What you'll get
You will be able to get writing pitched at the right level for the person reading it, first time.
The tip
Add one sentence describing the reader to any writing request. Who are they, what do they already know, and what do you need them to do?
Without a reader
Explain why our website project is two weeks late.
With a reader
Explain why our website project is two weeks late. This is for our finance director, who is not technical, reads emails on her phone between meetings and mainly wants to know whether it affects the budget.
The second version produces something shorter, plainer and focused on cost, because the AI knows what that reader cares about.
Readers worth describing
- Your manager: how much detail they like, and whether they want the headline or the whole story.
- A client: how formal the relationship is and what they are worried about.
- A specialist: what they already know, so it skips the basics.
- Someone new: what they do not know yet, so it explains terms.
Take it to your AI
Copy this into Claude or ChatGPT to get started
This prompt sums up the guide and asks your AI to walk you through it using your own work. Paste it in, then answer its questions.
Prompt · Tell AI who it is writing for
I want you to help me write [what you're writing, eg an email, a summary, a proposal]. Before you start, ask me about the person who will read it: who they are, what they already know, how much time they have and what I want them to do after reading. Then write it for that reader, and tell me what you changed because of what I told you about them.
Written for Claude and ChatGPT, Sept 2026
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