# Customer Briefing Deck

> **Version 1.0.0 · Last updated 2026-10-22 · Difficulty: Beginner · Setup time: 20–40 minutes**

Before a customer call, ask your clone for a short briefing deck. It gathers context from your knowledge base, past call transcripts, the CRM, Linear and email, then builds a 6–9 slide 16:9 deck and emails it to you as a PDF.

---

## 1. Overview and value

Customer calls go better when the deck is specific: what changed for them, what we fixed, what we need from them. But building that deck means hunting through transcripts, tickets, the CRM and email, then arranging slides. Most people skip it and wing it.

Customer Briefing Deck does the gathering and the first version. You say: *"Make a short briefing deck for my {CUSTOMER} call on {DATE} about {TOPICS}."* Your clone:

- searches the **knowledge base** (product docs, release notes, account notes),
- reads **past call transcripts** with that customer (`meeting_archive`, `call_archive`, and transcripts in Google Drive or OneDrive from the last 30 days),
- pulls the **account, open opportunities and open cases** from Salesforce or HubSpot,
- checks **Linear issues** for the account,
- skims **recent email threads** (Gmail or Outlook),
- builds a **short deck** (about 6–9 slides, 16:9) with **Clone-Research-Report** and emails it to you as a **PDF** (with a text version).

**What you get:**

| Benefit | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| A prepared call in minutes | A clean 6–9 slide deck in your inbox before the call |
| Specific, not generic | Slides use the customer's own history, open issues and goals |
| Two ready-made shapes | A standard update deck or a "Save the account" deck |
| Less hunting | Transcripts, tickets, CRM and email gathered in one pass |
| You stay in control | You review the deck for unreleased features and internal notes before anyone sees it |

---

## 2. Who it's for

- **Customer Success Managers** preparing check-ins, QBRs and escalation calls.
- **Sales reps and account executives** preparing update or renewal calls.
- **Leadership** joining a customer call and needing a quick, accurate brief.

You don't need to be technical. If you can ask a question in chat, you can use it.

## 3. How it works

```
   You: "Make a short briefing deck for my {CUSTOMER} call
         on {DATE} about {TOPICS}."
                         │
                         ▼
 ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
 │  "Customer Briefing Deck" skill                                   │
 │                                                                   │
 │  1. Confirm: customer, date, topics, variant                      │
 │       (a) Standard update   or   (b) Save the account             │
 │  2. Gather context (skip what isn't connected):                   │
 │       · search_knowledge: docs, release notes, account notes      │
 │       · meeting_archive + call_archive: past calls                │
 │       · Drive / OneDrive transcripts (last 30 days,               │
 │           matched by customer name, {TRANSCRIPTS_FOLDER})         │
 │       · CRM: account, open opportunities, open cases              │
 │       · Linear: issues for the account                            │
 │       · Email: recent threads (Gmail or Outlook)                  │
 │  3. Write a user_query: context + topic order + slide outline     │
 │  4. Call Clone-Research-Report:                                   │
 │       format = deck · deck_length = short · email = you           │
 └───────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────┘
                                 │  a few minutes
                                 ▼
 ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
 │  Email to you: PDF deck (6–9 slides, 16:9) + text version         │
 └───────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────┘
                                 │
        You review (unreleased features? internal notes?) and present
```

### Where the context comes from

| Source | What it adds |
|---|---|
| `search_knowledge` | Product docs, release notes, account notes |
| `meeting_archive`, `call_archive` | What was said on past calls: goals, concerns, commitments |
| Transcripts in Drive or OneDrive | Recent call notes from the last 30 days, matched by customer name |
| CRM (Salesforce or HubSpot) | Account facts, open opportunities or deals, open cases (HubSpot: notes and tasks) |
| Linear | Open and recently closed issues for the account |
| Email (Gmail or Outlook) | Recent threads, open questions, commitments |

### Two deck variants

| Variant | Slides (about 6–9) | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| **(a) Standard update deck** | Title · Agenda · What's new · How it applies to them · Next steps · Closing | Check-ins, product updates, renewals |
| **(b) "Save the account" deck** | Title · Situation · Issues and owners · What we've fixed · Success plan with dates · Asks · Next steps · Closing | Escalations, at-risk accounts |

## 4. What the clone does (and never does)

**It does:**

- gather context from every source that is connected,
- tell you what it found and what was missing (a one-line source status),
- build the deck through Clone-Research-Report and email it to you,
- offer a one-page 16:9 infographic through Image_Operator when you just need something to screen-share.

