The ASKNEAL™ Framework: 7 Steps to Make AI Sound Like YOU (Not a Robot)

[00:00:00] What if I told you that there's a simple 7-step framework that could transform how you work with AI? For everything from content creation, to business strategy, to solving complex problems. I'm talking about getting AI to sound like YOU, not like a robot. Getting outputs that actually serve your goals instead of generic fluff that everyone else is posting. I recently developed this framework while revising my LinkedIn book and it's completely changed how I collaborate with AI.

[00:00:30] with ChatGPT and other AI tools. In fact, it's really become the back mode of my entire digital marketing operation. Whether you're struggling to create engaging LinkedIn content, write better emails, develop business strategies, or just want to stop sounding like everyone else who's copy pasting AI outputs, this framework will be a game changer for you. I call it the ASKNEAL Framework. And I'm going to break down all 7 steps for you today. So make sure you keep listening in to this next episode.

[00:01:00] of the Your Digital Marketing Coach Podcast.

[00:01:32] Because Neal Schaffer is your Digital Marketing Coach. Hey everybody, this is your Digital Marketing Coach, Neal Schaffer.

[00:01:56] And welcome to my podcast. Yes, it has been a while. And for that, I am, well, I'm sorry. I was in Mongolia for a week and I was then in Japan for a week. And when I got back, I was in the midst of doing what we would call deep work to finish the revision of my LinkedIn book, Maximizing LinkedIn for Business Growth, which is actually how I developed the content for this podcast. So I've always said, if you are not in the right space for content creation,

[00:02:26] take some time, take some time off. And this was time well spent. And now I'm back, I'm energized, I'm passionate, and I have a lot of catch up to play on this weekly podcast. But I'm looking forward to each and every episode into the near future. So today, I want to share with you my take on AI and how I use it.

[00:02:46] So if you've been following along, you know, I'm not one for get-rich-quick schemes or shortcuts. I'm not trying to sell you a, here's my 99 prompt ebook, you know, for 9.99. As you know, I believe in authentic relationship building and strategies that actually work long-term. And that's exactly what today's framework is about.

[00:03:08] But with a twist, because it involves artificial intelligence. Now, before you think this is just another AI will solve all your problems episode, let me be clear. This is about using AI as a tool to amplify your authentic voice, not replace it. So the Genesis story, let me tell you how this framework came about. As I mentioned, I have been really busy revising my book, Maximizing LinkedIn for Business Growth.

[00:03:38] And I mean really revising it. We're talking about nearly doubling the content from the first version that I released just a year ago. So I was adding a new chapter on AI, updating strategies based on LinkedIn's constant changes, and trying to make sure everything I was teaching would still be relevant as the platform continues to evolve. I also have a new chapter on pay versus play, and I've really beefed up the chapter on content, because that is one area where LinkedIn's really changed over the last 12 months.

[00:04:07] So one of the biggest additions, in addition to that, was a comprehensive section on how to leverage AI for LinkedIn success. I think more comprehensive than what I had before. But as I was writing about ChatGPT and other AI tools, I realized something. And I realized this because whenever I describe how I use AI to other people, they're like, Neil, that's a great idea. Like other people are not using it the way that I envisioned they would be.

[00:04:34] In other words, I think that most people might be using these tools completely wrong. Hopefully not you, but I think it happens. I just keep seeing the same pattern everywhere in my consulting work and online communities, even in my own early experiments with AI. People would throw generic prompts at ChatGPT and then wonder why the output sounded robotic, generic, or just plain off-brand. In fact, one of the reasons why I really beefed up this chapter on AI and how I developed this framework

[00:05:04] was I was asked in the revision to include more prompts for LinkedIn. And it's like, it's not about the prompt, as you'll understand as I go through this framework. So that's when I decided I needed to create a systematic approach included in the book, right? A framework that would help anybody get consistently better results from AI, not just for LinkedIn, but for everything.

[00:05:26] Something that would help people collaborate with AI like I do, instead of just using it as, well, a fancy autocomplete tool for lack of better words. So the universal problem. And here's the thing that became crystal clear to me. Now I was writing a book on LinkedIn, but this isn't just a LinkedIn problem. It is a universal challenge with how we interact with AI. Whether you're trying to write LinkedIn posts or create email campaigns, develop business strategies,

[00:05:53] write blog content, craft presentations, or even solve personal challenges. These same principles apply. The quality of your AI collaboration determines the quality of your output. Garbage in, garbage out, another way of saying it. So I see this everywhere. Business owners asking ChatGPT to write a marketing plan with no context. Content creators requesting 10 social media posts without explaining their brand voice or their target audience or what they're trying to sell.

