Email sequence generator

Email Sequence Generator

Build a psychology-driven, multichannel outreach sequence (email + LinkedIn + call + WhatsApp + custom tasks) and write it to sequence.md for paste into Saleshandy.

Inputs

• Required: outreach-workspace/<campaign>/icp.md
• Required: outreach-workspace/<campaign>/company.md
• Optional: outreach-workspace/<campaign>/leads.md (real prospect signals for personalization)
• Optional: outreach-workspace/<campaign>/enrichment-plan.md (AI column names to reference as merge tags)
• Flags:
  • --steps N (default 4)
  • --channel email|multi (default email)
  • --campaign <name> (default default)

Outputs

• Writes: outreach-workspace/<campaign>/sequence.md

References

• references/inbox-radar.md - deliverability red flags to avoid in copy (spam words, content patterns that hurt placement).
• references/email-account-health.md - sender capacity, account-warmup gating, recommended daily volume per sender.
• references/execution-protocol.md - Understand -> Plan -> Confirm -> Execute -> Verify loop.
• references/industry-tone.md - industry-specific lead-with / proof-style / CTA conventions (SaaS, Lead Gen, Digital Marketing, Recruitment, PR, E-commerce). Consulted in Phase 5.

Hard rules

1. Never write copy without business + ICP context. If company.md or icp.md is missing, stop and route to strategy-architect / icp-builder first.
2. Word limits are non-negotiable. Opening email 60-100 words. Follow-ups 50-70. Breakup 40-60. Show word count on every email.
3. No links, calendar URLs, or attachments in Email 1. Links appear from Email 2+ only.
4. One CTA per email, always a question. Must pass the effort test: would saying "no" take more effort than saying "yes"?
5. Every email gets spintax + merge-tag fallbacks. Minimum 1 spin block; recommended 3 (subject + opener + CTA).
6. No spam triggers. Run every line against the spam list before output (see Phase 5 below).
7. Respect user tone + emoji preference absolutely. Ask once at Phase 5; carry through entire sequence.

Process

Phase 1 - Business discovery

Read company.md. Surface a one-screen Business Context Card: company, industry, product, target market, key value props, differentiators, proof points (with metrics). Ask: "Does this look right? Anything to add or change?" Wait for confirmation.

If company.md is missing: stop. "No company.md in workspace. Run strategy-architect first to capture business context, then return."

Phase 2 - ICP confirmation

Read icp.md. Parse:

• Frontmatter: version, primary_segment, buying_motion, segments.
• Body: segment names from # Segment: <name> or ## Segment: <name> headings. Prefer H2 first, then H1.
• Angle Kit (5 angles) under # Cold Email Angle Kit.

If multiple segments exist, ask:

Pick a segment:

1. <Segment 1> [primary]
2. <Segment 2>
3. <Segment 3>

Reply with the number, or hit Enter for primary.

If icp.md is missing: stop. "No icp.md in workspace. Run icp-builder to define your target segments, then return. I'll wait." This is an explicit handoff via the using-outreach-superpower router.

Angle Kit fallback: if icp.md exists but no Angle Kit, generate 5 angles inline (format: Angle name | Subjects (3) | Openers (2) | CTAs (2)) before drafting emails. Display in chat first. Note in sequence.md: "Angles generated inline (no Angle Kit in icp.md). Run icp-builder to persist."

Phase 3 - Goal

What's the campaign goal?

1. Book a demo / sales call (most common, B2B SaaS)
2. Start a conversation / get a reply (enterprise, long-cycle)
3. Lead generation (productized offers, ROI hooks)
4. Re-engage cold leads (prospects went silent)
5. Backlink / partnership outreach (SEO, content)
6. PR / media outreach (journalists, influencers)
7. Recruitment / talent outreach
8. Custom (describe it)

Reply 1-8 or describe a custom goal.

Combine business + ICP + goal into a Use Case Statement and confirm:

Business: <company> - <one-line product>
Target: <segment> at <firmographics>
Pain: <primary pain from icp.md>
Goal: <selected goal>
Angle: <best matching Angle Kit angle>
Proof: <strongest proof point from company.md>

Phase 4 - Multichannel architecture

Ask channel mix only if --channel multi or user did not specify. Default to email-only otherwise. Recommend a template:

Template A - Email + LinkedIn (default for B2B):

Day 0:  LinkedIn - Connection Request
Day 1:  Email 1 - pain-point opener
Day 4:  Email 2 - case-study proof
Day 5:  LinkedIn - Message (different angle)
Day 8:  Email 3 - peer movement / social proof
Day 13: Email 4 - breakup

Template B - Email + LinkedIn + Call (high-value): add Day 8 call task for prospects with 2+ opens.

