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Why Customize?

Out-of-the-box plugins give Claude strong baseline skills for sales, support, product management, and other roles. But the real value comes when you customize them for your company — your tools, your terminology, your processes. Customization transforms generic plugins into experts that understand how your team actually works.

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What You Can Customize

Every plugin has three main customization points:

Connectors

Point Claude at your specific tool stack by editing .mcp.json

Company Context

Add your terminology, org structure, and processes to skill files

Workflows

Modify step-by-step instructions to match how your team works

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Plugin Structure

Every plugin follows the same structure: 
plugin-name/
├── .claude-plugin/
│   └── plugin.json          # Plugin metadata
├── .mcp.json                # Connector configuration
├── commands/                # Slash commands (/sales:call-prep)
│   └── command-name.md
└── skills/                  # Domain knowledge Claude uses automatically
    └── skill-name/
        └── SKILL.md
All customization happens through markdown and JSON files — no code, no infrastructure, no build steps required.

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How Skills Work

Skills are markdown files that encode domain expertise. When you ask Claude for help with something relevant, it automatically draws on the appropriate skills. Example: If you say “prep me for my call with Acme Corp”, Claude:
  1. Detects this is a sales call preparation task
  2. Loads the call-prep skill instructions
  3. Follows the workflow defined in that skill
  4. Uses connectors you’ve configured to pull data
You never have to explicitly invoke skills — Claude uses them when relevant.

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How Commands Work

Commands are explicit actions you trigger with a slash: 
/sales:pipeline-review
/finance:reconciliation
/product-management:write-spec
Commands are useful for:
  • Structured workflows you run regularly
  • Tasks that need specific input formats
  • Actions that should always follow the same steps

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How Connectors Work

Connectors wire Claude to external tools via Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers. They let Claude:
  • Read from your CRM, project tracker, data warehouse, etc.
  • Write updates back to those systems
  • Stay in sync with your actual workflow
Without connectors: Skills work with whatever information you provide manually. With connectors: Claude pulls context automatically and can update systems for you.

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Customization Workflow

1

Start with a base plugin

Install a plugin from the marketplace that’s close to your needs
2

Configure connectors

Edit .mcp.json to point at your specific tools (HubSpot, Notion, etc.)
3

Add company context

Edit skill files to include your terminology, processes, and org structure
4

Adjust workflows

Modify the step-by-step instructions in skills to match how your team works
5

Test and iterate

Use the plugin, see what works, refine the instructions

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Example: Customizing the Sales Plugin

Let’s say you’re a mid-market SaaS company with a 60-day sales cycle: 1. Configure connectors (.mcp.json): 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "hubspot": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.hubspot.com/anthropic"
    },
    "slack": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.slack.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}
2. Add company context (in skills/call-prep/SKILL.md): 
## Company Configuration

- Company: Acme Analytics
- Product: Real-time analytics platform
- Target market: Mid-market B2B SaaS (100-1000 employees)
- Avg deal size: $50K-$200K ARR
- Sales cycle: 60 days average
- Key competitors: CompetitorX, CompetitorY
- Value prop: 10x faster queries than legacy solutions
3. Adjust workflow (in skills/call-prep/SKILL.md): 
## Discovery Questions (Acme-Specific)

1. What analytics solution do you use today? (Qualify: must have analytics pain)
2. How many users need query access? (Size deal appropriately)
3. What's driving the evaluation now? (Understand urgency)
4. Who else is involved in the decision? (Map buying committee)
5. What's your timeline for a decision? (Qualify against 60-day cycle)
Now when you say “prep me for my call with TechCorp”, Claude understands your product, your sales process, and your qualification criteria.

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Where to Start

Pick the customization path that matches your needs:

Configure Connectors

Connect Claude to your specific tools (CRM, Slack, Notion, etc.)

Add Company Context

Teach Claude your terminology, processes, and org structure

Modify Workflows

Adjust step-by-step instructions to match how your team works

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Tips for Effective Customization

Start small. Don’t try to customize everything at once. Pick one skill, add your company context, test it, then move to the next.
  1. Be specific — “We use a 3-stage sales process: Discovery, Demo, Negotiation” is better than “We have a sales process”
  2. Include examples — Show Claude actual emails, call scripts, or deliverables your team produces
  3. Update regularly — As your processes evolve, keep skill files in sync
  4. Share across teams — Once customized, the whole team benefits from consistent context

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Next Steps

Configuring Connectors

Edit .mcp.json to wire up your tools

Adding Company Context

Teach Claude about your company

Modifying Workflows

Adjust how skills execute tasks

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