# Applications: Applying SUCCESs Across Contexts

The SUCCESs framework is not theoretical — it is a practical toolkit that can be applied to any communication context. This reference provides step-by-step guidance for applying all six principles to landing pages, product demos, onboarding flows, presentations, email campaigns, internal communications, and documentation. Each section includes templates, checklists, and before/after examples.

## Applying SUCCESs to Landing Pages

A landing page has one job: convert a visitor into a lead or customer. Each SUCCESs principle strengthens a different part of that conversion process.

### Element-by-Element Breakdown

| Principle | Landing Page Element | Implementation |
|-----------|---------------------|----------------|
| **Simple** | Headline + subheadline | One value proposition. No compound sentences. No "and." |
| **Unexpected** | Above-the-fold hook | A counterintuitive claim or surprising statistic |
| **Concrete** | Benefits section | Specific outcomes with numbers, not abstract promises |
| **Credible** | Social proof section | Named customers, specific metrics, Sinatra Test logos |
| **Emotional** | Pain/aspiration section | One customer's story or a vivid problem description |
| **Stories** | Case study or testimonial | A complete character-problem-solution-outcome narrative |

### Landing Page Template

```
[HEADLINE: Simple — one core value proposition in under 10 words]
[SUBHEADLINE: Unexpected — counterintuitive claim or surprising angle]

[HERO SECTION]
- Concrete outcome #1 (specific number)
- Concrete outcome #2 (specific number)
- Concrete outcome #3 (specific number)
[CTA BUTTON]

[SOCIAL PROOF: Credible]
- Logo bar with named companies
- "Join [specific number] teams including [impressive name]"

[PAIN SECTION: Emotional]
- "You know the feeling when [specific, relatable pain]..."
- Individual focus: one person's experience

[STORY SECTION: Stories]
- Customer transformation narrative (character → problem → solution → outcome)
- Direct quote with name, title, and company

[CREDIBILITY SECTION: Credible]
- Specific metric: "[X] customers processed [Y] in the last month"
- Testable credential: "Try free for 14 days, no credit card"

[FINAL CTA]
```

### Before/After: Landing Page Headline

**Before:**
> "The All-in-One Platform for Modern Teams"
> "Streamline your workflow with AI-powered automation and seamless integrations."

**After:**
> "Ship 3x Faster Without Hiring"
> "Your competitor just launched in 2 weeks. Yours has been stuck for 2 months. Here is why."

## Applying SUCCESs to Product Demos

Product demos fail when they become feature tours. A sticky demo tells a story, creates curiosity, and delivers emotional impact.

### The Sticky Demo Framework

| Phase | Principle | What to Do |
|-------|-----------|-----------|
| **Opening (30 seconds)** | Unexpected + Emotional | Start with the customer's pain, not your product. State something surprising. |
| **Setup (1-2 minutes)** | Simple + Concrete | "Today I will show you ONE thing: how [specific outcome] happens in [specific time]" |
| **Demonstration (3-5 minutes)** | Concrete + Credible | Use real data, real names, real workflows. Time the action. |
| **Aha Moment (30 seconds)** | Unexpected | The moment where the old way vs. new way becomes viscerally clear |
| **Proof (1 minute)** | Credible + Stories | "Here is what [named customer] said after seeing this for the first time" |
| **Close (30 seconds)** | Emotional + Simple | Return to the pain. Show how it is now resolved. One CTA. |

### Demo Script Template

```
"Before I show you anything, let me ask you a question.
[UNEXPECTED: A question that reveals a pain they did not realize they had]

Here is what [REAL CUSTOMER NAME] was dealing with:
[EMOTIONAL: 2-sentence description of their specific problem]

Watch what happens when I [CONCRETE: specific action].
[DEMONSTRATE: real data, timed, specific]

See that? [SIMPLE: one sentence explaining what just happened]
That used to take [CREDIBLE: specific old time]. Now it takes [specific new time].

[CUSTOMER NAME] told us: '[STORY: direct quote about the impact].'

Want to try it with your own data? [CTA]"
```

### Before/After: Demo Opening

**Before:**
> "Hi, thanks for joining. Today I am going to give you a tour of our platform. Let me start with the dashboard..."

**After:**
> "Before I show you anything, I want you to think about the last time you needed a report for a meeting and could not find the right numbers in time. That happened to the VP of Sales at Notion last quarter. It cost them a $2M deal. Let me show you why that will never happen to you."

