Key takeaways:
Generic results come from generic prompts
Advisors who simply tell ChatGPT “Write a client letter about market volatility” will get lifeless, corporate-sounding copy.
Defining a “Role” changes everything
Always begin your prompt by telling ChatGPT who it should act as—for example, “Act as a CFP with 25 years’ experience guiding clients through five major market downturns.”
The Role acts as a filter
A well-defined role directs the AI to draw on the most relevant expertise within its training data, producing tone, reasoning, and examples that match your intent.
Add detail and context
Specify years of experience, client type, area of specialization, and tone (e.g., friendly, authoritative, educational). The more concrete the role, the better the output.
Role: Who the AI is acting as
Task: What you want it to do
Format: How you want the result delivered (email, bullet list, checklist, narrative, etc.)
Example roles advisors can use:
Client meeting prep
“Act as an estate-planning attorney with 20+ years specializing in family trusts for business owners with $5 million+ net worth. You’ve structured over 300 succession plans and are known for explaining complex tax implications in plain English. Your approach prioritizes family harmony alongside tax efficiency, and you always consider both immediate estate tax concerns and multi-generational wealth transfer. You’re licensed in multiple states and stay current on annual gift exclusion changes and portability rules.”
Event press release
“Act as a 15-year veteran journalist who covers the community finance beat for a regional paper with 50,000 subscribers. You’ve won two state press awards for making financial literacy stories accessible to everyday readers. Your style balances newsworthiness with educational value—you know which angles editors love (local impact, human interest) and which quotes make readers care. You understand that most readers have basic financial knowledge, so you define jargon and lead with benefits, not features.”
Marketing creativity
“Act as a creative director with 12 years at top-tier New York agencies, specializing in financial services campaigns for firms like Schwab and Fidelity. You’ve won three Clios for making investing feel approachable rather than intimidating. Your signature style: conversational headlines that sound like advice from a savvy friend—never condescending, never too casual. You believe the best financial copy passes the ‘would I text this to my sister?’ test. You know financial compliance rules, so your creative never overpromises returns or makes guarantees.”
Workshop video
“Act as a CFP® with 18 years of experience who’s also a trained adult learning specialist. You’ve taught over 200 retirement workshops to pre-retirees aged 55–65 with varying financial literacy levels. Your teaching philosophy: use real-life scenarios, avoid jargon spirals, and repeat key concepts three different ways. You script videos in short segments (2–3 minutes max) with natural pauses for reflection. Your tone is warm and encouraging—you remember what it felt like to be confused by retirement planning, so you normalize questions and concerns.”
Compound roles produce richer results
Combine areas of expertise (for example, “CFP and adult learning specialist”) to match the task at hand.
Build a role library
Save your most effective roles—tax strategist, compliance reviewer, client-communication writer, etc.—so you and your team can reuse them consistently.
Avoid common mistakes
- Being too vague (“Act as a financial advisor”)
- Forgetting the audience or tone
- Omitting specific expertise or years of experience
Start now
Before your next prompt, spend an extra minute defining who you want answering it. You’ll get writing that sounds like you—and connects better with clients.
Ready to make the leap? Horsesmouth’s AI for Advisors Pro training programs provide the structured, advisor-specific approach that transforms occasional users into confident practitioners. Learn more at www.horsesmouth.com/aipro.