1.8 · Working with Different AI Models

Purpose

By the end of this lesson, you will know which AI tool to reach for depending on the job. Each AI has different strengths and weaknesses. You will learn how that can benefit your work or have a negative effect if you only depend on one model. You will understand why the same prompt can give wildly different answers across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and others - and how to use that to your advantage.

Use This When

You have access to more than one AI tool and are not sure which to use
Your prompt worked great in one tool but flopped in another
You need a specific strength: coding help, longform writing, research, or analysis
You want to compare how different models interpret your business content

Before You Start

Make sure you can access at least two AI tools. Free versions are fine for this lesson. Good options to test: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or Perplexity.

Conversation Prompt

Copy and paste this into two different AI chats and compare the results:

“I run a small business. Write a short email to a customer who left a negative review. Acknowledge their frustration, explain what happened without making excuses, and offer a concrete way to make it right. Keep it under 150 words and make it sound genuinely human, not corporate.”

Now ask each AI the same follow-up:

“Make this email warmer but still professional. Then tell me why you made the changes you made.”

Dobie Tip

Think of AI models like employees with different strengths. Claude is your thoughtful writer who remembers long conversations. ChatGPT is your Swiss Army knife with plugins and coding chops. Gemini is plugged into Google. Perplexity is your research assistant who cites sources. No single employee is best at everything.

Follow-Up Questions

“You are Claude. How would you approach this task differently than ChatGPT would?”
“Which AI model is best for [your specific task - e.g., writing blog posts, analyzing spreadsheets, drafting contracts]?”
“I need to paste my entire Brand Voice Profile and a 2,000-word website draft into one chat. Which tool handles that best?”
“Show me the same answer in two styles: one for ChatGPT’s directness and one for Claude’s narrative flow.”

Expected Result

By the end of this lesson, you should have:

A clear sense of which AI tool fits which task in your workflow
An understanding of why copying the exact same prompt across tools produces different results
A go-to “tool stack” for your most common business needs
The habit of choosing your AI before you start typing, not defaulting to whichever icon you clicked last

Common Mistakes

Avoid these model-mismatch traps:

Using the same massive prompt in every tool without adjusting. (Claude loves context. ChatGPT likes clear instructions. Gemini wants you to be direct.)
Declaring one tool “the best” and ignoring the others. (That is like hiring only one employee and making them do accounting, sales, and graphic design.)
Expecting coding help from a tool not built for it, or creative writing from a research tool.
Not testing your Brand Voice Profile across multiple tools to see which one captures your voice best.

Instead, remember:

The best AI strategy is multi-tool, not single-tool.
If one tool gives you garbage, try the same prompt in another before rewriting it.
Your Brand Voice Profile should work in every major AI. If it does not, simplify it.

Why This Matters

Small business owners do not have time to fight with the wrong tool for the job. Knowing which AI to reach for saves you frustration, speeds up your output, and sometimes gives you a completely different (and better) angle on the same problem. The tool should fit the task, not the other way around.

Save This

Your Quick-Reference AI Tool Stack

Tool	Best For	Your Business Use
ChatGPT	General tasks, coding, plugins, image generation	Day-to-day content, quick fixes, DALL-E images
Claude	Long documents, nuanced writing, remembering context	Brand Voice work, website copy, long emails, analysis
Gemini	Google integration, research, search-heavy tasks	SEO research, competitor checking, fact-finding
Perplexity	Cited research, current events, deep digging	Market research, verifying claims, finding sources

Update this table as you discover what works for your specific workflow.

Coming Up Next

Lesson 1.9: Graduation. You have built your foundation. Time to review what you have, make sure your toolkit is organized, and step into Module 2 with confidence.