Answers to ChatGPT questions I’ve received from listeners

Great question! This is actually the most common question I get.

Here’s the simplest way to start – and I mean really start:

Step 1: Just Talk to It The absolute easiest thing to do is simply tell ChatGPT what you do and ask it for help. Seriously, that’s it.

Provide ChatGPT your job title, tell it what your job functions entail, and if you know your goals in your position, share those too. Then literally ask: “How can you help me?”

Is it that simple? Yes. There’s no faster way to see how ChatGPT recognizes context and gives you value.

Step 2: Start with Learning, Not Creating Don’t jump into trying to create articles or complex content right away. Instead, use ChatGPT like a well-informed buddy who can answer your questions – think of it as a more conversational search engine.

Ask it to explain things, help you understand concepts, or break down topics you’re curious about. This helps you get comfortable with how it responds and interprets your language.

Step 3: Use the “Cone Approach” Think of your interaction like navigating a cone. Start at the wide top with broad questions, then narrow down to more specific inquiries as you go. For example:

• Start: “Tell me about social media marketing”
• Then: “What works best for small businesses on LinkedIn?”
• Then: “Give me 3 post ideas for a bakery targeting local customers”

Most Important Tip: Treat it like a conversation, not a search engine. Don’t worry about “perfect prompts” – just be natural and detailed about what you need.

Remember, you can’t break it, so give yourself permission to experiment and fail. That’s how you learn.

The key is your curiosity – that’s your greatest asset for getting comfortable with this tool.

This is a fantastic question – and honestly, one of the biggest frustrations I hear from people who’ve been dabbling with ChatGPT but feel like they’re starting over every single time.

You’re not alone in this struggle. Most people make the same fundamental error: they’re treating ChatGPT like Google when they should be treating it like a learning assistant.

The Core Problem: You’re Starting Fresh Every Time

If you’re opening a new conversation for every single request, you’re essentially wiping the slate clean and teaching ChatGPT your preferences from scratch each time. No wonder it feels inconsistent!

Here’s How to Get Reliable Results:

1. Create Dedicated Conversations for Specific Tasks Instead of random one-off requests, build repeatable workflows:

• Pick one regular task (emails, social posts, proposals, reports)
• Create a dedicated ChatGPT conversation specifically for that work
• Name it something you’ll remember
• Return to the same conversation to build on previous work

2. Set the Conditions Every Time Be as granular as you can be. Tell ChatGPT:

• Who you are and what you do
• Who your audience is
• The style you prefer
• What success looks like for this particular task

Think of it like training an intern – the more background and context you provide, the better the output.

3. Use the “Background, Detail, and Revision” Pattern

• Background: Give ChatGPT the scenario or problem you’re working on
• Detail: Provide as much context as possible – don’t assume it knows what you mean
• Revision: Give feedback and iterate until you get what you want

4. Keep Your Best Prompts External Save your most effective prompts in a Google Doc or Apple Notes – somewhere outside of ChatGPT. This way you can copy/paste your proven formulas into new conversations when needed.

5. Use Projects or Custom GPTs for Consistency For repetitive tasks, you have two powerful options:

Projects: Create a project folder where you can:

• Set consistent instructions for related conversations
• Upload relevant documents once and reference them across multiple chats
• Keep all related work organized in one place

Custom GPTs: For highly specific, repetitive tasks, create a custom GPT that:

• Has your detailed instructions baked in
• Includes example documents of your preferred output
• Knows your voice, tone, and style automatically
• Just needs the raw information to produce formatted results

I use custom GPTs for things like my recap memos after sales calls and podcast show notes. It’s saved me hundreds of hours because the GPT already knows exactly how I want things done.

6. Give It Feedback When Something’s Off If a response doesn’t feel right, don’t just accept it. Say: “That doesn’t sound like me” or “That’s not quite the tone I’m looking for” and be specific about what needs to change.

The Game-Changer: Custom Instructions Set up custom instructions that carry your basic preferences across all conversations. This eliminates having to re-explain your fundamental requirements every time.

The biggest shift most ChatGPT users need isn’t more features – it’s more structure. When you approach it systematically instead of randomly, it becomes incredibly reliable.

Remember: ChatGPT isn’t magic, but it becomes incredibly powerful when you understand how to work with it consistently.

When used correctly, ChatGPT can genuinely save you hours every week. But here’s the thing: most people are using it wrong and actually making their lives more complicated.

You’re not alone if you’ve tried ChatGPT but felt like it takes longer to explain what you want than to just do it yourself. That’s a sign you’re treating it like software instead of what it actually is – a productivity partner.

