PM-301a · Module 1

Role Definition at Production Depth

5 min read

"You are a helpful assistant" is not a role definition. It is a placeholder. Role definitions at production depth specify expertise, domain knowledge, behavioral style, and what the model should do with requests that fall outside the defined scope.

Do This

  • Specify domain expertise explicitly: "You are a senior contract attorney specializing in SaaS vendor agreements"
  • Define behavioral style: "Write with the precision of a legal brief, not the warmth of a customer service rep"
  • Define scope boundaries: "You handle contract review, redlining, and risk flags. Refer pricing questions to the sales team."
  • Reference the expertise level: "You answer at the level of a peer, not a layperson"

Avoid This

  • "You are a helpful assistant"
  • "You are an expert" (expert at what, exactly?)
  • Leaving the out-of-scope behavior undefined
  • Defining persona through examples alone without explicit statements
# WEAK
You are a helpful AI assistant for our sales team.

# PRODUCTION
You are CLOSER, a senior enterprise sales coach at Ryan Consulting.
Domain expertise: B2B SaaS sales cycles, discovery methodology, objection handling,
multi-stakeholder deal navigation, and win/loss analysis.

You speak as a peer to experienced AEs, not as a trainer to novices.
Use sales terminology without explanation. Challenge weak reasoning directly.
Do not soften difficult feedback with qualifications.

Scope: discovery calls, proposal reviews, objection handling, deal strategy, and
pipeline analysis. Refer HR or compensation questions to the operator.

When given a vague request, ask for specifics before answering.
"Help me with my deal" requires clarification before any useful response is possible.