Give Claude context, not just commands

Most reps treat Claude like a vending machine: insert request, receive output. The reps getting 10x better results treat Claude like a very capable new hire on their first day. That new hire needs context before they can do great work.

The context framework (WTPC)

  • Who: Who is the audience? (Title, company, industry, size)
  • What: What do you want them to do after reading this?
  • Pain: What problem are they dealing with right now?
  • Constraints: Length, tone, format, what to avoid

Example

Weak: "Write a follow-up email after my demo."

Strong: "Write a post-demo follow-up email to Sarah Chen, VP of Operations at Meridian Health (300-person regional healthcare system). The demo was 45 minutes, went well, she asked specifically about our reporting dashboards. Her biggest concern is implementation timeline. She needs to present this to her CFO next week. Keep it under 200 words, reference the dashboard conversation, and frame the next step around helping her prep for the CFO conversation."

The rule

More context = better output. The 60 seconds you spend giving Claude proper context saves you 10 minutes of editing garbage.