First – Its Not Software

Unlike traditional software that requires mastering complex features and functions, ChatGPT operates as a productivity partner rather than just another tool you have to learn. From day one, without any technical mastery required, it can immediately enhance your workflow.

Think of ChatGPT as an outstanding intern sitting next to your desk, available 24 hours a day. This intern has impressive capabilities but needs your guidance, context, and clear instructions to perform effectively.

The Three-Phase Productivity Framework

Most work projects naturally break down into three phases:

1. Ideation and Planning (usually 10-15% of your time) – The brainstorming, organizing, and strategic thinking
2. The Busy Middle (usually 60-70% of your time) – The grinding work of transforming ideas into first drafts
3. Perfection and Polish (usually 10-15% of your time) – Where you apply your expertise and unique perspective

Here’s the problem: Most people spend so much mental bandwidth on that busy middle phase that they’re exhausted by the time they get to the crucial perfection phase.

ChatGPT excels at condensing that busy middle phase, freeing up more time for strategic thinking and applying your expertise where it matters most.

The Amazing Intern Approach

Start simple: Open ChatGPT, introduce yourself and your work, then directly ask how it can assist you. For example:

“Hi, I’m a marketing consultant who helps small businesses improve their lead generation. I work primarily with companies that have 2-10 employees and are frustrated by inconsistent marketing results. How can you help me be more productive?”

This gives ChatGPT essential context and establishes a conversational tone for ongoing dialog.

Build Your Attribute Sets for Consistent Results

To get reliable, time-saving results, develop three core “attribute sets” – think of them as recipes for success:

1. Voice, Tone, and Style

• Gather 10 examples of your best writing
• Upload them to ChatGPT and ask it to analyze your patterns
• Save the analysis externally (never rely on ChatGPT for storage)

2. Ideal Audience

• Go beyond demographics to include mindset, frustrations, and goals
• Example: “My clients are small business owners who feel overwhelmed by marketing technology. They’re successful in their core business but frustrated by inconsistent lead generation. They value practical advice over theoretical frameworks.”

3. Company and Unique Value

• Help ChatGPT understand what you do and what sets you apart
• Include your business model, approach, and specific outcomes you deliver

Quick Wins to Start Today

1. Pick one repetitive task you do weekly
2. Create the “intern introduction” – explain who you are and what you do
3. Provide examples of your best work in that area
4. Ask ChatGPT what additional information it needs to help you
5. Iterate and refine based on results

Pro Tips

• Voice dictation can help big time: You’ll be more thorough speaking than typing, and ChatGPT works better with more context
• Transcripts are the new gold: Recording meetings, calls, or brainstorming sessions gives ChatGPT rich raw material to work with
• Remember: ChatGPT will always give you an answer, so maintain healthy skepticism and verify important information

The goal isn’t to replace your expertise – it’s to spend more time on high-value strategic work and less time on the repetitive busy work that exhausts you.

Start with one specific task, master that workflow, then expand from there. Most people who tell me ChatGPT isn’t saving them time are trying to use it for everything instead of becoming excellent at one thing first.

1. Before We Automate, We Have to Define

You can’t automate something you don’t understand. Most people jump straight to “I want ChatGPT to do this” without knowing exactly what “this” actually involves. Stop and think: what specific task do you do over and over again that eats up your time?

2. We Define by Breaking Down Steps

Take that repetitive task and document every single step. Record yourself doing it with tools like Loom or Scribe – don’t try to explain it, just do it while recording. This captures all the little things you do automatically but might forget to mention.

3. If We Can Explain the What and the Why, We Can Model and Replicate

Once you have those steps documented, feed them to ChatGPT and ask it to create a standard operating procedure. Better yet, ask it “where are the gaps?” or “what am I missing?” ChatGPT can spot things you do instinctively but didn’t think to document.

4. We Can Use ChatGPT and Other Tools to Do This

Now you can train ChatGPT on your process. Create a dedicated conversation or Custom GPT, upload examples of your work, and explain your preferences. The more examples and context you give it, the better it gets at replicating your approach.

5. Connect Using a Tool Like Make.com

For real automation, connect ChatGPT to your other business tools using workflow managers like Make.com or Zapier. These act as bridges between ChatGPT and your email, CRM, calendar, and other systems. For example: emails come in, ChatGPT analyzes them, and different actions happen automatically based on what it finds.

