---
name: messaging-framework
description: "Build a messaging framework (message house) that the whole company can use consistently. Use when asked to create messaging, a value proposition, a message house, key messages, or to make marketing/sales/product say the same thing. Produces a messaging framework — audience & value proposition, the one-line positioning, 3 message pillars with proof points, objection handling, and a words-we-use/avoid list."
---

# Messaging Framework Skill

If marketing, sales, and the website all describe the product differently, customers can't form a clear
picture — and confused buyers don't buy. This skill builds the "message house": one value proposition,
a few proof-backed pillars, and the exact language everyone uses, so the story is consistent everywhere.
(Positioning decides the *category and frame*; this decides the *words*.)

## Required Inputs

Ask for these only if they aren't already provided:

- **Target audience** — who specifically, and the problem they feel (the sharper the segment, the sharper the message).
- **The product & its differentiated value** — what it does and why it's better/different, with evidence.
- **Proof** — data, customers, results, or mechanisms that back the claims.
- **Competitive frame** — what they'd otherwise use, and the objections they raise.

## Output Format

### Messaging Framework: [product]

**1. Audience & core problem** — who it's for and the problem in their words.

**2. Value proposition** — one sentence: for [audience] who [need], [product] is the [category] that [key benefit], unlike [alternative], because [reason to believe].

**3. One-liner** — the plain-language tagline a customer would repeat to a colleague.

**4. The three pillars** — the message house roof + columns:

| Pillar (benefit, not feature) | Why it matters to the buyer | Proof point(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Pillar 1 | | |
| Pillar 2 | | |
| Pillar 3 | | |

**5. Objection handling** — the top 3–5 objections and the honest, evidence-based response to each.

**6. Language guide** — **words we use** (the customer's vocabulary, the category we claim) and **words we avoid** (jargon, overclaimed superlatives, competitor framing). This is what keeps everyone consistent.

## Quality Checks

- [ ] The value proposition is benefit-led and specific to one audience — not a feature list for everyone
- [ ] Every pillar is a benefit with at least one concrete proof point — not an unbacked claim
- [ ] The one-liner uses the customer's language, not internal jargon
- [ ] Objections are answered honestly with evidence, not dodged
- [ ] A words-we-use / words-we-avoid list exists so the whole org stays consistent

## Anti-Patterns

- [ ] Do not lead with features — buyers care about the outcome; features are proof, not the message
- [ ] Do not make claims without proof — an unbacked superlative ("the best", "revolutionary") reads as noise
- [ ] Do not try to speak to everyone — messaging for all audiences resonates with none; pick the segment
- [ ] Do not use internal jargon the customer wouldn't say — if they can't repeat it, it won't spread
- [ ] Do not confuse this with positioning — decide the category/competitive frame first (see product-positioning-doc), then write the words

## Based On

Message-house / value-proposition practice (incl. April Dunford-style positioning as the upstream input).

## Example Trigger Phrases

- "Create our messaging."
- "Write our value proposition."
- "Build a message house."
- "Make marketing, sales and product say the same thing."