Template C - Email only (volume): Day 0 / 3 / 7 / 12 across 4 steps.

Template D - Full multichannel (enterprise): add WhatsApp Day 12, Post Interaction Day 17.

Channel limits / type rules (Saleshandy):

Channel	Auto / Manual	Char limit	Notes
Email	Auto	n/a	Subject 3-7 words mobile
LinkedIn Connection	Manual task	300 char note	No pitch, no links
LinkedIn Message	Manual task	8000 (keep <200 words)	Different angle from email
LinkedIn InMail	Manual	Subject 200, body 1900	Pro+ accounts
LinkedIn View Profile	Manual	n/a	Signals interest
Call task	Manual	3000 chars script	Include objection handling
WhatsApp	Manual	6000 (keep <100 words)	Casual tone
Custom task	Manual	3000 chars	Any manual action

Sender capacity gate: before locking sequence length, check references/email-account-health.md mental model. If sender accounts in use have Setup Score <70 or are still in warmup, recommend lower daily volume and warn the user; don't silently exceed safe sending capacity.

Output the proposed architecture as a step list (Day N - Channel - Step type - Psychology tactic). Get user yes before writing copy.

Phase 5 - Psychology-driven copy

Ask once, carry through:

1. "What tone fits your brand and audience?"
   • Professional / Conversational (default) / Witty / Bold / Warm
2. "Emojis allowed?" - Yes / No (default) / Subject lines only

Adapt all copy to selected tone. If user opts out of emojis, replace emoji-dependent formats (Emoji Breakup, emoji-only subjects) with text-only variants (numbers-only subjects, "closing the loop" breakup).

Cognitive bias toolkit - deploy 2-3 biases per email; never more than 3:

Bias	Where to deploy	Trigger
Curiosity Gap (Zeigarnik)	Subject, opener, CTA	Open a loop, don't close it - "I found something about {{Company Name}}..."
Loss Aversion	Opening body	Frame as loss - "you're leaving X on the table"
Reciprocity	Step 2-3 body	Give first - "I ran an audit on {{Company Name}} - it's yours"
Social Proof	Step 2-3 body	Peer movement - "67% of [industry] teams made this shift in Q1"
Pattern Interrupt	Subject, breakup	Break format - one-liner, numbered choice, "this is a cold email"
Commitment	Opening CTA	Micro-yes - "Is this even on your radar?"
Von Restorff	Subject lines	One anomalous element - just a number "11.3%"
Authority	Step 2 body	Expert/data reference - "according to [report]..."
Endowment	Step 2-3	Create ownership - "your custom audit is ready"
Autonomy	Later CTAs	Give permission to say no - "1, 2, or 3?"
IKEA Effect	Mid-sequence	Ask for their input - "am I wrong about this?"
Pratfall Effect	Mid-late opener	Strategic small flaw - "I've rewritten this 4 times"

If your ICP is in a specific industry, check references/industry-tone.md for lead-with / proof-style / CTA conventions (SaaS, Lead Gen, Digital Marketing, Recruitment, PR, E-commerce) before selecting a hook framework.

Hook frameworks (subject + opener):

Framework	Subject pattern	Opener pattern
Pain-point opener	"{{Company Name}} is leaving replies on the table"	"Most [role]s I talk to say [pain]. Sound familiar?"
Specificity	"FinCo went from 14 days to 4 hours"	"Saw {{Company Name}} just [specific recent event]"
Curiosity	"the mistake most [role]s make with [process]"	"I found something about {{Company Name}}'s [area]..."
Brutally honest	"this is a cold email (but a good one)"	"Look, I know this is a cold email. Here's why it's worth reading:"
Pratfall self-deprecating	"3rd attempt at this email"	"This is probably the 11th cold email in your inbox today..."
Number-only (Von Restorff)	"11.3%" / "$47K" / "6 minutes"	"That's what FinCo cut deploy time to. Here's how:"
Wrong person?	"am I emailing the wrong person?"	"I've been trying to reach whoever handles [area] at {{Company Name}}"

Format toolkit (use when conventional doesn't fit):

• One-Liner - 10-25 words. C-suite, VPs. One question, no filler.
• Emoji Breakup (if emojis on) / Closing the Loop (text-only) - 8-20 word breakup. Most disarming final.
• Numbered Choice - 30-50 words. Mid-late sequence. "1 = interested, 2 = not now, 3 = wrong person."
• P.S. Lead - Lead with the P.S. since people read it first.
• Honest Pitch - 50-70 words. Audiences fatigued by cold email. "Full transparency - this is a cold email."
• I Was Wrong - 30-50 word mid-sequence reframe. "Looking back, I led with the wrong thing."
• Micro-Video Tease - "Recorded a 43-second walkthrough for {{Company Name}}." Don't include the link.

