Train ChatGPT like a star—but don’t trust It blindly

As a managing partner or business owner, you're likely grappling with whether to embrace tools like ChatGPT fully, or whether they’ll turn out to be just another overhyped tech gimmick. More worryingly, can you trust ChatGPT to handle your business development (BD) efforts without compromising quality or your brand’s reputation?

Let’s be clear: ChatGPT is not a magic wand that will fix everything. You shouldn't trust it blindly.

But when properly trained and integrated into your marketing and BD strategy, it can become as indispensable as a top-performing employee. Here’s how you can train ChatGPT to work for you and supercharge your business development—without losing the human touch or strategic oversight.

1. Customise your prompts to reflect your brand voice

One of the biggest misconceptions about ChatGPT is that it will automatically "get" your brand voice right out of the box. It won’t. Think of it as a new starter. You wouldn’t expect someone on their first day to instantly understand your business's tone, style, or the intricacies of how you communicate with clients.

To make ChatGPT useful, invest time in creating clear, precise prompts that guide it towards the tone and voice that reflects your brand. For example, if your firm has a formal tone, tell the AI: "Write a professional, concise email to a client about a new service." Alternatively, if you’re after something more conversational: "Write a friendly, engaging LinkedIn post announcing our latest blog."

By tailoring your instructions, you ensure ChatGPT aligns with your business’s personality, and in turn, your clients’ expectations.

2. Human oversight: Why you still need to review its work

Although ChatGPT can churn out content quickly, don't assume that it's perfect every time. Like any employee, it needs supervision. Before sending that AI-generated email or publishing a blog post, take time to review the output. AI, after all, is only as good as the information it’s given and the instructions it receives.

Look out for things like tone consistency, relevance, and accuracy. AI can generate fantastic drafts, but it doesn’t understand nuance, cultural context, or industry-specific knowledge like a human does. A quick review and edit will help refine AI’s raw content into something that truly works for your audience.

3. Scale your client nurturing efforts without losing the human touch

One of the most powerful ways to leverage ChatGPT in business development is for nurturing client relationships. But here's where the balance is crucial: just because AI can handle mass outreach doesn’t mean you should let it.

ChatGPT can help craft personalised follow-up emails, draft proposals, or even recommend content ideas tailored to different client segments. However, maintaining that personal touch is key. A human-led strategy, with ChatGPT handling the execution, allows you to scale your BD efforts without making your clients feel like they’re talking to a robot.

4. Create personalised proposals that win clients

When it comes to closing deals, the personalised touch makes all the difference. ChatGPT can assist by generating first drafts of proposals or pitch decks based on client data you feed it.

For example, you can prompt ChatGPT to pull together a proposal framework using details from your CRM (confidentiality warning here). It can analyse this data to suggest relevant services, upsell opportunities, and even pinpoint areas where competitors may fall short.

The beauty of this approach is that it saves time—ChatGPT can do the heavy lifting while you focus on refining the proposal to include your expertise and insights, ensuring it’s both polished and perfectly tailored to the client’s needs.

5. AI-powered BD campaigns: From strategy to execution

Strategic oversight is crucial in business development, and AI won’t replace that. However, ChatGPT can execute some of the more repetitive aspects of your campaigns, helping you target and engage with potential clients more efficiently.

You can automate the creation of client communications, schedule follow-ups, and even generate content for lead-nurturing campaigns. Imagine running an outreach programme with personalised emails being sent automatically at just the right time, each one thoughtfully aligned with your BD goals.

And because AI can process large amounts of data quickly, it can also provide real-time insights into campaign performance, allowing you to pivot or refine your approach as needed.

Final thoughts: ChatGPT is a tool, not a replacement

At the end of the day, ChatGPT isn’t here to replace your BD team—it’s here to make them more efficient. When used correctly, AI tools like ChatGPT can save time, help you scale efforts, and even unearth new opportunities. But, like any tool, it requires a steady hand at the wheel.

By taking the time to train ChatGPT properly, reviewing its output, and integrating it into a human-led strategy, you can transform it from a basic tool into a star performer that helps your business thrive.

Want to find out more about how you can integrate ChatGPT into your marketing and business development - book a discovery call here or visit my website.