[Rick Retirement Planner]

Hi all — I manage a small team (non-technical) that writes customer emails, social posts, and internal docs. We want a short, easy-to-use voice and style checklist (tone, preferred words, inclusivity reminders, readability targets) that anyone can apply before sending content.

My question: what practical ways can AI help us create and maintain these checklists so they’re:

• Clear and concise for non-technical teammates
• Easy to update as our brand evolves
• Testable so we can check writing against the checklist

If you’ve done this before, could you share:

• Example prompts or templates that worked
• Simple workflows or tools suitable for non-technical users
• Tips for validating and keeping the checklist current

Thanks — I’d love short examples or links to downloadable templates.

[Jeff Bullas]

Quick win: Use AI to build short, practical voice and style checklists your team can actually follow — in under an hour.

Why this matters: consistent voice saves time, avoids edits, and ensures every piece of writing sounds like your brand. AI can draft checklists fast; you refine them with your team.

What you’ll need

• 3–5 real writing samples from your team (emails, posts, articles).
• A short list of your brand goals (e.g., friendly, expert, concise).
• An AI chat tool (ChatGPT or similar) or a teammate who can paste prompts.
• 15–45 minutes for the first draft, then short tests.

Step-by-step (do this once, then iterate)

1. Define the top 3 voice traits. Pick 3 words: e.g., friendly, confident, helpful.
2. Gather examples. Copy 3 short passages that match and 3 that don’t.
3. Ask AI to draft a one-page checklist. Use the prompt below (copy-paste).
4. Trim to 8–12 actionable items. Make each item a single sentence and include examples.
5. Test on 2 real drafts. Apply the checklist, time edits, gather feedback.
6. Refine weekly. Keep the checklist on a shared doc the team can access.

Copy-paste AI prompt

“You are an expert brand voice editor. Given these brand traits: friendly, confident, helpful. Using the three sample good sentences: ‘Thanks for reaching out — we’ll handle this.’ ‘Here’s the short plan to get started.’ ‘Let me know if you want examples.’ And three poor examples: ‘Please be informed that…’ ‘Attached is the document for your convenience.’ ‘We regret to inform you…’ Create a concise voice and style checklist of 10 items. Each item must be one line, include a short example of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ (one sentence each), and finish with a suggested replacement phrase if applicable. Keep language simple and practical.”

Example checklist items

• Use active voice. Good: “We’ll send the report.” Bad: “The report will be sent.” Replace with: “We’ll send the report.”
• Keep sentences under 20 words. Good: “Here’s the plan to start.” Bad: “This is a plan which outlines multiple steps to be completed.”
• Open friendly, close helpful. Good opener: “Thanks for reaching out.” Bad opener: “Please be informed.”

Mistakes & fixes

• Too vague checklist: make items actionable (replace vague word with exact alternative).
• Too long: aim for 8–12 items so people actually use it.
• No examples: always add a one-line good/bad example.

7-day action plan

1. Day 1: Define traits and collect samples.
2. Day 2: Generate checklist with AI.
3. Day 3: Trim to essentials.
4. Day 4: Test on two drafts.
5. Day 5: Refine with feedback.
6. Day 6: Publish shared checklist.
7. Day 7: Train the team (10–15 minute session).

Start small, ship fast, improve weekly. The first checklist won’t be perfect — it will get far more useful once your team uses it.

[aaron]

Quick win: Spend 3 minutes feeding a paragraph of recent copy into the prompt below and get back a 6-point voice checklist you can copy into a team doc.

Good call — keeping checklists short and practical is what makes them adopted. Here’s a clear, repeatable process to use AI to produce simple voice and style checklists your team will actually use.

The gap: Teams either have no guidance or an overlong brand guide that nobody reads. That causes inconsistent messaging, slower approvals and more edits.

Why fixing it matters: A usable checklist cuts revision cycles, speeds content handoffs and improves conversion because messaging is consistent.

My lesson: Start with an example piece of successful copy, derive 6–8 clear rules, then automate checks. Keep the checklist visible—one-page. Iterate monthly.

1. What you’ll need
   • 3–5 best-performing content examples (email, page, ad).
   • A shared doc (Google Doc or similar).
   • Access to an LLM (ChatGPT or similar) or an AI plugin that can run checks.
2. How to create the checklist (step-by-step)
   1. Paste one strong content example into the AI and ask for a 6-point checklist of voice, tone, preferred words, banned words, sentence length max, and formatting rules.
   2. Repeat for 2 more examples and synthesize overlapping rules into a single one-page checklist.
   3. Add 3 concrete examples: preferred sentence rewrites and 3 “do not” examples.
   4. Implement a quick AI-enabled review: team members paste drafts into the same prompt and get an automatic pass/fail and suggested edits.
3. What to expect
   • First draft in 30–60 minutes. Usable checklist in 1–2 days after tests.
   • Immediate reduction in subjective feedback; measurable cut in revision rounds within 2 weeks.

