Imagine owning a Swiss Army knife, but only using the toothpick.
That’s how poorly many people use AI: Vast potential is untapped. If that’s you, you could be saving hours each week.
The future belongs to those who master AI. Two heads are better than one.
Are you ready to prompt AI like a boss?
Tuning AI – from clunky to clever
Whether it’s Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude or anything else, the version of AI you’re using now is the worst you’ll ever use. It’s improving faster than fake news spreads.
But with these best-practice principles, you’ll always get the best (and fastest) results. Just remember PROMPT AI:
Purpose & audience
This helps the AI set the tone and context.
- ‘Explain the new IT policy to our non-technical employees, emphasising how it will help their daily work.’
- ‘Draft a persuasive email for the CFO of a major Australian bank convincing her to adopt a new risk policy.’
Role & situation
AI can be whoever you want it to be: a project manager, engineer, doctor, copywriter, marketing expert. Assign it a role to focus its response.
- ‘You’re an economist writing a brief for your board about the impact of tariffs on our business …’
Outline the structure
Like all good writers, you should sketch an outline first. Keep it high-level. It’s then easier for you to see what needs tweaking before writing the whole thing.
- ‘Give me an outline for an audit report: Findings, Implications, Recommendations, Management Response. Cover X, Y and Z.’
Make it clear & concise
Busy readers have no patience for wordiness. Brevity gives you impact. AI’s mother is an LLM – a LARGE language model – it’ll waffle on forever if you let it.
- ‘Write in plain English, focusing on the key facts; avoid jargon; write at Flesch-Kincaid grade 7 level; less than 200 words.’
Provide examples
Give the AI examples of the style you’re expecting, such as a well-written email or report. It sets a precedent it can follow.
- ‘Here’s the opening of last quarter’s report [insert text]. Write the next section in a similar tone and style. And follow our company’s style guide [upload it here].’
Talk it out & tweak
Don’t treat AI as a one-shot wonder. Collaborate with it. Encourage it to ask questions to clarify any gaps – especially when writing something complex, or if you’re unsure if your prompt is clear.
- ‘Let me know if you need more information before drafting the proposal.’
Add the human
Skip this, and you’ll put the ‘AI’ in ‘FAIL’. Check the AI’s output for accuracy, nuance and tone of voice – it needs to sound authentic, to sound like YOU. E.g. add a personal story, or refer to something only your audience would know. And check for errors/hallucinations.
Pro tip: Ask a different AI to check what your regular AI gave you.
Iterate & improve
The first output is rarely perfect. Treat it as a rough draft. Read it critically. Challenge it. Hold it, and yourself, to a high standard. Ask for refinements. Iterating is normal.
Infographic: The 8 habits of pro AI prompters
Want better results from AI?
Ask about our 1- to 2-hour session, ‘Coaching AI to Write Like a Human’ – virtual or face-to-face.
They’re highly engaging, practical, and rooted in research.