For More Information, See Episode 78

I recently had an in-depth conversation with automation expert Greg Howe about exactly these topics in Episode 78of The ChatGPT Experiment. Greg walks through real examples of email automation, customer service workflows, and how small businesses can use simple tools to reclaim hours of their day. If you want to see these steps in action with specific examples, that episode breaks it all down.

Start with one simple workflow, master that process, then build from there.

The short answer: ChatGPT can save you hours every week on the marketing tasks that drain your energy, so you can focus on strategy and growing your business.

1. Content Creation That Actually Sounds Like You

The biggest marketing struggle I hear is: “I can’t get ChatGPT to write like me.” Here’s the fix:

• Upload 3-4 examples of your best writing to ChatGPT
• Ask it to analyze your voice, tone, and style
• Use those insights to create content that matches your authentic voice
• Instead of staring at blank pages, start with structure and spend your time perfecting

One client told me: “I used to spend 20 minutes crafting a single LinkedIn post. Now I voice-dictate my thoughts and ChatGPT organizes them in my style. It saves me 19 minutes every day.”

2. Know Your Customer Better Than They Know Themselves

ChatGPT excels at helping you understand your audience perspective:

• Ask it to analyze your website from your customer’s point of view
• Have it identify gaps between what you’re saying and what customers want to hear
• Use it to rewrite job descriptions, sales pages, or proposals from the buyer’s perspective
• Get help anticipating customer objections and concerns

3. Research and Competitive Intelligence

Stop spending hours researching competitors or industry trends:

• Get quick company overviews and competitive analysis
• Analyze market trends and opportunities
• Research potential clients before sales calls
• Create executive briefings on industries or companies you’re targeting

4. Proposal and Sales Support

Transform your sales process:

• Record sales calls and feed transcripts to ChatGPT for instant proposal creation
• Use role-playing to practice difficult conversations before they happen
• Get help creating compelling case studies and success stories
• Generate follow-up email sequences that feel personal

5. Email and Communication Efficiency

Handle the communication overwhelm:

• Draft responses that match your tone and style
• Organize rambling thoughts into clear, professional messages
• Create templates for common customer service scenarios
• Summarize long email threads or documents quickly

6. Marketing Strategy and Planning

Use ChatGPT as your strategic thinking partner:

• Brainstorm campaign ideas and messaging angles
• Analyze what’s working (and what isn’t) in your current marketing
• Get help positioning your services for different market segments
• Create content calendars and editorial planning

Real-World Business Applications

Website Improvement Upload your website content and ask ChatGPT: “Review this from my ideal customer’s perspective. What questions aren’t being answered? What would make someone hesitate to contact us?”

Lead Generation Content Instead of generic blog posts, create content that directly addresses your prospects’ pain points. Use ChatGPT to help you get inside their heads and write content that feels like you’re reading their minds.

Customer Service Enhancement Train ChatGPT on your most common customer questions and concerns. Use it to draft responses that are helpful, empathetic, and on-brand, then review and send.

Sales Call Preparation Before important meetings, use ChatGPT to research the company, practice your pitch, and anticipate questions or objections you might face.

The “Amazing Instrument” Approach

Remember: AI stands for “Amazing Instrument.” ChatGPT is only as powerful as the expertise, perspective, and direction you bring to it. It’s not replacing your marketing brain – it’s amplifying it.

The businesses seeing the biggest results are treating ChatGPT like an outstanding intern: giving it clear direction, providing examples of good work, and using it to handle the heavy lifting while they focus on strategy and relationship-building.

Getting Started

Pick one marketing task that consumes significant time in your week. Could be social media posts, email responses, content planning, or customer research. Document how you currently do it, train ChatGPT with examples, and start there.

Don’t try to revolutionize everything at once. Master one workflow, see the time savings, then expand to other areas.

Advanced Integration

For even more efficiency, you can connect ChatGPT to your other business tools using workflow managers like Make.com or Zapier. This lets you automate things like lead qualification, customer service responses, and content distribution across multiple platforms.

The goal isn’t to remove the human element from your marketing – it’s to remove the repetitive, time-consuming tasks so you have more energy for the strategic work that actually grows your business.

Start simple, stay curious, and remember: the best marketing automation amplifies your authentic voice rather than replacing it.

See Episode 74

For more information on ChatGPT’s value for marketing, see Episode 74.

Content creation can feel overwhelming – that blank page, the pressure to post consistently, the challenge of coming up with fresh ideas week after week.

Here’s what most people get wrong: they’re trying to get ChatGPT to write their content for them. That’s why everything feels generic and doesn’t sound like you.

Instead, think of ChatGPT as your writing partner – someone who helps you organize your thoughts and get them out of your head more efficiently.

