3 Power Prompts
From Gut Calls to Playbooks With AI
1. The “Customer Psychology” Prompt
People rarely say what they mean in business conversations. They hedge, posture, or tell you what they think you want to hear. This prompt is your decoder ring for client psychology, translating polite words into real intent.
Use this prompt instead:
You are a customer psychology strategist. Analyze this customer’s statement: Customer said: [insert exact quote] Break down the response into actionable insights:
1. Unspoken Concern → What they’re hesitant to say but likely worried about.
2. Decision Readiness → Where they are in the buying journey (immediate, near-term, or long-term) based on language cues.
3. Budget Indicators → Signals in their phrasing that suggest budget flexibility, constraints, or willingness to invest.
4. Next Best Step → The most effective conversation or action to move the relationship forward.
Why this matters: If you can read between the lines, you’ll know when to push, when to wait, and when to walk away.
Why this crushes surface-level customer feedback
Most sales teams take customer quotes at face value. That’s like diagnosing a patient by glancing at their skin tone, you’ll miss the tumor. What matters is the subtext: the hesitation, the choice of words, the timing. This isn’t about recording what was said; it’s about decoding what was meant and what comes next. Done right, you’re not just logging conversations, you’re building a system that predicts behavior.
Real-world transformation
Before:“We need to think about it.” Sales team notes: “Customer not ready. Follow up in a month.” End of story.
After:“Hidden concern: they don’t yet trust the ROI claims. Decision readiness: 2–4 weeks, they’re shopping competitors. Budget signal: framing everything as a ‘we’ decision suggests multiple stakeholders with sign-off power. Next step: deliver a case study tailored to their industry to arm them internally.”
That’s the difference between hearing words and diagnosing intent. One keeps you waiting. The other gets you closing.
2. The Pattern Recognition Prompt
Most people ask: “How do I fix this client problem?”
That’s the intellectual equivalent of popping Advil for chronic back pain. The pain subsides, but the dysfunction keeps compounding.
What you actually want to know is: What’s the recurring pattern underneath this issue—and how do I build immunity against it across the entire business?
Use this prompt instead:
You are a business consultant specializing in pattern recognition and systemic fixes. Analyze the situation below not as an isolated event, but as one data point in a recurring pattern. Current problem: [describe situation] Provide a pattern analysis covering:
1. Root Cause Type → What category of problem this represents (e.g., structural, behavioral, cultural).
2. Business Conditions → Common environments or triggers that produce this pattern.
3. Early Warning Signs → Leading indicators that reveal the problem before it becomes expensive.
4. Systematic Prevention → Structural changes, policies, or processes that stop the cycle.
5. Cross-Application → How this same pattern might show up in other departments or scenarios.
The Multiplier Effect
Solve the pattern once, and you prevent dozens of downstream problems. That’s not a fix; that’s compound interest applied to operational intelligence.
Real-world transformation
- Before: “Fire this client they’re a nightmare.” Problem solved… until the next nightmare client shows up.
- After: “This is the ‘unclear scope + weak boundaries’ pattern. Conditions: vague statement of work + inexperienced client + your people-pleasing reflex. Early warning: the first ‘quick question’ email in week two. System fix: implement a bulletproof change order process and train clients upfront. Cross-application: watch for the same pattern in vendor relationships, any request starting with ‘while you’re at it…’ is your smoke alarm.”
That’s the difference between firefighting and engineering fireproof walls.
One burns you out. The other scales your business.
3. The “Decision Archive” Prompt
Most people ask: “Should I hire this person? Take this client? Buy this equipment?”
That’s fine if you enjoy making the same decision on repeat like Groundhog Day.
What you actually need is a decision archive: a system that doesn’t just spit out today’s answer, but builds a living library of your thinking. Over time, it becomes your personal MBA, earned from your actual business, not from case studies at Harvard.
Use this prompt instead:
You are my future business advisor. I’m facing a decision that will repeat in different forms. Document it so that next time, the choice is faster, clearer, and smarter. Decision context: [insert your situation and options]
Create a decision case study including:
1. Key Factors → The drivers of this decision, ranked by importance.
2. Assumptions → What I’m assuming about each option, plus ways to validate or falsify them.
3. Time Horizon Check → What success and failure would look like in 6–12 months.
4. Future-Proof Questions → What “future-me” should ask when facing a similar decision.
5. Information Gaps → What I wish I had but don’t, and how I’d get it next time.
Structure this as a reference guide for future choices.
Why this beats gut calls
Instinct is a coin flip in a tailored suit. A decision archive gives you compound returns: each choice becomes raw material for faster, sharper judgment next time. It’s not just answering the question, it’s engineering your own decision-making OS.
Real-world transformation
Before: “Should we hire this person? They seem sharp, let’s roll the dice.” Six months later: underperformance, sunk time, awkward exit.
After: “Key factors: culture fit (40%), proven skill (30%), adaptability (20%), comp range (10%). Assumption: their ‘startup experience’ means they can handle ambiguity—validate with scenario testing in interviews. Success in 6–12 months: they’re owning deliverables without micromanagement. Failure: still asking basic questions in month four. Future question: when hiring again, what red flags did I ignore? Gap: no reference check from a direct manager—fix that next round.”
That’s the difference between making decisions and manufacturing judgment. One keeps you guessing. The other makes you definitive.
