Agency Shop Talk Series

Building Your Agency's AI Assistant

A step-by-step guide to creating custom GPTs that help your team answer questions, follow processes, and communicate in your agency's voice—without interrupting you.

15 Minute ReadPresented by Matthew Henry, Co-Founder EffiZoom

The Problem: Your Team Asks the Same Questions Over and Over

Every interruption costs you 23 minutes of productive time. Multiply that by 10 questions a day, and you've lost nearly 4 hours to context-switching.

Common Interruptions

•"What's our process for filing a claim with Progressive?"
•"Can we write this in Texas?"
•"Where's the renewal template?"
•"What do I say when a client asks about bundling?"

The Solution: Custom AI Assistant

Give your team a resource that knows your agency as well as you do—so they can get answers without waiting on you.

Answers instantly, 24/7
Speaks in your voice
No expensive ops manager needed

Choose Your Platform

Three platforms, different superpowers. Pick your tool based on the job.

ChatGPT

OpenAI

Deep Reasoning & Agentic Action

GPT-5.2 and the "Operator" agent have evolved ChatGPT into a system that actually does things—book flights, research topics, fill out forms autonomously.

Best for:

Complex logic, automated tasks, general-purpose brilliance

Custom GPT Name: "GPTs"

Gemini

Google

Personal Intelligence & Google Integration

Connects to Gmail, Calendar, Drive, and Photos. Answers questions like: "When is my daughter's recital based on that flyer I got last week?"

Best for:

Digital life management, massive files, Google Workspace integration

Custom GPT Name: "Gems"

Recommended

Claude

Anthropic

Coding Mastery & Human Nuance

Claude Opus 4.5 is the gold standard for developers and writers. Most "thoughtful" model—code works on the first try, writing needs virtually no editing.

Best for:

Agency communications, process documentation, sensitive content

Custom GPT Name: "Projects"

What Is a Custom GPT?

Think of it this way: A regular AI is like hiring a brilliant consultant who knows everything about everything—but nothing about your agency.

A custom GPT is that same consultant after you've spent a week briefing them on your processes, carriers, team, voice, and way of doing things.

1. Knowledge Base

This is the "brain" you're giving the AI. Upload your SOPs, carrier info, templates, FAQs—anything your team needs to reference.

Standard Operating Procedures
Carrier Information
Communication Templates
Team FAQs

2. System Prompt

This is the "personality" and rules. It tells the AI: "You are [Agency Name]'s assistant. You speak in a friendly, professional tone."

You are the AI assistant for [AGENCY NAME].

ALWAYS DO:

• Reference documented processes

• Recommend licensed agent review

NEVER DO:

• Provide binding decisions

• Give legal advice

Action Framework

The 5 Driving Prompts

Let AI help you build what AI needs. Copy these prompts and paste them into your AI of choice to build your knowledge base.