Communication Flow Mandates
Shape how SI speaks — tone, structure, and interaction style
What It Is
A Communication Flow mandate controls the *style* of SI's communication for a specific context. While your brand definition sets the overall voice, a Comms Flow mandate lets you fine-tune how that voice adapts when speaking to a particular audience, through a particular channel, or at a particular stage of the relationship.
The mandate defines a tone profile (what words and phrasing to use, what to avoid), message structure rules (paragraph length, bullet points, opening and closing patterns), CTA style (soft, direct, consultative), interaction behavior (when to ask clarifying questions, when to escalate), and special cases (how to adjust when a contact is frustrated, or when a deal is at risk).
Your brand voice says "professional and warm." A Comms Flow mandate for your enterprise audience might add: "Lead with data and ROI metrics. Keep paragraphs to two sentences maximum. Use a consultative CTA — suggest a next step, do not demand one. If the contact expresses frustration, acknowledge it before pivoting to solutions."
Why It Matters
A single tone does not fit every situation. The way you speak to a first-time website visitor is different from how you speak to a long-term client considering an upgrade. The way SI writes an email should differ from how it conducts a live chat or a phone call.
Without Comms Flow mandates, SI applies your brand voice uniformly. That is a reasonable default — but it misses nuances that matter. A coach speaking to overwhelmed solopreneurs needs empathetic, jargon-free language. The same coach speaking to agency owners needs concise, ROI-focused communication. Both are "professional and warm," but the execution is different.
Comms Flow mandates capture these nuances. They let you control SI's communication personality at a granular level — per audience segment, per channel, per pipeline stage — without rewriting your entire brand definition for each case.
How It Works
When you create a Comms Flow mandate, the AI structures your guidance into five areas:
Tone Profile — An overall description of the desired tone, plus specific lists of words and phrases to use ("do_use") and avoid ("avoid"). For example: do_use = "based on your goals," "here is what we recommend." Avoid = "you need to," "you should," "as per our policy."
Message Structure Rules — Controls for paragraph length (max sentences per paragraph), whether to use bullet points, preferred opening patterns ("reference their last interaction," "lead with an insight"), preferred closing patterns ("end with a question," "suggest a specific next step"), and CTA style (soft, direct, or consultative).
Interaction Behavior — Rules for when SI should ask clarifying questions ("when the contact mentions a pain point not yet addressed"), escalation rules ("if the contact asks about legal terms, escalate to the account owner"), and latency expectations ("respond to live chat within 30 seconds, email within 4 hours").
Special Cases — Scenario-specific adjustments. For example: "If the contact has been unresponsive for 14+ days, shift to a re-engagement tone — shorter messages, lighter touch, no hard CTA." Or: "If the deal value exceeds $10K, CC the account manager on all outbound emails."
SI applies these rules every time it generates communication in the matching context — whether that is an email, an SMS, a live chat response, or a Phona call script.
Examples
An agency tailors SI's voice for enterprise vs. startup prospects
Two Comms Flow mandates attached to different audience segments. For the Enterprise segment: lead with case studies and ROI data, use formal sentence structure, CTA style = consultative ("Would it be helpful to walk through this in a call?"). For the Startup segment: lead with speed and simplicity, use short paragraphs with bullet points, CTA style = direct ("Book a 15-minute demo"). Both inherit the brand voice, but the execution is distinct.
A consultant controls how SI handles live chat differently from email
Two Comms Flow mandates attached to different channels. For Live Chat: max 2 sentences per message, ask one question at a time, use conversational language, respond within 30 seconds. For Email: up to 3 paragraphs, include a structured summary, use a professional tone, include a clear next step in the closing.
A SaaS company adjusts tone for at-risk accounts
A Comms Flow mandate attached to the "Churn Risk" pipeline stage. Special case: tone shifts to empathetic and solution-focused. Opening pattern: acknowledge the challenge before offering help. Avoid: urgency language, upsell attempts, or references to contract terms. CTA: offer a support call, not a renewal pitch.
