Using AI as Your Business Consultant

Wondering how AI can help you build a business? Looking for practical tips for using AI to streamline your marketing and content creation?

In this article, you’ll discover how to leverage AI tools to advise you as you grow your business.

Why Entrepreneurs Should Use AI

Building a business involves tackling several areas you aren't fully proficient in. It also involves time and financial constraints, so hiring others to support you in these areas isn't always a viable alternative. 

While artificial intelligence (AI) cannot completely replace human experts, it can significantly reduce the need for expensive consultations and subject matter experts, especially in the early stages of problem-solving. AI models can help bridge knowledge gaps quickly and efficiently, reliably bringing you to a 70–80% knowledge level on various business processes much faster than traditional methods. 

This speed allows for quicker iteration cycles and faster go-to-market strategies, giving entrepreneurs a competitive edge by: 

Getting Started With AI

If you're new to using AI-powered tools, the prospect of using them can be daunting. The best way to learn is to jump in. Start by setting aside an hour to experiment with tools like ChatGPT or Claude. 

First, choose a specific business problem or question you want to address.

Then, open ChatGPT or Claude and start a conversation about your issue. Don't use overly technical language. Instead, treat the AI as if you're talking to an expert with unlimited knowledge about your business problems. Ask your first question in plain language and continue with follow-up questions to explore different aspects of the problem.

Engaging in a conversation with the AI, asking questions, and exploring solutions to your challenges will often reveal unexpected insights and ideas.

#1: Use AI as an Objective Business Partner

If you need to make a decision on your own, you can ask AI to help you with decision-making and brainstorming. This approach can help you consider different perspectives and make more objective decisions by considering various perspectives and potential outcomes.

Here's a brief workflow:

First, give the details of your problem to your AI consultant. Then, ask it to take different perspectives on the issue, requesting a stance in favor of your decision, counterarguments, or potential objections to your ideas. You can also ask the AI to consider the emotional, rational, and even spiritual aspects of the decision.

Finally, ask the AI to model different scenarios, including best and worst cases.

#2: Use AI for Content Research and Ideation

If you don't have a copywriter on staff, you can use AI extensively in your content creation process.

Research Trending Topics in Your Industry

Perplexity is useful for staying ahead of trends.

Look for viral news and discussions related to your field.

Open Perplexity and enter a relevant query in the search bar to find trending topics in your industry. For example, you can type “trending topics in the floral industry 2024,” “floral design trends,” or “flower industry news.”

You'll see an instant response based on your query, including a summary of information and links to further reading.

Skim through the summary to see if the information matches your needs, then click on a section that interests you. If you want to explore the site further, click on the “Explore” tab. 

Here, you'll see various topics and related questions. Look for relevant ones that pertain to your industry, such as trends in flower arrangements, eco-friendly practices, or market analysis.

You can refine your query by asking follow-up questions if you need more specific information.

Perplexity will continue to provide refined and detailed responses based on your queries, often providing links to external sources where the information was gathered. Click on these links to verify the information or explore further.

Pro Tip: Be sure to check multiple sources to get a comprehensive view of the trending topics.

When you find an item you want to write about, reframe the information to fit your target audience and platform (e.g., creating a Thread format for X or turning a Thread into a newsletter). This will give your content a higher chance of going viral on social media.

Claude vs ChatGPT

Both Claude and ChatGPT are good options for creating written content but excel in different ways. The question is, when should you use each one?

Claude is good for copywriting and creative tasks. It's better at learning and mimicking writing styles, producing less “cringe-worthy” output for content creation. Claude is particularly useful when you need to process large amounts of text (e.g., analyzing a 100-page PDF).

ChatGPT is good for business decisions, systemic thinking, and iterative problem-solving.

Ideate Additional Content and Posts

If you find a post that performs well with your audience, you can use AI to take it further. First, do additional research about the post's topic on your chosen platform. Then, use AI to generate counterarguments or alternative viewpoints you can discuss in your content.

#2: Voice-to-Text

AI Tools like Otter and ChatGPT have voice features you can use to capture ideas while you're on the go and ask follow-up questions to deepen your ideas. You can have in-depth conversations—even as long as 40 minutes—pausing and resuming when you have time. Just be sure to rename the session so you can find it later easily.

To make sure your AI tool doesn't cut you off, ask it to wait until you are done.

If you're using Otter, it will provide a transcription of your recording immediately. You can then edit the transcription to correct any errors by tapping on the text. If you need to share your ideas, simply tap the “Share” icon to send the recording and transcription via email, link, or other platforms.

#3: Create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

Every business grows, and you'll eventually need to hire someone to help with certain tasks. Well-produced SOPs ensure that staff or contractors can deliver what you need without several rounds of iterations or multiple follow-up questions.

To save time and ensure consistency, use Loom to record a video of yourself performing a task, then use AI to transcribe and structure the video into a written SOP for team members.

#4: Additional AI Applications for Your Business

Reviewing Contracts

When reviewing contracts, begin by inputting the entire contract into the AI system. Once the contract is loaded, ask the AI to generate three different scenarios, each with varying levels of risk. This will help you understand the potential outcomes and challenges associated with the agreement. 

To get a comprehensive view, request the AI to provide a best-case scenario in which everything goes according to plan and results in high revenue. Then, prompt the AI to consider potential issues that could arise, such as situations where high costs might offset high profits. 

With this thorough analysis, you'll make more informed decisions and prepare for various possibilities when entering contractual agreements.

Optimizing Sales Pages

When optimizing sales pages, start by creating a persona completely opposed to the product or service being sold. This contrarian perspective serves as a foundation for uncovering potential objections. Then, ask the AI to generate a comprehensive list of possible objections, including those that might not be immediately apparent or mentioned on the existing sales page. 

This approach helps to identify blind spots in your current marketing message. 

With this wealth of potential customer concerns in hand, you can refine and improve his sales copy, creating more persuasive and effective marketing materials that anticipate and overcome potential customer hesitations.

Writing Emails or Offers

When crafting emails or offers, adopt a recipient-centric approach with the help of AI. Instead of focusing solely on your own perspective or goals, instruct the AI to prioritize the benefits for the person receiving the message.

This prompt encourages the AI to generate content that resonates more personally with the recipient, framing the message to acknowledge and address the recipient's needs and feelings.

This shift in focus helps create more compelling and persuasive communications. 

Here are three more ways you can use AI in place of a paid business coach, consultant, or expert: 

Other Notes From This Episode

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