Why Now
Build a timing case for reaching out to a company: the why-now thesis and specific hooks, each tying a real signal to one of your offerings.
Overview
Why Now answers the question a seller has before reaching out: why this account, why now, and what to lead with. It anchors first on your side of the deal through get_gtm_context (offerings, ICP, competitors, priorities), because the timing only matters relative to what you sell. It then pulls intent, news, and scoop signals for the company and layers in account_research for deal and firmographic context.
The skill corroborates and extends those signals with live web research, capturing URLs for recent developments ZoomInfo may not carry: announcements, initiatives, leadership statements, funding. From there it identifies the strongest timing reasons, builds a short thesis, and derives specific hooks. Every hook rests on a real signal with a date and a source, and maps to one of your offerings.
Give it the company by ZoomInfo company ID or a name to resolve, and optionally your angle (what you sell into them, or the play you are running) to sharpen the hooks. The output leads with a timing thesis, lists the signals behind it, and gives two to four hooks with an opener you could send. When the signals are thin or stale, the skill says the timing case is weak and notes what would change it.
What It Does
- GTM anchoring: Reads your offerings, ICP, competitors, and priorities first, so timing is judged against what you actually sell.
- Signal pull: Gathers intent topics, news, and scoops for the company, alongside account_research for deal and firmographic context.
- Web corroboration: Confirms and extends signals with live research, capturing source URLs and cross-checking anything that looks stale.
- Timing thesis: Synthesizes the strongest reasons into a short case for why the account is worth reaching out to now.
- Grounded hooks: Produces two to four openers, each built on a dated signal, mapped to an offering, and ready to send or say.
- Weak-case honesty: Says plainly when the signals are thin and names the trigger worth watching for instead.
Use Cases
Find a Reason to Reach Out Now
You have a target account but no obvious opening. The skill anchors on what you sell, pulls the company's recent intent, news, and scoops, and surfaces the strongest timing reason. That might be a hiring surge, a funding round, or a spike in intent on a topic you address. The thesis tells you whether the moment is real.
Build Outbound Hooks Grounded in Signals
You are running an outbound play and want openers that land. The skill returns two to four hooks, each tied to a dated signal and mapped to an offering, with a line you could actually send. Because every hook cites its source, you can lead with specifics rather than a generic pitch.
Confirm Timing Before a Call
Before investing time in an account, you want to know the timing holds up. The skill cross-checks the signals against live web research, flags anything stale, and either confirms a strong case or tells you the timing is weak and what trigger would change it. You spend effort where it counts.
Skill Definition
The raw markdown Claude uses when this skill is invoked.
--- name: why-now description: Build a "why now" case for reaching out to a company — the timing thesis and the specific hooks to lead with — by combining company signals (intent, news, scoops), account_research, your GTM context, and web research. Identify the company by ZoomInfo company ID (preferred) or name/domain (triggers a lookup). Use when someone asks "why should I reach out to Acme now", "what's our angle into this account", "give me a reason to call", or is planning outbound and needs timely, evidence-based hooks. Each hook ties a real signal to one of your offerings. --- # Why Now Answer the question a seller actually has before reaching out: why this account, why now, and what to lead with. ## Prerequisites `enrich_company_signals` charges data credits — each signal returned counts as a record, but companies already under management (enriched within the last 12 months by your organization) are free. `account_research` consumes AI credits. `get_gtm_context` and `WebSearch` are free. Intent, news, and scoop availability depends on your ZoomInfo package; if a signal type is empty, work with what is available rather than treating it as "nothing happening". ## Input Provided via `$ARGUMENTS`: - **Company** (required) — ZoomInfo company ID (preferred), or a name/domain to resolve via `search_companies`. If none is supplied, ask which company. - **Your angle** (optional) — what you sell into them, or the play you are running. Sharpens the hooks. ## Workflow 1. **Anchor on your side.** Call `get_gtm_context` (free) for offerings, ICP, competitors, and priorities. The "why now" only matters relative to what you sell. 2. **Resolve the company.** Use the ZoomInfo ID directly, or resolve a name/domain via `search_companies`. 3. **Pull the signals and context.** Run `enrich_company_signals` for the company with `signalTypes: ["INTENT", "NEWS", "SCOOP"]` (or omit `signalTypes` entirely, which returns all three) and `account_research` for deal/relationship and firmographic context, in parallel. 4. **Corroborate and extend with web research.** Use `WebSearch` for recent public developments that ZoomInfo may not carry (announcements, initiatives, leadership statements, funding) and to confirm anything time-sensitive. Capture URLs. Cross-check anything that looks stale. 5. **Synthesize the case.** Identify the strongest timing reasons — a signal that maps to one of your offerings or to a named risk/initiative. Build the thesis, then derive specific hooks. Ground every hook in a real signal with a date and source. If the signals are thin, say the timing case is weak rather than manufacturing urgency. ## Output Format ### Why now — [Company] **Timing thesis** — 2-3 sentences on why this account is worth reaching out to now, framed by what you sell. **Signals behind it** — the specific intent topics, news, and scoops driving the thesis, most compelling first, each with a date and source (URL for web items). **Hooks** (2-4) — each: - **Angle** — the opening idea. - **Built on** — the signal it rests on (with source). - **Maps to** — the offering or value it connects to. - **Opener** — one line you could actually send or say. **If the case is weak** — if signals are thin or stale, say so plainly and note what would change it (a trigger to watch for), rather than inventing a reason to reach out.
Created by
Rowan Bailey
Senior Director, Product
Provided by
ZoomInfo ↗Capabilities
- Combines intent, news, and scoop signals via enrich_company_signals
- Anchors on your offerings, ICP, and competitors through get_gtm_context
- Corroborates and extends signals with live web research and captured URLs
- Derives hooks that each map a dated signal to something you sell
- Flags a weak timing case rather than manufacturing urgency