Revelation Tool Skill

What This Is

A Revelation Tool makes someone discover something they didn't know about themselves — then shows them the distance between what they just discovered and what they actually need.

This is NOT a diagnostic (which sorts into categories) or a calculator (which computes a number). A diagnostic says "you're stuck at Stage 2." A revelation tool says "you have more of X than you thought — and here's why you can't turn it into Y on your own."

The insight happens DURING the tool, not on the results page. The act of checking boxes in Q1 is the revelation. Everything after that is scaffolding around the moment they already had.

When to Use This Tool Type

Use a Revelation Tool when:

• The person underestimates what they already have
• The aha is "I have more than I thought" not "I have Problem Type B"
• The offer requires them to believe the raw material exists before they'll pay someone to build it
• Self-assessment would produce false negatives ("I don't have anything worth documenting")

Do NOT use when:

• The person needs to be sorted into a category (use a Diagnostic)
• The person needs their own numbers calculated (use a Calculator)
• The person already knows what they have and needs to evaluate it (that's an assessment, not a revelation)
• There's really only one thing to discover — the Q1 multi-select wouldn't produce surprise

Architecture

HERO (context + promise — must match what results deliver)
    ↓
INTRO SCREEN (conditional — see UX Rules)
    ↓
Q1: MULTI-SELECT OPENER (the revelation happens here)
    ↓
Q2–Q5: SINGLE-SELECT (score the thing they just discovered)
    ↓
RESULTS PAGE
    → Computed number (if the tool promises one — see Results Variants)
    → Strength tier + assessment text
    → Score visualization (horizontal bars per dimension)
    → Revelation text (personalized based on Q1 count)
    → Weakest dimension insight (targeted based on scoring)
    → Gap section (numbered layers showing distance)
    → Offer bridge (single CTA — no secondary links, no bridge to other tools)
    → Disclaimer
    → Start Over button

The Critical Pattern: Q1 Multi-Select Opener

This is what makes a Revelation Tool work. Q1 must:

1. List behaviors or outcomes they take for granted — things they'd never frame as "assets" or "opportunities" or whatever the campaign concept names them
2. Use multi-select (checkboxes, not radio buttons) — so they check multiple items and surprise themselves
3. Include a hint that primes them to check more — e.g., "Select everything that applies. Most practice owners stop counting after two — then realize they have six."
4. Count the selections — the count feeds into results copy and optionally into a computed number

Why This Works

Single-select Q1 asks them to categorize something they already know about. Multi-select Q1 makes them discover how much they have. The revelation IS the act of checking boxes. By the third or fourth checkbox, they've already sold themselves.

Q1 Design Rules

• 5–7 options. Enough to create surprise, not so many it feels like an inventory.
• Every option must be universal to the target audience. This is the most common failure. If an option depends on a specific delivery model (workshops, webinars, podcasts) that half the audience doesn't use, it's dead weight. Dead options deflate the revelation — checking 3 out of 6 because two didn't apply feels different than checking 3 out of 6 because they genuinely only had three. Test each option: would this happen in any practice in our audience, regardless of size or model?
• Options should be things they'd say "oh, that happened" about. Concrete. Recent. Observable. Not aspirational, not hypothetical.
• Options should be behaviors or outcomes, not self-assessments. "A client referred someone without being asked" not "I have strong referral relationships."
• The hint should prime them to check more, not fewer.
• The count feeds directly into results copy with three tiers (4+, 2–3, 1). If the tool computes a number, Q1 count can also scale the estimate — but see Conditional Scaling below.

Q1 Anti-Patterns

From the Golden Examples

Story Finder Q1 — 6 client outcome behaviors (renewals, referrals, expansions, saves, transformations, trust statements). Every CPA practice has these regardless of size or model.

Silent List Finder Q1 — 6 prospect/client silence behaviors (no-shows, fizzled referrals, quiet proposals, drifted clients, dead inquiries, ghost prospects). Every practice has these. Original version included workshops and webinars — failed the universality test and was replaced.

Questions 2–5: Score What They Discovered

After Q1 reveals they have something worth working with, Q2–Q5 evaluate the quality or readiness of what they found across scoring dimensions.

