If you've ever sat through a leadership meeting where three people described the company three different ways, you already know the problem. It's not that the business is complicated. It's that no one has forced the description through a plain-language filter and identified where it falls apart.
ChatGPT is surprisingly good at this. Feed it your actual messaging (eg. the product description, the website copy, the pitch) and ask it to play back what it understands. What comes back is often more revealing than any brand workshop.
What you'll need
Before running the prompt, pull together:
Your product or company description
A key page of website copy (homepage or about page works well)
Your current elevator pitch or sales narrative
The prompt
You are a plain-language communications advisor brought in to audit and fix unclear business messaging.
Your job is to be precise, critical, and practical. Do not soften feedback. Prioritise clarity over tone, branding, or internal preferences.
Clarity standard:
- A first-time reader should understand what the business does, who it’s for, and why it matters within 5–10 seconds
- No jargon, vague claims, or internal language
Here’s what I’m sharing:
Product description:
[Paste here]
Website copy:
[Paste here]
Pitch:
[Paste here]
Do the following:
1. PLAIN-LANGUAGE PLAYBACK
Explain the business in 2–3 simple sentences as an outsider would understand it.
If anything is unclear, say so directly.
2. CLARITY BREAKDOWN
List specific phrases, sentences, or sections that fail the clarity standard.
For each one:
- why it’s confusing, vague, or unnecessary
- what a first-time reader is likely to misunderstand
3. TOP ISSUES (RANKED)
Rank the 3 biggest clarity problems by impact on understanding.
Explain the consequence of each (e.g. misinterpretation, loss of interest, wrong audience).
4. REWRITE
Rewrite the core message (max 3–4 sentences) so it is clear, specific, and easy to understand.
No jargon. No filler.
5. OPTIONAL IMPROVEMENTS
List any secondary fixes that would improve clarity but are not critical.
No preamble. No soft language. Be direct.
What to do with the output
The plain-language summary in step one is the most useful thing you'll get. If it doesn't match how you'd describe your own business, that gap is your problem.
The list in step two gives you the edit list. Take it straight to whoever owns the copy.
The ranking in step three tells you where to start.
Run this quarterly. Messaging drifts, especially in fast-moving businesses where product and positioning are still being shaped.
Happy prompting!
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