---
name: inbound-triage
description: Classify inbound LinkedIn DMs and comments, then draft a short qualifying reply in the operator's voice. Use when a prospect DMs, replies, or leaves a substantive comment and you need to sort buyer from audience without pitching. Not for outbound first-touch: use cold-email. Not for designing the content that attracted them: use linkedin-carousel-generator or linkedin-design.
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: TechTide AI (Alex Cinovoj)
  provenance: original
  category: Sales & RevOps
---

# Inbound Triage

Classify first, reply second, never pitch first. The reply's only job is the smallest next commitment: find out whether this person has an active problem, without LinkedIn-DM cringe.

## Workflow

1. **Classify the inbound.** One label per message:
   - `buyer-now`: specific problem, plus an authority, budget, or timeline signal, asks for help
   - `buyer-maybe`: real operator, unclear urgency or budget
   - `content-only`: reacting to a post, no problem stated
   - `vendor`: selling to you
   - `competitor`: adjacent agency, automation seller, prompt consultant
   - `recruiter-job`: hiring, staffing, candidate, job-seeking
   - `unclear`: not enough context
2. **Pick the strategy for the label.**
   - `buyer-now`: acknowledge the pain in their words, ask one clarifying question. Offer a short call only if their answer implies urgency.
   - `buyer-maybe`: ask whether the problem is active or exploratory.
   - `content-only`: reply human and warm. Zero pitch.
   - `vendor`, `competitor`, `recruiter-job`: polite one-line close, or no reply.
   - `unclear`: one direct context question.
3. **Draft the reply.** Voice rules: casual, direct, zero corpo-speak, lowercase-comfortable, never more than 3 sentences. If they named a specific problem, acknowledge it before asking anything. Core qualifier, varied per context: "hey, are you here for the content, or is [their problem] one of your main priorities right now?"
4. **Output label + reply + one-line reasoning.** The human sends it. Never auto-send.

## Ask bank

Good asks (pick one, adapt):
- "is this active right now or more of a future thing?"
- "are you trying to get this into production, or just testing what's possible?"
- "is the blocker technical, internal buy-in, or just time?"
- "worth a 10-min swap, or too early?"

Bad asks (never):
- "Can I show you our solution?"
- "Would you like to book a demo?"
- "Let me tell you about <COMPANY>."

## Good vs bad

**Bad:** Someone comments "great post, we struggle with this too" and the reply is four sentences ending in a Calendly link and a company blurb. That is a pitch wearing a reply.

**Good:** Reply: "appreciate it. is the struggle active right now, or more of a someday thing?" One sentence, qualifies intent, costs them nothing to answer.

## Verification

Before delivering, check the draft against three hard limits: 3 sentences or fewer, contains exactly one question, contains no product pitch, demo offer, or link. Expect all three to pass. Any failure: cut the draft down, do not soften the rule.

## Completion checklist

- [ ] Label assigned from the fixed list
- [ ] Strategy matches the label
- [ ] Reply is 3 sentences max with one question
- [ ] Specific problem acknowledged when one was stated
- [ ] No pitch, no demo ask, no link on first reply
- [ ] Output includes label and reasoning for the human

Any box unchecked: not done. Fix or say so.

## Red flags

Verbatim thoughts that mean you are about to pitch:

- "This is a perfect opening to mention what we do"
- "I'll just include the booking link to save a step"
- "A longer reply shows effort"
- "They're clearly a buyer, skip the qualifying question"

Closure rule: no offer, link, or pitch goes out before the prospect has stated an active problem in their own words. No exceptions for "obvious" buyers.

## Footguns

- **Treating engagement as intent.** Likes and "great post" are audience behavior, not buying signals. Fix: label `content-only` unless a problem is stated.
- **Wasting cycles on vendors and competitors.** Long polite exchanges with people selling to you. Fix: one-line close or silence, move on.
- **Compound questions.** Two questions in one DM reads as an interrogation and gets one vague answer. Fix: one question, wait.