8 AI prompts to uncover hidden customer pain points and write better copy
Most founders write copy about the wrong problem. These 8 prompts fix that.
Most entrepreneurs write copy about the problems they think their customers have. The ones that sell well write about the problems their customers can’t stop thinking about at 2am.
Those are different problems. And finding the second kind takes more than a survey or a guess.
AI is genuinely good at this, if you know how to ask. The prompts below go past surface-level frustrations into the specific, embarrassing, expensive problems your audience is sitting with. Work through them in order. By the end, you’ll have raw material for copy that feels like you read your customer’s journal.
Start with what your audience is already saying
Prompt 1: The complaint mining prompt
What it does: Pulls real language from the kinds of public complaints your audience posts online, organized by urgency and emotion.
When to use it: Before you write a single word of copy, to get the actual vocabulary your audience uses.
The prompt:
Act as a customer research analyst. My target audience is [DESCRIBE YOUR AUDIENCE - e.g., "solo consultants who sell $5k-$15k coaching packages"]. They are trying to [MAIN GOAL - e.g., "consistently fill their client pipeline"].
Imagine you've read 200 Reddit threads, forum posts and Facebook group discussions where this audience vents about their frustrations.
Give me:
1. The 5 most common complaints, written in their exact words (not cleaned up)
2. The 3 complaints they seem most ashamed of (the ones they lower their voice to say)
3. The 2 complaints they've basically given up on fixing
For each one, tell me: what they blame (themselves, a tool, the market, timing)?How to use it:
Fill in your audience and their main goal as specifically as you can
Run it and read the shame-based complaints first. Those are almost always the ones that convert
Highlight any phrase that sounds like something you’d actually say out loud
Example input: Audience: “e-commerce store owners doing $10k-$50k/month.” Main goal: “get profitable without burning out on ads.”
What you’ll get: A list of complaints sorted by emotional charge, with insight into who (or what) your audience blames for their situation.
One note: The shame-based complaints are where the best copy lives. Most people avoid writing to those because it feels uncomfortable. That discomfort is a signal you’re onto something.
Prompt 2: The gap between “said” and “meant” prompt
What it does: Translates polite, sanitized customer language into what they’re actually feeling.
When to use it: After you’ve collected survey data, testimonials or customer interviews that sound generic.
The prompt:
I'm going to give you some feedback I've collected from my customers. Your job is to translate each piece from "polite customer speak" into the raw, honest version of what they probably meant.
For each one:
- Write the sanitized version (what they said)
- Write the honest version (what they likely meant, including the frustration they held back)
- Identify the specific fear or loss underneath the complaint
My customer feedback:
[PASTE 5-10 PIECES OF FEEDBACK, TESTIMONIALS OR SURVEY RESPONSES]How to use it:
Paste in feedback you’ve actually collected, even if it seems positive
Pay attention to the “specific fear or loss” column, that’s your copy angle
If the honest version surprises you, you’ve been writing to the wrong problem
Example input: Feedback: “I just wish the process was a bit more straightforward.” / “It took longer than I expected to see results.”
What you’ll get: A side-by-side breakdown of what customers said vs what they were actually frustrated by, with the underlying fear named directly.
One note: Positive feedback often hides complaints. “It took longer than expected” almost always means “I was embarrassed to admit it wasn’t working.”
Prompt 3: The before-state excavation prompt
What it does: Maps the emotional and practical state your customer is in right before they go looking for a solution like yours.
When to use it: When your copy talks about features or outcomes but doesn’t capture the desperation (or exhaustion) that gets people to buy.
The prompt:
My product/service is [DESCRIBE WHAT YOU SELL].
My customer is [DESCRIBE WHO BUYS IT].
Describe in detail what the 24 hours before they purchase looks like. I want:
1. What they're physically doing (the specific task that's frustrating them)
2. What they're telling themselves (the internal dialogue, including the self-criticism)
3. What they've already tried (and why it didn't work)
4. The moment they decide to search for a solution - what triggers it
5. What they're afraid will happen if they don't fix this soon
Write this as a narrative, not a list.How to use it:
Read the output and mark any sentence that describes your customer specifically (not just anyone with this type of problem)
Lift those specific phrases directly into your copy
The trigger moment in #4 is often your best ad hook
Example input: Product: “A project management template for freelance designers.” Customer: “Freelancers who are juggling 4-6 clients and missing deadlines.”
What you’ll get: A detailed narrative of your customer’s worst day, written in a way that’s directly usable in copy.
One note: If the narrative feels generic, add more specifics about your customer. The more constrained the prompt, the more useful the output.
You just got 3 prompts that go past surface complaints into the actual emotional state driving your customer’s decisions.
But knowing the problem is only half the work. The next 5 prompts handle turning that raw intelligence into copy angles:
Finding the exact words that trigger recognition (”that’s me”)
Writing the before/after contrast without sounding like an infomercial
Surfacing objections before your customer raises them
Plus: a ready-to-use customer voice capture template
Upgrade to get the complete system.
Turn insight into copy that sticks
Prompt 4: The “that’s exactly me” phrase finder
What it does: Generates hyper-specific phrases your audience uses to describe themselves and their situation, the kind that make readers think you’re in their head.
When to use it: When writing headlines, email subject lines or the opening line of a sales page.
The prompt: