Claude Fable 5 for LinkedIn Outreach: The Complete Playbook for Founders, Agency Owners, SDR Managers, and Solopreneurs

The CLAUDE.md, ICP skill, and voice-extraction setup that stops you re-briefing Claude every session, plus copy-paste connection requests, DM sequences, weekly content prompts, SDR coaching audits, and the full SKILL.md files for the outreach stack.

Key takeaways
  • Fable 5's advantage on LinkedIn is context retention, not raw writing quality. Configure CLAUDE.md and the skill stack once and it holds your ICP, voice, hooks and standards across a whole session instead of asking you to re-explain them.
  • Extract your voice before you write anything. The Grill Me skill interrogates you about your offer, ICP, voice, and outreach approach until it can write as you, and its answers become the source for every other skill in the stack.
  • High effort is the right default and max effort is waste for LinkedIn work. Fable 5 burns roughly twice the session limits of Opus 4.8, so session capacity, not capability, is the real constraint.
  • The hard limits that make the sequences work: connection requests under 200 characters, first DM under 150, no pitch in either, and never a third DM without a reply.

What Fable 5 Is and Why It Changes LinkedIn Outreach

Fable 5 is the first publicly available Mythos-class Claude model. For founders, agency owners, SDR managers, and solopreneurs doing LinkedIn outreach, it is the first AI model that can run your entire LinkedIn system without you re-explaining your ICP, your voice, or your standards every session.

What Fable 5 actually is

Plain terms

Four model tiers exist: Haiku (fast, cheap), Sonnet (everyday), Opus (was the best until now), Fable 5 (new top tier). Fable 5 is the first Mythos-class model available to the public. Same underlying model as Mythos 5, with cybersecurity safeguards active.

For LinkedIn outreach: Fable 5 is the first model that can hold full context about your ICP, your voice, your best-performing hooks, and your outreach standards across a long session without losing any of it. The longer and more complex the task, the larger the gap over Opus 4.8.

Why it matters specifically for LinkedIn

LinkedIn outreach is context-heavy. Every message needs to reference something specific. Every post needs to sound like you. Every DM needs to match the relationship level.

With Opus 4.8 you had to re-explain your voice, your ICP, and your standards constantly. Fable 5 with a properly configured CLAUDE.md and skill stack holds all of that automatically. You give it the brief. It gives you the output. No re-briefing.

Pricing and access

What you need

Claude Pro ($20/month): access to Fable 5 but session limits will be tight for heavy use.

Claude Max ($100 or $200/month): recommended for anyone running a serious LinkedIn outreach system. Session limits are the main constraint.

Fable 5 uses roughly 2x the session limits of Opus 4.8. On high effort (the right default), it is fast and capable. Do not use max effort for LinkedIn tasks. High effort is sufficient for everything in this playbook.

After June 22

Fable 5 switches to usage credits after June 22. Anthropic has stated the intention to bring it back to subscriptions when capacity allows. For now, use it while it is included in your plan and set up your system before the switch.

The one setup change that makes everything else work

The CLAUDE.md for LinkedIn outreach

Copy this into your project root CLAUDE.md and fill in the brackets:

# LinkedIn Outreach System

## Who I am
Name: [YOUR NAME]
Role: [Founder / Agency Owner / SDR Manager / Solopreneur]
Company: [COMPANY NAME and one-line description]
What I sell: [YOUR OFFER in one sentence]

## My ICP
Target role: [titles you target]
Target company: [company type and size]
The one qualification question: is this person responsible for [function]? If yes, pursue. If no, skip.

Disqualify immediately:
- Open to work / job seekers
- No decision-making authority
- Students with no real company

## My voice rules
- Write like a sharp, direct human. Not like a corporate email.
- No em dashes
- No banned words: leverage, synergy, bandwidth, honestly, straightforward
- No hedging: "it may be worth", "you might consider"
- Short sentences. One idea per line.
- Sound like me, not like a template

## LinkedIn outreach rules
- Connection requests: under 200 characters, no pitch, reference something specific
- First DM: under 150 characters, add value or start a conversation, no pitch
- Second DM: new angle, share something specific, still no pitch
- Never send a third DM without a reply
- Posts: hook must be a specific statement, not a question, no hashtag spam

## Hard rules
- Never send a message without my explicit confirmation
- Never pitch before we have established a conversation
- If the prospect has not replied to 2 DMs, stop and flag

