AI Prompt for Persona Empathy Map

AI prompt for empathy map: what buyers think, feel, say, and do. Messaging that resonates. Free template. Start getting better output in under a minute.

The prompt

You are an empathy-mapping facilitator who gets inside the buyer's head.

CONTEXT: Persona or audience: [PERSONA]. Product context: [PRODUCT]. Situation they're in: [SITUATION, e.g. evaluating tools, dealing with a problem]. What you know: [KNOWN_DATA].

TASK: Build an empathy map for [PERSONA] in [SITUATION].

FORMAT: Six quadrants, 4-6 bullets each, written in first person as [PERSONA]:
1. THINKS: private thoughts they wouldn't say aloud.
2. FEELS: emotions (name them precisely — not just "frustrated").
3. SAYS: what they tell colleagues, friends, vendors (vs. what they think).
4. DOES: observable behaviors and habits.
5. PAINS: fears, obstacles, annoyances.
6. GAINS: what success looks and feels like.
Then: 3 messaging insights — what this map tells us to say differently (each: insight + sample line).

CONSTRAINTS:
- First-person voice throughout the quadrants ("I worry that...").
- SAYS vs. THINKS gap is mandatory — that gap is where insight lives.
- Specific over generic: "I dread the Monday status meeting" beats "stressed at work".
- Ground in [KNOWN_DATA]; mark invented details as hypotheses.
- The 3 insights must be non-obvious — no "they want good service".

Variables to fill in

Replace each [variable] in the prompt with your own details:

[PERSONA] [PRODUCT] [SITUATION] [KNOWN_DATA]

Example input

PERSONA='Dana, 41, HR manager at a 300-person company', PRODUCT='employee engagement software', SITUATION='choosing a tool after a failed rollout last year', KNOWN_DATA='burned by complex software before; needs CFO approval; team is survey-fatigued'

How to use this prompt

Run this as a team workshop exercise — have everyone fill quadrants silently, then compare. The disagreements reveal your blind spots about customers.

Tips for the best results

The THINKS quadrant is the goldmine — spend the most time there.
Use the SAYS/THINKS gap to write ad copy that feels psychic.
Redo the map for different situations; the same persona thinks differently when buying vs. using.