Question Design Rules

1. Ask what they DO or DID — never what they THINK or GUESS. This is the sharpest rule in the skill. If the question starts with "why do you think," "if you had to guess," or "what's your sense of," it's speculation. Rewrite it as observable behavior. "What did your message focus on?" not "Why do you think they left?"
2. Test without revealing what's being tested. "If you had to explain this to someone outside your industry" tests narrative clarity without using those words.
3. Include hints under every question. Hints do two jobs: guide behavior ("go with the first one that came to mind") and reframe the question ("this matters because…").
4. Each question must map to at least one scoring dimension. No decorative questions.
5. Easiest/most relatable question first, most reflective question last.
6. 3–5 options per question with letter indicators (A, B, C, D).
7. No "unsure/mixed" throwaway option. Every answer should score meaningfully.

Question Anti-Patterns

Hints

Hints are required. They build trust and coach the person through the tool.

Good hints:

• "Not what you think you should do. What actually happens." (grounds them in reality)
• "Go with the first one that came to mind. That instinct usually points to the strongest story." (reduces overthinking)
• "If you haven't followed up recently, think about what you'd write if you had to send one right now." (handles edge cases)

Bad hints:

• "Choose the best answer." (obvious, adds nothing)
• "This question measures narrative clarity." (reveals the scoring)
• No hint at all. (misses trust-building opportunity)

Scoring Structure

Each answer option carries a score object mapping to dimensions:

{ letter: 'A', text: 'Option text', score: { specificity: 3, impact: 3 } }
{ letter: 'B', text: 'Option text', score: { specificity: 2, impact: 2 } }

Dimension guidelines:

• 3–5 scoring dimensions (4 is ideal)
• Each dimension should have a max score of 5–6 across all questions
• Dimensions should map to qualities that matter for the offer (not abstract traits)
• Total max score determines strength tiers: strong / moderate / developing
• Cap dimension values at their max in the scoring logic — prevents one dimension from visually dominating

Optional: estimate property. If Q5 asks for a volume estimate that feeds a computed number, add an estimate value to each option:

{ letter: 'A', text: 'Fewer than 10 people', score: { volume: 1 }, estimate: 8 }

Results Page: Two Variants

The revelation tool has two results variants. Decide which one fits before building.

Variant A: Profile Results (Story Finder Pattern)

The results page shows a strength tier and multi-dimensional profile. Use when the revelation is about quality — "you have better raw material than you thought."

Results sequence:

1. Strength tier header (strong / moderate / developing)
2. Score visualization (horizontal bars)
3. Revelation text (Q1 count)
4. Weakest dimension insight
5. Gap layers
6. Offer bridge + CTA

Variant B: Computed Number Results (Silent List Finder Pattern)

The results page leads with a calculated number derived from their answers. Use when the revelation is about quantity — "you have more untapped revenue/contacts/hours than you thought."

Results sequence:

1. Hero number (the computed figure — big, gold, undeniable)
2. Formula transparency line (how the number was derived)
3. Strength tier header
4. Score visualization
5. Revelation text (Q1 count)
6. Weakest dimension insight
7. Gap layers
8. Offer bridge + CTA

Promise-Delivery Alignment

This is a hard rule. If the hero, intro, or CTA button promises "your number" or "find out how much," the results MUST lead with a computed number. If the results show a strength tier and score bars but no number, the promise is broken. The person will feel manipulated.

Decide which variant you're building before writing the hero copy. Then check: does the first thing on the results page deliver exactly what the hero promised?

Computing the Number (Variant B Only)

When the tool computes a figure, the math must be transparent and defensible.

The Formula

// Q5 gives a self-reported estimate
var sixMonthEstimate = questions[4].options[q5answer].estimate;
var quarterlyEstimate = Math.round(sixMonthEstimate / 2);

// Scale by Q1 breadth — but only when warranted
// (see Conditional Scaling below)

var annualEstimate = quarterlyEstimate * 4;
var recoveryRate = 0.20;  // conservative, defensible
var avgValue = 5000;      // match to audience's engagement value
var annualRecoverable = Math.round(annualEstimate * recoveryRate * avgValue);

Conditional Scaling

When Q1 count modifies a computed number, apply scaling only when it adds information the self-report doesn't already contain.