**It never:**

- sends the deck to the customer (it goes to you),
- presents or shares its screen (a person presents),
- invents features, dates, numbers or commitments that are not in your sources,
- includes known internal-only notes or unreleased items on purpose (and flags what it was unsure about),
- changes the CRM or Linear (read-only),
- asks for your password or tokens.

## 5. Setup walkthrough

The quickest path: download **CLONE-INSTRUCTIONS.md** and give it to your clone. It checks what is connected, asks for your settings, shows a plan, and sets up what it can after you approve.

**Step 1: Check requirements (5 min).** Open **REQUIREMENTS.md** and run the pre-flight checklist. The deck builder is built in. Everything else is optional: the more sources you connect, the better the deck.

**Step 2: Hand the instructions to your clone (2 min).** Paste or upload CLONE-INSTRUCTIONS.md into a chat with your clone and say: *"Please set up this use case for me. Show me a plan before changing anything."*

**Step 3: Review the discovery table (5 min).** The clone reports which sources it can reach and which are missing.

**Step 4: Answer the placeholder questions (3 min).** See section 6.

**Step 5: Approve the plan (2 min).** Say "yes" only when it looks right.

**Step 6: Do your part (5–15 min).** Only you can:
- Connect your own CRM (read access), email, and Drive or OneDrive, and Linear if you use it.
- Tell the clone which folder holds call transcripts.
- Add the deck sender address to your safe senders so the email isn't lost in spam.

**Step 7: Save the Customer Briefing Deck skill (5 min).** The clone saves it, or gives you the full text to paste.

**Step 8: Run the test plan (10 min).** Build one deck for a test or low-stakes customer.

**Step 9: Optional schedule.** Auto-build decks for tomorrow's customer meetings from your calendar.

## 6. Placeholders to decide

| Placeholder | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| `{CUSTOMER}` | The customer (asked each time) | The customer's name as it appears in the CRM |
| `{DATE}` | Call date (asked each time) | 2026-11-03 |
| `{TOPICS}` | What the call is about, in order (asked each time) | Release update, open issues, renewal plan |
| `{CRM_CHOICE}` | Which CRM you use | Salesforce, HubSpot or none |
| `{TRANSCRIPTS_FOLDER}` | Drive or OneDrive folder with call transcripts | "Meet Recordings" |
| `{DECK_RECIPIENT}` | Where the deck is emailed | My own email address |
| `{DEFAULT_VARIANT}` | Which variant if you don't say | Standard update (a) |
| `{INTERNAL_ONLY_RULES}` | Things never to put on slides | Pricing floors, roadmap items not yet announced |
| `{SCHEDULE_OPTION}` | Optional: auto-build decks for tomorrow's customer meetings | off (default) or on, daily at 4 PM |

## 7. What to expect

- **On demand:** you ask, the clone confirms customer, date, topics and variant (one short question if anything is missing), gathers context and requests the deck.
- **A few minutes later:** an email arrives with the **PDF deck** (and a text version). Request it ahead of the call, not five minutes before.
- **Review time:** about 5 minutes. Check names, numbers and anything that looks unreleased or internal.
- **Length:** short means about 6–9 slides at 16:9, always with a title and closing slide.

