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Executive briefing builder

Converts raw marketing performance data into a one-page executive briefing built around a single headline takeaway, three to five proof points tied to revenue, a risks-and-asks section, and a recommended decision…

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Purpose

Turn marketing performance data into a concise, decision-oriented briefing that leads with the takeaway, proves it with revenue-linked metrics, and ends with a clear ask — so a senior leader can grasp what happened, why it matters, and what they need to decide in under five minutes.

When to Use

Invoke this skill when the user asks to:

  • Prepare a marketing performance update for an RVP or regional director
  • Build the marketing section of a Quarterly Business Review (QBR)
  • Summarize a campaign, program, or pipeline contribution for senior leadership
  • Convert a metrics dashboard or spreadsheet into an executive narrative
  • Request budget, headcount, or strategic backing from leadership
  • Brief leadership ahead of a meeting where a decision needs to be made

Inputs Required

Before starting, collect:

  • Performance data: The metrics, results, or dashboard the briefing covers (pipeline, leads, MQLs, spend, ROI, attainment, etc.)
  • Reporting period: The timeframe — month, quarter, campaign window
  • Audience: Who reads this — RVP, regional director, VP of Sales, CMO — and their primary concern (revenue, efficiency, coverage)
  • Targets/benchmarks: The numbers being measured against — quota, plan, prior period, or goal
  • The decision or ask: What the leader should approve, change, or act on (or "none — informational")
  • Known risks or headwinds: Anything off-track, at-risk, or requiring intervention
  • Context the leader may not have: Recent changes, market shifts, or dependencies

If targets or benchmarks are missing, request them — performance has no meaning without a comparison point. If no decision is required, frame the briefing as informational and lead with the trend that matters most.

Instructions

Step 1: Find the Single Headline Takeaway

Before writing anything, determine the one sentence a leader would repeat to their boss.

  • Lead with outcome, not activity ("Pipeline sourced grew 34% QoQ to $4.2M" — not "We ran 6 campaigns")
  • Tie it to a number the audience already cares about (revenue, pipeline, attainment, efficiency)
  • If results are mixed, the headline names the net position honestly, then the body explains
  • The headline must be true at a glance and survive being read alone

Step 2: Select 3–5 Proof Points, Ranked by Revenue Relevance

Choose only the metrics that support or qualify the headline. Discard vanity metrics.

  • Rank by proximity to revenue: Closed/won and pipeline first, then conversion and velocity, then volume metrics last
  • Each proof point states the number, the comparison, and the "so what" in one line
  • Use the format: Metric → result vs. target/prior → implication
  • Example: "Marketing-sourced pipeline: $4.2M, +34% QoQ, now 41% of regional pipeline coverage"
  • Translate marketing-native terms into revenue language the audience uses
  • Show direction (▲/▼) and magnitude — leaders scan for trend before detail

Step 3: Build the Risks & Asks Section

Senior leaders trust briefings that name problems before being asked.

  • Risks: 1–3 items that are off-track or threatening the target — each with current status and the intervention underway
  • Asks: The specific decision, resource, or backing needed — stated as a clear request with the expected return
  • Format: "Ask: [decision]. Why: [impact]. Cost of inaction: [consequence]."
  • If no ask exists, state "No decision required — informational" so leadership isn't hunting for the catch
  • Keep asks concrete and bounded — "Approve $25K reallocation to ABM" beats "More budget for marketing"

Step 4: State the Recommendation

End with a recommended path, not a menu.

  • One clear recommendation tied to the headline and the ask
  • Frame it as the obvious next move given the data, with one sentence of rationale
  • Be opinionated — a briefing that ends in "let me know your thoughts" wastes the leader's read

Step 5: Compress to One Page

Cut everything that doesn't change a decision.

  • Remove process narration, internal team names, and tool references the leader won't recognize
  • Replace jargon with plain business language
  • Confirm the entire briefing is scannable top-to-bottom in under 5 minutes
  • Every sentence must either state a fact, prove it, or recommend an action

Output Format

  • Structure: One-page briefing — headline takeaway up top, proof points, risks & asks, recommendation
  • Length: 350–500 words
  • Format: Structured document — bolded headline, bulleted proof points with directional markers, short labeled sections (not prose-heavy paragraphs)
  • Sections: Headline Takeaway → Performance Proof Points (3–5) → Risks & Asks → Recommendation
  • Tone: Confident, plain-spoken, executive-ready — bottom-line-first, no hedging, no marketing jargon a sales leader wouldn't use

Quality Checklist

Before delivering output, verify:

  • [ ] The headline takeaway is a single sentence and survives being read alone
  • [ ] Every proof point includes a number, a comparison point, and a "so what" implication
  • [ ] Proof points are ranked by proximity to revenue — not by what was easiest to measure
  • [ ] The ask is specific and bounded, or the briefing explicitly states "informational"
  • [ ] The briefing ends with one clear recommendation — not a list of options
  • [ ] Total length is under 500 words and readable in under 5 minutes

Notes

  • The fastest way to lose a senior leader is to bury the takeaway under activity — always lead with the outcome
  • Mixed or negative results build more credibility when stated plainly up front, paired with the intervention already in motion
  • Match the audience's metric vocabulary: an RVP cares about pipeline coverage and attainment; a CMO may care about CAC and efficiency — translate accordingly
  • If the data doesn't support a clear headline, that's a signal the underlying program needs review, not a prettier briefing

How to use this skill

This file is a Claude Code skill in Anthropic's standard format — markdown with YAML frontmatter at the top.

Installing in Claude Code:

  • ~/.claude/skills/<folder-name>/SKILL.md — auto-loads in every session anywhere on your machine (recommended for skills you'll use across multiple projects)
  • <your-project>/.claude/skills/<folder-name>/SKILL.md — auto-loads only when working in that project (recommended for project-specific skills)

Restart Claude Code or open a new session to register.

Using in Claude.ai, ChatGPT, Gemini, or other AI tools:

  1. Drag this file into a new chat, or copy and paste its contents
  2. Send your task or request as your next message — the AI will apply the skill where it fits

For Claude Code skill details: https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code/skills