Scout Training

HQ360 scout training

Find authors, make teasers, close clients

The complete playbook for HQ360 teaser scouts. How to find leads with ChatGPT and Claude, check them, make a free book teaser with Claude, send it the right way, and turn a reply into a paying client.

Watch the trainingCopy the prompts
Example teaser made with Claude

The job

Five steps, every lead

  1. 1FindAuthors with a new book
  2. 2QualifyOnly good leads
  3. 3TeaserMade with Claude
  4. 4SendShort, natural message
  5. 5CloseHand over to your team lead

Practical training video · 6 minutes

Watch the whole job, step by step

Every screen, every prompt and every check, from finding a lead to a finished teaser and a sent message. The ChatGPT and Claude screens in the video are illustrations of the real interfaces.

  1. 0:00Introduction
  2. 0:21The five steps
  3. 0:37Where to find authors
  4. 0:59Finding leads with ChatGPT
  5. 1:39Finding leads with Claude
  6. 2:18Lead rules
  7. 2:36Qualifying a lead
  8. 2:56Teaser: research
  9. 3:33Teaser: script
  10. 3:51Teaser: video and preview
  11. 4:30The finished teaser
  12. 4:45Sending the message
  13. 5:05The two no rule
  14. 5:23Closing the client
  15. 5:40Your daily routine

Step 1

Finding leads

A lead is an author, coach, speaker or podcaster with a recent book and a public way to contact them. Focus on the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.

Amazon new releasesPick a category such as leadership, memoir or thriller, then look at new and upcoming titles.
Book press releasesNew book announcements name the author and often link to their website.
Goodreads new booksNew and upcoming titles by genre, with author pages.
LinkedInAuthors, coaches, speakers and podcasters who announce a new book.
The author's websiteWhere you confirm the contact. Usually a contact form or a public email.

Method A: ChatGPT

  1. Open a new chat and turn on Search, so ChatGPT can look at live web pages.
  2. Paste the lead prompt below. Change the genre and number if you want.
  3. You get a table. Treat it as a starting list. Some links can be wrong or out of date.
  4. Open each lead you want to use and check it yourself, or check it with Claude (Method B).
Search the web for 15 self published or small press authors who released a book in the last 90 days, in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada or Australia. Genre: [GENRE, for example leadership, memoir, thriller, children's books]. For each one give me: author name, book title, genre, release date, author website, and where a contact email or contact form is shown in public. Give the source link for every lead. Never guess an email. If none is shown, write "contact form" or "not found". Put it in a table.
Give me 15 more authors that match the same rules, and do not repeat any author already in the table.

Method B: Claude

  1. Open Claude with web search on. Claude is best for careful checking.
  2. Paste the prompt below. Claude opens each author website and confirms the contact.
  3. Every email comes with the page where it was found. No page, no email.
  4. Ask Claude to put the final list into a spreadsheet and add it to the team sheet.
Find 10 authors who released a [GENRE] book in the last 3 months, in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada or Australia. For each one, open the author's own website and confirm the contact email or contact form. Show the exact page where you found it. Never guess an email. Then mark each lead Hot, Warm or Skip. Hot means: book from the last 12 months, self published or small press, active website or social page, and no strong book video yet. Put the results in a table with these columns: Author, Book, Genre, Release date, Website, Contact, Found on (link), Lead (Hot, Warm or Skip), Reason.
Here is a list of authors from another tool. For each one, open the source links and the author's website and tell me: is the book real and recent, is the contact email or form really shown on their site (give the page), and is anything in the row wrong. Do not guess anything. [PASTE THE TABLE]
Put the verified leads into a spreadsheet with these columns: Date found, Scout name, Author, Book, Genre, Website, Contact, Found on, Lead, Teaser made (yes or no), Date sent, Reply, Next step. Give me the file to download.

Lead rules, every time

  • Never guess an email. Only use an email the author shows in public on their own website or profile.
  • Only a contact form? Use the contact form. It works well.
  • Never contact an author another scout already contacted. Check the team sheet before you start.
  • Add every lead to the team sheet the same day, with the date and your name.

Step 2

Qualifying a lead

Spend your time on authors who are most likely to say yes. Use this check before you make any teaser.

Hot
  • Book from the last 12 months
  • Self published or small press
  • Active website or social page
  • No strong book video yet
  • Public email or contact form

Make a teaser today.

Warm
  • Book is a little older, or
  • Website is basic or quiet, or
  • Only a social profile to contact

Keep in the sheet. Contact after your hot leads.

Check this author for me: [AUTHOR NAME], book [BOOK TITLE], website [LINK]. Tell me: the release date, if it is self published or small press or a big publisher, if the website and social pages are active, if they already have a book trailer or teaser video, and where their contact email or contact form is shown. Then say Hot, Warm or Skip, with one line explaining why. Give links for everything. Do not guess.

Step 3

Making the teaser with Claude

A short vertical video of the author's own book is the best way to start a conversation. Claude does the research, the script, the frames, the music and the final file. Your job is the prompt and the check.

You needClaude on a paid plan, Pro or higher, used in Cowork. Video is a big job and the free plan runs out before it is finished.
TimeAbout 20 to 40 minutes per teaser, including checks.
ResultA 15 to 30 second vertical MP4, 1080 by 1920, ready to attach to an email.

  1. Research the book

    Get real facts only: subtitle, themes, who it is for, the cover, and the website colours.

