Level 2 · Core skills · Practitioner
How to Build a Seller Context File (Template Included)
A seller context file is a one page document that tells your AI assistant who you are, what you sell, who buys from you, how you write and what it must never do. Build it once from six sections, test it with three prompts and fix the file every time AI gets something wrong.
AI at work is a brilliant new hire on day one. It writes well, but it knows nothing about your company, your buyers or your voice until you tell it. A seller context file tells it once, so you stop retyping the same background into every chat.
In 30 seconds
- Six sections: About me, What we sell, Ideal customer profile, Personas, My voice and Rules.
- Aim for one page. Specific beats long.
- Build it from approved materials: your one pager, battlecards, approved case studies and your 3 best emails.
- Save it where every chat can see it, such as a project or saved instructions in your company approved assistant.
- Test it with 3 prompts, then keep a fix log. When AI gets something wrong, fix the file, not just the output.
Why the file matters
Most bad AI output is a context problem, not a model problem. Ask for "a cold email to a VP of Finance" with no context and AI fills every gap with the most generic answer it can: hype words, invented benefits, a pitch that sounds like everyone else's.
The fix is not a longer prompt every time. It's a standing document the assistant reads before any task. Your prompts get shorter, your drafts start closer to done and your rules apply even when you forget to type them. It's the first thing to set up in any AI for sales workflow. New to AI? Start with AI for Sales in Plain English.
Key idea
When AI gets something wrong about your product, buyers or voice, fix the file, not just the output.
The six sections: good vs common mistakes
Every section answers a question a new hire would ask on day one.
Scroll sideways to see the whole table.
| Section | What it tells AI | Good looks like | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|---|
| About me | Your role and limits | Role, segment, territory, quota and what you can't commit to ("I book meetings; I don't quote pricing") | Job title only, so AI writes like a closing rep closing a deal |
| What we sell | Product, use cases, how you win | One sentence: "[product] helps [who] do [outcome] without [pain]." Three use cases, each tied to a problem. How you win against your top 2 alternatives. Approved proof points only | A paragraph of marketing copy, or a feature list with no problems attached |
| Ideal customer profile | Who is a fit, and who isn't | Industries, size range, signals and trigger events, plus disqualifiers with reasons | Only "midsize companies," and no bad fit list |
| Personas | Each buyer's world | For each title: priorities, pains, KPIs and common objections | Job descriptions ("the CFO manages finance") with no pains or objections |
| My voice | How you sound | A few plain rules, your 3 best emails pasted in full, a "never use" list | Adjectives only ("professional but friendly") with no examples |
| Rules | Hard limits | Never invent names, metrics or features. Never promise pricing, discounts or dates. If unsure, say so and tell me what to verify | Missing entirely, so AI guesses confidently |
Build yours in 6 steps
Set aside about 45 minutes for version 1. You'll improve it every week after.
Gather your materials
Product one pager, battlecards, 2 or 3 approved case studies and your 3 best emails (the ones that got replies). Approved versions only.
Copy the template
below into a plain text or markdown file. Markdown is simple formatting (# for headings, - for bullets) that AI reads very well.
Fill it in,
or let AI interview you with Prompt 1. Aim for one full page.
Run a gap check
with Prompt 2 and close the gaps it finds.
Save it where every chat can see it
(see Where to keep it) and add your reference files.
Run the 3 tests,
fix what fails and start your fix log.
New at a company and still learning the product? Build the file as a study guide with the goal plan I want to ramp faster in a new job.
The template
This is the Wicked Growth Club course template from Session 2, with fill in hints. Replace everything in [square brackets] with your own details.
Prompt
The seller context file template
Copy, fill in, save
# About me
- Role: [prospecting or closing rep], [segment], [territory]
- Quota: [what I'm measured on]
- What I do: [for example, I book first meetings for closing reps]
- What I can't commit to: [for example, pricing, discounts, delivery or go live dates]
# What we sell
- One sentence: [product] helps [who] do [outcome] without [pain]
- Top 3 use cases, each with the problem it solves:
1. [use case]: [problem]
2. [use case]: [problem]
3. [use case]: [problem]
- How we win against [competitor or alternative 1]: [from the approved battlecard]
- How we win against [competitor or alternative 2]: [from the approved battlecard]
- Approved proof points (customer and result we may reference): [approved proof point]
- Attached reference files: [battlecards, case studies, one pager]
# Ideal customer profile
- Industries: [list]
- Company size: [range]
- Signals and trigger events: [new leader, funding, expansion, job posts, tech changes]
- Bad fit, and why: [disqualifiers]
# Personas
- [Title]: priorities, pains, KPIs, common objections
- [Title]: priorities, pains, KPIs, common objections
- [Title]: priorities, pains, KPIs, common objections
# My voice
- How I write: [for example, short, plain, confident; first emails under 90 words]
- My 3 best emails (pasted in full):
1. [email]
2. [email]
3. [email]
- Never use: "I hope this finds you well", "just checking in", "synergy", "leverage"
# Rules
- Never invent customer names, metrics or product features
- Never promise pricing, discounts or delivery dates
- Use only approved proof points listed above
- If unsure, say so and tell me what to verifyPrefer to talk it through? Let AI interview you.
