The Coaches Guide to ChatGPT was researched and written by a human being, although ChatGPT did lend a helping hand with editing.

We are currently in the middle of the greatest disruption to business since Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press.

Only we’re not in the middle of it.

We’re still at the very beginning.

ChatGPT and AI are not so much in their infancy as barely out of the womb, with the former only released to the public on November 30th, 2022.

Yet LLMs (large language models like ChatGPT, Claude and Bard) are already changing the marketing and coaching world beyond all recognition.

If you’re not already sold on AI, you should be.

Because it’s altering the way we market our coaching services….forever

Any coach not using them to help get coaching clients will be an ex-coach in the not-too-distant future.

Whether you’re an AI novice, cautiously curious, or already utilizing AI, this post has something for you.

Think of this as your all-access pass to unlocking the full potential of ChatGPT, a tool that can revolutionize your marketing.

By the end of this guide, hopefully (because I want you to succeed as a coach), you’ll be diving in head first and wondering why you hadn’t embraced the world of ChatGPT sooner.

If you’re already using ChatGPT and want to get straight to the section on prompts, you can click on number 4 in the table of contents.

But before we dive into the nitty gritty of The Coaches Guide to ChatGPT, let’s first look at…

What the is ChatGPT?

GatGPT is a large AI language model (often abbreviated to LLM) that responds to text and, as of October 2023, visual prompts – video is also about here.

The GPT element of ChatGPT stands for Generative Pre-training Transformer.

This means it can only generate answers from already-known information that it has been trained on or can access via the internet.

In other words, (at the moment) it cannot invent new concepts unknown to humankind.

All it does is look at billions of parameters and make predictions based on what has already happened.

Unlike diffusion models like Stable Diffusion, Dall:e and Midjourney, which work with images, transformer models like ChatGPT have only operated with text before Auruimn/Fall 2023.

But that is starting to change with ChatGPT following Google’s Bard and accepting visual prompts.

The chat part of the name refers to its ability to use human-sounding language.

Even though there is now a ChatGPT app for phones that you can speak into, it must transcribe what you say into text before it can understand and respond.

That’s all you really need to know about ChatGPT unless you want to geek out, so let’s look at…..

5 reasons why coaches should be using ChatGPT and AI

1. No more struggling to come up with content ideas

I have days when ideas for the Fully Booked Coach Facebook Group or newsletter are dripping off me like criminal charges off an ex-president’s back.

Then I have days when it would be easier to extract the haemoglobin out of the blood that came out of a stone than come up with an original thought.

Until ChatGPT came along, I’d write any ideas that did pop into my head down in a black hardbacked notepad, so I’d not forget them.

And to be fair, I still sometimes do that. But not because I’m any longer worried I’ll have nothing to say. More than that, I want to remember that specific idea.

If I hit a writing block now, I ask ChatGPT, Bard or even Cluade (more shortly) to come up with ideas.

The prompt that follows (which isn’t even very good) took me literally 20 seconds to type and a minute for ChatGPT to answer, complete with cheesy emojis.

PROMPT: I want 10 questions to ask new life coaches in a Facebook group why they chose their niche. Make them engaging and playful.

1. If you could describe the moment you discovered your niche using only a GIF, which one would it be? 🤔
2. If your niche were an ice cream flavour, what would it taste like and why? 🍦
3. What’s the funniest or most unexpected reason you’ve heard from someone for choosing your niche? 😂
4. If you could only use a famous movie quote to explain why you chose your niche, which one would you pick? 🎬
5. Imagine you’re on a talent show, and the judges ask you to perform a 30-second act that showcases your niche. What would you do? 🎤
6. If you could go back in time and give your younger self one piece of advice about your niche, what would it be? 🕰️
7. What’s a surprising benefit or “superpower” you’ve gained from being a life coach in your niche? 💪
8. If your niche were a song, which tune would it be and why? 🎶
9. If you were to write a playful haiku about your niche, what would it say? 📝
10. You’re stranded on a desert island and can only bring one item related to your niche. What would it be and why? 🏝️

I doubt I’d use any of the above, but it would certainly get the creative juices flowing and with some minor editing, I’d have ideas that were good to go.

