“How do I improve my AI prompts to create content buyers actually trust?”

Mark Reynolds

Key Takeaways:

Having AI refine your prompts before content creation saves hours of trial and error
This approach helps you speak AI’s language more effectively, leading to better results
Two-stage AI prompting method dramatically improves content quality for your Knowledge Centre
Perfect for implementing the Endless Customers framework with consistently high-quality content
Includes a ready-to-use prompt template you can start using today

Let me share a game-changing approach that’s revolutionising how businesses create content for their Knowledge Centres, the two-stage AI prompting method.

Why Traditional AI Prompting Falls Short

If you’ve tried using AI to create content for your ‘They Ask, You Answer’ Knowledge Centre, you’ve likely encountered a common frustration. Your initial prompts often produce content that’s:

Too generic and lacking your industry expertise
Missing key nuances your customers need
Not aligned with the Endless Customers methodology
Inconsistent in quality and tone

The problem isn’t the AI, it’s how we communicate with it. Most of us aren’t prompt engineers, and we’re essentially trying to speak a language we haven’t fully mastered.

The Two-Stage Approach: Let AI Help You Talk to AI

The solution is brilliantly simple: use AI to improve your prompts before using them for content creation. Here’s how it works:

Draft your initial content prompt with your basic requirements
Run this draft through a “prompt refinement” process using AI (which I’ll show you how in a moment)
Use the enhanced prompt to generate your actual Knowledge Centre content

This approach is like having a translator help you communicate more effectively, AI understands what works best when speaking to itself.

Why This Method Delivers Superior Results

When implementing the Endless Customers framework, quality and consistency are paramount. The two-stage method delivers:

More precise outputs that address your buyers’ actual questions
Deeper, more nuanced content that builds genuine trust
Consistent formatting and structure across your Knowledge Centre
Significant time savings by eliminating trial-and-error cycles

As Marcus Sheridan emphasises in Endless Customers, becoming the most trusted voice in your market requires exceptional content that thoroughly addresses buyer questions. This method helps ensure your AI-assisted content meets that high standard.

The Prompt Refinement Template

Here’s the template that’s transforming how UK and USA businesses create Knowledge Centre content:

Your Role:

You are an expert in implementing They Ask, You Answer (the business philosophy focused on addressing prospect and customer questions thoroughly and transparently), and an expert prompt engineer.

Your Task:

Analyze and refine the draft prompt located between the [START OF DRAFT PROMPT] and [END OF DRAFT PROMPT] delimiters below to maximize its effectiveness for its intended purpose. As part of your analysis, consider how well the draft aligns with TAYA principles and suggest improvements for better alignment.

[START OF DRAFT PROMPT]

—Paste your draft prompt here—

[END OF DRAFT PROMPT]

Your Refinement Process:

Analyze: Evaluate the draft prompt based on the following criteria:
- Clarity: Is the language unambiguous? Is the overall goal clear?
- Specificity: Does it provide precise details about the desired output?
- Task Definition: Is the specific task the AI needs to perform clearly and narrowly defined?
- Persona: Does the prompt effectively define the persona the AI should adopt (if any)?
- Context: Does it provide sufficient background information or context for the AI?
- Audience Awareness: Does the prompt show consideration for the intended audience of the final output?
- Completeness: Are there any missing elements (e.g., constraints, format, tone)?
- Potential Ambiguities: Are there phrases or instructions open to multiple interpretations?
- Potential Bias: Does the prompt contain language or instructions that could lead to biased or harmful output?
Identify Weaknesses: Clearly list the specific weaknesses, ambiguities, or areas for improvement identified during the analysis, referencing the criteria in Step 1.
Suggest Concrete Improvements: Offer specific, actionable suggestions. This includes:
- Rewording phrases for better clarity, specificity, or impact.
- Adding missing elements like context, constraints, examples, persona details, or desired output format/tone.
- Structuring the prompt more logically if needed.
- Suggesting ways to better align the prompt’s request or expected output with They Ask, You Answer principles (e.g., focusing on directly addressing likely user questions, aiming for transparency and completeness).
- Briefly explain why each suggestion improves the prompt.
Ask Clarifying Questions (If Necessary):
- If you lack critical information about the intended goal or the desired outcome of the draft prompt to properly refine it, ask the user specific questions.
- CRITICAL: wait for answers before proceeding to the final output. Don’t make assumptions if details seem missing.
- If clarifying questions are necessary but you receive no informative response, proceed with the refinement based on the available information and explicitly state any assumptions made due to missing details.
Output Recommended Final Prompt: After completing the analysis and incorporating any clarifications received (if questions were asked), output the final, improved version of the prompt intended for use.