[00:06:22] Consultants trying to generate proposals without providing backgrounds on their clients. The result is generic templated content that sounds like everyone else who's using AI the same lazy way. So enter AskNeil. That's why I created this framework. Now, yes, it spells out my name. A little selfish. But that's not why I chose it. Each letter represents a crucial step in the process of collaborating effectively with AI.

[00:06:50] And hopefully it's memorable for fans of this podcast. You know I'm the real Neil. So A-S-K-N-E-A-L. This framework ensures you guide AI tools in a way that reflects your intent, your voice, and your vision every single time. And here's what I love about it. Once you learn this framework for one use case, it works everywhere. Now, before I break down each step, I've already mentioned this in my newsletter.

[00:07:14] But if you're not subscribed to my newsletter, I just want to let you know that for those that have bought the original version of Maximizing LinkedIn for Business Growth and have written an online review, I'm giving those people a free upgrade to this new expanded version, which is going to go into this AskNeil framework in even more depth, as well as all the other new content that I have written for LinkedIn.

[00:07:37] So if you haven't bought the book or you have and you haven't left a review, or if you have left a review, either way, once you leave a review, please make sure you email me. Send me a screenshot, neil at neilshafer.com, N-E-A-L at N-E-A-L-S-C-H-A-F-F-E-R.com, so that I can thank you and make sure that you get this upgraded version, which I am hoping is going to be released in the next one or two weeks, beginning with e-book.

[00:08:02] And then this one, there will be a paperback, hardcover, and audiobook, which I did not have for the first version. So let's go into the AskNeil framework. We begin with the first A, assign a role. The first step is to assign your AI tool a specific role. This isn't just about being polite. It's about programming the AI to think in a particular mode. You want to tap in. This large language model has so much information.

[00:08:30] We want to make sure that it is referencing the most relevant subset of information so that we get a less generic and a more specialized answer. So instead of just jumping into your quest, start by telling the AI what kind of expert you need it to be. Do you need it to be a writer, a strategist, an editor, an analyst, a coach, maybe a consultant? For example, I might say you're an expert, and this is exactly how I'd say it.

[00:08:58] You're an expert in creating content that gets high engagement on LinkedIn and goes viral. This means you deeply understand the LinkedIn algorithm and are an excellent copywriter who can adapt stories and data to formats that resonate with professional audiences. Or if I'm working on email marketing, here's another example that I would use. You are a direct response copywriter with 20 years of experience writing email campaigns that convert.

[00:09:22] You understand psychology, persuasion, and how to write in a way that builds trust while driving action. You can imagine how this single step at the beginning dramatically improves the quality and relevance of everything that follows. All right, now we're at the S of Ask Neil. S stands for state your objective. Be crystal clear about what you want. Vague requests get vague results.

[00:09:51] Specific requests, on the other hand, get very specific results. Don't say helping with LinkedIn. Say, I need five different LinkedIn headline options that position me as a digital marketing consultant who helps small businesses scale through DIY strategies. As an example. Or don't say write me an email. Say, I need a follow-up email for prospects who downloaded my lead magnet but haven't booked a consultation call yet. The goal is to address common objections and encourage them to schedule a meeting.

[00:10:19] The more specific you are about your desired outcome, the better the AI can serve you. And this is where a lot of people, I think, get it wrong. They just have like short questions or like they think there's some sort of magical prompt. But everything has context. The more conversational and natural you are, I think the better results you're going to get. And that's the thing. When ChatGPT came around, there was no owner's manual. It's like with Twitter, there was no user manual. What do I tweet, right? And we all use them in different ways now.

[00:10:47] So I would say the same thing with ChatGPT or Claude or Google Gemini. There's no owner's manual that says you have to give a prompt that is one question. You can have a natural conversation. And that is really, I think, the best way to use AI if you're not doing that already. All right. Now we're to the K. K stands for Kickstart Context. I know it's not the perfect acronym, but stick with me here, okay?

[00:11:13] This is where you provide the background information the AI needs to create relevant content. Context is everything. We've already given it a role. We've let it know what we want to get out of the conversation, but we need to give it more information outside of that clear objective. Context really is everything. So who's your audience? What's the tone that you're going for? What's the goal of the piece? What industry are you in? What's your unique value proposition?

[00:11:41] If you're targeting Fortune 500 executives versus small business owners, that context completely changes how the AI should approach your content. If you're in a highly regulated industry like finance versus a creative field like design, that matters too. I always try to include details about my audience's pain points, their level of sophistication, where they hang out online, and what kind of language resonates with them.

[00:12:07] And on that note, let's move into N, name your inspiration, because what kind of language resonates with them often comes down to what I call training data. So here is where, when I talk about N, as in Neil, we're at the ask N now, it is name your inspiration. And here's where most people completely, I believe, miss the boat. And it's one of the most powerful steps in the framework. If you've created content before that worked well, share it.

