This is the third article in my series on AI Superpowers. Feel free to go and check out the previous articles: series overview and the first superpower: Understand.
I hope you’ll forgive me for saying this, but to me, that blinking cursor on a blank page might as well be a middle finger. I’m confident we’ve all been there – staring at an empty document, knowing exactly what we need to communicate but somehow unable to type the first sentence.
For years, I accepted this as just part of the job. Until I didn’t have to anymore.
AI doesn’t replace your creativity – it removes the obstacles that keep your creativity from flowing.
When “Just Write Something” Becomes “Write Something Better”
In my sales days, I once spent three hours crafting a follow-up email to a prospect who had suddenly gone cold. Three hours! I tried version after version, each sounding either too desperate (“please, please respond”) or too aggressive (“are you going to sign this contract or what?”).
Sound familiar?
What I needed wasn’t more writing skill – it was a way to filter my emotional state (“panic and frustration”) into professional communication (“confident and helpful”).
This is precisely where AI content generation shines. To me, it’s becoming as natural as using a calculator or spell-checking – not replacing our thoughts but giving us new perspectives and enhancing how we express them.
Fast forward to today where I am using AI for that sales follow-up, I simply explain the situation and my desired outcome. Within minutes, I have three different approaches that strike the perfect balance between persistence and professionalism. I know I’ve sent them a message that is relevant and right for them. And the result is often a prospect that responds quickly, and deals getting closed quicker.
The Hidden Benefits Nobody Talks About
The obvious benefit of AI content generation is time savings. But there are deeper advantages we rarely discuss:
- Emotional filtering: When you’re frustrated with a coworker but need to send a constructive email, AI helps transform reactive thoughts into productive communication.
- Neurodiversity support: For team members with dyslexia, ADHD, or different communication styles, AI content tools can bridge the gap between brilliant ideas and effective expression.
- Consistency insurance: Even on your worst days – sleep-deprived, stressed, rushing between meetings – AI helps maintain communication quality.
One of my favorite little AI content hacks? Adding emojis to my social media posts. I love emojis but always avoided them because it takes too much clicking to find and add them. Now I just ask AI to “add appropriate emojis” and suddenly my posts have personality without the hassle. It also helps make sure I’m actually writing all the words in a sentence and not randomly skipping some because I am a very fast typist (not always accurate, but certainly very fast). 
A real-world example comes from IntouchCX, who worked with one of the world’s leading beauty brands to transform their customer service. Their agents found selecting the right email templates so tedious that they were starting from blank emails instead, leading to inconsistent quality. By implementing AI assistance that analyzed incoming customer emails and recommended relevant, pre-drafted answers, they achieved remarkable results: 10% improvement in customer satisfaction, 49.3% productivity improvement on emails, and 17% better first-contact resolution. The agents could now focus on adding empathy and personalization rather than searching for the right template.
Content Generation Superpowers You Need Now
Here’s where AI content generation transforms your workday:
- Getting past the blank page: When you know what you need to say but can’t find the words, AI provides structure and starter text that you can refine.
- Tidying up: Already written something but it doesn’t quite land? AI can help polish rough drafts into clear, compelling communications.
- Expanding: Turn your bullet points into paragraphs, brief notes into detailed explanations.
- Summarizing: Transform lengthy reports or meeting transcripts into concise, action-oriented summaries.
- Repurposing: Convert that detailed report into a presentation script, or that internal documentation into client-facing materials.
Just last week, I built an AI automation agent that automatically researches a prospect organization, finds a contact, researches that individual, and then drafts a personalized outreach email based on my goals and tone of voice. Could I have done this manually? Absolutely. I’m actually a really great writer…I’m SLOW but I’m great. Would I actually do all this research and personalization for every prospect? Not a chance. Even though I know I should, there just isn’t enough time or priority to generate the best, personalized message for everyone.
By combining the understanding superpower (researching clients and contacts) WITH this creation superpower, I’m now both super efficient and effective. What would have taken me 30+ minutes per prospect now happens in minutes, with better personalization than I would have managed on my own.
The goal isn’t to just create MORE content more QUICKLY – it’s to create BETTER content that actually achieves its PURPOSE more QUICKLY.
The 20-60-20 Framework for Ethical Content Generation
To use AI content generation ethically and effectively, follow this simple framework:
- 20% YOU: You provide context, goals, and specific requirements. The clearer your direction, the better the results. This is where you set the intention and parameters.
- 60% DO: Let AI create draft content, alternatives, and variations based on your direction. This is where you overcome blank page syndrome and explore possibilities.
- 20% YOU: You review, edit, personalize, and approve. Add your unique insights, check facts, and ensure the voice feels authentic to you. This is where you make it yours.
This balanced approach prevents overreliance on AI while maximizing its benefits. You remain firmly in the driver’s seat while letting AI handle the heavy lifting.
Getting Started: Your Content Generation Toolkit
Ready to harness this superpower? Here are your next steps:
- Take inventory of everything you write. Where do you find yourself staring at the cursor? Which communications take the most time? Where could you use help maintaining consistency?
- Start with three specific content types that cause you the most friction. Email follow-ups, meeting summaries, and feedback are great places to begin.
- Use the PREPARED framework for better prompts. I’ve created a comprehensive guide on this framework that you can find here.
- Be patient with yourself. You weren’t born knowing how to turn a great phrase, and learning to write WITH AI requires practice and patience, too. But it will be worth it.
For more inspiration, check out my prompt library with dozens of templates for common business communications. Try starting with challenging scenarios like providing difficult feedback or crafting follow-up emails for unresponsive contacts.
Most importantly, remember that the output always needs to be YOU. No matter when or where you use AI for writing, review and tweak the results to ensure they reflect your voice, values, and vision. The 20% refinement stage isn’t optional—it’s essential for authentic communication.
When approaching different types of content, adjust how you use AI:
- For routine communications: Let AI generate complete drafts that you can quickly review and tweak.
- For sensitive or personal messages: Use AI as a thought partner—have it suggest approaches, help you structure your thoughts, or offer alternative phrasing for difficult concepts while you maintain tight control over the tone and nuance.
Finally, experiment with different AI writing tools—Claude writes differently than ChatGPT, for example. Learn to use custom instructions to help the generated content sound more like you. I’ve written an in-depth guide on this here that will help you create more personalized outputs from the start.
Your AI Content Challenge
This week, try the following:
- identify one recurring content task that consistently slows you down. Apply the 20-60-20 framework and track both time saved and quality improvement.
- ask your colleagues/buddies, “what have you used AI to help you create recently?” – The answers might surprise and inspire you!
Whether it’s meeting summaries that nobody reads, feedback emails you procrastinate writing, or proposals that take too long to customize – AI content generation can transform these pain points into opportunities for better communication.
Stay tuned for the next article in this series, where we’ll explore the third AI superpower: Automation.
Having trouble finding your content generation groove? Drop me a note about your toughest writing challenge, and I’ll share a personalized prompt to help you break through. Your keyboard will thank you.