Word limits (strict, show count on every email):

Step	Words	Notes
Email 1 (cold open)	60-100 (aim 75)	No links, no calendar, no attachments
Follow-ups 2-3	50-70	Different angle each time
Breakup / final	40-60	Graceful, never guilt-trip

Spintax rules:

• Minimum: 1 {spin}A|B{endspin} block per email (anywhere).
• Recommended: 3 blocks per email (subject + opener + CTA). 3 options each = 27+ unique combinations.
• Variations must be tonally similar. Never spin between radically different registers.
• Show unique-combination count on each email.
• Close every block with {endspin}.

Merge tags:

• {{First Name|'there'}} and {{Company Name|'your company'}} always with fallbacks.
• Avoid {{Role}} unless data quality is verified in leads.md.
• Words inside merge tag brackets are exempt from spam-word scan.

Spam-word scan - reject any line containing:

• Financial: free, guarantee, discount, profit, save, cash, cheap, bargain
• Urgency: act now, hurry, expires, limited time, don't miss, instant
• Marketing: click here, subscribe, opt in, bulk email, increase sales
• Scam: 100% free, no catch, risk free, dear friend, winner
• Pressure: bonus, exclusive, last chance, only, prize, unlimited

If a line trips the filter, rewrite and flag the change to the user.

Per-step psychology mapping (default):

Step	Primary tactic	Secondary tactic
LinkedIn Connect (Day 0)	Reciprocity	Authority
Email 1 (Day 1)	Pattern Interrupt (subject) + Loss Aversion (body)	Specificity
Email 2 (Day 4)	Social Proof (case study) + Specificity	Authority
LinkedIn Message (Day 5)	Reciprocity (share insight)	Zeigarnik (open loop)
Email 3 (Day 8)	Social Proof (peer movement) + Loss Aversion	Zeigarnik
Call Task (Day 8)	Authority + Reciprocity	-
Email 4 / breakup (Day 13)	Breakup Effect (scarcity)	Loss Aversion

Buying-motion adjustment (from icp.md frontmatter buying_motion):

buying_motion	CTA pattern
self-serve	Low-commitment: "Try the free tool," "Check the 2-min demo video"
demo	Short call: "Open to a 15-min walkthrough?"
both	Email 1, 3 self-serve; Email 2, 4 demo. Final email always demo.

Surface choices to the user: show bias selection per email ("Email 1: Pattern Interrupt + Loss Aversion") and offer alternatives before writing.

Phase 6 - AI personalization

Read enrichment-plan.md if present. Pull exact column names from the Columns section. Reference them as merge tags in body copy, verbatim.

Common AI column types to reference (or suggest if no plan exists):

Column	Generates	Use in
{{personalized_first_line}}	Custom opener from LinkedIn / company news	Email 1 opening
{{ps_line}}	Personal P.S. from recent content / achievements	Email 2-3 P.S.
{{pain_point}}	Role + stage specific challenge	Email 1 body
{{company_insight}}	Recent funding / hiring / launches	Email 2 body
{{competitor_usage}}	Whether they use a known competitor	Step 2-3 angle
{{compliment}}	Specific, real compliment	LinkedIn or email opener
{{case_study_match}}	Best-matching case study	Email 2 body

If no enrichment-plan.md exists, suggest 2-3 columns the user could add via prospect-enrichment. Show how the email would change: side-by-side "without AI columns" vs. "with AI columns." Note the typical reply-rate delta (generic spintax around 3% to AI-column 8%).

Phase 7 - Settings

Recommend defaults; let user override:

Setting	Default	Why
Send window	Tue-Thu 9-11am prospect timezone	Highest open windows
Daily volume per sender	Check references/email-account-health.md - typically 30-50/day for warm accounts, 10-15 for accounts still in warmup	Avoid placement degradation
Sender rotation	Round-robin across healthiest accounts not in other active sequences	Diversify spam-trap risk
Stop on reply	ON	Always
Open tracking	ON (HTML)	Track engagement; needed for AI column performance
Unsubscribe link	Text-based footer	Saleshandy default
Step delay	3-5 days (cold) / 5-7 days (re-engagement)	Spacing from PB-02

Phase 8 - Launch handoff

1. Final-review checklist (display in chat):
   • Word counts within limits per step
   • Spam-word scan clean
   • Spintax + merge-tag fallbacks set on every email
   • No links / calendar / attachments in Email 1
   • Each follow-up uses a different angle
   • Bias choices match tone preference
   • AI columns referenced by exact name (if enrichment-plan.md exists)
2. Write paste-ready sequence.md (format below).
3. Suggest next skills:
   • If leads.md not yet enrolled: "Enroll prospects via Saleshandy CRM, then run inbox-triage after first wave to handle replies."
   • For ongoing performance: "Run operations-audit after 50-100 sends to diagnose weak steps."
   • For deliverability checks: "Run an Inbox Radar test on the sender accounts before launch (see references/inbox-radar.md)."