The Real Problem: Starting From Scratch Every Time

If you’re opening a new ChatGPT conversation for every piece of content, you’re making this harder than it needs to be. ChatGPT has no idea who you are, what you do, or how you communicate.

Solution: Train ChatGPT to Write Like You

Here’s the framework that’s worked for hundreds of my listeners:

1. Gather 3-4 examples of your best content – posts that got engagement, articles you’re proud of
2. Upload them to ChatGPT and ask it to analyze your voice, tone, and style
3. Save that analysis in an external document (never rely on ChatGPT to remember)
4. Create a dedicated conversation for content creation and paste in those guidelines

Now ChatGPT knows your writing patterns and can help you create content that actually sounds like you.

The “Brain Dump to Brilliant Content” Method

This is my favorite content creation workflow:

Step 1: Get Your Thoughts Out Use voice-to-text to explain your ideas to ChatGPT. Don’t worry about structure – just talk through what you want to share. You’ll be more thorough speaking than typing.

Step 2: Let ChatGPT Organize Feed that rambling explanation to ChatGPT along with your style guidelines and ask it to organize your thoughts into structured content.

Step 3: Focus on Refinement Instead of starting from a blank page, you’re now editing and perfecting organized content that already sounds like you.

Never Run Out of Content Ideas

Use ChatGPT as your brainstorming partner:

Mine Customer Questions

• “What are 10 questions my ideal customers ask about [your topic]?”
• “What frustrations do small business owners have with marketing?”
• “What would someone new to my industry be confused about?”

Repurpose Existing Content

• Turn one blog post into 5 social media posts
• Transform customer conversations into content ideas
• Break down complex topics into bite-sized pieces

Get Different Perspectives Ask ChatGPT to review your content from your customer’s viewpoint: “What questions would this raise for someone who’s never worked with me?”

Platform-Specific Adaptation

Create your core message once, then adapt it:

• LinkedIn: Professional angle with industry insights
• Instagram: Visual focus with behind-the-scenes elements
• Twitter: Condensed version with key takeaways
• Blog: Comprehensive deep-dive with examples

ChatGPT can help you adjust tone and format for each platform while maintaining your authentic voice.

Overcome Content Creation Roadblocks

Beat the Blank Page Instead of staring at an empty document, start by explaining your topic to ChatGPT like you’re talking to a friend. Ask it to create an outline based on your explanation.

Maintain Consistency Use the “cone approach” – start with broad topic brainstorming, then narrow down to specific angles that serve your audience, then focus on actionable takeaways.

Handle Content Calendar Pressure Create content themes for different days of the week. ChatGPT can help you maintain this rhythm by suggesting specific angles for each type of post.

Real-World Time Savings

Here’s what this actually looks like in practice:

Instead of spending 2 hours writing a blog post from scratch, I spend 20 minutes voice-explaining my thoughts to ChatGPT, then 40 minutes refining the organized result.

Instead of struggling for 20 minutes to craft a LinkedIn post, I talk through something I learned that week, and ChatGPT structures it into valuable content in my voice.

Instead of creating content in isolation, I use ChatGPT to anticipate reader questions and ensure I’m actually providing value.

The Three-Phase Content Framework

Most content creation breaks down into:

1. Ideation and Planning (10-15% of your time)
2. Creation and Writing (60-70% of your time)
3. Refinement and Editing (10-15% of your time)

ChatGPT dramatically shrinks that middle creation phase, giving you more time for strategic thinking and quality improvement – the parts where your expertise really shines.

Advanced Tips That Make a Difference

Use Voice-to-Text Everywhere Record your ideas while driving, walking, or whenever inspiration strikes. ChatGPT processes spoken thoughts better than fragmented notes.

Create Content Templates Develop repeatable formats for different types of posts. Train ChatGPT on these templates so you just provide the raw information.

Batch Content Creation Spend one focused session creating multiple pieces of content, then schedule them throughout the week.

What You’re Really Getting

The goal isn’t to remove yourself from content creation – it’s to remove the parts that drain your energy so you can focus on sharing your expertise and connecting with your audience.

Your authentic voice, genuine experiences, and unique insights are what matter most. ChatGPT just helps you organize and present them more efficiently.

Start with one type of content – maybe LinkedIn posts or blog articles – master that workflow with ChatGPT, then expand to other formats. The magic happens when you stop fighting the blank page and start partnering with AI to amplify your authentic voice.