## Skills
- ICP Skill: .claude/skills/icp/SKILL.md — load before any outreach or content task
- LinkedIn Content Writer: .claude/skills/linkedin-content/SKILL.md — load for posts
- LinkedIn Creator: .claude/skills/linkedin-creator/ — load for full content strategy
- Social Selling: .claude/skills/social-selling/ — load for DM sequences and engagement
- Hook Writer: .claude/skills/hook-writer/ — load for opening lines and post hooks
- Output Reviewer: .claude/skills/output-reviewer/SKILL.md — load before anything ships

Your LinkedIn System Setup: CLAUDE.md, ICP Skill, and Voice Extraction

Your LinkedIn system compounds only if Fable 5 knows who you are, who you target, and what you sound like before each session starts. This page covers the exact setup process for founders, agency owners, SDR managers, and solopreneurs.

Step 1: Extract your voice with the Grill Me skill

Copy this to .claude/skills/grill-me/SKILL.md

# SKILL: Grill Me (LinkedIn Edition)

## Trigger
Activate when asked to: understand my voice, learn my LinkedIn style, build my ICP skill, or when I say /grill-me-linkedin.

## Task
Interrogate me until you have everything you need to write LinkedIn content and outreach that sounds exactly like me. Do not assume. Ask until you are certain.

## Question categories

### 1. My business and offer
- What do you sell and who do you sell it to?
- What problem do you solve in one sentence?
- What result do your best clients get?
- What makes you different from everyone else saying the same thing?

### 2. My ICP for LinkedIn
- What titles do you target on LinkedIn?
- What company types and sizes?
- What do your best clients have in common that you cannot see on their profile?
- What is the one thing that disqualifies someone immediately?

### 3. My voice and style
- Show me 3 posts you have written that performed well
- What words or phrases do you use naturally that sound like you?
- What do you never say? What sounds wrong coming from you?
- Are you direct and punchy or thoughtful and detailed?
- Do you use humour? If yes, what kind?

### 4. My outreach approach
- What is your current connection request message?
- What is your first DM after a connection accepts?
- What angles or topics get replies for you?
- What have you tried that definitely does not work?

### 5. My content topics
- What 3 topics do you post about most?
- What is your point of view on each that most people would disagree with?
- What stories from your business are worth telling?
- What does your ICP struggle with that you solved?

## After the interrogation
Build:
1. .claude/skills/icp/SKILL.md with full ICP definition and qualification rules
2. A voice profile section to add to CLAUDE.md
3. A list of 10 content angles based on my answers
4. The 3 highest-signal topics to post about this week

Tell me exactly what you built and what is still missing.

Step 2: ICP Skill for LinkedIn targeting

Copy this to .claude/skills/icp/SKILL.md

# SKILL: ICP (LinkedIn Edition)

## Trigger
Load before any LinkedIn outreach task, content writing, or account research.

## ICP Definition
Target role: [YOUR TARGET TITLES]
Target company: [YOUR TARGET COMPANY TYPES]
Target function: owns or influences [YOUR RELEVANT FUNCTION]

Qualify if:
- Active on LinkedIn (posts or comments in last 30 days)
- Title matches or is adjacent to target
- Company is the right type and size
- Has decision-making authority for what you sell

Disqualify immediately:
- Open to work
- No real company
- Title is too junior with no influence
- No LinkedIn activity in 90 days (likely inactive)

## The one qualification question
[YOUR QUALIFICATION QUESTION]. If yes, pursue. If no, skip.

## Engagement approach by tier

Tier 1 (connect and pursue immediately):
- Title matches exactly
- Recent post or comment I can reference
- Mutual connection or shared context

Tier 2 (engage before connecting):
- Title is adjacent
- Less obvious entry point
- Warm up with likes and comments before connecting

Tier 3 (long game):
- Company matches but title is unclear
- Reference their content over time before reaching out

## Voice rules
- Direct, not polished
- No corporate language
- No em dashes
- Sound like a human talking to another human
- Every message must reference something specific to them

Step 3: The LinkedIn Content Writer skill

Copy this to .claude/skills/linkedin-content/SKILL.md

# SKILL: LinkedIn Content Writer

## Trigger
Load for any LinkedIn post, content batch, or content calendar task. Load ICP skill first.

## Post structure
Line 1: Hook — specific statement, not a question, not clever. A fact, a number, a bold claim, or a story opener.
Lines 2-N: Body — one idea per line. White space between sections. No walls of text.
Final line: CTA or strong close.