sequence.md format

---
campaign: <campaign>
generated_at: YYYY-MM-DD
goal: book-demo | start-conversation | lead-gen | re-engage | backlinks | pr | recruitment | custom
icp_segment: <segment name from icp.md>
icp_version: v1 | v2
channel_mix: email-only | email-linkedin | email-linkedin-call | full-multi
steps: <total step count across all channels>
tone: professional | conversational | witty | bold | warm
emojis: yes | no | subject-only
offer_name: "<from productized-offer.md if present>"
ai_columns_used: ["{{personalized_first_line}}", "{{ps_line}}", ...]  # empty list if none
---

# <Goal> sequence for <segment>

## Architecture

| Step | Day | Channel | Type | Primary bias | Secondary bias |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | LinkedIn | Connection | Reciprocity | Authority |
| 2 | 1 | Email | Pain opener | Pattern Interrupt | Loss Aversion |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |

## Step 1 - Day 0 - LinkedIn Connection Request

**Note (max 300 chars):**

{spin}Hi|Hey{endspin} {{First Name|'there'}}, {spin}noticed|saw{endspin} {{Company Name}} is [specific observation]. I work with [similar role] on [topic] - would love to connect.

- Characters: ~180
- Psychology: Reciprocity (connection, not pitch) + Authority (peer signal)

---

## Step 2 - Day 1 - Email: Pain-Point Opener

**Subject A:** {{First Name|'there'}}, deploys breaking?
**Subject B:** your eng team's bottleneck
**Subject C:** shipping speed at {{Company Name|'your company'}}

**Body:**

{{personalized_first_line}}

{spin}Most CTOs I talk to at this stage say the same|Here's what I keep hearing from CTOs your size{endspin}: team {spin}tripled but the deploy pipeline didn't|grew 3x but infra stayed the same{endspin}.

Means engineers {spin}debugging YAML, not shipping product|spending 30% of the week on pipeline fires{endspin}.

{spin}Worth a quick look at how we fix that|Open to seeing how other teams solved this{endspin}?

{spin}Cheers|Best{endspin},
{{Sender Name}}

P.S. {{ps_line}}

- Words: 82
- Spintax: 48+ unique combinations
- Merge tags: First Name, Company Name, Sender Name, personalized_first_line, ps_line
- Psychology: Loss Aversion + Pattern Interrupt + Specificity + AI personalization

---

(Repeat Step N format for each step)

## Pre-launch checks

- [ ] All prospect emails verified
- [ ] AI columns populated for all prospects in scope
- [ ] Test email sent to internal address
- [ ] Sequence Score run (Saleshandy)
- [ ] Sender Setup Score >=70 (see `references/email-account-health.md`)
- [ ] Inbox Radar test passed (see `references/inbox-radar.md`)

## Saleshandy import

Head to https://my.saleshandy.com/sequence and paste each email as a separate step. Map LinkedIn / Call / WhatsApp / Custom as manual tasks at the matching day.

If icp.md is version: v1, append: "Generated against ICP v1. Re-run after 50-100 sends with v2 for tighter results."

Edge cases

• company.md missing: route to strategy-architect.
• icp.md missing: route to icp-builder. Do not invent ICP.
• Multiple segments, no choice given: pick primary_segment from frontmatter; note the assumption.
• No Angle Kit in icp.md: generate inline (5 angles), display, then proceed. Note in sequence.md body.
• enrichment-plan.md references columns user hasn't populated yet: generate sequence anyway, note: "This sequence references AI columns from enrichment-plan.md. Populate them in Saleshandy CRM (Enrich Prospects) before enrolling, or the merge tags will render blank."
• --channel multi but --steps 3: warn that 3 steps is tight for multichannel; recommend 5+ for proper email + LinkedIn cadence.
• User picks "witty" tone but ICP is regulated (finance, healthcare): warn once. "Witty tone may not land in regulated industries. Want to switch to professional or conversational?"
• User picks emojis-off and Phase 5 wants a Von Restorff emoji subject: swap to the number-only variant automatically.
• Existing sequence.md in workspace: ask once - "Existing sequence.md found. (a) overwrite, (b) version (move to sequence.v1.md), (c) cancel?" Default to (b).
• Word count drift during generation: if a draft email exceeds the limit by >20%, regenerate before output. Don't ship long emails and apologize.
• Spam-word trip in user-supplied copy: rewrite the line and explain the change. Do not silently ship triggers.

---

Sequence written. Next: enroll prospects and run inbox-triage after first wave.