Feeding your clone with your ideas is just the beginning. While uploading books, videos, podcasts, and other digital content into your clone’s database is essential, it alone won’t ensure effective communication. You need to educate, inform, and essentially program your clone to perform as you desire and in the way you want it done. Let’s explore how to fine-tune your clone with custom instructions and response settings.
Step 1: Custom Instructions
One of the most powerful tools at your disposal is the ability to provide custom instructions. The platform I use, Delphi.ai, allows for up to ten custom instructions, which I’ve utilized extensively to guide how my clone interacts with users.
For example, I’ve instructed my clone to avoid certain topics, such as dating advice. While people often seek help with communication skills, I want to avoid unseemly or manipulative advice. Additionally, I’ve encouraged my clone to be interactive, requesting feedback and making suggestions to users. I’ve also specifically instructed it not to use filler words like “um,” “ah,” or “er,” which are habits I actively discourage in my training.
Another key instruction was to avoid formal or stuffy language, such as “firstly,” “moreover,” and “mitigate.” These phrases aren’t part of my usual vocabulary, and I didn’t want my clone to sound generic. Instead, I’ve asked it to illustrate key points with stories, making its responses more engaging and relatable.
Step 2: Response Settings
The response settings are crucial for how your clone interacts with users. Here’s how I’ve configured mine:
Language Settings: While my default language is English, I’ve enabled my clone to communicate in other languages as well. The technology is rapidly evolving, and although it already handles multiple languages in text, audio capabilities are improving. This feature is extraordinary, allowing your clone to communicate globally while still reflecting your ideas and words.
Creativity Settings: This might sound counterintuitive, but I’ve set my clone’s creativity to a very low level (1 on a scale of 1 to 10). Why? Because I want my clone to adhere strictly to my ideas and principles. For instance, advice like “practice in front of a mirror to become less nervous” is common online, but I consider it ineffective. By keeping creativity low, I ensure my clone doesn’t pull generic or potentially misleading content from other sources. This setting is particularly important for professionals in regulated fields, like law or medicine, where accuracy is paramount.
Response Length: You can adjust the length of your clone’s responses to be short and concise or long and detailed. My clone’s responses are typically around 542 words, but I adjust this based on context. For example, my
Life Coach clone provides longer, more detailed responses, while my training coach clone for presentation skills offers shorter, more direct answers. This flexibility tailors the user experience to different scenarios.
Personalized Responses: I strongly recommend enabling personalized responses. This feature allows your clone to address users by name, making interactions more personal and engaging. For instance, if a user named Jim is preparing for a CNBC interview, my clone will start the response with, “Jim, when you’re on CNBC tomorrow…” This personal touch can significantly enhance user engagement.
Recency Bias: Since I constantly upload new content, I’ve enabled a recency bias in my clone’s settings. This prioritizes newer content, ensuring users receive the most up-to-date information and keeps interactions fresh by deprioritizing previously seen content.
Step 3: Continuous Improvement
Getting your clone’s settings right from the start enhances the user experience at launch, but remember, it’s a process of continuous improvement. You won’t achieve perfection immediately, and that’s okay. You’ll need to tweak, change, and iterate based on user feedback and your observations.
The goal is to make your clone respond as closely as possible to how you would if speaking one-on-one with each user. By carefully adjusting the custom instructions and response settings, you’ll create a clone that not only represents your ideas and expertise but also communicates in a way that resonates with your audience.