    Find the book "[BOOK TITLE]" by [AUTHOR]. Give me the subtitle, the main themes, who the book is for, two short lines from the official description, the author's website colours, and the cover image link. Use only real pages and give the link for each fact. Do not invent anything.

  2. Write the script

    Open with the reader's own problem, not with an announcement.

    Write a 22 second vertical teaser script for this book. Open with the reader's own problem in one short line. Then 3 short lines, then the title, the author and "Available now on Amazon". Under 10 words per line. Use only the facts from the research.

  3. Make the video

    Always ask for preview frames first. It saves time and usage.

    Make this script into a 1080x1920 MP4 video, 22 seconds. Use the cover image. Colours: match the cover and the author's brand. Text fades in line by line. Add soft original background music, no copied songs. Show me 6 preview frames before you make the final file.

  4. Check and fix

    Look for spelling, cut off text, colours and the author's name. Send every change in one message.

    Change these things, then show me the frames again: [for example: make the title bigger, keep the author name on one line, line 3 is cut off, use darker colours].

  5. Render and download

    Watch the final file with sound, start to end, before you send it.

    The frames look good. Make the final video file and give it to me to download. Name it [Author-Name]_[Book-Title]_teaser.mp4.

  6. Optional: voice over version

    For an ad style teaser of 30 to 45 seconds.

    Make a 35 second vertical ad teaser for the same book with a calm, natural [male or female] voice over. Flow: a hook question, the problem, the book as the answer, the author, and "Available now on Amazon". Use the same colours, original music under the voice, and subtitles on screen. Show me preview frames first.

Step 4

Sending it and handling replies

Short, natural and personal. The teaser does the selling. Your message only needs to be real and easy to answer.

Start with: "My name is [your name] and I am with HQ360."
Mention one real thing about their book
Attach the teaser file, do not send a link
End with one simple question
No prices in the first message
No bold text, no headings, no bullet lists
No contractions (write "I am", "do not")
No dashes
Subject: A short video for [BOOK TITLE] Hi [FIRST NAME], My name is [YOUR NAME] and I am with HQ360. [ONE REAL LINE ABOUT THE BOOK, for example: Steady by Design speaks to nurses and leaders who keep going on empty], so I made a short video for it that opens with that exact feeling. I have attached it for you. You are welcome to use it. Would you like me to make a version for your ads? [YOUR NAME] HQ360

Send by email with the video attached. If there is only a contact form with no upload option, send a short version of this message and ask if you may email them the video.

Write a short first email to [AUTHOR FIRST NAME] about the book [BOOK TITLE]. I made a free teaser video for the book and will attach it. Facts about the book: [PASTE 2 OR 3 FACTS FROM THE RESEARCH]. Rules: natural prose, under 110 words, no bold, no headings, no lists, no contractions, no dashes, no prices. Start with "My name is [YOUR NAME] and I am with HQ360." Mention one real thing about the book. Say the video is attached and they are welcome to use it. End with one simple question. Sign as [YOUR NAME], HQ360.
An author replied to my message. Here is the full thread: [PASTE THREAD]. Write my reply. Rules: natural prose, short, no bold, no headings, no contractions, no dashes, no prices unless they asked for prices. Follow the two no rule: if this is their first no, reply with care and give one useful tip for their book; if it is their second no, thank them and stop. If they said yes or asked a question, answer it simply and say I will send a short plan.
YesThank them and send the next step the same day.
First noReply with care and give something useful.
Second noThank them and stop. Never message again.

Step 5

From yes to paying client

Scouts open the door. The team lead closes. Hand over as soon as the author shows interest.

  1. 1Hand overSend the thread to your team lead
  2. 2ProposalStarter, Standard or Premium
  3. 3AgreementSigned by both
  4. 4InvoicePaid, work starts
  5. 5Tracking pageClient follows the work

Starter

A focused first step, for example a teaser set and a simple author page.

Standard

The most chosen. Teasers, landing page, emails and ads set up and managed.

Premium

Everything in Standard with more content, more channels and closer support.

Prices and exact contents are set by your team lead for each author and sent as a proposal from the HQ360 dashboard. Never quote a price in a first message.

Write a short hand over note for my team lead about this lead. Include: author name, book, genre, link to website, how I found them, what I sent (teaser attached), what they replied, what they seem to want, and the next step I promised. Keep it under 120 words. [PASTE THE THREAD AND YOUR NOTES]

Every day

Your daily routine

20leads found
10leads qualified
3teasers made
5messages sent

A good day

  1. Morning: find and check leads, add them to the team sheet.
  2. Midday: make teasers for your hottest leads.
  3. Afternoon: send messages and follow ups, answer every reply.
  4. Evening: post your update in the team group.

Post this in the team group

Daily update, [DATE], [YOUR NAME] Leads found: [number] Leads qualified: [number] Teasers made: [number] Messages sent: [number] Replies: [number], and what they said Hand overs to team lead: [number] One thing I learned today: [one line]

Prompt library

Every prompt, ready to copy

Replace every part in [BRACKETS] before you send. Works in Claude, and the lead and message prompts also work in ChatGPT.

The HQ360 golden rules

  • Only true facts from the book and the author's own pages.
  • Never invent reviews, awards, numbers or testimonials.
  • Never guess an email.
  • Music and voice are always original, never copied songs.
  • Every teaser goes to your team lead before it goes to an author.
  • Two no means stop.