dm_sales v1.0.0

name: "dm_sales" description: "Run ethical DM sales conversations that close without pressure: warm outreach, one-question-at-a-time qualification, consultative scripts, objection handling, and a follow-up cadence with a clean exit. Triggers on DM sales, social selling, selling in DMs, or consultative/selling-without-being-salesy requests."

DM Sales

Purpose

Turn DM conversations into closed sales by acting like a doctor, not a pitch machine: diagnose first, prescribe only what fits, and be willing to walk away. Works for freelancers, coaches, agencies, and service businesses selling over Instagram, X, LinkedIn, or Facebook DMs.

Workflow

1. Open warm, never cold-pitch

• Start from an inbound signal: a comment, a "send me" keyword reply, a poll answer, a story reaction, a profile view. Engage with their content first where possible so your DM lands in the inbox, not the requests tab.
• Opener formula: specific observation + low-pressure question. Hey [name], saw your post on [specific thing] — what are you trying to fix on [topic] right now?
• Never open with your credentials, your offer, or "let me tell you about my service."

2. Qualify with questions, one at a time

Ask in this order; send ONE question per message and wait for the answer. Six rapid-fire questions in one DM reads as an interrogation.

1. Pain. "What does [the problem] look like day to day for you?" → "How long has this been going on?" → "What have you tried before, and why didn't it work?"
2. Implication. Make the cost of inaction concrete: "What does that cost you every month it stays unsolved?" → "What happens if this is still the same situation in 12 months?"
3. Authority. "When you say 'we' — who's involved in a decision like this?" → "If this all made sense, what would the next steps look like on your end?"
4. Timeline. "Is there a deadline or event driving the timing?" → "What's making now the right time?"
5. Budget — last. Never lead with it; reframe as ROI: "Have you invested in solving this kind of thing before? What did that look like?"

Minimum bar to pitch: they named a real problem you solve (quote their words back), they can buy or reach the buyer, there's a reason this quarter rather than "someday." Missing the bar → keep nurturing, don't pitch.

3. Present the fit, then invite — never push

• Bridge with their own words: "Based on what you shared about [their pain], here's what I'd recommend for you: [offer in 1–2 sentences]. [Price], no fine print."
• The invite, not the close: "Want help with this?" or "Ready to get started today, or is there something else you want to see first?"
• If they hesitate, name the next step and set a real follow-up date: "No pressure — want me to check back Thursday, or is a later time better?"

4. Handle objections with questions, not arguments

Agree first, then ask: "Makes sense — most people feel that way at first…" Then answer with a question twice as often as with a statement. An objection is a request for more certainty, not a battle to win.

• "Too expensive" → "Compared to what? The cost of this staying broken is roughly $X/month — what feels fair?" (Anchor to cost of inaction.)
• "I need to think about it" → Shrink the risk: trial, guarantee, smaller first step. "What would make this a yes instead of a maybe?"
• "Not the right time" → "What changes in 90 days?" Calendar the revisit.
• "Just send me info" → "Happy to — what specifically would help you decide?" (Send the one-pager, then ask a decision question.)
• "Not interested" → Clean exit, zero neediness: "No worries — have a great day." Log it and move on.

5. Follow up with value, then release

One purpose per follow-up: answer, bump, or breakup — never all three. Every bump adds something new (an observation, a case study, a tighter question), never "just checking in."

Standard warm-DM cadence:

• Day 0 — first DM
• Day 2–5 — bump with new value
• Day 7 after that — breakup note ("I'll assume the timing's off — door's open if that changes")
• Then stop. No 12-step drip on a personal DM channel.

Higher-ticket / cold cadence (spread over ~3 weeks, rotate channels): Day 0 personalized DM → Day 2 engage with their content → Day 4 value drop (case study) → Day 7 voice memo/video DM (60 seconds max, human voice cuts through) → Day 11 different channel → Day 15 public tag → Day 21 polite breakup → Day 45 re-engage only if you have something genuinely new.

When not to follow up: they said no or stop, the conversation already has an owner, or there was never a prior touch (a "follow-up" can't be a first touch).

6. Track every conversation

Each prospect gets one of four states: Prospect → Contacted → Replied → Buying. Record the channel, date, exact message sent, their key quotes (mirror their language back later), and the next scheduled touch. Prospects never die from no interest — they die from no follow-up system.

Output Contract

When asked to run or plan a DM sales conversation, return:

1. The current stage (open / qualify / present / objection / follow-up) and what comes next.
2. The exact next message draft, written in short sentences, casual tone, one ask max.
3. The qualification state: which boxes (problem / authority / timeline / budget) are confirmed and what's still missing.
4. The next scheduled touch (date + purpose), or "stop" with the clean-exit message.

Operating Rules

1. Diagnose before you prescribe. Never pitch before you can quote the prospect's problem back in their own words.
2. One question per message during qualification. Patience beats speed.
3. Sell the next step, not the final sale: comment keyword → DM → question → one-pager → decision.
4. Be willing to say no. Telling someone they're not a fit is the fastest trust-builder in sales — and it surfaces referrals.
5. Research before you ask: never spend a question on something their profile already answers.
6. Every follow-up adds new value. If you have nothing new to say, you have nothing to send.
7. Never argue with an objection. Agree, ask, redirect back to the CTA.
8. Disqualify fast. An hour spent on a bad lead is an hour stolen from a good one.
9. Keep it human: short messages, their name, their language, no copy-paste walls of text.

References

• Script library — openers, qualification sequences, invitation lines, breakup notes, voice-memo script.
• Objection matrix — the full matrix with response frames and exact wording.
• Method notes — the research basis: SPIN, BANT, consultative-selling principles, and where each claim comes from.