2. Headlines are a breeze

I rarely have a problem coming up with headlines for emails or newsletters, but you may.

In any case, why not run any idea you have past ChatGPT and ask it to offer some alternatives?

I did just that for the post you’re now reading.

PROMPT: Give me 10 alternative headlines for a blog post that explains the importance of ChatGPT and AI. I will be giving 5 examples, and my current headline of choice is Should Coaches Use ChatGPT? (yes, and here are 5 reasons why)

1. “Unlocking Your Coaching Potential: How ChatGPT and AI Revolutionize Life Coaching”
2. “The Future of Coaching: 10 Ways AI and ChatGPT Empower Life Coaches”
3. “Transform Your Coaching Practice: How ChatGPT and AI Boost Success Rates”
4. “AI-Assisted Life Coaching: Harnessing the Power of ChatGPT for Better Results”
5. “ChatGPT: The Secret Weapon for Life Coaches in the Digital Age”
6. “Revolutionizing the Coaching Industry: How ChatGPT and AI Improve Client Outcomes”
7. “Maximize Client Impact: Why Life Coaches Are Turning to ChatGPT and AI”
8. “Embracing AI in Coaching: 10 Reasons to Adopt ChatGPT for Enhanced Performance”
9. “ChatGPT: The Game Changer for Life Coaches Seeking Greater Effectiveness”
10. “Outsmarting Obstacles: How Life Coaches Leverage ChatGPT and AI to Drive Success”

It would not be unreasonable to suggest some of those are better than the one I used.

However, I have other considerations to consider, most notably SEO.

For SEO purposes, it’s important to have the longtail keyword you aim for in the title with the words in the correct sequence.

So, let’s go back and ask ChatGPT about giving alternatives that take that into consideration.

I am trying to optimise for the longtail keyword “coaches use ChatGPT”, so please refine your results and give me 10 more that take that into consideration.

1. “Why Coaches Use ChatGPT: Unveiling the Power of AI for Life Coaching Success”
2. “Coaches Use ChatGPT to Revolutionize Their Practice: Discover the Top 10 Benefits”
3. “The ChatGPT Advantage: How Life Coaches Use AI to Transform Their Coaching Methods”
4. “How Coaches Use ChatGPT to Enhance Client Experiences: A Comprehensive Guide”
5. “Optimizing Coaching Outcomes: Why Top Life Coaches Use ChatGPT”
6. “Coaches Use ChatGPT to Unlock Their Full Potential: 10 Key Benefits Explained”
7. “Why Successful Coaches Use ChatGPT: Harnessing AI for Better Coaching Results”
8. “The ChatGPT Effect: How Life Coaches Use AI to Improve Client Satisfaction”
9. “Maximizing Impact: Why Coaches Use ChatGPT for a Competitive Edge in Life Coaching”
10. “Coaches Use ChatGPT to Boost Effectiveness: Explore the AI-Driven Coaching Revolution”

I’m still going to stick with my own, but FUCKING HELL, if you’re not getting excited by now, I don’t know what to tell you!

3. Easily change styles of creation

I struggle to write in an academic style.

I also struggle to write formally.

In fact, let’s be honest, I struggle to write in any way where I don’t say fuck a lot.

But it no longer matters because if I should wish to change styles, ChatGPT has my back.

All I did was copy and paste a recent email I sent out to my list into the prompt like this:

PROMPT: Please take the following message, remove the profanity, and represent it in an academic style:

It’s lovely to be positive and focus on what you want

But occasionally, you need something negative to stimulate that positivity. Something negative that has you wanting to scream FUCK THAT SHIT!