Copy-paste AI prompt (use this exactly):

“You are a concise brand editor. Given the following piece of copy, produce a one-page voice & style checklist with 6 clear rules: voice (e.g., professional, friendly), tone guidelines (when to be formal vs casual), preferred words/phrases, forbidden words/phrases, max sentence length, punctuation/formatting rules, and three short rewrite examples showing ‘bad’ -> ‘good’. Then evaluate this exact copy and list 5 specific edits to match the checklist. Here is the copy: [PASTE COPY HERE].”

Metrics to track

• Revision count per piece (target: -30% in 4 weeks).
• Average approval time (days) (target: -25% in 4 weeks).
• Share of content passing the checklist on first pass (target: 60%+).
• Engagement lift on tested pieces (opens, CTR, conversions).

Common mistakes & fixes

• Too vague rules — fix: require concrete examples and banned-word list.
• Checklist too long — fix: limit to 6–8 items and one-page format.
• No enforcement — fix: make AI quick-check mandatory before reviews.

1-week action plan

1. Day 1: Gather 3 best examples and create a shared doc.
2. Day 2: Run the prompt above on each example and draft the checklist.
3. Day 3: Add rewrite examples and banned-word list.
4. Day 4: Pilot the AI quick-check on 5 live drafts.
5. Day 5: Collect feedback and finalize the checklist; publish to team.
6. Day 6–7: Measure initial metrics and schedule a 2-week review.

Your move.

— Aaron

[Jeff Bullas]

Thanks — great question about using AI to create simple voice and style checklists for your team. That focus on simplicity and consistency is exactly the right place to start.

Why this helps: A short, consistent checklist saves time, reduces edits, and keeps your brand sounding human and reliable.

What you’ll need

• 3–6 sample pieces of the writing style you like (emails, posts, ads).
• A short list of the things that annoy you or cause rework (e.g., jargon, long sentences).
• Access to a simple AI tool (a web-based LLM or built-in assistant).
• A place to store the checklist (shared doc or team wiki).

Step-by-step: create a checklist in 6 steps

1. Collect 3 examples of ‘good’ and 3 of ‘needs improvement’ writing.
2. Decide 6–8 checklist items (tone, formality, contractions, sentence length, jargon, CTA, emoji use).
3. Use an AI prompt to draft a friendly, short checklist from your examples (prompt below).
4. Refine the AI output so each item is one line and actionable (yes/no format works great).
5. Test with one team member on two pieces of content and adjust the wording.
6. Publish the checklist and add a quick 5-minute review step into your publishing workflow.

Copy-paste AI prompt (use as-is)

Prompt: “You are a helpful writing coach. Based on these examples [paste 3 short good examples] and these issues [paste 3 short weak examples], create a concise 8-item voice and style checklist for our team. Each item should be one short sentence and actionable (Yes/No). Use plain language suitable for business email and social posts. Avoid long rules—focus on what to check before sending.”

Example checklist (output you can expect)

• Tone: Friendly but professional — no slang. (Yes/No)
• Formality: Use contractions in social posts; more formal in client emails. (Yes/No)
• Clarity: One idea per paragraph, max 3 sentences. (Yes/No)
• Jargon: Replace industry terms with plain words. (Yes/No)
• CTA: Clear next step included. (Yes/No)
• Names & numbers: Double-check spelling and figures. (Yes/No)
• Positive close: End with helpful, action-oriented line. (Yes/No)
• Proofread: Read aloud for flow and tone. (Yes/No)

Common mistakes & quick fixes

• Too long: Keep checklist under 10 items — trim rules to essentials.
• Vague items: Turn “be clear” into “one idea per paragraph”.
• No testing: Pilot for one week and collect 3 improvements from users.
• Not enforced: Add a single checkbox step in your publishing workflow.

Simple 7-day action plan

1. Day 1: Gather examples and annoyances.
2. Day 2: Run the AI prompt and draft checklist.
3. Day 3: Edit to 8 short items and format as Yes/No.
4. Day 4: Pilot with one writer on two pieces.
5. Day 5: Adjust based on feedback.
6. Day 6: Publish to team doc and add to workflow.
7. Day 7: Quick team training (10 minutes) and go live.

Final reminder: Start small, iterate fast. A short, tested checklist wins every time over a perfect but unused style guide.

[Steve Side Hustler]

Quick win (under 5 minutes): pick one email or paragraph your team already loves, paste it into an AI writing assistant, and ask it to list five short voice/style bullets you should keep. You’ll have a tiny checklist to try on your next message before breakfast.

Great question — wanting simple, usable checklists is exactly the right approach. Below is a compact, repeatable workflow that busy teams over 40 can set up in an afternoon and use immediately.

