Refine smb-onboard connector tone: lead with capability, not platform

- Add 'Tone for connectors' section to SKILL.md: describe what Claude can do once connected, not what the platform sells - Rework step 2 to name functions first, check what the owner uses, then branch on supported vs unsupported tools - Add Branch B (unsupported tool) example to happy-path.md - Add 'pitching the platform instead of the capability' gotcha
2026-10-02 08:14:44 +08:00 · 2026-05-13 08:54:59 -07:00
parent 2e47e5b11f
commit c027250835
3 changed files with 84 additions and 1 deletions
@@ -25,11 +25,27 @@ User: "get me started"
 → "Each Monday, say 'weekly check-in' — I'll pull your numbers and flag anything urgent."
 ```

+## Tone for connectors
+
+Whenever a connector comes up — recommending one, naming what to try next, or clarifying mid-flow — describe **what Claude will be able to do once it's connected**, not what the platform itself is or sells. Owners already know what HubSpot, QuickBooks, Gmail, and Calendar do; they don't need a product pitch from us.
+
+- Speak about capabilities we unlock ("draft follow-ups after every meeting", "pull your cash position anytime"), never feature lists.
+- One short sentence per connector, max — unless the owner explicitly asks for more ("what does HubSpot actually do?"), in which case answer that directly.
+- This rule applies to every step below.
+
 ## Workflow

 1. **Welcome and assess.** Greet the owner briefly. Check which connectors are already active. If a `## Business context` block already exists in the owner's CLAUDE.md or memory, read it first — then skip to the return-session path: show the existing profile, ask what's changed, update only the fields that changed. Do not re-interview from scratch.

-2. **Pick two tools.** Ask: *"What are your biggest day-to-day headaches — money, customers, scheduling, or getting organized?"* Map the answer to the connector priority list in [reference/onboard-checklist.md](reference/onboard-checklist.md). Name the two recommended connectors and explain why in one sentence each. Guide connection one at a time — never ask the owner to configure two simultaneously.
+2. **Pick two functions, then check what the owner uses.** Ask: *"What are your biggest day-to-day headaches — money, customers, scheduling, or getting organized?"* Map the answer to the connector priority list in [reference/onboard-checklist.md](reference/onboard-checklist.md).
+
+   Name the two **functions** we want (e.g. "a place to track customers and deals" and "your inbox") — not the platform features. One short sentence each, max. Then ask whether the owner uses a supported tool for each.
+
+   For each function, branch:
+   - **Owner uses a supported connector** (e.g. they say "HubSpot"): say one sentence about what Claude will be able to do together with it, then guide the connection.
+   - **Owner uses an unsupported tool or nothing yet**: list 2–3 concrete things Claude will be able to do *with* the supported alternative, and 1–2 things that won't work without it. Then let the owner decide whether to switch or add it. Do not push.
+
+   Connect one tool at a time — never ask the owner to configure two simultaneously. See [reference/gotchas.md](reference/gotchas.md) for the failure pattern this replaces.

 3. **Run one recipe to prove value.** Once the first tool connects — or if connectors are already active when the session starts — immediately run the matched recipe for the owner's primary headache (see connector-to-recipe table in [reference/onboard-checklist.md](reference/onboard-checklist.md)). Narrate what Claude is doing and why — this is the "aha" moment. Do not skip it to get to the interview faster. For a worked example of the full arc, see [reference/examples/happy-path.md](reference/examples/happy-path.md).

@@ -85,3 +85,44 @@ Look right?
 - [ ] Wrote context under `## Business context` in `~/.claude/CLAUDE.md`
 - [ ] Named the weekly cadence trigger phrase explicitly
 - [ ] Offered a next skill naturally at the end
+
+---
+
+# Branch B: Owner uses an unsupported tool
+
+## Setup
+
+- **Owner:** Dev, freelance design studio (2 people)
+- **Session type:** First session
+- **Primary headache:** Customer follow-up
+- **Current CRM:** Pipedrive (no Cowork connector)
+
+## Transcript
+
+**Claude:** What are your biggest day-to-day headaches — money stuff, keeping up with customers, scheduling, or something else?
+
+**Dev:** Customer follow-up. Leads slip through.
+
+**Claude:** For customer follow-up, the two pieces I'd want are a CRM and your inbox. Are you on HubSpot today, or something else?
+
+**Dev:** Pipedrive.
+
+**Claude:** Got it — we don't have a Pipedrive connector yet. If you stayed on Pipedrive, you'd still get cash-flow work and calendar work from Claude, but I wouldn't be able to score leads or draft follow-ups from inside the CRM. If you'd be open to trying HubSpot's free tier, here's what'd unlock: a top-5 call list every morning, drafted follow-ups after every meeting, and stale-deal alerts. Up to you — want to try it, or skip the CRM for now?
+
+**Dev:** Skip for now. I'll stick with Pipedrive.
+
+**Claude:** No problem. Then let's connect Gmail — that'll still let me surface customer threads waiting on a reply and draft replies for you. Sound good?
+
+**Dev:** Yeah.
+
+*[Dev connects Gmail — ~2 minutes]*
+
+**Claude:** Gmail is live. Let me pull the three oldest unread customer threads…
+
+## Pass criteria
+
+- [ ] Named the function ("a CRM and your inbox"), not the platform
+- [ ] Asked what the owner uses before pitching anything
+- [ ] On unsupported tool, listed gain/loss concretely without pushing
+- [ ] Accepted the owner's decision and pivoted to the next supported tool
+- [ ] No paragraph-long descriptions of HubSpot, Gmail, or Pipedrive
@@ -60,3 +60,29 @@ No preview, no approval — owner doesn't know what was written.
 > "Look right? I'll save it once you confirm."

 Show the block, wait for approval, then write.
+
+---
+
+## Gotcha: Pitching the platform instead of the capability
+
+**Why it matters:** Owners already know what HubSpot, QuickBooks, Gmail, and Calendar do. When the recommendation reads like a product page ("HubSpot — One place for every lead, customer, deal, and conversation…"), it lands as an ad, not advice. The owner tunes out exactly when we need their attention.
+
+### ✗ Bad
+
+> "1. HubSpot (CRM) — One place for every lead, customer, deal, and conversation. Once it's in, I can prioritize who to call today, draft follow-ups, log notes from your inbox, and spot deals going stale.
+>
+> 2. Gmail — Email is where most of the chaos lives: commitments buried in threads, customer questions waiting on a reply, things slipping through. Connecting your inbox lets me surface what actually needs an answer…"
+
+Reads like marketing for HubSpot and Gmail. The owner is being sold to.
+
+### ✓ Good
+
+> "For customer follow-up, the two pieces I'd want are a CRM and your inbox.
+>
+> Are you on HubSpot today, or something else?"
+>
+> *(Owner: "Pipedrive.")*
+>
+> "Got it — we don't have a Pipedrive connector yet. If you stayed on Pipedrive, you'd still get cash-flow and calendar work, but I wouldn't be able to score leads or draft follow-ups from inside Claude. If you'd be open to trying HubSpot's free tier, here's what'd unlock: top-5 call list every morning, drafted follow-ups after every meeting, stale-deal alerts. Up to you — want to try it, or skip CRM for now?"
+
+States the function, checks what the owner uses, gives a clear gain/loss in plain English, leaves the decision with the owner. If the owner asks "what does HubSpot actually do?" — that's an explicit invitation; answer it directly.