I’m doing a job I hate – FTS, I’m leaving!

Friends think I’ll never make it as a coach – FTS, I’ll show them!

I’m sleepy and would rather stay in bed for another hour – FTS, I want to rock the world!

I’m nervous about promoting myself online – FTS, I’m not going to die!

I offended somebody on social media by being myself – FTS, I was genuinely trying to help!

I’m finding it hard; maybe I should quit – FTS, I need to hire Tim to help me figure it out!

You may be more cultured than I am (it’s not hard) and prefer to go with the abbreviation.

Or even, ENOUGH is ENOUGH! But from time to time, you must get to the stage where you’re not prepared to accept things as they are.

If you’re to become a fully booked coach, that is.

Here is what it came back with…..

It is crucial to maintain a positive outlook and concentrate on one’s aspirations. However, occasionally, a negative experience may serve as a catalyst for fostering this positivity. Encountering adversity can inspire individuals to firmly reject unfavourable circumstances and strive for better outcomes.

For instance, when someone is dissatisfied with their current occupation, they might decide to leave in pursuit of a more fulfilling career. If others doubt one’s potential to succeed in a particular field, such as coaching, this scepticism can provide the motivation to prove them wrong. When faced with the choice of remaining in bed or seizing the day, the desire to make an impact in the world can be a powerful motivator to overcome lethargy.

Furthermore, the fear of self-promotion online may be quelled by the realization that the potential benefits far outweigh the risks. If one inadvertently offends someone on social media while attempting to provide assistance, it is important to recognize the sincerity of one’s intentions. When confronted with challenges and the prospect of quitting, seeking support from a mentor or expert can be a viable strategy to overcome these obstacles.

In summary, while adopting a refined or understated approach to addressing adversity may be more palatable for some, the fundamental message remains the same: there are times when individuals must assertively reject the status quo in order to achieve their goals, such as becoming a successful, fully booked coach.

4. Speed of content creation

As an experiment, I sent out an email to my subscribers entirely produced by ChatGPT-4 in April 2023.

Prompt: Write me a 600-word email newsletter article for life coaches explaining that they need to act now and embrace the use of ChatGPT for their marketing.

Explain that the window of opportunity is small because when use explodes and everybody starts using it, the competitive advantage will be lost. Tell them that I am paying $20 per month to use it because I think it’s so important. Write it in an amusing tongue-in-cheek style but still with a serious message.

The prompt took me perhaps two minutes to write, and ChatGPT-4 had a post ready to go in a couple more.

I love writing, and I’d like to think that I will continue to do so whilst my mental faculties allow it.

But I also love walking my dogs, spending time with my wife and watching my sports teams inevitably lose.

ChatGPT allows me to do more of the latter whilst still doing the former; it’s like leaving my twin back in the office when I go out.

5. Quality of content creation

The email that the above experiment produced was pretty good.

Here is a sample of what I had to work with:

Now, you might be wondering, “If ChatGPT is so amazing, why should I hurry?” Well, dear reader, that’s because the life coaching world is about to experience a ChatGPT explosion – and once everyone jumps on the bandwagon, the competitive advantage will fade faster than our motivation to exercise after January 1st.

The early bird catches the worm, or in this case, the early life coach catches the ChatGPT-powered success. Do you really want to be the last one to join the party, only to find the buffet of opportunity picked clean by your rivals? We didn’t think so.

So, here’s our sage advice (free of charge, because we’re feeling generous): Embrace ChatGPT, and do it now. You’ll be a trailblazer, a pioneer, a veritable Christopher Columbus of life coaching – minus the questionable ethics and navigational mishaps, of course.

I did another prompt because 600 words felt too long for an email, but this was the first iteration.

Then, it was good enough to send with a couple of very minor edits.

If you’re a crap writer, ChatGPT can make you competent.

If you’re a competent writer, ChatGPT can make you a good one.

If you’re a good writer, ChatGPT can make you a great writer.