The rule: If someone self-reports a high volume in Q5, they've already accounted for breadth. Scaling their number up because they also checked many Q1 boxes double-counts and produces inflated results. Only scale when the Q5 estimate is low-to-moderate — where Q1 breadth genuinely suggests undercounting.

// Only scale for low/moderate self-reporters
if (sixMonthEstimate <= 45) {
    if (outcomesFound >= 5) quarterlyEstimate = Math.round(quarterlyEstimate * 1.3);
    else if (outcomesFound >= 3) quarterlyEstimate = Math.round(quarterlyEstimate * 1.15);
}

Credibility Check

Before shipping, build a grid of every Q5 answer × every Q1 count tier and verify every output feels believable to the person seeing it. If the high end produces a number that makes the tool feel like it's inflating to impress, cap it or reduce the estimate input.

Hero Number Display

YOUR ESTIMATED ANNUAL RECOVERABLE REVENUE
$52,000
~13 silent contacts per quarter × 20% recovery × $5,000 avg engagement

• Eyebrow label: uppercase, gold, names what the number represents
• Number: Cormorant Garamond, large (clamp 2.25rem–3.5rem), gold, weight 500
• Formula line: small, stone color, shows the math transparently
• The formula line is what makes the number defensible instead of arbitrary

Results Page: Common Elements (Both Variants)

Strength Tier

Three tiers with color coding:

• Strong: green (#5a9a6a) — they have good raw material
• Moderate: gold (#b79d64) — raw material exists, gaps are clear
• Developing: amber (#c49a4a) — starting point is visible

Assessment title and text — three versions, one per tier. Each must:

• Name what they HAVE (not what they lack)
• Reframe their situation as more valuable than they assumed
• Use language that assumes the raw material exists

Good: "Your silent list is larger than you thought — and more recoverable than you'd guess." Bad: "You're not ready yet. Work on building better outcomes first."

Score Visualization

Horizontal bars for each dimension with colored fills and a legend.

• Inline div bars with percentage width (no star ratings, no numbers)
• Each dimension gets its own color
• Legend with colored dots and dimension labels
• Label: "Your [topic] profile" or "How your story scores"

Revelation Text (Q1 Count)

Three tiers. Rendered as an insight box with colored left border matching strength tier.

• 4+ checked: Name the count. Name what it means. Make the quantity feel undeniable.
• 2–3 checked: Name the count. Expand — each represents a category with multiple instances.
• 1 checked: One is enough to start. Name the compounding effect.

Label: "What you may not have realized"

Weakest Dimension Insight

Find their lowest-scoring dimension. Show targeted copy.

• Rendered as insight box with neutral styling (subtle border, no colored left border)
• Each dimension gets its own insight paragraph
• Frame weaknesses as solvable, not disqualifying
• If all dimensions ≥80%, use a universal "what turns this into [desired outcome]" message
• Label: "Where the gap is widest" or "What turns this into [outcome]"

Gap Layers

Numbered layers showing the distance between what they have and what they need. 3–5 layers (4 is ideal).

Each layer: numbered circle + title + one paragraph.

The layers describe what the process actually requires. They do NOT pitch your methodology.

The test: if you removed the brand name, would the layer still make sense as a description of what the work requires? If it only makes sense as a description of your service, it's a pitch, not a gap.

Offer Bridge + CTA

Single CTA. No bridge to companion tools. Revelation tools are end-of-funnel — the only next step is the offer.

When the CTA matches the tool's topic directly (Story Finder → $497 case study build):

• "Want this built for you?"
• Describe what they get
• Price, deliverables, CTA button

When the CTA is broader than the tool's topic (Silent List Finder → Systems Diagnostic):

• Enter through what the tool just revealed. "You just found the number. The Systems Diagnostic starts there."
• THEN open to the broader scope. "Sometimes it's the silent list. Sometimes it's what's creating the silent list."
• Never lead with the broader offer and work backward to the tool. The person just spent 2 minutes on a specific topic. Honor that before expanding.