You know what? This is one of my favorite questions because it shows people are starting to think beyond just work applications. ChatGPT can absolutely help organize your personal life – and in some ways, it’s even more powerful there because you don’t have to worry about company policies or keeping things professional.

Start Simple: Just Ask for Help

The easiest way to begin is exactly what I always recommend – tell ChatGPT about your situation and ask how it can help. For example:

“I’m a working parent with two kids under 10. I feel overwhelmed trying to balance work, family activities, household tasks, and personal time. How can you help me get more organized?”

You’ll be surprised at how practical and specific the suggestions are.

Personal Planning and Goal Setting

ChatGPT excels at helping you think through personal goals and breaking them down into manageable steps:

• Annual planning: Talk through what you want to accomplish this year and have ChatGPT help organize it into quarterly or monthly goals
• Project planning: Whether it’s planning a vacation, organizing a move, or renovating a room
• Habit tracking: Get help designing systems to build new habits or break old ones

Family and Household Management

Meal Planning Made Simple Instead of staring into the fridge every night wondering what to make:

• Tell ChatGPT your family’s dietary preferences, any allergies, and how much time you typically have for cooking
• Ask for weekly meal plans with shopping lists
• Get suggestions for using leftovers or cooking in batches

Family Activity Planning

• Plan weekend activities based on weather, budget, and kids’ ages
• Get ideas for family traditions or holiday celebrations
• Organize birthday parties or family gatherings

Household Task Management

• Create cleaning schedules that actually work for your lifestyle
• Plan seasonal home maintenance tasks
• Organize donation drives when decluttering

Travel and Event Planning

ChatGPT can be incredibly helpful for personal trip planning:

• Research destinations and get customized recommendations based on your interests, budget, and travel style
• Create itineraries that balance must-see attractions with downtime
• Plan logistics like packing lists, travel documents, and timeline management

I actually have a travel planning prompt that asks you questions one at a time to understand exactly what kind of trip you want, then creates a customized itinerary. It’s saved me hours of research time.

Personal Learning and Development

Skill Building

• Create learning plans for new hobbies or skills you want to develop
• Get reading recommendations based on your interests and goals
• Design practice schedules for things like learning an instrument or language

Health and Wellness

• Plan workout routines that fit your schedule and fitness level
• Get help organizing medical appointments and tracking health goals
• Create self-care routines that actually stick

Personal Finance Organization

• Help you think through budgeting approaches that match your lifestyle
• Create savings plans for specific goals like vacations or major purchases
• Organize financial paperwork and create systems for bill paying

The Voice-to-Text Advantage

Here’s something most people don’t think about – use voice dictation to talk through your personal challenges with ChatGPT. You’ll be more thorough and honest when speaking than typing, and ChatGPT can help you process complex personal situations.

For example, talk through a family conflict you’re dealing with, and ChatGPT can help you see different perspectives or suggest approaches for difficult conversations.

Create Personal Standard Operating Procedures

Just like in business, you can document your personal processes:

• Morning and evening routines that actually work for your family
• Holiday preparation checklists so you’re not reinventing the wheel every year
• Emergency preparedness plans for your household

Real-World Personal Examples

Weekly Family Planning Every Sunday, I spend 15 minutes with ChatGPT planning the upcoming week – meals, activities, appointments, and any prep work needed. It’s like having a personal assistant for family logistics.

Gift Planning I keep a running conversation with ChatGPT about gift ideas for family members throughout the year. When birthdays or holidays come up, I already have thoughtful, personalized suggestions ready.

Home Projects Before tackling any home improvement project, I walk through it with ChatGPT to identify what I might be missing, get step-by-step guidance, and avoid costly mistakes.

Personal Reflection and Decision Making

ChatGPT can be surprisingly helpful for working through personal decisions:

• Pros and cons analysis for major life choices
• Values clarification when you’re feeling stuck or overwhelmed
• Brainstorming solutions to personal challenges

The Key: Make It Personal

The more you tell ChatGPT about your specific situation, preferences, and constraints, the better it can help. Don’t be generic – be specific about your family dynamics, lifestyle, budget, and goals.

Getting Started

Pick one area of your personal life that feels chaotic or overwhelming. Could be meal planning, family schedules, personal goals, or household management. Start a dedicated ChatGPT conversation for that area and begin building a system that works for your unique situation.

Remember, you’re not trying to automate your personal life – you’re trying to remove the mental load of constantly figuring things out so you can focus on actually enjoying your life.

The goal is less time spent on logistics and more time spent on the people and activities that matter most to you.

Relevant Episodes

Many of the episodes in the 60’s are about this topic.