Examples & Guardrails

These fields provide additional training and boundaries for your persona. They answer: “What patterns should I repeat?” and “What should I never do?”

Section Overview

Location in UI: Section 4 - “Examples & Guardrails” (Optional - Collapsed by Default)

Fields in this section:

What response patterns define your style?
What should your persona avoid or always do?

Time to complete: 15-25 minutes

Why this matters: These fields fine-tune your persona’s behavior through concrete examples and safety boundaries.

Is this required? No, but recommended for professional domains where consistency and compliance matter.

Field: “What response patterns define your style?”

What it is: Define 3-5 specific techniques your persona uses. Give each pattern a name and show 2-3 short example quotes.

Purpose:

Highlights repeatable patterns that make your style unique
Shows what distinguishes you from other experts
Provides concrete examples of style elements

What to include:

3-5 distinct patterns
Each pattern: name + description + 2-3 example quotes
Cover different situations (diagnosis, recommendation, objection handling, etc.)
Show observable, repeatable techniques

Target Length: 3-5 patterns with 2-3 examples each

Format: Pattern name, description, and example quotes

Format Template

**Pattern 1: [Pattern Name]**
[Brief description of when/how this pattern is used]
- "[Example quote showing pattern]"
- "[Another example quote]"

**Pattern 2: [Pattern Name]**
[Description]
- "[Example]"
...

Complete Example

**Pattern 1: Market Data Integration**
When discussing pricing or market conditions, Sarah always cites specific data:
- "Condos in Noe Valley are averaging $1,200/sq ft right now, up 8% year-over-year."
- "Inventory in your price range is at a 3-month supply - that's a balanced market, not the bidding wars we saw in 2021."

**Pattern 2: Options with Trade-offs**
Sarah doesn't just list options, she explains pros/cons:
- "You could go for a move-in ready condo at $1.4M, or a fixer in the same neighborhood at $1.1M. The condo = no work but premium price. The fixer = equity upside but 6+ months of renovations. Which sounds more like you?"

**Pattern 3: Direct Next Steps**
Sarah always ends with clear action items:
- "Here's what I'd do: (1) Get pre-approved this week, (2) Let me send you 5 listings that fit your criteria, (3) Schedule showings for next weekend. Sound good?"

More Examples by Professional Type

Sales Professional:

**Pattern 1: Diagnostic Questions**
Jake always qualifies before prescribing:
- "Before we talk tactics, tell me: who owns the budget for this purchase? Is it you or someone else?"
- "What does winning this deal mean for you personally? Commission aside, career-wise?"

**Pattern 2: Real Example Stories**
Jake shares specific deal scenarios:
- "I had a rep lose a $300k deal last month because he skipped multi-threading. Talked to the VP, ignored the CFO, lost on price. Don't be that guy."
- "Here's what worked for me at Salesforce: I'd send the CFO a one-pager showing 3-year TCO, not feature lists."

**Pattern 3: Direct Call-Outs**
Jake challenges you when you're making mistakes:
- "That's a red flag. If they won't give you access to the economic buyer, you're probably not going to win."
- "You're selling features, not value. Stop. What business problem are you solving?"

Management Consultant:

**Pattern 1: Framework Application**
Dr. Sharma always anchors in established frameworks:
- "Let's use Porter's Five Forces here. Your biggest threat isn't current competitors - it's new entrants with lower CAC."
- "This is a classic Value Chain issue. You're optimizing the wrong part of the chain."

**Pattern 2: Quantified Impact**
Dr. Sharma estimates ROI on recommendations:
- "If you fix your churn from 5% to 3%, that's $2M in retained ARR annually. Worth the 6-month project."
- "Quick win: Automate that process. 10 hours per week saved = $50k annually at your team's cost."

**Pattern 3: Phased Roadmaps**
Dr. Sharma breaks solutions into phases:
- "Phase 1 (Months 1-2): Quick wins - fix the broken lead routing. Phase 2 (Months 3-6): Strategic - rebuild the sales comp plan."

Tips

Do:

✅ Label each pattern clearly
✅ Show 2-3 concrete examples per pattern
✅ Make patterns observable and repeatable
✅ Use actual quotes you’d say
✅ Cover different conversation scenarios

Don’t:

❌ Don’t describe patterns abstractly without examples
❌ Don’t make patterns too similar to each other
❌ Don’t invent patterns you don’t actually use
❌ Don’t go beyond 7 patterns (diminishing returns)

Why This Matters

Response patterns teach your persona:

Specific techniques you repeatedly use
Language style and phrasing
When to apply different approaches
What makes you unique as an expert

In the UI

Located in “Examples & Guardrails (Optional)” section
Section collapsed by default
One of the longer fields (supports extensive content)
Supports markdown formatting

Field: “What should your persona avoid or always do?”

What it is: Hard rules and boundaries for what your persona should never do or always follow.

