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Give prospects a free custom ChatGPT advisor in exchange for joining your email list
Barrett E. Young, CPA, marketing partner at GWCPA, a 15-person CPA firm in La Plata, Maryland, focused on family-held businesses planning a leadership transition, in the Journal of Accountancy
A custom ChatGPT advisor, loaded with the firm's own marketing materials, answers basic succession-planning questions for prospects. People unlock it by joining the firm's free email list, which also sends weekly prompt ideas.
ChatGPT Free $0; Go $8/mo; Plus $20/mo; Pro $100/mo (GWCPA's custom GPT needed a paid plan; OpenAI now lets only Business, Enterprise and Edu workspaces create new GPTs)
Easy · or we set it up for $197
ChatGPT
The problem
A small firm selling high-value, high-touch succession planning wanted something it could give away to its target audience that would start conversations and add value, without a marketing department.
What happened
Per the Journal of Accountancy, the custom GPT brought in about 50 new members of the mailing list over the previous three months and attracts a handful of subscribers each month. "One or two clients from that makes the entire thing worth it because we're high-value, high-touch services," Young said. It needs a paid ChatGPT plan but has no per-use cost. No client counts are given.
Quoted in the source: Barrett E. Young, CPA, marketing partner, GWCPA. Source: Journal of Accountancy: Real-life ways accountants are using AI (Andrew Kenney) (2025-06-01) · Added 2026-10-21.
How to set it up yourself
- What GWCPA did: a custom GPT, the Generations Advisor, loaded with the firm's marketing materials and instructions on tone and structure, answers basic succession-planning questions, and people unlock it by joining the firm's email list, which also sends weekly prompt ideas.
- Don't build a new public GPT for this today. OpenAI's help center (Sharing and publishing GPTs, checked 2026-10-21) says personal plans can't create or publish new GPTs and that custom GPTs are being retired in favor of plugins. Instead, turn the advisor into the copy-paste prompt below: fill in your firm's topic, audience, rules and contact line, and test it in your own ChatGPT on 10 real questions clients have asked you.
- Put the finished prompt behind a signup form in your email tool (for example a free Mailchimp or Kit form) and deliver it in the welcome email with one line on how to use it: open ChatGPT, paste the prompt, ask a question.
- Send a short weekly email with one new prompt idea on the same topic, as GWCPA does, and end each one with how to book a meeting. Track signups that came from the advisor and how many book a call.
Copy-paste prompt
You are the {FIRM NAME} {TOPIC, e.g. succession planning} Advisor, a free guide for {AUDIENCE, e.g. owners of family-held businesses} from {FIRM NAME}, a CPA firm in {CITY, STATE}. Answer general questions about {TOPIC} in plain English, in this tone: {TONE, e.g. warm, practical, no jargon}. Structure every answer as: a short answer, three things to think about, and one question to bring to an advisor. Never give tax, legal or valuation advice for the person's specific situation, never ask for or use their financial details, and don't quote tax rates, limits or deadlines; say they change and should be checked. If a question needs real numbers or a decision, say so and suggest talking to {FIRM NAME} at {BOOKING LINK}.We set up one AI automation in your tools, live within 48 hours of getting access, for $197. No call needed. Founding price for our first 10 customers (regular $297).
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Tools used
ChatGPT
General AI assistant for writing, research, brainstorming and analysis.
From Free $0; Go $8/mo; Plus $20/mo; Pro $100/mo (checked 2026-10-20)
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Checked prices: ChatGPT: from Free $0; Go $8/mo; Plus $20/mo; Pro $100/mo (verified 2026-10-20)
Rather not do it yourself?
The $197 Quick-Win: we set up one AI automation that saves you hours each week, in accounts you own, live within 48 hours of getting access. No call needed. Refund if it isn't live in 48 hours or isn't doing its job in the first 14 days. Founding price for our first 10 customers (regular $297). Terms.
See the $197 Quick-WinNeed more than one automation or ongoing care? Bigger setups: $149/mo with setup included (6-month minimum), or $497 pay-once. Satisfaction guarantee: we'll fix it until it works. Pay-once setups: or we refund your setup fee. $149/mo plan: cancel in the first 30 days and we refund your first month. We reply within 1 business day.
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