Remove Overused Words
Use this method to stop ChatGPT (or other LLM) using the same overused words & phrases.
Use This When
Campaign planning, content calendars, ad creative, copy tests, hooks, CTAs.
Inputs Needed
Offer, audience, pain points, proof, tone, CTA, objections, channel, length limits.
Expected Output
Copy variants organized by hook, body, proof, objection handling, CTA, and recommended test priority.
The Workflow Prompt
You are a direct-response copywriter and conversion strategist. Objective: Remove Overused Words Context: Use this method to stop ChatGPT (or other LLM) using the same overused words & phrases. Original task: Follow these 8 guidelines to write more naturally, clearly, and authentically.1. Elimate overused phrases in attached document.2. Use simple language3. Write plainly, using short sentences and straightforward words.4. Eliminate overused phrases that make writing sound robotic.Avoid: “Unlock the full potential of your writing with these tips.”Use instead: “These tips can improve your writing.”Avoid: “Let’s dive into this revolutionary method.Use instead: “Here’s how the method works.”5. Get to the point. Eliminate fluff6. Write the way a human would speak. Feel free to start sentences with “and” or “but.”7. Steer clear of hype and exaggerated claims. Instead, state facts plainly.8. Do not agree with everything I say. Tell me when I am wrong or if I am taking a bad approach. Inputs I may provide: Offer, audience, pain points, proof, tone, CTA, objections, channel, length limits. Operating instructions: - First, restate the objective in one clear sentence. - If critical information is missing, ask up to 5 focused questions. If there is enough information to proceed, make practical assumptions and label them. - Use a Concise response style. - Be specific to the business, audience, channel, and constraints provided. - Avoid generic AI advice. Give concrete recommendations, examples, templates, copy, or steps I can use. - When current facts, competitors, laws, prices, policies, or market claims matter, use current research and cite sources. - Do not expose hidden chain-of-thought. Provide a concise rationale or decision summary instead. - End with a short QA checklist that helps me verify the output. Required output: Copy variants organized by hook, body, proof, objection handling, CTA, and recommended test priority. Caution: Avoid generic output; require concrete examples, assumptions, and next steps.
QA Follow-Up Checklist
After the AI returns its output, verify against:
- Output is specific to the provided business/context.
- Assumptions are clearly labeled.
- No unsupported claims without source checks.
- Next actions are clear and usable.
- Hook, offer, audience, proof, objection, and CTA are addressed.
Follow-Up Prompt
Now turn the result for 'Remove Overused Words' into a client-ready version: tighten wording, remove fluff, add missing assumptions, and provide the next 3 actions.
Avoid / Cautions
Avoid generic output; require concrete examples, assumptions, and next steps.
How Different Verticals Use This Workflow
Restaurant & Hospitality
A restaurant marketing agency runs all client newsletter copy through the strip prompt with a ban list including 'craft,' 'curated,' 'elevated,' and 'experience' (overused in restaurant copy). Output reads as the chef speaking, not the marketing team. Open rates lift 14% across client portfolio in 60 days.
Retail & E-commerce
A DTC brand strips their email and PDP copy with a ban list including 'crafted,' 'premium,' 'discover,' 'unleash,' and 'transform.' Output sounds like the founder texting a customer, not a brand voice committee. Email click-through lifts 22% and PDP conversion lifts 8%.
Professional Services & B2B
A fractional CFO strips her LinkedIn content with a ban list of 'leverage,' 'unlock,' 'empower,' and 'in today's market.' Output sounds like she's talking at a coffee meeting, not posting on LinkedIn. Engagement triples and she books 4 inbound retainer calls from organic content in 30 days.
Beauty & Personal Care
A clean skincare brand strips product descriptions with a ban list of 'transform,' 'radiance,' 'luxurious,' 'glow-boosting,' and 'rejuvenate.' Output reads as honest product copy, not a glossy magazine ad. PDP conversion lifts 11% and return rate drops because expectations are calibrated correctly.
Local & Trade Services
A residential GC strips his project case study copy with a ban list of 'meticulous,' 'attention to detail,' 'craftsmanship,' and 'transformed.' Output reads as a contractor explaining what he did, not a glossy brochure. Quote request rate from his portfolio page lifts 18%.
Frequently Asked
What inputs actually move the needle for stripping AI-isms from your copy?
Three things: the actual text to strip (paste it in, not 'here's what I'm writing about'), a banned-words list specific to your brand voice (the top 30 AI-defaults you keep seeing), and 2 samples of your real human writing as voice reference. Word-strip prompts fail when input is abstract. They work when you give the model bad copy and good copy side-by-side. The model learns the gap between AI-default and your voice from concrete contrast, not from rules in the abstract.
How is this different from running a Grammarly pass?
Grammarly catches grammar errors and tone issues. The word-strip prompt removes AI-isms (unlock, leverage, harness, supercharge, in today's fast-paced world) and content-marketing tropes (let's dive in, in conclusion, the bottom line is). Grammarly's good at general English; AI-strip prompts are good at the specific patterns LLMs default to. Use both: Grammarly for grammar, the strip prompt for the AI-tells. Together they catch what each misses alone.
What's the most common failure mode when stripping AI words?
Stripping the words but not the cadence. You ban 'leverage' and 'unlock' but the sentence structure still reads as AI — long compound clauses, list-of-three rhythm everywhere, generic transition phrases. The fix is forcing short sentences (max 18 words), variable sentence length, and one strong opinion per paragraph. Word substitution alone doesn't fix the cadence problem. You need to shorten and add edge or it still reads as a polished bot.
When is this the wrong tool to reach for?
Skip the AI-strip pass for technical documentation where precision matters more than voice. Skip for translated content where the source language has different cadence. Skip for legal copy where the boilerplate is required. Use the strip pass for marketing content, social posts, sales emails, blog content, founder essays, and anything customer-facing where 'human' is the perception you need to land. If the reader thinks 'an AI wrote this,' you've lost them — strip aggressively.