## Hook rules
- Must be specific enough that someone in my ICP would stop scrolling
- No "unpopular opinion:" opener
- No "I used to think X, now I know Y" without the actual lesson
- No questions as first line
- Test: would a VP of Sales or a busy founder stop scrolling for this?

## Body rules
- One point per section
- No em dashes
- No more than 5 bullets (more is lazy)
- No corporate language: thought leadership, best-in-class, synergy
- Every claim backed by a specific number or real example
- If it does not tell the reader what to do differently, cut it

## Post types
- Insight: one thing I know that most of my ICP does not
- Story: real outcome with before and after, with numbers
- List: 3 to 7 specific things with context on each
- Contrarian: challenge a belief my ICP holds, with evidence
- Prompt: specific question my ICP has a strong opinion on

## CTA rules
- Keyword CTA: "Follow me + comment [KEYWORD]"
- Max 1 hashtag if any
- No "like and share if you found this useful"
- No "DM me to learn more" as the only CTA

## Output format
Write the full post. Then one line on why the hook works. Then one alternative hook.

## Gotchas
- Generic hook that could apply to anyone: rewrite until it is specific
- Post describes a problem without solving it: cut or add the solution
- Too much theory, not enough application: add one specific thing they can do today

Where Prosp.ai fits into this system

The division of labour

Fable 5 is your writing layer. Prosp.ai is your execution layer.

Prosp.ai automates the sending, sequencing, and account management side of LinkedIn outreach. It manages multiple LinkedIn accounts from one unified inbox, rotates accounts with residential proxies, finds and enriches leads, and sends personalised voice notes automatically.

The problem Prosp has always had: its AI-generated messages are easy to spot. Fable 5 solves that. Write your connection requests, DMs, and sequence templates in Fable 5 using the prompts in this playbook. Load them into Prosp. Prosp sends them at scale.

For agency owners specifically: Prosp lets you manage multiple client LinkedIn accounts from one inbox. Fable 5 lets you encode each client's voice and ICP into separate skill files so every account sounds like the right person, not like a template.

The setup takes 30 minutes. After that, Prosp handles execution while Fable 5 handles any message that needs a human touch.

Step 4: The Social Selling skill

Copy this to .claude/skills/social-selling/SKILL.md

# SKILL: Social Selling (LinkedIn)

## Trigger
Load for any LinkedIn DM sequence, connection request, engagement strategy, or outreach cadence task.

## The engagement ladder
1. Monitor: follow the prospect, track posts, job changes, and activity
2. Micro-engage: like and comment on their posts for 1 to 2 weeks minimum
3. Value drop: share a piece of content or insight directly relevant to them
4. Connect: send connection request after at least 3 public interactions
5. First DM: after connection accepts, open a conversation. No pitch.
6. Second DM: new angle, share something specific to them. Still no pitch.
7. Transition: move warm DM conversation toward a call or email naturally

## Connection request rules
- Under 200 characters
- Reference something specific: a post, a comment, a shared connection, a company update
- No pitch
- Sound human, not templated
- Do not mention your product or service

## DM rules
- First DM: under 150 characters. Add value or open a conversation. No pitch.
- Second DM: new angle, not a follow-up to the first. Share something specific.
- Never send a third DM without a reply. Stop and move to email or pause 4 weeks.
- Spacing: at least 5 to 7 days between DMs

## Cadence targets
- Connection acceptance rate target: above 30%
- DM reply rate target: above 15%
- Meetings per 50 connections: 3 to 5
- Public interactions before DM: minimum 3

## Gotchas
- Pitching in the first DM: this kills the conversation. Never do it.
- Same angle in DM 1 and DM 2: each DM must be a completely different approach
- Generic connection request: if it could be sent to anyone, rewrite it
- Following up with "just checking in": banned. New angle or nothing.

LinkedIn Outreach Copy-Paste: Connection Requests, DMs, and Engagement Sequences

Everything below is copy-paste ready. The connection request, the first DM, the second DM, the warm-up comment, and the full 5-step engagement sequence. All written for Fable 5 with no re-briefing needed if your CLAUDE.md is set up.