## Applying SUCCESs to Onboarding Flows

Onboarding is where most products lose users. A sticky onboarding flow guides users to their first "aha moment" as fast as possible while building belief and motivation.

### Screen-by-Screen Framework

| Screen | Principle | Content |
|--------|-----------|---------|
| **Welcome** | Unexpected + Emotional | Not "Welcome to [Product]." Instead: "In the next 3 minutes, you will see [specific surprising outcome]." |
| **Quick Win (Step 1)** | Simple + Concrete | One action. Show the result immediately. Use real data if possible. |
| **Progress** | Credible | "You are already ahead of 70% of new users who skip this step." |
| **Core Value (Step 2-3)** | Concrete + Unexpected | Deliver the "aha moment" — the thing that makes them say "Oh, THAT is what this does." |
| **Social Proof** | Credible + Stories | "[Name] at [Company] got to this point and never looked back. Here is what they built." |
| **Celebration** | Emotional | Celebrate the first success. Make them feel accomplished. |
| **Next Step** | Simple | One clear next action. Not a menu of 10 options. |

### Before/After: Onboarding Welcome Screen

**Before:**
> "Welcome to DataSync! Let us get you set up. Here are the 7 steps to get started."

**After:**
> "In 90 seconds, you will see all your customer data in one place for the first time. Ready? Let us start with one click: connect your CRM."

## Applying SUCCESs to Presentations and Pitches

Presentations fail when they are information dumps. A sticky presentation is structured as a journey with one core message, supported by surprise, proof, emotion, and story.

### The Sticky Presentation Structure

| Section | Duration | Principle | Content |
|---------|----------|-----------|---------|
| **Hook** | 30 seconds | Unexpected | Open with a surprising fact, a bold claim, or a mystery |
| **Problem** | 2-3 minutes | Emotional + Concrete | Make the audience feel the problem. Use one person's story. |
| **Core Insight** | 1 minute | Simple | State your one key message. This is your Commander's Intent. |
| **Evidence** | 5-7 minutes | Credible + Concrete | Prove your claim with specific data, demonstrations, and examples |
| **Story** | 2-3 minutes | Stories | A complete narrative that embodies your core message |
| **Implications** | 2 minutes | Unexpected + Emotional | "Here is what this means for you, specifically" |
| **CTA** | 30 seconds | Simple | One clear ask. Not three options. One. |

### Presentation Checklist

- [ ] The first slide has no logo, no agenda, no "About Us" — just the hook
- [ ] There is ONE core message (say it in 10 words or fewer)
- [ ] At least one moment will make the audience say "I did not know that"
- [ ] Every statistic is human-scale and compared to something familiar
- [ ] At least one real person's story is told with name, context, and outcome
- [ ] The audience knows exactly what to do next when it ends
- [ ] There are fewer than 20 slides for a 30-minute presentation
- [ ] No slide has more than 15 words on it

### Before/After: Presentation Opening Slide

**Before:**
> Slide 1: Company logo, "Q3 Strategic Review," date, presenter name, agenda

**After:**
> Slide 1: "47% of our customers almost left last quarter. Here is why they stayed."

## Applying SUCCESs to Email Campaigns

Email is the most competitive attention environment. Your message competes with 100+ other emails in a single inbox. SUCCESs principles help you win the open and the click.

### Email Framework

| Email Element | Principle | Implementation |
|--------------|-----------|----------------|
| **Subject line** | Unexpected + Simple | Pattern-breaking curiosity gap in under 8 words |
| **First sentence** | Concrete + Emotional | A specific, vivid pain or aspiration they can picture |
| **Body** | Stories + Credible | One story or proof point — not a catalog of features |
| **CTA** | Simple | One action. Not "Learn more, sign up, or reply." Just one. |

### Email Templates

**The Curiosity Gap Email:**
```
Subject: The mistake your team is making every Monday

[Name], last Monday your team probably spent 2 hours in a meeting
that could have been a 5-minute async update.

I know this because 84% of teams we surveyed do the same thing.

[Customer name] at [Company] eliminated Monday meetings entirely.
Their team shipped 30% more that quarter.

Here is the 2-minute change they made: [LINK]
```

**The Story Email:**
```
Subject: How [Name] saved 12 hours a week

Quick story:

[Name] runs ops at [Company]. Every Friday, she spent 3 hours
compiling a report nobody read.

One day she asked: "What if the report wrote itself?"

She found [Product]. Setup took 15 minutes. The next Friday,
the report was in her inbox at 8am. She went to a yoga class instead.

Want your Fridays back? [CTA]
```

**The Surprising Stat Email:**
```
Subject: You are losing $4,200/month (here is the math)

[Name], your team has 12 people. Each one spends ~30 minutes/day
on [specific manual task].

That is 130 hours/month. At your team's average hourly cost,
that is $4,200 going to a task a machine can do.

Here is the math: [LINK]
And here is the fix: [CTA]
```

## Applying SUCCESs to Internal Communications

Internal communications are where the Curse of Knowledge does the most damage. Everyone assumes shared context. Nobody questions the jargon. Ideas die in the noise of Slack and email.