If you’re a great writer, then you probably fucking hate ChatGPT because you’ve just got a load of company.

Suck it up, Shakespeare..

The Coaches Guide to ChatGPT – Setting up an account

Before you can start using ChatGPT, you must set up either a free or a paid account (more on the differences in a moment).

To do so, and after you have read this article, visit the OPenAI website (OpenAI developed ChatGPT)

You will have three options to open an account.

• Using your email, setting up a password and going through the verification process
• Using your Google account if you have one
• Using your Microsoft account if you have one

And voila, my friend, you will be good to go.

And go, you will.

Understand the differences between ChatGPT-3.5, ChatGPT-4.0 (Plus)

Both ChatGPT 3.5 and 4.0 are powerful, but they differ in their capabilities as well as the fact that 3.5 is free whereas you will pay $20 per month for ChatGPT Plus that uses 4.0..

So let’s take a look:

ChatGPT-3.5

• Quicker response times – it will spit out 20 blog post headline ideas in a few seconds
• Lower computational requirements (won’t be an issue for 99.9% of people)
• Better suited for simple tasks and shorter content like social media posts

ChatGPT-4 (Plus)

• Much better at understanding real language and so requires less hand-holding
• Better for generating longer, more complex content that doesn’t sound computer-generated
• Like a fucking ninja at writing copy and handling specialized tasks such as designing courses and writing lead magnets
• Can now manage images
• Can now accept much longer prompts (theoretically up to 100,00 words!)
• No capacity limit/downtime

if you’re serious about producing content, paying the $20 is a total no-brainer and something I’m strongly encouraging my clients to do.

Apart from the fact that 4.0 is flat-out better at writing, you also don’t have the pain in the ass of waiting to get on to the server at busy times, as can be the case with 3.5.

And you still have the option of using 3.5 if you want quick answers that are pretty straightforward.

Are there alternatives to ChatGPT?

As you can imagine, Google are not taking this threat on their world domination lying down, and they have rapidly launched their own competitor called Bard.

Whereas Bard isn’t quite where ChatGPT-4 is, it’s now about as good, maybe even better, than ChatGPT-3.5.

It’s also free and, unlike ChatGPT, doesn’t require you to create an account.

I have been setting up ChatGPT to compete against Bard in something resembling an old skool on stage rap battle.

I copy the prompts I use in ChatGPT into Bard and compare the results.

And I don’t stop there!

There is also Anthropic’s offering called, Claude 2.0 that is also free.

Claude seems similar to Bard in performance, but both are improving.

Then, of course, there is Bing, which incorporated ChatGPT 3.5 into its results and Microsoft Co-Pilot

Tokens explained (and token limits)

Whereas Claude can be a bit hit-and-miss it has one huge advantage over GPT and Bard – token limit.

A token is equivalent to a 4-letter word, so you are almost always going to need more tokens than your word count.

ChatGPT 3.5 and Bard currently max out at 8,192.

Claude laughs in the face of such limitations and can cope with 100,000 tokens or approximately one 75k word book!

But you must pay for ChatGPT Plus to get such capacity.

Remember the token limit includes the prompts AND the answer.

If you write a 4,000 token prompt in ChatGPT, then it can only offer a 4,192 token response and still stay on task.

However, it won’t stop answering you, but it will have lost the ability to remember what you typed in to begin with.

So it’s possible it’s supplying you with gibberish, and you don’t even know it.

Imagine a very big bucket that can hold 4096 litres of water (tokens).

Nothing you can do can get it to hold anymore.

Now imagine it springs a small hole; you can start to add new water, but only because you are losing older water out of the bottom.

Once you have maxed out the token limit, ChatGPT cannot reference the earlier prompts or even any answers it gave you prior to the current rolling prompt limit.

The workaround at that stage is to start a new chat using the best prompt.

But with Claude, you’re rarely going to need to do that unless you decide War and Peace would make a cool prompt.