Example request and the clone's confirmation:

```
You:   Make a short briefing deck for my {CUSTOMER} call on 2026-11-03
       about the Q4 release, their open issues and renewal plans.

Clone: Got it. Variant: Standard update (say "save the account" for the other one).
       Gathering context from: knowledge base ✅ · past calls ✅ · CRM ✅ · Linear ✅ · email ✅
       Requested the deck. It will arrive at {DECK_RECIPIENT} in a few minutes as a PDF.
       Heads up: 1 open case and 2 Linear issues are covered. Please verify the renewal date
       on slide 6 (it came from a transcript).
```

## 8. Customizing

- **Variant.** Choose (a) Standard update or (b) "Save the account", or ask for your own outline.
- **Topic order.** Say the order you want: "start with open issues, then what's new."
- **Audience.** Tell it who is on the call (executive sponsor, technical team) so it adjusts depth.
- **Quick option.** Ask for a **one-page 16:9 infographic** via Image_Operator when you just need a visual to screen-share.
- **Internal-only rules.** Set `{INTERNAL_ONLY_RULES}` so certain topics never appear.
- **Scheduled variant.** Turn on `{SCHEDULE_OPTION}` to auto-build decks for tomorrow's customer meetings from your calendar.
- **Related cards.** Pair with **daily-meeting-briefing**, **account-health-autopilot** or **post-meeting-crm-autopilot**.

## 9. Known gotchas

- **The clone can't share its screen.** A person presents the deck.
- **Review before showing a customer.** Check for unreleased features and internal-only notes (internal ticket comments, pricing, roadmap).
- **Decks take a few minutes.** Request ahead of the call.
- **Check the sender address.** The deck arrives by email. Look at the sender and add it to safe senders so it isn't missed in spam.
- **The shortest deck still has a title and a closing slide.** Count them in the 6–9 slides.
- **Transcripts contain errors.** Names, numbers and dates may be wrong. Verify before presenting.
- **Transcripts only exist for calls that were recorded or attended.** If the clone wasn't on the call and no notes were saved, that source will be empty.
- **Customer name matching.** Transcripts are matched by customer name. If the name is spelled differently in files or the CRM, tell the clone the alternate names.
- **HubSpot has no ticket operator.** Support issues come from notes and tasks in HubSpot, and from Linear.
- **Each user connects their own accounts.** The clone only sees what you can see.
- **Read every instruction before saving the skill.** You are responsible for what your clone does.

## 10. FAQ

**How long does the deck take?** A few minutes after the request. It is emailed to you as a PDF with a text version.

**How long is a short deck?** About 6–9 slides, 16:9, including a title and closing slide.

**Can the clone present it on the call?** No. It can't share its screen. You or a teammate presents.

**Can it send the deck to the customer?** No. It is emailed to you. You decide what to share.

**What if I don't have a CRM or Linear?** The deck still works from the other sources. The clone tells you what was missing.

**What's the difference between the two variants?** (a) is a normal update. (b) is for at-risk accounts and focuses on issues, fixes, a dated success plan and asks.

**Can I get just one page?** Yes, ask for the one-page infographic (Image_Operator).

**Can it build decks automatically?** Optionally, for tomorrow's customer meetings found on your calendar.

**Is it safe to show as-is?** Review first. Check for unreleased features and internal-only notes.

## 11. Troubleshooting

| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Deck email didn't arrive | Still building, or filtered as spam | Wait a few minutes, check spam, add the sender to safe senders |
| Deck is thin or generic | Few sources connected or customer name didn't match | Connect more sources; give alternate customer names |
| No transcripts found | Wrong folder, older than 30 days, or clone didn't attend | Set `{TRANSCRIPTS_FOLDER}`; paste notes into the request |
| Wrong customer in the deck | Similar names in CRM or files | Give the exact CRM account name or domain |
| Open case missing | HubSpot has no ticket operator, or case closed | Check notes/tasks in HubSpot or the case in Salesforce; tell the clone what to include |
| Unreleased feature on a slide | Source mentioned a roadmap item | Remove it before presenting; add it to `{INTERNAL_ONLY_RULES}` |
| Wrong number or name | Transcript error | Verify against the CRM or source; ask for a rebuild |
| Too many or too few slides | Variant or length mismatch | Ask for the other variant or a tighter outline |
| Scheduled decks not arriving | Task paused or calendar not connected | Ask the clone to list scheduled tasks and check the calendar connection |

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**Version:** 1.0.0 · **Last updated:** 2026-10-22 · Part of the Clone Use Case Library.