Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and others have become powerful companions in our work lives—from drafting emails and analyzing data to brainstorming content ideas or simplifying technical concepts. Sometimes the results are spot-on, but other times they completely miss the mark.
After months of hands-on experimentation (and a few frustrating moments), we’ve come to realize one thing: it’s not just about using GenAI—it’s about talking to it the right way. That’s where prompt engineering comes in. You don’t need to be a techie to get great results. You just need to know how to ask.
Here are some practical tips we’ve picked up that have helped us—and can help you—get the most out of your AI tools.
1. Be Specific. Really Specific.
One of the biggest mistakes we see is being too vague. A prompt like “Write a social media post” will get you something but it might be way off. Instead, add details like audience, tone, length, platform, and purpose. Here’s an example:
“Write a 100-word LinkedIn post in a conversational tone, targeted at HR professionals, summarizing the benefits of AI in recruiting.”
See the difference?
2. Set the Scene with a Persona
One of our favorite tricks: tell the AI who it is. Want a confident marketing email? Ask it to “act as a senior copywriter with 10 years of experience.” Need legal-style clarity? Say, “you are a compliance officer.” The results immediately shift.
You can even add how that persona communicates:
“You are a warm, concise HR business partner known for giving clear, supportive advice.”
3. Be Clear About Format
AI can write in bullet points, tables, timelines, email formats, poetic rhymes—you name it. So why not ask?
“Summarize the key trends in remote work in a bullet-point list with brief explanations and examples.”
Also, don’t forget to include how long you want it to be. A paragraph? A 500-word article? A single sentence? The more guidance you give, the better the results you’ll get.
4. Show It What You Want
If you have a template, sample, or structure in mind—share it! AI loves examples. Whether it’s a tone sample, a layout, or a sentence structure, this helps guide the result and reduces the need for lots of rewrites.
5. Break Complex Tasks Into Steps
Instead of asking the AI to “Write a 1,500-word white paper on AI in education,” try:
“Create an outline for a white paper on AI in education with three key sections.”
“Write the introduction in a friendly, persuasive tone for an academic audience.”
“Now write section one, using case studies from 2023.”
This makes the process manageable and more accurate.
6. Use Step-by-Step and Chain-of-Thought Prompts
For analytical or technical tasks, try prompting the AI to “think aloud.” It helps generate more structured, reasoned responses. For example:
“Explain how to improve a website’s SEO in 5 steps. List the steps and describe the logic behind each one.”
7. Refine Through Conversation
Think of your AI as a teammate. Didn’t love the first output? Say so.
“That’s too formal—can you make it more conversational?” “Nice start, but can you add more detail in the second paragraph?”
You can also ask the AI what it needs from you:
“What additional info would help you improve this?”
8. Avoid Negatives, Use Positives
Instead of saying, “Don’t write in a technical way,” try:
“Use simple, clear language that a general audience will understand.”
This helps the AI focus on what to do instead of trying to guess what to avoid.
9. Adjust for Audience and Reading Level
Want content that’s easy to grasp? Ask for it at a certain reading level—like “9th grade” or “non-native English speaker.” Or say “Use a friendly tone, suitable for a company all-hands email.”
10. Experiment (Seriously!)
Sometimes the first output won’t be perfect—and that’s okay. Tweak your wording, test different formats, or even ask the AI to generate better prompts for your goals. Prompting is a skill that improves with practice.
Final Thought
At the end of the day, working with GenAI is a bit like learning a new language. But once you get the hang of it, it becomes a powerful tool in your toolkit—one that can save you time, spark creativity, and even help you solve problems in ways you hadn’t thought of before.
Have a favorite prompt trick of your own? We’d love to hear it.
Getting Better Results from GenAI: Prompting Tips & Tricks
Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and others have become powerful companions in our work lives—from drafting emails and analyzing data to brainstorming content ideas or simplifying technical concepts. Sometimes the results are spot-on, but other times they completely miss the mark.
After months of hands-on experimentation (and a few frustrating moments), we’ve come to realize one thing: it’s not just about using GenAI—it’s about talking to it the right way. That’s where prompt engineering comes in. You don’t need to be a techie to get great results. You just need to know how to ask.
Here are some practical tips we’ve picked up that have helped us—and can help you—get the most out of your AI tools.
1. Be Specific. Really Specific.
One of the biggest mistakes we see is being too vague. A prompt like “Write a social media post” will get you something but it might be way off. Instead, add details like audience, tone, length, platform, and purpose. Here’s an example:
“Write a 100-word LinkedIn post in a conversational tone, targeted at HR professionals, summarizing the benefits of AI in recruiting.”
See the difference?
2. Set the Scene with a Persona
One of our favorite tricks: tell the AI who it is. Want a confident marketing email? Ask it to “act as a senior copywriter with 10 years of experience.” Need legal-style clarity? Say, “you are a compliance officer.” The results immediately shift.
You can even add how that persona communicates:
“You are a warm, concise HR business partner known for giving clear, supportive advice.”
3. Be Clear About Format
AI can write in bullet points, tables, timelines, email formats, poetic rhymes—you name it. So why not ask?
“Summarize the key trends in remote work in a bullet-point list with brief explanations and examples.”
Also, don’t forget to include how long you want it to be. A paragraph? A 500-word article? A single sentence? The more guidance you give, the better the results you’ll get.
4. Show It What You Want
If you have a template, sample, or structure in mind—share it! AI loves examples. Whether it’s a tone sample, a layout, or a sentence structure, this helps guide the result and reduces the need for lots of rewrites.
5. Break Complex Tasks Into Steps
Instead of asking the AI to “Write a 1,500-word white paper on AI in education,” try:
This makes the process manageable and more accurate.
6. Use Step-by-Step and Chain-of-Thought Prompts
For analytical or technical tasks, try prompting the AI to “think aloud.” It helps generate more structured, reasoned responses. For example:
“Explain how to improve a website’s SEO in 5 steps. List the steps and describe the logic behind each one.”
7. Refine Through Conversation
Think of your AI as a teammate. Didn’t love the first output? Say so.
“That’s too formal—can you make it more conversational?” “Nice start, but can you add more detail in the second paragraph?”
You can also ask the AI what it needs from you:
“What additional info would help you improve this?”
8. Avoid Negatives, Use Positives
Instead of saying, “Don’t write in a technical way,” try:
“Use simple, clear language that a general audience will understand.”
This helps the AI focus on what to do instead of trying to guess what to avoid.
9. Adjust for Audience and Reading Level
Want content that’s easy to grasp? Ask for it at a certain reading level—like “9th grade” or “non-native English speaker.” Or say “Use a friendly tone, suitable for a company all-hands email.”
10. Experiment (Seriously!)
Sometimes the first output won’t be perfect—and that’s okay. Tweak your wording, test different formats, or even ask the AI to generate better prompts for your goals. Prompting is a skill that improves with practice.
Final Thought
At the end of the day, working with GenAI is a bit like learning a new language. But once you get the hang of it, it becomes a powerful tool in your toolkit—one that can save you time, spark creativity, and even help you solve problems in ways you hadn’t thought of before.
Have a favorite prompt trick of your own? We’d love to hear it.