24 prompts I use with managing directors. No download, no sign-up. Copy one, or open it directly in ChatGPT or Claude, and fill in the [BRACKETS].
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The prompts are in English because models follow English instructions most reliably. The answer comes in the language you write in.
01 · 3 prompts
Sounds like AI
Start here. Paste a text you wrote with ChatGPT and see the difference.
01 · Sounds like AI
Make this text sound like a person
Use it when Your post, email or newsletter sounds like ChatGPT and you notice it yourself.
Rewrite the text below so it reads like a real person wrote it.
Rules:
- Mix short and long sentences. No perfect rhythm.
- Remove filler and AI phrases such as "in today's fast-paced world", "let's dive in", "game-changer", "seamless", "unlock", "it's not just X, it's Y".
- No em dashes. Use full stops or commas.
- Keep every fact, number and name exactly as it is. Do not add new claims.
- Keep my level of formality.
After the rewrite, list the 5 most important changes you made in one line each.
Answer in the language I use in my message.
Text:
[PASTE YOUR TEXT]
Use it when You want to check a text before it goes out, without rewriting all of it.
Act as a strict editor. Go through the text below line by line and find everything that makes it sound machine-written: empty openings, buzzwords, vague claims without a number, three-part lists that exist only for rhythm, "not X but Y" constructions, and closing questions that add nothing.
Return a table with three columns: the exact phrase, why it sounds generic, a plain replacement.
Then give the text a score from 1 (clearly AI) to 10 (clearly human) and say in one sentence what would move it up the most.
Do not rewrite the whole text.
Answer in the language I use in my message.
Text:
[PASTE YOUR TEXT]
Use it when You need an email in German that sounds Swiss and direct, not like a translated US template.
Write a business email in German for Switzerland.
Recipient: [WHO, E.G. SUPPLIER / CUSTOMER / PARTNER]
Relationship: [FIRST CONTACT / WE KNOW EACH OTHER / LONG-TERM]
What I want: [THE ONE THING THE EMAIL SHOULD ACHIEVE]
Facts to include: [DATES, AMOUNTS, REFERENCES]
Rules:
- Swiss spelling: "ss" instead of "ß".
- Get to the point in the first two sentences.
- Polite but not submissive. No "Ich hoffe, diese Mail findet Sie wohl".
- One clear next step with a date.
- Maximum 120 words. Subject line under 60 characters.
Give me two versions: one formal (Sie), one informal (Du).
Get from a pile of information to one clear decision.
04 · Decisions
Decision memo on one page
Use it when A decision has been open for weeks and every meeting discusses it again.
Help me write a one-page decision memo.
The decision: [WHAT HAS TO BE DECIDED]
Deadline: [BY WHEN]
Options I see: [OPTION A, OPTION B, ...]
What I know: [FACTS, NUMBERS, CONSTRAINTS]
First ask me up to 5 questions about anything important that is missing. Wait for my answers.
Then write the memo with these sections:
1. Decision needed (one sentence)
2. Options (max. 3, each with cost, risk, what we give up)
3. Recommendation and the main reason
4. What would make us change our mind
5. Who does what by when after the decision
Plain language, no filler, fits on one page.
Answer in the language I use in my message.
Use it when Friday afternoon. You want to know what really happened this week, not just how busy it was.
Run a weekly business review with me. Ask me the questions one at a time and wait for each answer:
1. Which 3 numbers matter most for my company this week, and what are they?
2. What changed compared to last week, and why?
3. What did we decide this week?
4. What is blocked, and who can unblock it?
5. What did a customer tell us that surprised us?
6. What is the one thing that must happen next week?
When I have answered all six, write a summary of max. 12 lines I can send to my team: numbers, decisions, blockers with owner, the one priority. No praise, no filler.
Answer in the language I use in my message.
Use it when You got a 30-page offer, report or contract and need to know what matters.
I need to make a decision based on the document I attach or paste below. I am the managing director of an SME, not a specialist.
Give me:
1. What this document asks me to decide or accept (2 sentences)
2. The 5 most important facts, each with the page or section it comes from
3. Costs, deadlines and obligations for my company
4. Anything unusual, missing or risky compared to what is normal for this type of document
5. 3 questions I should ask before I sign or decide
Quote numbers exactly. If something is not in the document, say so instead of guessing.
Answer in the language I use in my message.
Document:
[ATTACH OR PASTE]
Work that lives in someone’s head becomes a process someone else can run.
07 · Processes
SOP from your notes
Use it when Only one person knows how something is done, and that is a risk.
Help me write a standard operating procedure (SOP) for a small company.