Prompt
Prompt 1: Interview me to fill it in
Building version 1
I'm a prospecting rep at Tallyline (a fictional company). We help finance teams at midsize companies process vendor invoices without manual data entry. I'm building my seller context file with six sections: About me, What we sell, Ideal customer profile, Personas, My voice and Rules.
Interview me one section at a time. Ask up to 4 short questions per section, wait for my answers, then write that section as bullets before moving on. Use only what I tell you or what's in the files I attach. Where I don't know an answer, write [to confirm] instead of guessing.Prompt
Prompt 2: Gap check my draft
Before you save it
Below is my seller context file. Review it as if you were a new hire who had to write prospect emails from it tomorrow.
1. List every place you'd have to guess: missing facts, vague phrases, undefined terms.
2. Flag anything that looks like it shouldn't be here: customer names or metrics not marked approved, pricing, passwords or personal data.
3. Suggest the 3 additions that would most improve your output.
Don't rewrite the file. Give me a list I can work through.Before
(a weak "What we sell" and "My voice")
- Tallyline is an innovative, AI powered platform that transforms finance operations.
- Voice: professional but friendly.
Weak because it gives AI nothing true to say and no way to sound like you.
After
- Tallyline helps finance teams at midsize companies process vendor invoices without manual data entry.
- Use case: approval routing. Problem: invoices sit in inboxes waiting for sign off, so vendors get paid late.
- Voice: short and plain. First emails under 90 words. One question per email. My 3 best emails are below.
Strong because every line is a fact AI can use or a rule it can follow.
Filled example: Jordan at Tallyline
If you read Your First Hour with AI at Work, you met Jordan's 150 word mini context. Here it is grown into a full file.
Fictional example. Tallyline, Jordan and every detail here are invented for the Wicked Growth Club course. Proof points stay as placeholders because only your company can approve them
# About me
- Role: prospecting rep, mid market, Central region
- Quota: 12 qualified meetings per month
- I book first meetings for our closing reps. I don't quote pricing, discounts or go live dates.
# What we sell
- Tallyline helps finance teams at midsize companies process vendor invoices without manual data entry.
- Use cases:
1. Invoice capture: invoices arrive as emails and PDFs and get keyed in by hand.
2. Approval routing: invoices wait in inboxes for sign off, so vendors get paid late.
3. Month end: an invoice backlog delays the close.
- We are not expense management. We handle vendor invoices (accounts payable).
- How we win against spreadsheets and email: no rekeying, and every invoice has an audit trail.
- How we win against the add on in their accounting system: [from battlecard]
- Approved proof points: [approved proof point]. Name no other customers.
# Ideal customer profile
- Industries: logistics, manufacturing, distribution
- Size: 200 to 2,000 employees
- Triggers: new controller or CFO, new site or warehouse, acquisition, finance job posts that mention invoice backlog
- Bad fit: under 50 invoices a month; mid migration to a new accounting system (wait until it's done)
# Personas
- Controller: wants a clean, on time close. Pains: rekeying, late approvals. KPIs: days to close, invoice exceptions. Objection: "Our accounting system already does this."
- VP of Finance or CFO: wants control and audit readiness without adding headcount. Objection: "Not a priority this year."
- Accounts payable manager: daily user. Pain: volume spikes. Objection: "My team won't want to change how they work."
# My voice
- Short, plain, friendly. Open with the trigger, never a compliment. First emails under 90 words. One question per email.
- My 3 best emails: [pasted in full]
- Never use: "I hope this finds you well", "just checking in", "game changer", "leverage"
# Rules
- Never invent customer names, metrics, integrations or features.
- Never promise pricing, discounts or go live dates. Pricing questions go to my closing rep.
- If unsure, say so and tell me what to verify.
Test it with 3 prompts
Version 1 isn't done until it passes the three tests from the course lab. Run each in a new chat inside the workspace where your file lives.
Prompt
Test 1: The CFO pitch
Does AI know what you sell?
Describe what we sell to a CFO at a 600 person distribution company in 3 sentences. Use their priorities from my Personas section. After the 3 sentences, list any fact you used that is not in my context file or attached files.Pass: it speaks to the CFO's priorities in plain words and lists no outside facts. Fail: hype words, or a feature or number you never gave it.
Prompt
Test 2: Competitors
Does AI stay inside your facts?
