The framework, the templates, and the mistakes to avoid. Every prompt is copy-paste ready and built for VPT's workflows.
Watch
Prompting Tips
Video coming soon -- Max will demo prompting live
What Changed
Prompting in 2026 -- Old Habits to Break
If you used ChatGPT in 2024 or early 2025, some of what you learned is now counterproductive.
Stop Doing This
Do This Instead
"You are a world-class financial advisor..."
Just state what you need. The model doesn't need a pep talk.
"Take a deep breath and think step by step"
The model reasons internally now. This wastes your character limit.
Long conversational preambles
First sentence = what you want. Context after.
Hoping it remembers context from months ago
Use Projects. That's what they're for. (See Module 3)
One massive prompt with everything
Use the CTCO framework below.
Accepting the first draft
One round of feedback turns 70% into 95%. Always refine once.
The Framework
CTCO -- Four Parts to Every Prompt
You don't need all four every time, but knowing the framework helps when output isn't what you expected.
C
Context
What's the situation?
T
Task
What should it do?
C
Constraints
What are the rules?
O
Output
What should the result look like?
Example: Advisor Recap Email
CONTEXT: I just finished a retirement planning meeting with a married
couple, both 58. They have $1.2M in 401(k)s, $200K in a brokerage
account, and a $500K term life policy expiring in 3 years.
They want to retire at 62.
TASK: Draft a recap email summarizing the key decisions and next steps.
CONSTRAINTS:
- Warm but professional tone (this is VPT, not a robo-advisor)
- No specific dollar amounts in the email (compliance)
- Include the 3 action items we discussed: Roth conversion analysis,
life insurance review, Social Security timing comparison
- Under 250 words
OUTPUT: Email body text ready to paste into Outlook. Include a subject line.
Copy & Paste
Prompt Templates by Role
Click Copy to grab any prompt. Replace the bracketed text with your details and hit Enter.
Financial Advisors
Operations & Client Service
Marketing & BD
Executive Support
5.3 Instant
Post-Meeting Recap Email
Use after every client meeting. The meeting type matters -- a What's Possible follow-up sounds different from a Bi-Annual Review recap.
Meeting type:[What's Possible / Envision / Planning / Review / Strategy Session]Client:[first names only]Key decisions:
1. [What was decided, not what was discussed]
2. [Decision 2]
3. [Decision 3]Next steps (and who owns each):
- [Action] -- [owner]
- [Action] -- [owner]
Draft a recap email in VPT's voice. Warm, clear, under 250 words.
End with our next scheduled touchpoint.
5.3 Instant
Meeting Prep Brief
Run the night before or morning of. Gets you conversation starters and a proactive idea to bring.
I have a [meeting type] tomorrow with [first names].
Here's what I know:
- [Ages, situation, last meeting summary]
- [Outstanding items from last meeting]
- [Any life changes or concerns mentioned]
Give me a 1-page prep brief:
1. Three conversation starters (personal, not just financial)
2. Key items to address from last meeting
3. Questions I should ask
4. One proactive idea to bring to the table
5.4 Thinking
Scenario Comparison
For Roth conversions, Social Security timing, insurance analysis. Switch to 5.4 Thinking before sending.
Client situation:
- [Age, filing status, income bracket]
- [Current retirement accounts and approximate balances]
- [Specific question: e.g., Roth conversion timing]Compare these scenarios:
A) [Scenario A details]
B) [Scenario B details]
C) [Scenario C details]
For each scenario, show:
- Tax impact this year
- Projected benefit over 10 / 20 / 30 years
- Key assumptions
- What could change the recommendation
Present as a comparison table, then a plain-language summary
I can share with the client (no specific dollar amounts in the summary).
5.3 Instant
Client Onboarding Checklist
New client type:[Individual / Joint / Trust / Business]Situation:[e.g., "transferring from another advisor, 3 accounts to move"]
Generate our standard onboarding checklist customized for this situation.
Include:
- Documents we need from them
- Internal steps (account setup, compliance, CRM entry)
- Client-facing communications at each step
- Timeline with realistic deadlines
5.3 Instant
SOP Builder (Interview Style)
Don't write the SOP yourself. Let ChatGPT interview you about the process, then it writes the documentation.