Process: [NAME OF THE PROCESS]
Who does it today: [ROLE]
How often: [FREQUENCY]
My rough notes: [PASTE BULLET POINTS, VOICE TRANSCRIPT OR EMAIL]
What goes wrong most often: [TYPICAL MISTAKE]
First ask me up to 5 questions about steps or decisions that are unclear. Wait for my answers.
Then write the SOP with:
- Trigger (what starts it)
- Inputs (what you need before you start)
- Steps, numbered, one action per step
- Decision points written as "If ..., then ..."
- Done when (how you know it is finished)
- Who to ask when stuck
Plain language a new employee understands on day one. Max. one page.
Answer in the language I use in my message.
Use it when You are always busy but cannot say on what. The first step before any AI project.
Help me find out where my working time goes. I will paste my calendar and a rough list of what I did this week.
Sort everything into a table with these columns:
task | hours per week | category (decide / sell / deliver / manage people / admin / firefighting) | only I can do this? (yes/no) | repeats weekly? (yes/no)
Then tell me:
1. What share of my time is recurring admin or firefighting
2. The 3 tasks that repeat every week and that someone else or a system could take over
3. For each of the 3: what would have to be written down first so it can be handed over
Be honest, not flattering. If my data is too thin, say which information is missing.
Answer in the language I use in my message.
My week:
[PASTE CALENDAR EXPORT AND NOTES]
Use it when Everyone says "use AI", but you do not know where to start in your own company.
I run a company with [NUMBER] employees in [INDUSTRY]. Help me pick the first process to support with AI.
Interview me first. Ask one question at a time, max. 8 questions, about: recurring tasks, where information gets lost, what customers wait for, what my team complains about, which data we already have.
Then rate the 5 best candidates in a table:
process | hours per month today | how clearly it is described today (1-5) | data available (1-5) | risk if AI gets it wrong (low/medium/high) | recommended first step
Recommend one process to start with and explain why in 3 sentences. Prefer a boring, frequent, low-risk task over an impressive one.
Answer in the language I use in my message.
Sharper offers, outreach that does not annoy, better price talks.
10 · Sales & Offers
Sharpen your offer
Use it when Prospects say "interesting" and then nothing happens.
Review my offer as a sceptical buyer who has 30 seconds.
My offer: [PASTE THE OFFER TEXT OR DESCRIBE IT]
Target customer: [WHO BUYS IT]
Price: [PRICE]
Tell me:
1. What the customer thinks they are buying after reading it once
2. The problem it solves, in the customer's words, not mine
3. What is vague or sounds like every competitor
4. What proof is missing (numbers, examples, guarantees)
5. The biggest reason to say "not now"
Then rewrite the first 3 sentences of the offer so the problem, the result and the next step are clear. No hype words.
Answer in the language I use in my message.
Use it when You want to write to a new company and get an answer, not a spam report.
Write a short first email to a company I have never worked with.
Recipient: [ROLE, COMPANY, INDUSTRY]
Why them, why now: [A REAL OBSERVATION, E.G. NEW LOCATION, JOB AD, POST]
What I offer: [ONE SENTENCE]
Proof: [ONE CUSTOMER RESULT OR FACT]
Rules:
- Max. 90 words.
- First sentence is about them, not about me.
- No "I hope you are well", no "quick question", no fake familiarity.
- One easy question as the call to action, no meeting request in the first email.
- Subject line of 3 to 6 words, lower case, no clickbait.
Give me 2 versions with different opening observations, plus one follow-up of max. 40 words for 5 days later.
Answer in the language I use in my message.
Use it when A customer wants a discount, or a supplier raises prices, and the meeting is tomorrow.
Prepare me for a price negotiation.
Situation: [CUSTOMER WANTS DISCOUNT / SUPPLIER RAISES PRICE / ...]
Other side: [WHO, HOW IMPORTANT WE ARE TO EACH OTHER]
Numbers: [CURRENT PRICE, VOLUME, MY MARGIN OR BUDGET]
My goal: [IDEAL OUTCOME] My limit: [WALK-AWAY POINT]
Give me:
1. My best alternative if we do not agree, and theirs
2. 3 things I can offer that cost me little but are worth something to them
3. What I must not give away
4. The first sentence I say when price comes up
5. 4 likely objections with a calm answer to each
6. How to end the meeting if we do not agree
Short, practical, no negotiation theory.
Answer in the language I use in my message.
Turn what you actually experienced into content people read.
13 · Marketing
LinkedIn post from a real experience
Use it when Something happened this week that others could learn from, but you never find the time to write it.
Turn my experience into a LinkedIn post.
