How to make ChatGPT sound like your business, not a robot
You can usually spot AI-written marketing in a sentence or two. It's enthusiastic about everything, it "elevates" and "unlocks", and it could belong to any business in any town. That isn't because the tools can't write well. It's because they don't know anything about you, so they fall back on the average of everything they've read.
The fix is to give the tool what a new member of staff would need: the facts about your business, a description of how you sound, and examples. Here's how to build that in an hour.
Step 1: a business context note
Write half a page covering what you sell, who buys it and why, your prices and policies, and anything you never offer. This stops invented facts as well as generic tone. Paste it at the start of any chat where the AI is writing for your business.
Step 2: describe your voice in three words, then sharpen them
Pick three words for how you want to sound, such as "warm, plain, practical" or "confident, playful, precise". Words like "professional" and "friendly" are too vague on their own, so add a "but not" to each:
- Warm, but not gushing
- Plain, but not dull
- Practical, but not bossy
This gives the AI, and anyone else who writes for you, something concrete to aim at.
Step 3: words you use and words you avoid
Make two short lists. "Words we use" might include how you describe your products, your customers ("guests", "clients", "members") and phrases you say often. "Words we avoid" is where you ban the AI favourites you don't want: for many businesses that's "elevate", "unlock", "seamless", "game-changer", "delve" and strings of exclamation marks.
Step 4: give it examples of your best writing
Examples beat descriptions. Collect three to five things you've written that sound right: a customer email you were pleased with, a product description, a social post that got good replies. Paste one or two into the prompt:
Here are two examples of how my business writes: "[example 1]" "[example 2]". Write [task] in the same voice. Use only the facts in my business context.
Step 5: plan for tricky moments
Your voice matters most when things go wrong. Write one line on how you handle complaints, delays and saying no: for example, "apologise once, explain plainly, say what happens next, no excuses". Include it whenever you ask the AI for a reply to an unhappy customer.
Prompts to copy
Rewrite in my voice
Rewrite this in my business voice (described below). Keep every fact. Remove anything on my "avoid" list. [paste voice notes] [paste draft]
Spot the generic bits
Read this draft and list any phrases that sound generic, salesy or like AI wrote them, with a plainer alternative for each: "[paste]".
New product, same voice
Using my business context, voice notes and the examples below, write a 100-word description of [new product]. Facts: [list]. Don't add features I haven't listed.
Keep it current
Update your context note when prices, policies or products change, and add new examples when something you write works well. An out-of-date context note produces confident, out-of-date drafts.
Get the kit
Make AI Sound Like Your Business is a fill-in kit for exactly this: a business context template, a voice finder (three words, sliders, your best writing, tricky moments), words-we-use and words-we-avoid lists, an examples library, a one-page Context and Voice document, five prompts to use it with and a worked example.
The kit pairs well with the 100 ChatGPT Prompts for Small Business: the prompts tell the AI what to write, the kit tells it how you sound. Both are in the Complete Starter Bundle, with the workbook, safety checklist and beginners' guide, for $39 instead of $56.
Not ready to buy? Start with the free guide, Your first week with AI: ten prompts and a privacy checklist, plus a five-day email course.