I’ve not used Claude a lot, and what I have used it for doesn’t seem as good as ChatGPT, but it may be worth checking out as an alternative. Especially for larger projects.

How to use prompts

Prompts are the information/commands you type in so the LLM you’re using knows what you want it to do.

Note: For a quick tip to write better prompts, check out this post on the CRAFT method.

Being good at writing prompts is an absolute MUST if you are to extract the most out of AI writing tools.

In exactly the same way as asking your client’s shit questions will get you shit answers, typing in shit prompts into ChatGPT will get shit results.

Although, to be fair, ChatGPT won’t roll its eyes or ask for its money back.

The more specific and detailed you make your prompts, the more specific and detailed ChatGPT will make its answers.

If your prompt took you less than a few minutes for anything worthwhile, then I can almost guarantee it’s a shit prompt.

Here are a few tips for creating prompts that will bring you breathtaking responses….probably.

1. Be clear and concise

Ensure your prompt is explicit about what you want ChatGPT to do.

Avoid ambiguity as it will lead to vague responses that sound like the kind of shit AI content we have all seen and laughed at.

1. Define the role

At the start of your prompt, let ChatGPT know its role.

It could be a copywriter, a world-famous coach, an advertising guru, or anything else that suits your requirements.

You can even use specific people if they have work in the public domain. I often use David Ogilvy (a famous copywriter) as the role I want it to adopt.

2. Set the style

Tell ChatGPT if you want a specific writing style.

Here are 10 styles that, guess who gave me when I asked:

1. Narrative: A storytelling style that focuses on characters, plot, and setting, often used in novels and short stories.
2. Descriptive: A style that aims to paint a vivid picture through sensory details, often found in poetry and travel writing.
3. Persuasive: A style that aims to convince the reader of a particular viewpoint or opinion, often used in opinion pieces, essays, and advertising copy.
4. Expository: A style that aims to inform or explain a subject, often used in textbooks, how-to guides, and news articles.
5. Technical: A style focused on conveying complex information clearly and concisely, often used in user manuals, white papers, and scientific reports.
6. Creative: A more artistic and imaginative style used in fiction, poetry, and other creative works.
7. Journalistic: A style that presents information in an unbiased, factual, and concise manner, often used in news reporting and feature articles.
8. Academic: A formal style that follows specific guidelines and conventions, used in research papers, scholarly articles, and essays.
9. Epistolary: A style that mimics the format of personal letters or correspondence, often used in novels or historical fiction.
10. Conversational: A casual, friendly style that imitates spoken language, often used in blog posts, interviews, and social media content.

3. Tell it what you want

If you want copy for your homepage, tell it.

If you want 20 ideas for engaging Facebook posts, tell it.

And if you want to see 10 different examples of email headlines that will grab people’s attention, tell it.

Similarly, if you need bullet points, subheadings or a table of contents, tell it!

3. Provide Examples

Presuming you’re not writing for somebody else you want to give it examples of your own writing.

If you have written a couple of great blog posts or newsletter articles, these can be great to use as prompts.

This doesn’t mean you need to lose the role in step one.

I could ask ChatGPT to write me a sales page as if it were David Ogilvy whilst maintaining the overall feel of a sales page I had previously written.

I’m fairly sure David Ogilvy could have tightened my copywriting up without it being obvious to anybody else.

5. Iterate and Reprompt

If the initial output isn’t to your liking (and it almost certainly won’t be), don’t hesitate to re-prompt.

Ask ChatGPT to revise its response with more specific instructions to get closer to what you need.

Tell it what you liked and what you didn’t.

Add bits. or take bits out.

You can even change style if you don’t like it.

Rinse and repeat.

Understanding the limitations of ChatGPT

ChatGPT 3.5 does not know anything that has happened since September 2021.

It’s like it went on an almighty Spring-break bender and blacked out for 18 months.

