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of 6— Prepare your source document
What you'll accomplish
By the end of this guide, you'll be able to upload any SME source document — policy manual, procedure guide, regulatory text, or product documentation — to Claude Pro and extract the key learning content in a structured format, cutting what used to take a half-day of reading and note-taking down to 30 minutes.
What you'll need
- Claude Pro account at claude.ai ($20/month — enables file uploads and longer context)
- Your SME source document in PDF, Word, or plain text format
- A clear idea of who you're training and what they need to be able to do
- Time needed: 20–30 minutes per document
- Cost: $20/month (Claude Pro)
How-To Guide: Process Large SME Documents into Course Content
Step 1: Prepare your source document
Before uploading, take 2 minutes to clarify your course goal in writing. You'll need this for your prompt.
- Open a notes document and write one sentence: "I am building a training course for [ROLE] at [COMPANY TYPE] so they can [PERFORMANCE GOAL]."
- Example: "I am building a training course for new customer service reps at a software company so they can independently resolve Tier 1 support tickets within 30 days."
- Save this sentence — you'll use it in every prompt.
Why this matters: Claude's output is only as focused as your input. Without a clear goal, the AI extracts everything instead of what's important for your specific learner.