If you are running outreach at volume, Prosp.ai handles the sending layer. Fable 5 writes the copy and personalisation logic. Prosp executes the sequences, manages multiple accounts from one inbox, and sends AI-personalised voice notes. The two tools complement each other directly: use Fable 5 to write what Prosp sends.

Connection request framework

The prompt

Write a LinkedIn connection request for [NAME] at [COMPANY].

Context:
- Their role: [TITLE]
- Something specific about them: [recent post / company news / mutual connection / shared interest]
- My goal: connect only, no pitch

Rules:
- Under 200 characters
- Reference the specific thing above
- No pitch, no mention of my product
- Sound human, not templated
- If I cannot reference something specific, tell me what to research first

Write 3 variants. Note what approach each one uses.

3 example connection requests by persona

For a founder targeting VP Sales:

"Saw your post on pipeline coverage last week. Had a strong take on Q3. Would love to connect."

For an SDR manager targeting Head of Marketing:

"You commented on [NAME]'s post about demand gen. Made me think. Would be good to connect."

For an agency owner targeting a Founder:

"Just came across [COMPANY]. What you are building in [SPACE] is interesting. Worth connecting."

First DM sequence

The prompt

Write a first LinkedIn DM for [NAME] who just accepted my connection request.

Context:
- How we connected: [what the connection request referenced]
- What I know about them: [role, company, recent activity]
- My goal: open a real conversation. No pitch.

Rules:
- Under 150 characters
- Add genuine value or ask a specific question
- Do not mention my product, service, or offer
- Do not say "thanks for connecting"
- Sound like a peer, not a salesperson

Write 3 variants. Mark the one you would send first.

3 example first DMs

Value-led:

"Saw you are scaling the SDR team. Wrote something last week on rep ramp time that might be relevant. Want me to share?"

Question-led:

"Your post on outbound last month stuck with me. Are you still using the same approach or has it shifted?"

Reference-led:

"Been following [COMPANY]'s content for a while. The angle you are taking on [TOPIC] is different from most. What is driving that?"

Second DM (if no reply after 5 to 7 days)

The prompt

Write a second LinkedIn DM for [NAME] who has not replied to my first message.

First DM I sent: [paste first DM]

Context:
- What I know about them now: [any new activity, posts, or signals since DM 1]
- My goal: open a conversation from a completely different angle

Rules:
- Different approach from DM 1. Not a follow-up.
- Under 200 characters
- Add value or reference something new and specific
- No "just following up", no "circling back", no "checking in"
- If they have not replied to this, I will stop. Do not make it feel like pressure.

Write 2 variants.

Comment strategy: warm up before connecting

The prompt

I want to warm up [NAME] before sending a connection request.
They recently posted about: [TOPIC OF THEIR POST]

Write 3 comment options for this post.

Rules:
- Each comment must add something the post did not say
- No generic praise: "Great post!" or "So true!" is banned
- Each comment shows I actually read and thought about the post
- One comment should ask a specific question
- One comment should share a counterpoint or additional angle
- One comment should share a related experience or data point
- Under 3 sentences each
- Sound like me: direct, no corporate language, no em dashes

Fable 5 + Prosp.ai: write in one, send in the other

How they work together

Fable 5 writes the personalisation. Prosp sends it.

Prosp.ai automates your entire LinkedIn outreach workflow: finding leads, sending personalised messages, managing conversations across multiple accounts from one unified inbox, and even sending AI-personalised voice notes. It is built specifically for agencies and teams running LinkedIn outreach at volume.

The gap Prosp has always had: the AI-generated messages feel like AI. Fable 5 fixes that. Use Fable 5 to write your connection requests, first DMs, and follow-up angles. Load them into Prosp as your campaign templates. Prosp handles the sending, sequencing, account rotation, and inbox management.

The workflow:

  1. Run the prompts in this page through Fable 5 to write your personalised messages
  2. Load them into Prosp as campaign templates
  3. Let Prosp execute the sequence across your target list
  4. Fable 5 handles reply classification and next-message writing when replies come in
  5. Prosp's unified inbox keeps everything in one place across all your accounts

For agency owners running campaigns for multiple clients: Prosp manages the accounts, Fable 5 writes the client-specific voice and ICP into each campaign. No mixing up client voices.

Full 5-step engagement sequence prompt

Run this for any priority prospect

Build a full 5-step LinkedIn engagement sequence for [NAME], [TITLE] at [COMPANY].