Name our top 3 competitors or alternatives and how we win against each. Use only my context file and attached battlecards. If you have fewer than 3, say so. Don't fill the gap.Pass: if your file lists two, it says so. Fail: a confident third competitor or a win claim you can't find in your battlecard. That's a hallucination, and the fix is a clearer rule or a better battlecard.
Prompt
Test 3: A first line
Does AI sound like you?
Write a first line for an email to {name}, {title} at {company}, one of my target accounts. The verified trigger is: {trigger and source}. Follow My voice. Then tell me which persona you assumed and why.Pass: it opens with the trigger, sounds like your best emails and picks the right persona. Fail: a compliment opener, or something you'd never send.
You
Name our top 3 competitors or alternatives and how we win against each. Use only my context file and attached battlecards. If you have fewer than 3, say so.
AI assistant
Your file lists two alternatives, so I'll stop at two. 1. Spreadsheets and email: Tallyline removes rekeying and gives every invoice an audit trail. 2. The add on in their accounting system: your file says "[from battlecard]," so I can't state how you win yet. Add the battlecard line and I'll use it.
The context fix log
Every wrong or vague answer is a free lesson. Log it: date, what AI got wrong, what you changed in the file. The log stops repeat mistakes and shows how your setup improves.
Scroll sideways to see the whole table.
| Date | What AI got wrong | What I changed in my context |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 13 | Called Tallyline "an expense management app" | Added "We are not expense management. We handle vendor invoices." |
| Oct 14 | Opened three emails with a compliment | Added "Open with the trigger, never a compliment" to My voice |
| Oct 16 | Told a prospect we "integrate with every system" | Added "Integrations: [approved list]. Name only these." to Rules |
Jordan's log above is fictional.
Prompt
Prompt 3: Turn a mistake into a fix
Every time output misses
You just made this mistake: {what was wrong}. Here is my current context file. Tell me which section caused it or failed to prevent it, and write the exact line I should add or change so it doesn't happen again. One line if possible. Don't change anything else.If your AI results feel hit or miss, this file is usually the first fix. Your AI Plan: Occasional Experimenter shows how to build it from what you've already typed into old chats.
Where to keep it
Store the file where it loads automatically, inside your company approved assistant. Features and limits vary by tool and change often, so check your tool's current documentation. Using ChatGPT at work? ChatGPT for Sales walks through setup.
Scroll sideways to see the whole table.
| Option | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| A project or workspace with saved instructions (recommended) | Every chat in it starts with your file, plus reference files you upload | Most reps. Add battlecards, approved case studies and your one pager |
| Custom instructions or saved preferences | Applied to every chat in your account | A short version, if you mostly use the assistant for sales |
| Paste it at the start of a chat | You add it by hand each time | Tools with neither feature |
| A context file in a work folder | Some desktop and terminal tools read it at the start of each session | Power users who work with files |
| A master copy in your own doc | The version you edit and date | Everyone. This is your source of truth |
Keep it current
A context file goes stale quietly. Your product ships, your territory changes, and AI keeps using last quarter's facts.
Checklist
0 of 6 done
Ticks are saved in this browser only.
What never goes in it
Your file is loaded into every chat, so treat it like something many people might see.
Quick check
Q: AI keeps writing 180 word first emails. Do you shorten each one by hand? A: Shorten this one, then add "First emails under 90 words" to My voice and log the fix.
Q: Your closing rep mentions a great customer result on a call. Can it go in the file? A: Not until it's approved for external use. Add it as a proof point only after it's on your approved list.
Try it now
Try it now: 15 minutes to version 1
- Copy the template into a new doc in your company workspace.
- Fill in About me, the one sentence in What we sell and your Rules. Paste one email you're proud of.
- Save it in a project or saved instructions in your company approved assistant.
- Run Test 1. Log one fix. Finish the other sections this week.
Once your file works, every prompt template you use gets better. Try it with AI Prompts for Sales, account research, cold emails, LinkedIn messages, follow up emails, meeting prep or objection handling.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a seller context file be?
About one page. That's enough for your role, product, buyers, voice and rules. Move long material, like battlecards and case studies, into reference files.
What's the difference between a seller context file and custom instructions?
The context file is the content; custom instructions are one place to put it. You can also save it in a project, paste it into a chat or keep it as a file your tools read.
Can a whole sales team share one context file?
Yes, for the company sections. What we sell, best fit customers, personas and rules can be one team version owned by enablement. About me and My voice should stay personal.
Should I put pricing in my seller context file?
Usually no. Add a rule that AI never promises pricing, discounts or dates. If your company has an approved pricing FAQ, upload it as a reference file only if policy allows.
How often should I update it?
Every time AI gets something wrong, plus a monthly read through. Also update it after product releases, new approved proof points or a territory change.
AI for Sales Certification
Practice this on your own accounts
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