Your Ultimate Goal:

Help the user transform their draft into the best possible prompt for its intended purpose. Maintain your persona as a TAYA and prompt engineering expert throughout your response.

Real-World Application: Creating a Pricing Article

Let’s see how this works in practice. Say you want to create a comprehensive pricing article for your Knowledge Centre – one of the most crucial “Big 5” topics in the Endless Customers framework.

Step 1: Your Initial Draft Prompt

“Write a pricing article for my Knowledge Centre about the cost of our services.”

Step 2: Run Through the Refinement Process

The AI will analyse this vague prompt and identify weaknesses:

Lack of industry specifics
No mention of target audience
Missing structural guidance
No alignment with the Endless Customers methodology

Step 3: Your Enhanced Final Prompt

The refined prompt might look something like:

“Create a comprehensive ‘Cost & Price’ article for my Knowledge Centre following the Endless Customers framework by Marcus Sheridan. The article should address what typical project management software costs in the UK market for small businesses (10-50 employees). Include sections on:

Factors that drive costs up in the industry
Factors that drive costs lower
Why some providers charge premium prices
Why some solutions are surprisingly cheap
Where our mid-market solution fits in the landscape
Different pricing models (per user, tiered, freemium)
Hidden costs to watch for
Long-term vs. initial cost considerations

The tone should be educational, balanced and transparent, not sales-focused. For context, our target audience is operations managers who need to justify the investment to their directors. Include specific price ranges for different tiers of project management software, and use clear subheadings and bullet points for readability.”

Using this enhanced prompt will produce remarkably better content than your original version, content that truly answers your buyers’ questions and builds the trust that’s at the heart of the Endless Customers methodology.

Implementing This Approach in Your Business

The beauty of this method is its simplicity. You can start using it immediately with any AI tool you prefer. I personally develop prompts in the latest version of Gemini Pro, then use the refined versions in Claude, Perplexity, or ChatGPT depending on the specific content needs.

This approach also works perfectly with the broader Endless Customers framework by ensuring your content:

Says what others won’t say – by developing prompts that address tough questions head-on
Shows what others won’t show – by creating rich, detailed content that doesn’t gloss over realities
Sells in ways others don’t sell – by educating thoroughly instead of pitching
Stays human – by maintaining your authentic voice even when using AI assistance

The goal isn’t to replace human expertise but to amplify it—creating content efficiently while maintaining the authenticity and depth that builds genuine trust with your audience.

Next Steps: Your Knowledge Centre Content Strategy

If you’re implementing the Endless Customers framework, consider using this two-stage prompting approach to:

Develop your initial “Big 5” articles (cost, problems, comparisons, reviews, and best-of)
Create consistent, high-quality video scripts that align with your written content
Build comprehensive sales enablement resources for your team
Develop self-service tools that empower your buyers

Remember, the Endless Customers methodology isn’t about using AI to create generic content; it’s about becoming the most trusted voice in your industry by thoroughly answering your buyers’ questions. This two-stage prompting approach simply helps you do that more efficiently and effectively.

Ready to transform your Knowledge Centre content? Use the template provided above and watch your results improve dramatically.

Book a 15 minute meeting with me if you need help setting up a quality ‘Endless Customers’ Knowledge Centre system that leverages these advanced AI approaches while maintaining your authentic expertise.