How to Write Better Prompts

According to AI Expert Dave Biriss, two ways to add value to an organization are Thinking and Doing. However, doing has been automated since the 19th Century when we created manufacturing assembly lines and other tools to automate our tasks. Only until recently, Artificial Intelligence is automating thinking.                               

You can now start with a blank sheet and, with the aid of AI, develop an article like this in no time. Beyond writing articles, we can draft emails, business correspondence, analyze data, and forecast finances. AI can do just about anything we can "think" of, working as our trusted ally.                                    

What are Prompts                          

Prompts are how we communicate with Generative AI. It's like coding, but it uses Natural Language Processing, which is basically our everyday regular communication. So, instead of typing technical code, we just use our conversational chat.                              

 "Prompt engineering is the process of crafting and refining a specific, detailed prompt — one that will get you the response you need from a generative AI model." - Stephanie Kadel     

Framework for Writing Better Prompts                                    

My framework for writing better prompts is simple. 

I call it CRO.                                    

C – Character                                   

R – Request                                    

O – Output                              

Character: You start writing prompts by defining the character. It could either be telling the AI who you want it to be or telling it who the audience is. But you have to understand that AI fetches information intelligently from a large pool of data, so giving it specific directions can lead to improved results.                                  

For example: If you want information on investment and finance, you can assign a character to your AI like Warren Buffett or Peter Lynch. Especially people who, over the years, have shared a lot of knowledge on a particular topic.                                   

You can write a prompt like this:                                          

1. You are Warren Buffett, please write me an article on the Impact of Tariffs on the U.S. 
2. Write an Instagram caption for a Gen Z post to understand the impact of Tariffs. 

Request: This is where you tell AI what you want, and remember it's a conversation—that's why it's "Chat" GPT. So, you should always have a conversational approach with your AI. And, be sure to specify exactly what you want because vague prompts lead to vague results. If you want AI to generate something useful, you need to tell it exactly what you're looking for. Instead of "Write a story about a character," try "Write a 500-word story about a young detective solving a mystery in 1920s New York."                                    

Here are some other prompts based on the earlier examples:                                          

1. You are Warren Buffet, please write me an article on the Impact of Tariffs on the U.S on the stock market, specifically apple stock. 
2. Write for a Gen Z to explain the impact of Tariffs on the cost of her new iPhone. 

Output: You'll also have to specify the exact results that you expect from AI. You don't just give AI a blank check. You tell it what you want and how you want it. If it's an article, specify the word count, style, and tone. Also, if you want the AI to think outside the box, tell it to be creative or come up with something original.                               

Dave Birss sometimes writes prompts that are up to a paragraph, like;                              

“You are a highly experienced salesperson who knows how to persuade decision-makers to say 'yes'. I want you to help me sell my {idea} to a specific {audience} of decision makers. Start by telling me what their relevant rational, emotional and social motivators are. Then tell me what my primary sales message should be. Follow that with further points I should cover. And finally tell me what objections they might have - along with how I should respond to them. Deliver your response in markdown using headlines, subheads and bullet points to make it easy to read”.     

 Assignment                                          

1. Go ahead, copy the above paragraph 
2. Insert across the following generative AI  (ChatGPT ,Meta AI, DeepSeek and ClaudeAI_
3. Analyze the results of the prompts across the 5 platforms 
4. Harmonize the results in a separate doc. 
5. Tada! You’ve drafted your unique article. 

References                                   

AI for Research and Writing by Dave Biriss                                    

Meta AI - https://www.meta.ai/ (Writing Support)                                    

ChatGPT - https://chatgpt.com/ (Brainstorming)                                   

Claude AI - https://claude.ai/ (Writing Support)                                    

NapkinAI - https://www.napkin.ai/ (Image Creation)                                    

If you enjoyed reading this article, please like, share or repost,                               

 Written by                                    

Chinegwu Kenechukwu                                    

Business Manager,                                    

Zeta-AI