skinnyandbald/copy-interview

Copy Interview

Extract authentic marketing copy through a structured buyer interview, then refine it using line-by-line analysis.

Arguments: $ARGUMENTS

Why This Exists

Your verbal pitch is always better than what you write from a blank page. This skill gets you talking naturally by simulating a real buyer conversation, then turns that raw material into polished copy.

Before Starting

1. Read the style guide at .claude/skills/voice-guide/style-guide.md -- this is the voice bible
2. Check for product marketing context at .claude/product-marketing-context.md if it exists
3. Read the existing page if rewriting (get the current copy so you know what to improve)

Phase 1: Setup

Ask the user (or infer from arguments):

• What are we writing copy for? (page type: homepage, service page, landing page, email)
• What's the offer? (product, service, price point)
• Who's the buyer? (title, company size, what they're feeling when they land on this page)

If the user provides a page URL or file path, read it first.

Phase 2: The Buyer Interview

You are now a prospect. Not a copywriter, not a consultant -- a skeptical buyer who's interested but not sold. Your job is to push until the user gives you their most authentic, compelling language.

Ask one question at a time. Wait for the answer before asking the next.

The Interview Sequence

These are not a rigid script -- adapt to what the user says. But cover these angles:

Opening (get them talking naturally):

"Tell me why I should buy [the thing]. Like straight up, just to me. Don't sell it -- just tell me."

Price objection (forces value framing):

"That seems like a lot of money. What do you think?"

If they rationalize with hourly comparisons or competitor pricing, push back:

"I don't care what McKinsey charges. What's it worth to ME? What happens if I don't do this?"

Trust objection (extracts credentials):

"How can I be sure this will actually help me?" "Why else should someone trust you?"

Deliverable clarity (gets specific):

"What exactly will I get?" "And then what happens after that?"

Outcome vision (the aspirational close):

"If this goes really well, what's the best thing that can happen for me?"

Differentiation (separates from alternatives):

"How is this different from [obvious alternative]?"

The meta-question (if they're hedging):

"You sound like you're being careful not to oversell. But I need to feel confident enough to spend money. Can you tell me the version where you're proud of what this does?"

Interview Rules

• When they say something authentic and compelling, flag it. Say: "That right there -- that's copy. I'm keeping that."
• When they hedge or rationalize, push back. Don't accept "it depends" or "it's hard to say."
• When they compare to hourly rates, redirect. Frame around outcomes and cost of getting it wrong.
• When they downplay credentials, call it out. "You're underselling yourself. That credential matters to a buyer -- it's what makes them feel safe."
• Stop after 6-10 questions or when you have enough raw material.

Phase 3: Draft Copy

Take the raw material from the interview and write the copy. Rules:

1. Use their actual words wherever possible. The verbal pitch is the copy -- just tightened.
2. Apply the style guide. Run every line through the banned words list and voice rules.
3. Apply direct response principles from ugly-ads and positioning-basics:
   • Enter the existing mental conversation the prospect is having
   • Lead with the emotional struggle, not the product description
   • Credentials are safety, not bragging -- make them prominent
   • Frame price around the cost of getting it wrong
   • Don't call time-bound things by their time ("60-minute call") -- call them by their outcome ("strategy work")
4. Flag transcript-sourced language with [from interview] annotations
5. Structure by priority: Headline > Subheadline > Intro > Pricing/risk reversal

Phase 4: Line-by-Line Analysis (Jason Adams' Method)

After drafting -- or when reviewing existing copy -- run this analysis:

The Method

Read each line of the copy individually. After each line, answer two questions:

1. "What am I thinking or feeling as the reader right now?"
2. "Are those thoughts and feelings conducive to the goal of this page?"

Scoring

| Reader reaction | Grade | Action | |----------------|-------|--------| | "Hell yeah, exactly" | Keep | This line is working | | "Interesting, tell me more" | Keep | Momentum is good | | "Is that true?" / "Do I believe that?" | Rewrite | Making them think, not feel | | "So what?" / skimming | Rewrite | Not earning attention | | "This feels like AI" / "This feels corporate" | Rewrite | Lost the authentic voice | | "F*ck this guy" (if CEO sends to CTO) | Delete | Alienating the wrong people |

Priority Order

Spend the most time on these, in this order:

1. Headline -- must clearly articulate value AND make them feel why it's beneficial. Ten seconds.
2. Subheadline -- expands on headline, adds specificity
3. Intro paragraph -- should trigger "hell yeah" not "is that true?"
4. Pricing and risk reversal -- frame around outcome value, never hourly comparisons

Specific Checks

• Disqualifying statements: Only use them if the entire page reads "I'm in demand." Selling and qualifying at the same time is incongruent.
• Credentials placement: Should be prominent and easy to find, not buried in small text.
• Social proof: Should be a core feature, not an afterthought.
• Price framing: "What happens if your team spends the next three months building the wrong thing?" not "Less than what McKinsey charges per hour."

Phase 5: Present and Iterate

Present the draft with:

• The copy, organized by section
• Line-by-line analysis results for the top 4-5 most important lines
• Annotations showing which phrases came from the interview
• 2-3 alternative headlines

Ask: "Read through this. Flag anything that doesn't sound like you, anything that sounds like AI, or anything where you'd say it differently."

Related Skills

• copywriting -- general copywriting principles and frameworks
• ugly-ads -- direct response ad copy (shares the "enter their mental conversation" principle)
• positioning-basics -- value proposition and differentiation
• copy-editing -- for polishing after the draft
• de-ai-ify -- for catching AI-tell patterns
• interview-me -- similar Socratic method but for product/technical specs, not marketing copy