I'm going to describe a process we do at VPT. Interview me about it --
ask me questions one at a time until you have enough detail to write
a complete SOP.
The process is:[name of process]It happens:[how often / when triggered]Who does it:[role]
Start with your first question.
5.3 Instant
Email Template Builder
Email type:[Scheduling confirmation / Document request / Status update / Check-in]Recipient:[Client / Internal team / Vendor]Context:[Brief situation]
Draft a template I can reuse. VPT voice -- warm and professional,
not a call center. Include [merge fields] where I'll personalize.
Under 150 words.
5.3 Instant
Content from Expertise
Turn Nick or Tim's meeting insights and seminar content into marketing material.
Here's a summary from a recent [seminar / client meeting / conversation]
where [Nick/Tim] explained [topic].
[Paste summary or transcript excerpt]
Extract:
1. The key insight in one sentence (what would make someone stop scrolling)
2. Three LinkedIn post angles (different hooks, same core idea)
3. One email newsletter topic with a subject line
4. Any client-safe quotes or stories (anonymized)
Write in VPT's voice -- educational, warm, no jargon. We teach, we don't sell.
5.3 Instant
Prospect Research Brief
Prospect:[First name, role/company if known]Source:[Referral from X / seminar attendee / website inquiry]What I know:[Any context]
Give me:
1. Likely financial situation and concerns based on their profile
2. Three personalized conversation starters
3. Which VPT service is most relevant to them
4. Any shared connections or interests with Nick or Tim
5.3 Instant
Meeting Summary + Action Items
Here are my notes from [meeting type] with [participants]:
[Paste notes]
Generate:
1. 3-sentence summary (what was this about, what was decided)
2. Action items table: | Item | Owner | Deadline |
3. Follow-up email draft for participants (if needed)
4. Items to add to Nick or Tim's calendar or task list
5.3 Instant
Nick & Tim Prep Packet
Here's [Nick's / Tim's] schedule for tomorrow:
[Paste calendar items or meeting list]
For each meeting, give me:
- 2-sentence context summary (who they're meeting, what it's about)
- One thing to prep or review before the meeting
- Any outstanding items from previous meetings with this person
Format as a single-page brief I can print or forward.
Default Advice
"Provide context about the client meeting, then ask ChatGPT to draft a follow-up email."
VPT-Specific Advice
Use the 3-layer prompt: (1) State the relationship stage -- a What's Possible follow-up sounds different from a Bi-Annual Review recap. (2) Name the decisions, not the discussion. Clients want to see what was decided, not what was talked about. (3) End with the specific next step and who owns it. Every VPT email leaves the client knowing exactly what happens next.
What changed: Generic prompting advice focuses on structure. The VPT version encodes the firm's meeting taxonomy and communication philosophy: decisions over discussion, clear ownership of next steps.
Watch Out
The Five Mistakes to Avoid
1. The Brain Dump
Don't
"I just had a meeting with John and Mary about their retirement and we talked about Roth conversions and Social Security and they're worried about running out of money and their daughter is going through a divorce..."
Do
Structure it: Meeting type, first names, 3 decisions, next steps with owners. Tell it what to exclude (the daughter's situation is advisor context, not email content).
2. Using 5.4 for Everything
5.4 Thinking is slower and counts against your weekly limit. Using it for "draft a quick email" wastes capacity.
Rule: If the task takes you less than 5 minutes manually, use 5.3 Instant. If it would take 30+ minutes of analysis, use 5.4 Thinking.
3. Starting Conversations Outside Your Project
Every time you start a new chat from the main screen instead of inside your Project, ChatGPT starts from zero. It doesn't know VPT's voice, your meeting types, or compliance rules. Always start from within your Project.
4. Skipping the Refine Step
The advisors who get the most value aren't the ones with the best prompts -- they're the ones who iterate once. "Make the tone warmer," "remove the jargon in paragraph 2," "add a mention of our next meeting" -- one round turns a generic draft into a VPT email.
5. Treating ChatGPT as a Search Engine
Don't ask "What are the best retirement strategies?" -- you already know that. Instead, give it your client's situation and ask it to help you communicate, analyze, or prepare. The value is in the application, not the information.