[00:12:36] If you've seen examples from others that capture the style or approach you want, include those two. The more reference points you provide, the closer the AI can get to what you're actually looking for. I treat this like providing training data. I'll include my best performing LinkedIn posts, email subject lines that get high open rates, or examples from peers whose style I admire. We're not copying people.

[00:13:03] So we're being inspired by them and letting the AI know that they inspire us. And we're not trying to copy and paste what others are doing. That is not the point here. But we're asking the AI to analyze what is it in their style that we'd like that they might be able to merge together with everything else they know about us and all the other training data to be able to give us more ideas, more inspiration is the way to think about it.

[00:13:29] So for instance, if I want help with a LinkedIn carousel post, this is a true story, I would share examples of carousels that performed well in my industry, explain what I liked about them, and ask the AI to create something in a similar style, but with my unique voice and content. This is a really critical one that I hope you will take advantage of. All right, now we are to the E in the Ask Neo framework. Expand upon the idea.

[00:13:59] You know, you've already given a lot of information. Is there something else? And I like this step-by-step because it forces you to think, what am I missing, right? So any additional thoughts, constraints, background information, or context that simply didn't fit in anywhere else? Maybe you have specific keywords you need to include for SEO purposes. Perhaps, as I mentioned before, there are industry regulations you need to consider. Maybe you have a particular call to action you want to incorporate, or there are certain

[00:14:29] topics or competitors you want to avoid. This is also where I'll share details about my brand voice, any recent developments in my business that are relevant, or additional specific outcomes I'm hoping to achieve. All right, we're almost there. Now we get into the next A, which is asking for clarification. This step separates good AI collaboration from great AI collaboration. Before you submit your prompt or after you get the first output, I will do this before

[00:14:59] I actually press enter for the final prompt. I'll say, hey, what do you need to know to do the best job you can with my question? So I often end my initial prompts with something like, do you have any questions that would help you provide your best answer? Or what additional information would be helpful for creating the most effective output? Or do you have any questions for me based on everything else I've talked about that might prevent you from doing your best job? I think you get the picture, right? Some variation of that.

[00:15:28] You'd be amazed at the insightful questions AI will ask when you give it this opening. It might ask about your conversion goals, your brand personality, your competition, or details or content that you hadn't thought to include. This back and forth makes the collaboration feel more like working with a human expert than just using the tool. And a lot of people say, hey, you know, AI, use it like an intern. It can do anything for you. But use it like an intern, but have a conversation with it like it's an expert, right?

[00:15:57] Have a natural conversation. And this is where you are going to get lots of ideas and improvements in the output. And then finally, we get to the L. L is lead the iteration. And this is crucial. Do not settle for the first output because the magic happens in the iteration. Think of the first response as a rough draft. Now, you can collaborate to refine that, right? Push for clarity. Adjust the tone.

[00:16:24] Modify the structure or enhance the voice until it feels authentically yours. I might say this is good, but can you make it more conversational and less corporate? Or the tone feels too salesy. Can you make it more educational and helpful? Or can you add more specific examples to make this more actionable? Sometimes I'll iterate five or six times before I get something I'm truly happy with. And that's perfectly fine. It's all part of the process.

[00:16:51] So let me give you a real-world example when I was looking for ideas for LinkedIn headlines. And I actually go into further details about this in my book if you want to know the exact conversation I had with ChatTPT. But I was working on updating my own LinkedIn headline and decided to use the Ask Neon framework. So first, I assigned a ChatTPT the role of an expert in creating engaging LinkedIn content and copywriting.

[00:17:19] I explained that I needed it to both understand the LinkedIn algorithm and persuasive writing. Then I stated my objective clearly. I wanted several LinkedIn headline options that would position me effectively for my target audience. There's more depth in the book, but I just want to summarize this for you. Then to kickstart the context, I explained my business model, who I serve, and what makes me different. I shared details about my audience, primarily small to medium-sized businesses who went to DIY

[00:17:48] their digital marketing. Now, for name your inspiration, I provided examples of headlines from peers whose positioning I admired, including specific elements that caught my attention. I also gave it what I've been working on as well. So it understands sort of where I'm at, what I'm looking to change. I then expanded upon that idea with additional details about my unique value proposition and the keywords that I wanted to include for search optimization benefits.

[00:18:17] Then I asked for clarification. I asked ChatGPT flat out if it had any questions that would help it provide better suggestions. And finally, I led the iteration. The first round was good, but felt a bit generic. I asked for more personality. The second round was better, but needed more specificity about my unique approach. By the third iteration, we had headlines that truly captured my voice and positioning. And in fact, the current headline I'm using on LinkedIn came out as a result of that conversation with ChatGPT.