What you’ll need

• One to three real examples of on-brand writing (emails, a landing sentence, or a social post).
• Three words that describe your desired tone (e.g., warm, direct, helpful).
• An AI writing assistant or a word processor where you can paste and iterate.
• A one-page space (a Doc or shared note) to keep the checklist.

How to do it — step-by-step (15–45 minutes)

1. Gather: pick the 1–3 best examples your team agrees on. If you don’t have an example, write one short paragraph that represents how you want to sound.
2. Extract: paste each example into the AI tool and ask it to pull out short voice/style bullets (keep them to 4–8 words each). Look for repeatable items like sentence length, formality, and pronoun use.
3. Consolidate: collect the overlapping bullets and pick 5–8 actionable items. Keep each item as a single line that someone can scan in 10 seconds (e.g., “Use plain language,” “Speak directly in second person,” “Prefer short sentences”).
4. Dos and Don’ts: for each checklist item add one quick Do and one Don’t (one sentence each). This turns guidance into behaviors your team can follow instantly.
5. Test: apply the checklist to two real messages (one short email, one longer paragraph). Tweak wording so it matches your team’s voice.
6. Share & iterate: save the one-page checklist in your shared drive, announce it as the new quick reference, and plan a 10-minute check-in after a week to refine.

What to expect

Initial setup is fast (15–45 minutes). Early versions are intentionally small — a 1-page checklist beats a 10-page style guide for adoption. Expect better consistency within a week and a much easier QA conversation when editing others’ work.

Small tip: make the checklist visible where people write (pinned note or template) and review two examples monthly. That keeps it practical and stops it becoming another ignored doc.

Try the 5-minute quick win now and you’ll have a usable checklist to test on your next message. It’s low effort, high impact—exactly the side-hustle way to improve communications without disrupting work.

[Fiona Freelance Financier]

Noted and useful: keeping things simple to reduce team stress is exactly the right goal — small, repeatable routines beat complicated rules every time. Below I’ll outline a clear, practical path to have AI generate short voice and style checklists your team can actually follow.

What you’ll need

• 2–5 representative writing samples that reflect current work (emails, web copy, or briefs).
• A short list of your brand’s high-level priorities (e.g., friendly, concise, authoritative).
• Access to an AI assistant (chat interface is fine) and a place to store the checklist (shared doc or internal wiki).

How to do it — step by step

1. Collect samples and note 3–5 voice pillars (tone, formality, pronouns, jargon use, sentence length).
2. Ask the AI to review one sample and highlight where it’s on- or off-brand, then to extract 6–8 concrete checklist items (short phrases) that someone can follow in 60 seconds.
3. Iterate: have the AI produce three variants — a one-line quick checklist, a short checklist with examples, and a training checklist with a corrective example and why it’s off-brand.
4. Test with the team: ask three people to use the checklist on a real piece of work and collect one simple metric (time to edit, clarity score, or a quick thumbs-up/down).
5. Refine monthly: keep the quick checklist and update examples as language or priorities shift.

What to expect

• A concise 6–8 item checklist you can print or pin in a doc and that a teammate can read in under a minute.
• Variants that serve different moments: a 1-line reminder for quick edits, a slightly longer guide for drafting, and a short training card for onboarding.
• Faster reviews and fewer subjective disagreements because the team follows the same simple rules.

How to ask the AI (conversation-style prompt guidance)

• Quick variant: Ask the AI to produce a 1-line checklist that captures your chosen voice pillars — use plain verbs and no jargon.
• Practical variant: Ask for a 6–8 item checklist where each item is a short action (e.g., “Use active verbs,” “Avoid internal acronyms”) plus one short example showing correct vs. incorrect wording.
• Onboarding variant: Ask for a training card that explains the top 3 common mistakes, one corrective example per mistake, and a 30-second script a reviewer can use when giving feedback.

Keep it iterative and low-friction: aim for checklists that can be read in under a minute and applied in the next draft. That routine will lower stress and create consistent output without heavy policing.

[aaron]

You’re asking for simple, repeatable voice and style checklists. Smart. Checklists beat long style guides for speed and consistency.

Quick win (under 5 minutes): Paste three of your best-performing pieces into your AI tool and use the prompt below. You’ll get a one-page, 10-point checklist you can hand to the team today.

• Copy-paste prompt:“Analyze the following content (3 items). Derive our brand voice and style patterns. Produce a one-page checklist with 10 must-do items and a 10-point scoring rubric. Include: tone descriptors (3–5), reading level target, sentence length target, words to prefer/avoid, formatting rules, evidence style, CTA formula, and 2 short ‘before/after’ examples. Keep it plain, specific, and testable. Content: [Paste content A] [Paste content B] [Paste content C] Audience: [Describe your audience] Goal: [e.g., book a call, reply, click].”