Purpose:

Sets safety boundaries and conversation limits
Prevents the persona from giving advice outside expertise
Ensures compliance with professional or legal constraints

What to include:

Topics to absolutely avoid (medical advice, legal advice, financial predictions)
Things to always do (ask for clarification, cite sources, admit limitations)
Compliance requirements (disclaimers, regulatory constraints)
Ethical boundaries

Target Length: 3-7 rules

Format: Bulleted or numbered list of clear rules

Format Template

**Never:**
- [Rule about what to avoid]
- [Another avoidance rule]
- [Another avoidance rule]

**Always:**
- [Rule about what to always do]
- [Another always rule]
- [Another always rule]

Complete Example

**Never:**
- Provide specific stock recommendations or financial predictions
- Give legal advice about contracts without suggesting a real estate attorney
- Make guarantees about property appreciation or returns
- Discuss other brokers' confidential listings

**Always:**
- Cite sources for market data and statistics
- Recommend consulting professionals for legal, tax, or structural issues
- Admit when a neighborhood or property type is outside your expertise
- Disclose when presenting opinion vs fact

More Examples by Professional Type

Sales Professional:

**Never:**
- Promise specific ROI numbers for the client's business (you don't have their data)
- Bash competitors by name (unprofessional)
- Guarantee specific outcomes ("you'll definitely close the deal")
- Share confidential tactics from current employers

**Always:**
- Qualify that your advice is based on common patterns, not their specific situation
- Recommend they test tactics in their own context before scaling
- Admit when you don't have experience in their specific industry
- Cite where tactics come from (your experience, specific frameworks, etc.)

Management Consultant:

**Never:**
- Provide legal, accounting, or HR compliance advice (outside scope)
- Make strategic recommendations without understanding client context
- Guarantee specific business outcomes or ROI
- Share confidential client case studies without anonymization

**Always:**
- Recommend involving relevant experts (lawyers, accountants, engineers)
- Quantify assumptions behind recommendations ("assuming 20% conversion rate...")
- Admit when a problem is outside your domain expertise
- Cite frameworks and sources for claims

Software Engineer:

**Never:**
- Debug production systems without proper access and context
- Recommend security practices that could create vulnerabilities
- Provide legal advice on licensing or intellectual property
- Make performance claims without benchmarking data

**Always:**
- Recommend testing in development before production
- Cite sources for best practices (official docs, RFCs, industry standards)
- Admit when a technology is outside your hands-on experience
- Warn about potential risks and trade-offs

Healthcare/Wellness:

**Never:**
- Provide medical diagnoses or treatment recommendations
- Suggest stopping or changing prescribed medications
- Guarantee health outcomes
- Give advice that contradicts licensed medical professionals

**Always:**
- Recommend consulting with a licensed healthcare provider
- Clarify when sharing general wellness information vs medical advice
- Cite credible sources (peer-reviewed studies, health organizations)
- Acknowledge individual health situations vary

Tips

Do:

✅ Be explicit and unambiguous
✅ Include both “never” and “always” rules
✅ Consider legal/compliance requirements for your field
✅ Set clear expertise boundaries
✅ Think about worst-case scenarios

Don’t:

❌ Don’t be too restrictive (persona needs room to be helpful)
❌ Don’t use vague language (“try to avoid” → “never”)
❌ Don’t skip this if you’re in a regulated field (law, finance, healthcare)
❌ Don’t go beyond 10 rules (too constraining)

Why This Matters

Guardrails ensure:

Safety: Prevents harmful or inappropriate advice
Legal protection: Reduces liability risks
Trust: Users know the boundaries and limitations
Quality: Persona stays within expertise areas

In the UI

Located in “Examples & Guardrails (Optional)” section
Section collapsed by default
Marked as optional but recommended for professional domains
Supports markdown formatting

Best Practices for This Section

1. Make Patterns Observable

Your response patterns should be things a user can actually see:

Observable (✅):

“Always cite specific data when discussing pricing”

Not Observable (❌):

“Be helpful and informative”

2. Balance Rules with Flexibility

Don’t over-constrain your persona. Good guardrails:

Prevent serious mistakes
Maintain professional standards
Set expertise boundaries

But allow flexibility in HOW the persona achieves goals.

3. Test Your Guardrails

After setting guardrails, test by asking your persona:

Questions outside its expertise → Should admit limitations
Requests for guarantees → Should decline appropriately
Regulated advice (legal, medical) → Should refer to professionals

Testing Your Configuration

After filling out these fields:

Test response patterns:
- Ask questions that should trigger each pattern
- Check if your persona uses the example language
Test guardrails:
- Ask for advice outside expertise
- Request guarantees or predictions
- Verify appropriate boundaries are maintained

Common Questions

Q: How many response patterns should I include?

A: Start with 3-5 patterns. Focus on:

Most distinctive pattern (what makes you unique)
Most frequently used pattern
Pattern for handling objections/concerns

You can add more later as you identify additional patterns.

Q: What if I don’t have strict rules for my field?

A: Every field has some boundaries. At minimum, include:

Admit when something is outside your expertise
Disclose when giving opinion vs established fact
Recommend seeking additional experts when appropriate

Q: Should guardrails be strict or flexible?

A: Use “never” for serious issues (legal, safety, harmful advice). Use “always” for professional standards. Allow flexibility everywhere else.

Q: Can I update patterns and guardrails later?

A: Yes! These should evolve as you:

Notice patterns you use but didn’t document
Identify edge cases or problem areas
Add new expertise areas

Review quarterly and update based on actual conversations.

Next Steps

Once you’ve configured this section:

✅ Save your changes in the Prompt Configuration page
🧪 Comprehensive test - Try conversations testing all your patterns and guardrails
📚 Review: Professional Examples for complete configurations
📖 Read: Best Practices for optimization tips

Previous: Communication Style ← Next: Professional Examples →