What happened: [DESCRIBE THE SITUATION IN YOUR OWN WORDS, VOICE NOTE IS FINE]
What I learned: [ONE INSIGHT]
Who should read it: [TARGET READER]
Rules:
- Open with the concrete moment, not with the lesson.
- One idea only.
- Short lines, empty line between paragraphs.
- Every claim backed by a detail from my story. Do not invent numbers or quotes.
- No hashtags block, no emojis, no "Agree?" at the end. End with an observation or a real question.
- 120 to 200 words.
Give me the post and 3 alternative first lines.
Answer in the language I use in my message.
Use it when You promised a monthly newsletter and it is the 28th.
Write a customer newsletter from my raw notes.
Company: [WHAT WE DO, FOR WHOM]
Notes: [PASTE EVERYTHING: NEWS, PROJECTS, PRODUCTS, OBSERVATIONS]
Goal of this issue: [E.G. BOOK A CALL / VISIT SHOP / JUST STAY IN TOUCH]
Structure:
1. Subject line (under 50 characters) and preview line
2. Opening: one thing that happened, 3 sentences
3. Main part: the most useful item for the reader, with a concrete tip
4. Short news: max. 3 bullets
5. One call to action
Rules: max. 350 words, sounds like the owner writing, no "we are excited to announce", no invented facts.
Answer in the language I use in my message.
Use it when Visitors come to your website and leave without contacting you.
Look at my homepage as a first-time visitor who gives it five seconds.
URL or pasted text: [URL OR PASTE THE HOMEPAGE TEXT]
Who should buy from us: [TARGET CUSTOMER]
What they should do on the site: [CALL / REQUEST OFFER / BUY / VISIT]
Answer:
1. After five seconds, what do I think this company does, and for whom?
2. Is it clear why I should choose them and not a competitor?
3. Is the next step obvious? Where is it?
4. Which words are generic and could be on any competitor's site?
5. What proof is missing (customers, numbers, photos of real people or products)?
Then rewrite the headline and the sentence below it in 3 versions. Concrete, no buzzwords, no promises we cannot prove.
Answer in the language I use in my message.
Answer the difficult messages calmly and keep the customer.
16 · Customers
Answer an angry complaint
Use it when An angry email came in and your first draft is defensive.
Help me answer a customer complaint so the customer calms down and stays.
The complaint: [PASTE THE MESSAGE]
What really happened on our side: [FACTS]
What I can offer: [REFUND / REPLACEMENT / CALL / NOTHING]
First tell me in 3 bullets what the customer is really upset about, beyond the literal words.
Then write the reply:
- Acknowledge the specific problem in the first sentence, no generic "we are sorry for any inconvenience".
- Take responsibility for our part, do not blame the customer.
- Say exactly what happens next and by when.
- No more than 150 words, name of a real person at the end.
Also tell me what I should not write, even if it is true.
Answer in the language I use in my message.
Use it when A 1-star review on Google is the first thing new customers see.
Write a public reply to a negative review. Remember that future customers read the reply more carefully than the reviewer does.
Review: [PASTE REVIEW AND STAR RATING]
Platform: [GOOGLE / TRUSTPILOT / ...]
Our side of the story: [FACTS, OR "THE CUSTOMER IS RIGHT"]
Rules:
- Max. 80 words.
- Thank them without sounding scripted.
- Address the concrete point, calmly, without arguing about details in public.
- If we made a mistake, say so. If not, state the facts once, neutrally.
- Offer to continue privately with a real name and contact channel.
- No copy-paste phrases, no discount offer in public.
Give me 2 versions: one if the customer is right, one if the review is unfair.
Answer in the language I use in my message.
Use it when Your team answers the same five questions every day.
Build an FAQ from real customer questions.
Company: [WHAT WE SELL, TO WHOM]
Customer emails or chat messages: [PASTE 20 TO 50 MESSAGES, NAMES REMOVED]
Steps:
1. Group the messages by the underlying question, not by wording. Count how often each question comes up.
2. List the top 10 questions in the words customers use.
3. Write an answer to each: max. 60 words, concrete, with the next step or link placeholder [LINK].
4. Mark answers where you are missing information from me with [CHECK].
5. Tell me which 2 questions suggest a problem in our product, process or website, not just a missing FAQ.
Do not invent policies, prices or delivery times.
Answer in the language I use in my message.
Cash and people carry the company. Look at both regularly.
19 · Money & Team
13-week cash plan
Use it when The bank account looks fine today, but you do not know about next quarter.
Build a simple 13-week cash flow plan with me.
