Using Claude as Your Strategic Advisor

What you need

• Claude Pro subscription (claude.ai)
• 60–90 minutes for the first session
• One real business problem or goal you want to think through

Step 1: Create a Project

Go to claude.ai → Projects → New Project.

Name it after your current focus: Prospecting, Q3 Strategy, New Offer.

Do this now, then open a new chat inside the project and continue.

Step 2: Build your Master File (15 min)

Before Claude can advise you, it needs to know who you are. Paste this prompt:

I want to build a "Master File" — a concise document that gives you permanent context about me and my business.

Interview me to gather the information. Ask one question at a time. Cover:
- My name and company
- What we sell and who we sell to
- Our main competitive advantage
- Current biggest challenge or goal
- What success looks like in the next 90 days

After 6–8 questions, generate a structured Master File document. I'll correct anything that's wrong.

When Claude generates the document: click the artifact icon → Add to project.

Now Claude knows your context in every future chat in this project.

Step 3: Define your Ideal Customer Profile

Open a new chat in the project. Paste this:

You are an experienced B2B sales consultant. Your task is to help me define my Ideal Customer Profile (ICP).

Interview me about my best clients. Ask one focused question at a time. After 6–8 questions, synthesize what you've learned into a structured ICP with:
- Industry and company type
- Job title of the buyer and influencer
- Their specific pain point
- What triggers them to start looking for a solution
- What causes them to disqualify vendors
- What a successful deal looks like

Start with: Who was your single best client, and what made them the best?

Answer honestly. When Claude produces the ICP summary, add it to the project.

Step 4: Build your outreach strategy

Open a new chat. Type:

Based on my ICP and Master File (in the project files), how should I find and reach these clients?

Additional context: [add 1–2 sentences about your specific situation — e.g. "My total market is about 6 companies. LinkedIn outreach has failed — my buyers are technical engineers, not marketing directors."]

Read the response critically. Claude will give you a framework. Your job is to push back where it doesn't fit:

• "That won't work because..."
• "We tried that — here's what happened..."
• "What if the market is too small for that approach?"

Step 5: Research specific leads

In the same chat, enable Web Search (the globe icon in the input bar). Then:

Find [specific role] at [specific company type or geography].

Focus on people who would [describe what they do that's relevant to you — e.g. "write technical specifications for gas analyzer installations" or "sign off on instrumentation purchases"].

Give Claude a specific thread to pull. Generic questions produce generic results. Specific questions surface real people.

Then follow up:

For each person you found: given that they probably aren't active on LinkedIn or in marketing databases, what's the most realistic way to reach them?

Step 6: Save what you learned

Before closing any productive session:

Summarize everything we've covered:
- Key decisions or conclusions
- Open questions still to resolve
- My 2–3 concrete next actions

Generate this as a structured artifact and add it to the project.

This takes 30 seconds and means the next session starts at a higher level instead of from scratch.

Ongoing habits

The real value comes from daily use in short bursts, not big one-off sessions.

Before a meeting: "I have a call with [person] about [topic]. What should I make sure to cover? What questions should I ask?"

When stuck on writing: Ask for a draft. Reading a draft — even a mediocre one — clarifies what you actually want to say. Then write your version and ask Claude to punch it up or find the weak spots.

When you have an idea: Tell Claude. Ask what it thinks. You don't have to follow its advice — but you'll make a better decision having heard a reaction.

When something isn't working: Don't just try harder. Paste your results and ask: "I've been doing X for [timeframe] and getting Y. What would you change?"

Customize Claude's behavior

In your project's Instructions field (visible from the project page), add:

Reply concisely. Skip compliments and filler phrases. Use bullet points for lists. If I ask a vague question, ask one clarifying question before answering.

Adjust to your preference. Claude applies this to every chat in the project.

The core insight

Claude is only as useful as the context you give it. A brilliant advisor who knows nothing about your business gives generic advice. An average advisor who knows your customers, your constraints, and your history gives advice you can act on.

Build the context once — Master File, ICP, saved artifacts. Then every conversation starts at a higher level, and the compounding begins.