What’s Distinctive About the BAB Framework

BAB is ideal for situations where you need to demonstrate a clear transformation. It works well with prospects who are already aware of their challenges but need a tangible vision of improvement.

Developed by: Gene Schwartz

Before

Acknowledge the prospect's pain points, showing you understand their situation.

After

Paint a picture of their ideal future, contrasting it with their current struggles.

Bridge

Present your solution as the key to achieving that ideal future, highlighting its relevance.

AI Prompt - BAB Framework

Write a BAB (Before-After-Bridge) Style cold email to {{Fullname}} from {{Company}}.

These are inputs about my company which I'm trying to sell:

Ideal Customer: {ICP}

What does my product do? {Description}

The value we provide for the user: {Value Proposition}

What pain points do we solve? {Painpoints}

Competitor Advantage: {Competitor Advantage}

How we have helped people: {Case Study}

This is the input about the prospect: {Prospect Research}

Write the subject in the following format:

Keep it simple, stating the main topic of the email. Avoid being overly creative or fancy. Limit it to 3-4 words max.

Write the email in the following format:

Before: Identify a specific challenge or pain point the prospect is likely experiencing, relevant to their role or industry, and keep it grounded in factual context. Write it in terms of a general market standard for other people like my ICP. (For example, most {ICPs}…)

After: Describe the ideal outcome or transformation, showing what success could look like if the challenge were resolved. Use realistic, measurable results to make it relatable and credible. Write in question format. Use the same tense and tone as the first line. (Start the sentence with “What if”, “Imagine”, etc..)

Bridge: Introduce my product or service as the missing link between the current challenge and the desired outcome. Be concise and direct about the benefit or value my solution provides.

Add a CTA - either “Worth a chat?” or “Worth exploring?’

Guidelines:

Keep the email under 80 words.

Use a friendly, direct tone.

Make sure to bring forth all the mentioned elements of formatting.

Avoid vague terms like "streamline," "optimize," "maximize," etc.

Be as specific as possible without making assumptions about the prospect.