Starting cash: [AMOUNT AND CURRENCY]
Regular income: [CUSTOMERS / SUBSCRIPTIONS / TYPICAL MONTHLY SALES]
Open invoices to collect: [AMOUNTS AND DUE DATES]
Fixed costs: [SALARIES, RENT, LEASING, INSURANCE, WITH PAYMENT DATES]
Known one-off payments: [TAXES, VAT, BONUSES, INVESTMENTS]
Create a table with one row per week: cash in, cash out, closing balance.
Then:
1. Mark the week with the lowest balance
2. List 3 actions to improve that week, with the effect in money
3. Tell me which of my assumptions has the biggest influence
Ask for missing data instead of assuming. Output the table so I can paste it into Excel.
Answer in the language I use in my message.
Use it when A conversation about performance, workload or a conflict is coming up and you want it to go well.
Help me prepare a one-to-one conversation.
Employee: [ROLE, HOW LONG WITH US]
Topic: [PERFORMANCE / WORKLOAD / CONFLICT / DEVELOPMENT / ...]
What I observed: [CONCRETE SITUATIONS WITH DATES, NOT OPINIONS]
What I want after the meeting: [OUTCOME]
Give me:
1. An opening of 2 sentences that is direct and fair
2. How to describe the issue using observations, not judgements
3. 5 open questions to understand their view
4. What I should listen for
5. How to agree on next steps with a date for follow-up
6. 3 things I should avoid saying
Respectful, clear, suitable for a small company in Switzerland, Germany or Austria.
Answer in the language I use in my message.
Use it when You need to hire, and your last ad brought many applications but not the right ones.
Write a job ad for a small company.
Role: [TITLE]
Workload and location: [PERCENT, PLACE, REMOTE OPTIONS]
What this person really does in a normal week: [5 CONCRETE TASKS]
What makes the job hard: [HONEST DOWNSIDES]
What we offer: [SALARY RANGE IF POSSIBLE, BENEFITS, TEAM]
Must have vs. nice to have: [LIST]
Rules:
- Start with what the person will do and why it matters, not with "We are a dynamic team".
- Max. 5 must-haves. Everything else is nice to have.
- Name one honest downside of the job.
- No gendered wording, no "rockstar", no "fast-paced environment".
- End with how to apply and what happens after.
- Max. 300 words.
Then give me 5 screening questions to ask in the first call.
Answer in the language I use in my message.
Learn AI on your own company, not on generic examples.
22 · Learn AI
Explain an AI tool using my own company
Use it when You keep hearing about agents, MCP or copilots and want to know what it means for you.
Explain [AI TERM OR TOOL, E.G. "AI AGENTS" / "MCP" / "CHATGPT PROJECTS"] to me as the managing director of a [INDUSTRY] company with [NUMBER] employees.
Rules:
- No jargon. If you need a technical word, explain it in one sentence.
- Use examples from my kind of company, not from software start-ups.
Structure:
1. What it is, in 3 sentences
2. What it could do in my company: 3 concrete examples with the department and the task
3. What it cannot do yet, and what it needs from us first (data, rules, clear processes)
4. What it roughly costs to try, and how to test it in one afternoon
5. One question I should ask any vendor who sells this to me
Be sober. Say clearly where the hype is bigger than the benefit.
Answer in the language I use in my message.
Use it when Every week there are 50 AI announcements and you do not know which one matters.
Act as my AI news filter. My company: [INDUSTRY, SIZE, COUNTRY]. The tools we use: [E.G. MICROSOFT 365, BEXIO, SHOPIFY].
Look at the AI news of the last 14 days (search the web if you can; otherwise use the headlines I paste below).
Ignore anything that is only relevant for large tech companies, developers or investors.
For the max. 5 items that could matter for a company like mine, give:
- What happened (1 sentence)
- Why it matters for me, with a concrete example
- What I should do: ignore / keep an eye on / test now
- Source link
End with one sentence: the single thing worth trying this week.
Answer in the language I use in my message.
Headlines (optional):
[PASTE]
Use it when You type the same instructions into ChatGPT again and again.
Help me write the instructions for a custom assistant (a ChatGPT Project, Custom GPT or Claude Project) that does one recurring task in my company.
The task: [E.G. ANSWER SUPPLIER EMAILS / WRITE OFFERS / SUMMARISE MEETINGS]
Who uses it: [ROLE]
What good output looks like: [PASTE 1 OR 2 GOOD EXAMPLES]
What it must never do: [E.G. PROMISE PRICES, SEND ANYTHING]
Interview me first with max. 6 questions. Then write:
1. The instructions, max. 400 words: role, task, steps, tone, format of the answer, what to do when information is missing
2. A list of documents I should upload as knowledge (price list, SOP, examples)
3. 3 test inputs to check that it works, including one tricky case
Plain language. The instructions must work without me explaining anything else.
Answer in the language I use in my message.