The practice: Start every prompt with "You are a [specific expert]." This instruction dramatically changes the quality, tone, and usefulness of the output.
Why it works: Without a role, Claude defaults to general-purpose assistant mode. With a specific role — "You are a senior enterprise AE who has sold seven-figure deals" — Claude shifts its perspective, language, and assumptions to match that expertise level.
Good role examples for sales:
• "You are a B2B cold email copywriter specializing in financial services outreach"
• "You are a MEDDPICC-trained deal strategist reviewing an enterprise opportunity"
• "You are an experienced CSM at a SaaS company with 500+ employee accounts"
The difference in practice: Ask Claude to "write a follow-up email" and you'll get a generic template. Ask Claude as a "senior B2B AE who specializes in post-demo follow-ups that lock in next steps" and you'll get something you can actually send.
The rule: Every prompt should have a role. No exceptions. It costs you 10 words and buys you significantly better output.