A calm, jargon-free guide to choosing AI tools and putting them to work on the jobs that eat your week — assessment reports, client diagnostics, and proposals. No tech background required.
As a consultant, your value is your thinking — yet much of your week disappears into drafting documents, formatting proposals, and turning messy notes into something client-ready. This is exactly where AI shines: it gets you a strong first draft in minutes, so you spend your time on judgement, strategy, and the client relationship.
Below you'll find a quick comparison of the AI tools most useful to consultants, then three practical workflows you can use this week.
You don't need all of these. Start with one writing assistant, then add a research and a notes tool as your workflow grows.
| Tool | Best for | Consultant use cases | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | All-round drafting & thinking partner | Assessment reports, proposals, reframing client notes | Free tier; Plus ~$20/mo |
| Claude | Long documents & nuanced writing | Diagnostics, summarising long transcripts, careful editing | Free tier; Pro ~$20/mo |
| Perplexity | Research with sources | Market scans, competitor context, fact-checking | Free tier; Pro ~$20/mo |
| Otter / Fireflies | Meeting capture | Client call notes, action items, discovery transcripts | Free tier; paid from ~$10/mo |
| Canva (Magic) | Visual reports & decks | Polished proposals, one-page diagnostics, slides | Free tier; Pro ~$13/mo |
Turn raw findings and notes into a clear, structured first draft. Ask AI for an executive summary, key findings, and prioritised recommendations — then edit in your voice and judgement.
Use AI to build diagnostic frameworks and discovery question sets, then organise messy interview notes into themes so the real problem surfaces faster.
Go from blank page to a persuasive proposal draft in minutes — scope, deliverables, timeline, and pricing rationale — so you spend your time on strategy, not formatting.
There's no single winner — most consultants pair a strong writing assistant like ChatGPT or Claude with a research tool like Perplexity and a meeting-notes tool like Otter or Fireflies. Start with one free tool and add others as your workflow grows.
Treat client data with care. Anonymise sensitive details, check each tool's data and privacy settings, and follow any confidentiality agreements. Use AI to structure and draft, while keeping your professional judgement and review in the loop.
No. Modern AI tools work through plain-language chat. The skill that matters is asking clear questions and reviewing the output — exactly what the AI Made Simple course teaches step by step.
Consultants commonly cut drafting time for reports, proposals, and notes by 50–80%. The biggest gains come from first drafts and summarising — AI gets you 80% of the way, then you add the expertise.
AI Made Simple is a calm, beginner-friendly course that walks you through using AI to save time on reports, proposals, content, and client work — step by step.
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AI Made Simple