The problem: Without a shared voice and style, every draft feels like a rewrite. Managers edit tone; writers guess. Productivity tanks. Brand trust erodes.

Why it matters: Consistent voice moves metrics—higher reply rates, lower edit cycles, more conversions. A tight checklist lets non-writers hit brand standards without hand-holding.

What I’ve learned: After building dozens of brand systems, the simplest scalable stack is: a one-page checklist + a 10-point scorecard + channel modifiers + an AI checker prompt. Lightweight, fast, enforceable.

What you’ll need:

• 3–5 top-performing assets (emails, pages, posts)
• A basic audience description and your primary CTA
• Any LLM (ChatGPT or similar)

Step-by-step (from zero to usable in a day):

1. Collect inputs (15–30 min). Pick winning pieces with clear outcomes (opens, replies, demo bookings). Write a one-sentence brand promise and your #1 CTA.
2. Generate the checklist (10 min). Use the quick-win prompt. Expect: a concise, testable list. If it’s generic, add more samples and specify “be concrete; give numeric targets.”
3. Create the scorecard (10 min). Ask the AI to convert the checklist into a 10-point rubric with weights and yes/no criteria.
4. Add channel modifiers (10 min). Email vs. LinkedIn vs. landing pages need small deltas. Use the prompt below.
5. Build templates (20–30 min). Turn the rules into 2–3 fill-in-the-blank skeletons (outreach email, LinkedIn post, landing hero). Have AI rewrite one of your older pieces to the new standard.
6. Set up an AI “tone checker” (5 min). Use the scoring prompt to grade every draft and auto-suggest fixes.
7. Distribute and enforce. Save the checklist and scorecard as a one-pager. Require a score of 8/10+ before manager review.

Premium prompts (copy-paste):

• 1) One-page Voice & Style Checklist“From the content and context below, produce a one-page Voice & Style Checklist. Output sections: 1) Tone (5 adjectives), 2) Audience & POV (1–2 lines), 3) Reading level target (e.g., Grade 7–9), 4) Sentence/paragraph rules (numbers), 5) Words to prefer/avoid (10/10), 6) Proof style (data, anecdotes), 7) CTA formula (structure + example), 8) Formatting (bullets, bold, symmetry), 9) Do/Don’t list (8 items), 10) Two 80-word examples (before/after). Be specific and measurable. Inputs: [Paste 3–5 samples]. Audience: [Describe]. Goal: [Primary CTA]. Constraints: short, testable, non-generic.”
• 2) 10-Point Scorecard + Auto-Fix“Turn the checklist into a 10-point rubric with weighted criteria and yes/no checks. Then evaluate this draft and give: a) overall score, b) line-by-line fixes, c) a fully revised version that reaches ≥8/10. Checklist: [Paste]. Draft: [Paste].”
• 3) Channel Modifiers“Using our checklist, list channel-specific modifiers for Email Outreach, LinkedIn Post, and Landing Page: tone tweaks, length, formatting, CTA phrasing, and banned words. Keep it to bullet points and measurable rules.”

What to expect: A usable, one-page standard your team can apply immediately; a scorecard that cuts revision loops; channel tweaks that reduce guesswork; faster approvals.

Metrics to track (weekly):

• Time from draft to approve (minutes)
• Revision rounds per asset
• Readability (Flesch/Grade level) vs. target
• CTA performance (reply rate, CTR, demo bookings)
• Brand tone score from the AI checker (aim ≥8/10)
• Negative feedback/complaints about tone (count)

Common mistakes and fixes:

• Too generic output → Feed winning samples only; require numeric targets and banned words.
• Over-policing creativity → Mark 3–4 rules as “must” and the rest as “nice to have.”
• Ignoring channels → Add explicit modifiers; email ≠ social ≠ landing.
• One-and-done → Recalibrate quarterly with new top performers.
• No examples → Always include before/after snippets so writers can see the shift.

One-week plan:

• Day 1: Gather 3–5 winners; run the checklist prompt; circulate v1.
• Day 2: Build the scorecard and channel modifiers; set 8/10 pass threshold.
• Day 3: Pilot on one email and one post; measure time-to-approve and tone score.
• Day 4: Create 3 templates (email, LinkedIn, landing hero); add examples.
• Day 5: Train the team in 30 minutes; require self-scoring before submission.
• Day 6: Roll into your workflow (docs or CMS); make the AI checker step mandatory.
• Day 7: Review metrics, adjust 1–2 rules, lock v1.1 for 90 days.

Insider tip: Build a “banned and preferred words” list from your top 50 sales calls or testimonials. That language tightens persuasion and speeds trust.

Turn this into your team’s default. Fewer rewrites. Faster approvals. Better results.

[Author]

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