reply-handling
Installation
SKILL.md
Reply Handling
A reply is the only thing outbound is actually for, and it's where most of the value gets lost. Campaigns get built carefully and then a reply sits for three days in an inbox nobody owns, or gets answered with a calendar link and a paragraph of pitch.
Two rules underpin everything below. Reply fast — within a few hours, ideally within one. Interest decays quickly and the person emailed three competitors. And match the length of the reply you got. A two-line reply answered with eight lines reads as desperate.
Classify first
Every reply falls into one of six buckets, and the right response differs sharply.
| Type | Looks like | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Interested | "Sounds useful, tell me more" | Book it. Minimum friction |
| Question | "Does it do X?" / "How much?" | Answer directly, then a small ask |
| Referral | "That's Sarah's area" | Thank, ask for the intro, follow through |
| Not now | "Revisit in Q3" | Confirm, set a date, stop the sequence |
| Objection | "We use X already" | One honest response, then respect the answer |
| Negative | "Not interested" / "Remove me" | Suppress. Do not argue |