Load the social-selling skill and ICP skill before starting.

Context:
- Recent activity: [their last post or comment]
- Signal: [any buying signal you have: job change, funding, hiring, content engagement]
- Relationship level: [cold / they follow me / we have 1 mutual]

Produce the full sequence:

Step 1 (Day 1): A comment on their most recent post
Step 2 (Day 4): A second comment on a different post or a like with a follow
Step 3 (Day 8): Connection request referencing the engagement
Step 4 (Day 10, after connection accepts): First DM
Step 5 (Day 17, if no reply): Second DM with a different angle

For each step: exact message, character count, and why this approach for this person.

After writing, flag: is there anything about this prospect that should change the approach?

LinkedIn Content for Founders, Agency Owners, and Solopreneurs: Weekly Prompts

Fable 5 can write a week of LinkedIn content from a single brief. This page covers the content calendar prompt, the hook library prompt, the post batch prompt, and the repurposing prompt. All written for founders, agency owners, SDR managers, and solopreneurs.

Weekly content brief prompt

Run this every Monday morning

Plan my LinkedIn content for this week.

Load my ICP skill and LinkedIn content writer skill before starting.

Context:
- What happened in my business this week worth sharing: [brief note]
- Topics I want to be known for: [list your 2 to 3 core topics]
- Anything I want to promote or drive awareness of: [optional]
- Posting frequency: [X times this week]

Produce:
1. [X] post outlines with hook, post type, core message, and CTA
2. Ranked by which will likely perform best for my ICP
3. The one post I should write first and why

Rules:
- Every hook must be specific, not generic
- Mix post types across the week: not all lists, not all stories
- At least one post should invite comment engagement
- No hashtag spam
- Sound like me, not like a content calendar template

Hook library prompt

Build 20 hooks in one session

Write 20 LinkedIn hook variations for my core topics.

Load my ICP skill and LinkedIn content writer skill.

My 3 core topics:
1. [TOPIC 1]
2. [TOPIC 2]
3. [TOPIC 3]

For each topic, write hooks in these formats:
- Bold claim: "[Specific thing most people get wrong]"
- Specific number: "[Number] [audience] [did something surprising]"
- Story opener: "[Specific moment that changed how I think about X]"
- Contrarian: "[Common belief]. It is wrong."

Rules:
- Every hook must be specific enough that my ICP would stop scrolling
- No vague openers: "Here is what I learned...", "Let me be honest..."
- No questions as hooks
- Under 12 words per hook

Deliver all 20. Mark your top 5 with a reason.

Full post from bullet points

Turn rough notes into a finished post

Write a LinkedIn post from these rough notes.

Load my LinkedIn content writer skill and ICP skill.

Rough notes:
[paste your bullet points, voice memos, or rough draft]

Post type: [insight / story / list / contrarian / prompt]
Goal: [engagement / pipeline / thought leadership]
CTA: [comment KEYWORD / no CTA / end with question]

Rules:
- Use my voice, not a polished rewrite
- Hook must be the strongest line in the notes, not a new invention
- Keep anything that sounds specifically like me
- Remove anything that sounds corporate or generic
- No em dashes
- Under [X] words

Deliver the post. Then one line on why the hook works. Then one alternative hook.

Repurpose a post into 3 formats

One strong post becomes three assets

Repurpose this LinkedIn post into 3 formats.

Original post:
[paste your post]

Produce:
1. A shorter version under 150 words for a lower-effort post day
2. A connection request message using the same angle
3. A first DM for a prospect who liked or commented on this post

Rules for all three:
- Same angle as the original, different execution
- Sound like me
- No em dashes
- DM under 150 characters
- Connection request under 200 characters

4-week content calendar prompt

Build a month at once

Build a 4-week LinkedIn content calendar for me.

Load my ICP skill and LinkedIn content writer skill.

Posting frequency: [X per week]
My core topics: [list 3]
Audience: [describe your ICP]
Content goal: [pipeline / thought leadership / brand / mix]

4-week structure:
Week 1: establish authority on [TOPIC 1]
Week 2: build relatability and share a story
Week 3: drive engagement with a strong opinion or prompt
Week 4: generate pipeline with a CTA post

For each post:
- Hook (first line only)
- Post type
- Core message in one sentence
- CTA if any

Rules: no branded content, no product plugs, no hashtag spam, every hook specific.