[00:18:47] So the entire process took maybe 20 minutes, but the result was headlines that sounded authentically like me, not like AI-generated copy. So what's really exciting about this framework once you learn it is you can apply it everywhere. I mean, I use AskNeil for blog post outlining content, email message strategies, social media content across all platforms, business strategy development. Problem solving in my consulting work, presentation creation, course development, even personal

[00:19:17] projects and decisions. The principles remain the same regardless of the application. You're essentially teaching the AI to think like the kind of expert you need, providing it with the context and examples it needs to serve you effectively, and then collaborating to refine the output. Now, this matters more than ever because in a world where everyone has access to the same AI tools, your competitive advantage isn't the tool itself. It's how you use it.

[00:19:46] When you follow the AskNeil framework, you're not just getting generic AI output that sounds like everyone else's. You're getting content and strategies that reflect your unique voice, serve your specific audience, and align with your unique goals. This is especially important as AI becomes more prevalent. The last thing you want is to sound like everyone else who's copy pasting ChatGPT responses. Believe me, your audience can tell the difference between thoughtful, personalized content and generic AI output.

[00:20:16] So here's what I want you to do. The next time you open ChatGPT or any other AI tool, instead of just diving in with your request, remember to ask Neil. In the book, there's going to be a full-page illustration that you can print out to put on your desk or whatever so that you remember what it is. But start with something simple. Maybe use it to create a LinkedIn post or refine your email signature. Get comfortable with the process of assigning roles, providing context, and iterating.

[00:20:46] And as you get more comfortable, you can tackle bigger projects. Use it for content planning, business strategy, or solving complex challenges in your work. Remember, the goal isn't to let AI do all the work for you. It's to collaborate with AI in a way that amplifies your unique expertise and voice. So just as another reminder, when I mentioned the Ask Neil framework, I'm excited to remind

[00:21:12] you that the revised and expanded version of Maximizing LinkedIn for Business Growth will be going on sale very soon. It's close to double the content of the original with completely new chapters in AI, updated strategies for LinkedIn's latest features, and of course, the complete breakdown of the Ask Neil framework that we just discussed. And as I mentioned, for those of you who already bought the current version, if you've left a review of the book online on Amazon, Goodreads, or any other platform, you'll be receiving a free upgrade to the new version. No additional purchase necessary.

[00:21:42] But if you bought the book and haven't left a review yet, or if you left a review and you haven't contacted me, well, now's a great time to do that, right? Your honest feedback not only helps other readers discover the book, but obviously it helps qualify you for that free upgrade to the expanded version. The new edition includes not just the Ask Neil framework, but also updated case studies, new tools and techniques, and strategies for staying ahead as LinkedIn continues to evolve.

[00:22:08] It is essentially a completely new book that builds on the foundation of the original. But before we wrap up, one more thing. I want to give you a specific challenge. Over the next week, I want you to use the Ask Neil framework at least three times for three different types of content or projects. Maybe use it once for a LinkedIn post, once for an email you need to write, once for planning a presentation or solving a business challenge. Pay attention to how the quality of your AI collaboration improves as you get more comfortable with the framework.

[00:22:37] Then I'd love to hear about your experience. Connect with me on LinkedIn. Find me at linkedin.com slash in slash Neil Schaefer, N-E-A-L-S-E-H-A-F-F-E-R. Let me know how the framework worked for you. What surprised you? What challenges did you run into? What results did you achieve? I'm always looking for real world examples of how these strategies play out in different industries and situations. So that is the Ask Neil framework, everyone.

[00:23:04] It's been a complete game changer for how I work with AI, not just for LinkedIn, but as I mentioned, every aspect of my content creation and business. The key takeaway here is that AI is a powerful collaborator, but only if you know how to collaborate effectively. The framework gives you a systematic way to do that, ensuring you get outputs that serve your goals and reflect your authentic voice.

[00:23:28] So remember, in a world full of shortcuts and get-rich-quick schemes, your authentic voice and genuine expertise are your greatest assets. AI can help you amplify those assets, but it can never replace them. So until next time, this is Neil Schaefer reminding you that your strategy matters more than your subscription. The best investment you can make in any platform isn't premium features.

[00:23:54] And I'm talking specifically about LinkedIn, giving you a preview of my pay or play chapter, but it's about showing up authentically and consistently, and now learning to collaborate effectively with AI that will help you do that while staying true to who you are. Thanks for listening. I'll catch you in the next episode. This is your digital marketing coach, Neil Schaefer, signing off. You've been listening to your digital marketing coach.

[00:24:22] Questions, comments, requests, links, go to podcast.neilschafer.com. Get the show notes to this and 200 plus podcast episodes at neilschafer.com to tap into the 400 plus blog posts that Neil has published to support your business. While you're there, check out Neil's digital first group coaching membership community. If you or your business needs a little helping hand. See you next time on your digital marketing coach.