Below the CTA:

• Disclaimer in italics, stone color, centered
• Start Over button (btn-secondary)

UX Rules

Navigation

• Intro screen is conditional. Include when the tool lives at a standalone URL or embedded in an article. Skip when delivered via DM — they already know what it is.
• Back button on every question. Hidden on Q1 (visibility:hidden, not display:none — preserves layout). Visible on Q2+.
• Continue button on every question. Both multi-select AND single-select. No auto-advance.
• Continue disabled until selection made. Multi: at least one checkbox. Single: one option selected.
• Last question button text must match the promise. "See My Result" for profile variant. "See My Number" for computed number variant. Not "Continue."
• Start Over on results page. btn-secondary style, below disclaimer.

Progress

• Gold progress bar at top of tool container (absolute positioned, 3px height)
• Fills proportionally: ((currentQ + 1) / (totalQuestions + 1)) * 100
• 100% on results screen

Transitions

• Smooth scroll to tool container on screen change
• Fade-in on results (0.5s ease, translateY 12px)
• No transition animations between questions (instant render)

Visual Design

Layout

• Tool container inside a wrapper. Max-width 680px, centered.
• Container: deep charcoal (#2a2a2a), gold border (rgba 0.15), 12px radius, 2.5rem padding
• Progress bar inside the container (absolute top)
• Hero section above the tool container
• Nav: fixed, charcoal, 3px gold bottom border. Logo left, tool label right.
• Footer: links + copyright

Theme

Dark by default for revelation tools. Both dark and light use the same brand constants:

:root {
    --gold: #b79d64;
    --gold-light: #c4aa74;
    --gold-dark: #a08a58;
    --charcoal: #1a1a1a;
    --deep-charcoal: #2a2a2a;
    --cream: #f5f4f0;
    --off-white: #faf9f7;
    --stone: #8a8680;
    --gold-dim: rgba(183, 157, 100, 0.08);
    --green: #5a9a6a;
    --green-light: rgba(90, 154, 106, 0.1);
    --amber: #c49a4a;
    --amber-light: rgba(196, 154, 74, 0.1);
}

Gold scrollbar always present.

Typography

• Headlines: Cormorant Garamond, weight 400
• Body: Inter, weight 300–500
• Eyebrows/labels: Inter, 0.7rem, weight 600, letter-spacing 0.12em, uppercase, gold
• Question text: Cormorant Garamond, 1.375rem
• Hints: Inter, 0.8125rem, stone
• Option text: Inter, 0.9375rem

Interactive Elements

Multi-select (Q1): Checkbox style (square 20px, rounded 4px). Selected: gold fill + checkmark. Single-select (Q2+): Radio style (circle 28px, letter inside). Selected: gold fill, letter in charcoal. Buttons: Primary gold, secondary transparent with stone border. Option containers: Rounded 8px, subtle background, gold border on selected.

Mobile (≤640px)

• Button row: column-reverse (Continue on top, Back below)
• Score legend: column layout
• Gap layers: column layout
• Hero number: reduced font size

Technical Specs

• Single HTML file — CSS + JS inline, no external dependencies except Google Fonts
• Vanilla JavaScript — no frameworks, no build step
• Works locally — opens from filesystem
• Mobile-first responsive — breakpoint at 640px
• No data saved — nothing persisted
• Questions as data array — rendered dynamically
• Results built as single HTML string — injected via innerHTML

Three-Variable Personalization

Results assemble from three independent variables:

Plus optionally:

QC Checklist

Promise-Delivery

• [ ] Hero promise matches what results page leads with
• [ ] If "your number" is promised, a computed number appears first
• [ ] If "your story" or "your profile" is promised, strength tier appears first
• [ ] Last question button text matches the promise ("See My Number" / "See My Result")

Q1 Multi-Select

• [ ] 5–7 options
• [ ] Every option is universal to the target audience (not model-dependent)
• [ ] Every option is behavioral/observable (not aspirational or self-assessment)
• [ ] Hint primes them to check more, not fewer
• [ ] No option requires a specific business model (workshops, podcasts, webinars) unless the entire audience uses it

Q2–Q5

• [ ] All single-select with letter indicators
• [ ] Every question asks what they DO or DID — zero speculation questions
• [ ] No question starts with "why do you think" or "if you had to guess"
• [ ] Every question has a hint that coaches or reframes
• [ ] Questions test without revealing what's being tested
• [ ] Every answer maps to at least one scoring dimension
• [ ] No "unsure/mixed" throwaway options
• [ ] Easiest question first, most reflective last