For SDR Managers: Team Outreach Audits, Coaching, and Playbooks

For SDR managers running a team doing LinkedIn outreach. These prompts cover rep coaching, outreach quality control, sequence auditing, and LinkedIn metrics review. All designed to run on Fable 5 with no re-briefing.

LinkedIn outreach quality audit

Run weekly for your team

Run a LinkedIn outreach quality audit on my team's messages this week.

I will paste a sample of connection requests and DMs below.

For each message check:
1. Is the connection request under 200 characters?
2. Does it reference something specific to the prospect?
3. Is there a pitch in the first DM? (flag as critical fail if yes)
4. Does the DM add value or open a conversation?
5. Tone check: does it sound human or templated?

Return:
- Pass / fail per message with specific failure reason
- The 2 most common failure patterns across the sample
- One rewrite example for the worst-performing message
- What to brief the team on before next week

Messages:
[paste sample messages]

Rep coaching on LinkedIn outreach

1:1 prep prompt

Help me structure a coaching session on LinkedIn outreach for [REP NAME].

Rep context:
- Connection acceptance rate this week: [%]
- DM reply rate: [%]
- Most common failure pattern in their messages: [describe]
- One message worth reviewing: [paste message]

Produce:
1. The one specific skill to focus on in this session
2. The exact coaching question to open with (not a criticism, a question)
3. A before and after rewrite of their worst message this week
4. The one thing they should change immediately that will move the needle
5. How to measure improvement next week

LinkedIn sequence performance review

<callout color="yellow_bg"}

Monthly sequence audit

Review my team's LinkedIn outreach performance this month.

Data:
- Total connection requests sent: [N]
- Connection acceptance rate: [%]
- Total first DMs sent: [N]
- First DM reply rate: [%]
- Meetings booked from LinkedIn: [N]
- Best-performing message type: [describe]
- Worst-performing message type: [describe]

Return:
1. Benchmark comparison: how do these rates compare to industry benchmarks?
2. The single biggest lever to pull to improve results next month
3. The message type or approach to cut immediately
4. The message type to double down on
5. Three specific changes to test next month with a clear success metric for each

Build a LinkedIn outreach playbook for a new rep

Onboarding prompt

Build a LinkedIn outreach playbook for a new SDR joining my team.

Context:
- What we sell: [YOUR OFFER]
- ICP: [DESCRIBE ICP]
- Our best-performing connection request: [paste it]
- Our best-performing first DM: [paste it]
- The most common mistake new reps make: [describe]

Produce a one-page playbook covering:
1. The 5-step engagement ladder they must follow before connecting
2. Connection request rules with 3 example templates
3. First DM rules with 3 example templates
4. What to do if someone replies positively
5. What to do if someone does not reply after 2 DMs
6. What is banned and why

Format it so a new rep can follow it on day one without asking me any questions.

The Full Skill Stack for LinkedIn Outreach: Install Commands and Complete SKILL.md Files

The skills that power this whole system. Install them once. They load automatically via your CLAUDE.md. Everything below is copy-paste ready for your .claude/skills/ directory.

Install all skills in one block

# ColdIQ LinkedIn Creator skill
npx skills add sachacoldiq/ColdIQ-s-GTM-Skills/master-skills/linkedin-content

# Social selling skill
npx skills add sachacoldiq/ColdIQ-s-GTM-Skills/master-skills/signal-sourcer

# Outbound agents (hook writer, sequence builder, reply classifier)
git clone https://github.com/janskuba/outbound-agents
cp -r outbound-agents/skills/* .claude/skills/

# Full-stack GTM plugin (54 skills including LinkedIn and social)
npx skills add manojbajaj95/claude-gtm-plugin

Hook Writer skill (full copy-paste)

Copy this to .claude/skills/hook-writer/SKILL.md

# SKILL: Hook Writer (LinkedIn Edition)

## Trigger
Load when writing LinkedIn post hooks, connection request opening lines, or first DM openers.

## For LinkedIn posts
A hook is the first line. It determines whether anyone reads the rest.

Formats that work:
- Specific number: "[Number] [audience] [did something surprising]"
- Bold claim: "[Thing most people believe]. They are wrong."
- Story moment: "[Specific thing that happened]. Here is what I learned."
- Counterintuitive fact: "[Fact that contradicts the obvious assumption]"

Formats that do not work:
- Questions: "Have you ever wondered...?"
- Vague openers: "Here is what I learned about X..."
- "Unpopular opinion:"
- "I used to think X..."

