5 Prompt Templates for Business Strategy

I spent a decade in management consulting before going out on my own. One thing I learned is that strategic thinking isn't about having all the answers—it's about asking better questions.

AI makes a surprisingly good thinking partner for strategic decisions. Not because it knows your business better than you do, but because it forces you to articulate your assumptions and consider angles you might have missed.

These templates are the ones I use with clients when we need to think through something important.

1. Competitive Analysis

What I tell my clients is: know your competition, but don't obsess over them. This prompt gives you a clear picture without drowning in data.

Analyze the competitive landscape for [YOUR BUSINESS/INDUSTRY].

Known competitors: [LIST MAIN COMPETITORS]
Our positioning: [HOW YOU POSITION YOURSELF]

For each competitor, identify:
1. Their likely strategy
2. Their strengths we should respect
3. Their weaknesses we could exploit
4. What they might do next

Then recommend: Where should we compete, and where should we avoid competing?

The bottom line is: the last question is the important one. Everything else is just input for that decision.

2. Decision Framework

Big decisions deserve structured thinking. This prompt forces you to look at all angles before committing.

Help me think through this decision: [DECISION]

Options I'm considering:
- [OPTION 1]
- [OPTION 2]
- [OPTION 3]

For each option, analyze:
1. Pros (advantages)
2. Cons (disadvantages)
3. Risks (what could go wrong)
4. Requirements (what we need to succeed)
5. Second-order effects (consequences of consequences)

What questions should I be asking that I'm not asking?

Finally: What would you recommend and why?

The real value here is the "second-order effects" question. Most people stop at pros and cons. The ripple effects are usually where you get surprised.

3. Scenario Planning

Hope for the best, plan for the worst. This prompt gives you a playbook for multiple futures.

Help me plan for different scenarios in [TIMEFRAME] for [YOUR BUSINESS].

Current situation: [DESCRIBE]

Create three scenarios:
1. Optimistic: Things go better than expected
2. Realistic: Things proceed roughly as planned
3. Pessimistic: Things go worse than expected

For each scenario:
- What triggers this scenario?
- What does it look like?
- How should we prepare?
- What's our action plan?

What early signals should we watch for?

What I tell my clients is: the early signals question is where you get the most value. Knowing what to watch for lets you adapt faster than competitors.

4. SWOT Analysis

SWOT is a classic for a reason. But most SWOT analyses are too generic to be useful. This prompt pushes for specifics.

Conduct a SWOT analysis for [YOUR BUSINESS].

Context:
- Industry: [INDUSTRY]
- Stage: [STARTUP/GROWTH/MATURE]
- Main offering: [WHAT YOU SELL]
- Target market: [WHO YOU SERVE]

Be specific and actionable:
- Strengths: What genuine advantages do we have?
- Weaknesses: What holds us back?
- Opportunities: What could we capitalize on?
- Threats: What could hurt us?

Then: What strategic priorities emerge from this analysis?

The bottom line is: the final question forces you to go from analysis to action. A SWOT that doesn't lead to priorities is just an exercise.

5. Pricing Strategy

Pricing is one of the highest-leverage decisions you'll make. Get it wrong and you leave money on the table. Get it really wrong and you kill the business.

Help me think through pricing for [PRODUCT/SERVICE].

Current pricing: [IF ANY]
Cost to deliver: [COSTS]
Target market: [WHO]
Competitors charge: [RANGE]
Value delivered: [WHAT CUSTOMERS GET]

Analyze:
1. What pricing models would work? (subscription, one-time, tiered, etc.)
2. What price point maximizes revenue?
3. How does pricing affect positioning?
4. What objections will customers have?

Recommend a pricing strategy with reasoning.

The real value here is question 3—pricing isn't just about numbers. Your price tells customers what kind of product you are.

A Note on Using These

These templates work best when you're brutally honest about your situation. If you feed it optimistic assumptions, you'll get optimistic analysis. That's not helpful.

Don't treat the output as an answer. Treat it as a starting point for your own thinking. The AI surfaces considerations; you make the decisions.

Keep Reading

• AI Prompts for Small Business Owners - More practical business templates
• Chain of Thought Prompting - Better reasoning for complex decisions
• Common AI Prompting Mistakes - Avoid costly errors in business contexts

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