Computed Number (if applicable)

• [ ] Formula is transparent on results page (show the math)
• [ ] Conditional scaling prevents double-counting for high self-reporters
• [ ] Every Q5 × Q1 combination produces a credible number (build the grid, check every cell)
• [ ] High-end output doesn't feel inflated
• [ ] Low-end output still feels meaningful enough to warrant action

Scoring Validation

• [ ] All same-letter answers produce expected strength tier (consistent persona test)
• [ ] 5+ realistic mixed patterns produce correct tiers and dimension profiles (predict before running)
• [ ] Scores at tier boundaries land in intended tier (test exact boundary and ±1)
• [ ] Every strength tier is reachable by some answer combination
• [ ] Weakest-dimension logic selects the correct dimension for each test case
• [ ] Q1 count tiers (4+, 2–3, 1) each produce distinct and appropriate revelation text
• [ ] If computed number variant: min/max inputs produce credible numbers at both extremes

Results

• [ ] Three strength tiers with distinct copy (not word swaps)
• [ ] Revelation text changes based on Q1 count (three tiers)
• [ ] Weakest dimension drives targeted insight (one version per dimension)
• [ ] High-scoring universal message exists for ≥80% across all dimensions
• [ ] Score visualization shows all dimensions with colored bars and legend
• [ ] Gap section has 3–5 numbered layers
• [ ] Gap layers describe what the work requires — no methodology pitching
• [ ] Offer bridge enters through what the tool revealed, then opens to broader scope if needed
• [ ] Single CTA, no bridge to companion tools
• [ ] Price or offer terms visible
• [ ] CTA button has action-oriented label
• [ ] Disclaimer present
• [ ] Start Over button present

UX

• [ ] Intro screen present or intentionally skipped (standalone = include; DM = skip)
• [ ] Back button hidden on Q1 (visibility:hidden), visible on Q2+
• [ ] Continue button on ALL questions — no auto-advance
• [ ] Continue disabled until selection made
• [ ] Progress bar fills to 100% on results
• [ ] Smooth scroll on screen transitions

Technical

• [ ] Single HTML file, no external dependencies (except fonts)
• [ ] Works when opened locally
• [ ] Mobile responsive (test at 375px)
• [ ] No data saved or persisted
• [ ] All text renders correctly (render test — does HTML break for each tier, not whether scores are right)
• [ ] CTA link populated (not placeholder)
• [ ] Gold scrollbar renders on desktop
• [ ] Dimension values capped at max in scoring logic

Copy Quality

• [ ] Zero AI slop (no parallel constructions, dramatic reveals, three-beat buildups)
• [ ] Assessment text names what they have, not what they lack
• [ ] Gap layers make DIY feel unrealistic without saying "you can't do this"
• [ ] Gap layers don't introduce consulting methodology or framework names
• [ ] Offer copy describes deliverables, not transformation promises
• [ ] Every sentence could be said out loud in a conversation

Reference Implementations

Story Finder (revelationmicrotoolgoldenexample.html) — Variant A (profile results)

• Campaign: The Proof Gap
• Revelation: "You have more documentable client outcomes than you think"
• Q1: 6 client outcome behaviors
• Dimensions: Specificity, Impact, Narrative Clarity, Readiness
• Gap: Extraction → Structure → Two Versions → Branded Format
• Offer: $497 case study extraction → "Build My Case Study"

Silent List Finder (silent-list-finder.html) — Variant B (computed number)

• Campaign: The No-Show Revival
• Revelation: "You have more recoverable revenue sitting in silence than you think"
• Q1: 6 prospect/client silence behaviors (all universal — v2 replaced model-dependent options)
• Dimensions: Volume, Recency, Barrier Clarity, System
• Computed number: quarterly estimate × 20% recovery × $5K avg, with conditional Q1 scaling
• Gap: Audit → Segmentation → System → Build
• Offer: Free Systems Diagnostic → "Book Your Diagnostic"
• Offer bridge enters through the silent list, opens to broader constraint analysis

Skill file reverse-engineered from the Proof Gap Story Finder and the No-Show Revival Silent List Finder, February 2026 v2: Scoring Validation section added from recurring QC gap identified during System Readiness Assessment build