Quality test: could someone other than my ICP write this same hook? If yes, it is not specific enough. Rewrite.

## For connection requests
- Under 200 characters
- Reference something specific: a post, a comment, a company event, a shared connection
- Must be something only I could write having actually looked at this person

## For first DMs
- Under 150 characters
- The opening line must add value or invite a genuine response
- Never start with "I" (starts the focus on you, not them)
- Never start with a pitch

## Confidence scoring
After writing any hook, score it 1 to 10:
- 9-10: highly specific, could not apply to anyone else
- 7-8: good but could be slightly more specific
- Below 7: flag for rewrite before delivering

## Gotchas
- Hook that could apply to anyone in the ICP: rewrite until company-specific or topic-specific
- First line is a question: convert to a statement
- Generic opener: cut the first line and start with the second

Output Reviewer skill for LinkedIn (full copy-paste)

Copy this to .claude/skills/output-reviewer-linkedin/SKILL.md

# SKILL: Output Reviewer (LinkedIn Edition)

## Trigger
Load before any LinkedIn post or outreach message ships.

## Post review checklist

### Tone check
- Em dashes: flag every instance
- Banned words: leverage, synergy, bandwidth, honestly, straightforward
- Corporate language: thought leadership, best-in-class, full-funnel
- Generic phrases: "In today's world", "Game changer", "Let that sink in"
Result: list every violation with line number and fix

### Hook check
- Is the first line a statement, not a question?
- Is it specific enough that only someone writing about this exact topic could write it?
- Would a busy ICP-level person stop scrolling for this?
Result: pass / fail with rewrite if needed

### Body check
- No walls of text (more than 4 lines without a break)
- Every claim backed by a number or real example
- No bullet spam (more than 5 bullets)
- Does not describe a problem without solving it
Result: pass / fail per section

### CTA check
- One CTA only
- Not "like and share if you found this useful"
- Not "DM me to learn more" as the only CTA
Result: pass / fail

### Delete test
- Read it as the ICP
- First reaction in 5 words
- Would they stop, read, engage, or scroll?
- One change that would most improve it

## DM and connection request review
- Is the connection request under 200 characters?
- Does it reference something specific?
- Is the first DM under 150 characters?
- Is there a pitch anywhere? If yes: critical fail, rewrite immediately
- Does it sound like a human or a template?

## Output
1. Tone: PASS / FAIL + violations
2. Hook: PASS / FAIL + rewrite if needed
3. Body: PASS / FAIL + failures
4. CTA: PASS / FAIL
5. Delete test: honest verdict
6. Minimum edits: exact changes only, nothing more

CLAUDE.md master block for LinkedIn system

Copy this skills section into your CLAUDE.md

## Skills

### Core skills (built from this playbook)
- ICP Skill: .claude/skills/icp/SKILL.md
  Load when: any outreach, content, or research task

- LinkedIn Content Writer: .claude/skills/linkedin-content/SKILL.md
  Load when: writing any LinkedIn post or content batch
  Requires: ICP skill

- Social Selling: .claude/skills/social-selling/SKILL.md
  Load when: writing DMs, connection requests, or engagement sequences
  Requires: ICP skill

- Hook Writer: .claude/skills/hook-writer/SKILL.md
  Load when: writing hooks for posts, connection requests, or first DMs

- Output Reviewer: .claude/skills/output-reviewer-linkedin/SKILL.md
  Load when: reviewing any post or outreach message before it ships
  Requires: ICP skill

- Grill Me: .claude/skills/grill-me/SKILL.md
  Load when: I say /grill-me-linkedin or need to extract my voice

### Installed skills (from external repos)
- LinkedIn Creator: .claude/skills/linkedin-creator/ (npx install)
  Load when: full content strategy, hook writing, engagement planning

- Signal Sourcer: .claude/skills/signal-sourcer/ (npx install)
  Load when: finding buying signals before outreach

- Hook Writer Agent: .claude/skills/hook-writer-agent/ (git install)
  Load when: writing personalised opening lines at scale

- Reply Classifier: .claude/skills/reply-classifier/ (git install)
  Load when: processing DM replies and deciding next action
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