For Corporate Trainers ·
What you'll accomplish
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. What used to take a half-day of reading and note-taking now takes 30 minutes.
What you'll need
Before uploading, take 2 minutes to clarify your course goal in writing. You'll need this for your 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.
Go to claude.ai → sign in → open a new conversation. Look for the paperclip icon (📎) in the message input area. Click it to upload your file.
What you should see: The filename displayed as an attachment badge. Claude can process documents up to approximately 100,000 words in a single upload.
Troubleshooting: If the PDF upload fails, copy the text from the document (Ctrl+A, Ctrl+C in Adobe Reader or Word) and paste it directly into the message instead.
In the same message as your upload, type your extraction prompt. Be specific about your learner, their role, and how many key points you need.
Prompt to use:
I'm building a training course for [ROLE] so they can [GOAL]. Read this document and:
1. Identify the 8-10 most important things this role must know or be able to do
2. Write each point in plain language (no jargon)
3. For each point, suggest one learning activity (quiz question, scenario, or practice exercise)
4. Flag any content that seems overly technical and may need SME clarification before including in training
Document attached.
What you should see: A numbered list of learning points, each written in learner-friendly language, with an activity suggestion and any flagged technical areas.
Once you have the overview, pick 2–3 learning points that need more depth and ask Claude to expand.
What you should see: Expanded explanations, scenario examples, and summaries that you can use directly in your course storyboard, reducing your writing time significantly.
Ask Claude to combine everything into a course structure.
Prompt:
Based on this document and the learning points you've identified, write a course outline for a [DURATION] training on this topic. Include: module names, 2 learning objectives per module, suggested activities, and time estimates. Sequence the modules to follow a logical learning progression.
What you should see: A complete course outline that you can take directly into your storyboard or Articulate build.
Before closing, copy your entire conversation (Ctrl+A, Ctrl+C on the conversation area, then paste into a Word doc). This becomes your working document for course development: your content source, organized and searchable.
Tip: Title the Word doc with the course name and date. Store it with your source files. If a colleague questions a content decision, you can reference the exact extraction from the source document.
For any policy document:
I'm creating training for [ROLE] based on the attached [POLICY TYPE]. Identify the 8 most actionable requirements: what this role must DO, not just know. Write each as a clear behavioral statement and suggest how to assess it.
For technical procedure manuals:
Extract the step-by-step procedures a [ROLE] needs to follow from this document. Write each procedure as a numbered task list at a 6th-grade reading level. Highlight any steps that have common error points.
For product or software documentation:
From this product documentation, identify the 5 most important features a [ROLE] uses daily. For each feature, write a 3-sentence explanation and one example of how they'd use it in their actual job.