### Making Internal Messages Stick

| Principle | Internal Application | Example |
|-----------|---------------------|---------|
| **Simple** | One message per communication. No "3 things" emails. | "This quarter's priority: reduce churn. Everything else supports that." |
| **Unexpected** | Lead with the surprising data point | "We lost more customers last month than in the previous 6 months combined." |
| **Concrete** | Use real examples from the team's experience | "Remember the Acme Corp escalation last Tuesday? That is the exact problem we are solving." |
| **Credible** | Share the data behind the decision | "Here are the 47 customer interviews that led to this conclusion." |
| **Emotional** | Make the impact personal | "If we do not fix this, the support team will keep working weekends." |
| **Stories** | Tell the story of a real customer or team member | "Let me tell you what happened when our newest engineer tried to deploy for the first time." |

### Before/After: Company All-Hands Announcement

**Before:**
> "We are excited to announce a strategic realignment of our go-to-market motion. Effective next quarter, we will be transitioning to a product-led growth model with enhanced self-serve capabilities and optimized conversion funnels."

**After:**
> "Starting next quarter, customers can buy our product without ever talking to a salesperson. Why? Because 60% of our signups already try to buy online and give up. We are losing $200K/month to a 'Contact Sales' button. Here is what changes."

## Applying SUCCESs to Documentation and Help Content

Documentation is the most undervalued communication channel. Great documentation reduces support tickets, improves onboarding, and builds trust. But most documentation is cursed by knowledge.

### The Sticky Documentation Framework

| Principle | Documentation Application |
|-----------|--------------------------|
| **Simple** | One concept per page. Clear hierarchy. Lead with the answer, not the context. |
| **Unexpected** | Call out common mistakes upfront. "Most users try X first. Here is why Y works better." |
| **Concrete** | Every instruction includes a screenshot or code example. Never say "configure as needed." |
| **Credible** | Include "Why" sections explaining the reasoning. Link to source documentation. |
| **Emotional** | Acknowledge the user's frustration. "We know this is confusing. Here is the simplest path." |
| **Stories** | Include use case examples. "Here is how a marketing team uses this feature to..." |

### Before/After: Help Article

**Before:**
> **Setting Up Integrations**
> Navigate to the Settings panel and select the Integrations tab. Configure your desired integrations by providing the necessary credentials and selecting the appropriate sync options.

**After:**
> **Connect Slack in 60 Seconds**
> Want your team to get notified in Slack when a deal closes? Here is how:
> 1. Click Settings (gear icon, top right)
> 2. Click Integrations
> 3. Find Slack and click Connect
> 4. Choose your channel (most teams pick #sales-wins)
> 5. Done. Your next closed deal will trigger a celebration message.
>
> Common mistake: Choosing #general instead of a specific channel. Your team will tune it out within a week.

## Master Checklist: SUCCESs Audit for Any Context

Before publishing any communication, verify each principle:

- [ ] **Simple:** ONE core message, understandable by a 12-year-old, most important info first
- [ ] **Unexpected:** Opens with a pattern-break, creates a curiosity gap, surprise serves the core message
- [ ] **Concrete:** Abstractions replaced with examples, numbers are human-scale, audience can picture it
- [ ] **Credible:** Proof point included, testimonials use real names, claims are verifiable or testable
- [ ] **Emotional:** Connects to a feeling, features an individual's experience, answers "What is in it for me?"
- [ ] **Stories:** Includes a narrative with character + problem + resolution, illustrates the core message

## Quick Reference: One-Line SUCCESs Reminders

| Principle | One-Line Reminder |
|-----------|-------------------|
| **Simple** | "If they remember one thing, what must it be?" |
| **Unexpected** | "What will make them look up from their phone?" |
| **Concrete** | "Can they picture it happening?" |
| **Credible** | "Why should they believe me?" |
| **Emotional** | "What will they feel?" |
| **Stories** | "Whose story illustrates this?" |
