risks and edge cases called out before execution

### Adaptation Rules

- For small business: reduce complexity, shorten time-to-value, and prioritize owner/operator clarity.

- For mid-market: include workflow ownership, handoffs, integrations, and enablement assets.

- For enterprise: include governance, risk, procurement, stakeholder mapping, and proof requirements.

## Related Skills

- cold-email-strategy, signal-scoring, list-building, multi-channel-outreach, job-change-play