ChatGPT Plus will now access information up to April 2023 and has the ability to go online to look for new information – although it’s slow at doing this, and you’re probably better off using Google.

ChatGPT also tends to make shit up faster than Donald Trump on a Big Mac-fuelled midnight social media rant.

It told me that I run a podcast called The Discomfort Zone, which was news to me.

The Discomfort Zone was the original name of my blog before 2010, but I have never run a podcast.

But ChatGPT can say things with such aplomb and conviction that it’s hard not to believe it knows what it’s talking about.

When it’s being an idiot, it’s being the most confident idiot in the room.

But this isn’t a design fault a many people assume. It guessing is baked into it to give it more human-like capabilities.

Nevertheless, you absolutely MUST fact-check anything objective or risk looking very foolish.

Not only that but if Google sniffs an AI rat because you are spreading falsehoods, it could potentially penalize your site.

Is using ChatGPT ethical?

ChatGPT is merely a tool in the same way as your phone is merely a tool.

Most people would agree that it’s ethical to use your phone to call your aunt to wish her happy birthday.

But equally, most right-minded people would concur it’s not ethical to use it to beat a penguin to death because your football team lost to a side wearing black and white shirts.

In other words, it’s how you use the tool that matters.

If your goal is to help, inform, and/or entertain people, then using ChatGPT is not just acceptable, but very sensible.

This post will still have taken me 5 or 6 hours, even with the help of AI.

In no way do I feel like I’m being unethical by having it help me in the early stages any more than if I’d used a spellchecker.

However, if I’d gone and grabbed somebody else’s post on this topic and thrown it into ChatGPT and asked it to rewrite it, and then published what it gave me, that would have been unethical.

One person left a comment in my last ChatGPT post saying she was concerned about all the potential job losses because of AI.

I get that.

There is a dark side to AI that would scare me shitless if I was 40 years younger or had kids.

But there’s a dark side to the Internet. The very internet that allowed her to leave me that comment.

The term Luddite is seen as an insult aimed at people who refuse to move with the times.

Yet in the early 19th century, the Luddites were seen as heroes to many in England for breaking into factories and destroying new machinery.

Luddites worried that traditional jobs, mainly in the textile industry, would be lost, so they tried to halt technological progress.

This is no different.

You cannot slow down technological advances, so you may as well embrace them.

All you can do is use AI in alignment with your values and with the best intentions.

Is it ok to use ChatGPT for SEO?

If you take your SEO seriously, then I urge you to check out SEO for Life Coaches

A lot of SEO success is driven by good content.

Therefore, if you can churn out a lot of good content, then you should theoretically start to rank higher.

And guess what ChatGPT is getting better and better at?

Yep, it is creating good content.

Sadly, there is a flaw in this cunning plan.

Anything you can do, other coaches can do too.

And not only can coaches do it, but so can people who want to sell to coaches.

Yes, it’s a lot easier to produce content, but it’s a lot easier for everybody. So, nobody has a competitive advantage anymore.

Google has gone back and forth with their public pronouncements about how it will treat AI-generated content.

However, most professional SEOS and marketers think it’s fine if you’re sensible.

If you’re getting ChatGPT to churn out keyword-dense content that you then slap up on your website without a care in the world, then you will get punished.

But if, as we have already spoken about, you’re using CahtGPT to help you create better content that will be more helpful to the people who find it, then in all likelihood, you will be ok.

You need to inject yourself into your writing to avoid any issues.

That will be even more important when Googles’s new search generative experience rolls out later this year.

Check out my post How Coaches Can Use Google’s SGE if you want to know more about that – and it is a game-changer.

I will continue to update and add new material to this post as things change, so maybe bookmark it and pop back. (Last update 26th July 2023)

Please leave me a comment, and it would be splendid if you could share this on social media using one of the clicky icon things on the left-hand side.

How to Use ChatGPT (a YouTube short)