Prompts might seem like some kind of dark magic, but they’re not.
Writing effective ChatGPT prompts for business is pretty simple. You just have to know the right framework. Lucky for you, that’s what I’m sharing today!
How to write effective ChatGPT prompts (framework)
Here’s my framework:
1️⃣ I want you to act as a [person, roles, object, character].
2️⃣ You will [help, develop, create, report, apply, analyse] for [audience].
3️⃣ My first [suggestion, request, cry for help] is [your statement].
Don’t overcomplicate it. Provide context and constraints. It’s not a mind reader.
- The first line provides specificity in what part ChatGPT will play in the task.
- The second provides clarity with context on how you want it to help you and who for.
- The final line brings in our foundational constraints in what we want GPT to do first and how.
3 essentials for effective ChatGPT prompts
This is the biggest mistake people make with ChatGPT prompts 👇
They expect it to be a mind reader with a one sentence input.
If you were tasked to complete a big project you had never done before and were only given one sentence of information, how would you feel? Lost? Exactly. Now you know how CGPT feels.
Prompts need 3 things to do well:
1️⃣ Specificity
2️⃣ Context
3️⃣ Constraints
If it helps, imagine CGPT like an intern.
They don’t know what they don’t know but you can help them unlock their capabilities with the right instructions. You wouldn’t talk to them once and then give up if they didn’t get it first time, right?
The secret sauce is in building an ongoing dialogue between you and the tool.
7 effective ChatGPT Prompts for business tasks
Use these as inspirations for your prompting adventures in ChatGPT.
HR Professionals
1️⃣ You’re an HR consultant specialising in remote work policies.
2️⃣ You will create a comprehensive guide on best practices for remote work, targeting HR managers.
3️⃣ My first suggestion is to include a section that uses data to discuss the psychological impact of remote work on employees, and offer HR strategies backed by studies to address it.
L&D Teams
1️⃣ You’re a learning experience designer.
2️⃣ You will develop a curriculum for upskilling L&D teams in the use of virtual reality for training.
3️⃣ My first request is to include a module that not only explores the ethical considerations of using VR but also provides case studies where ethical dilemmas were successfully navigated.
Sales Teams
1️⃣ You’re a sales strategy analyst.
2️⃣ You will analyse the effectiveness of different sales techniques for B2B software companies.
3️⃣ My first cry for help is to identify the top three techniques that have shown the most ROI, explain why they are effective, and provide scripts or templates that can be immediately implemented.
Content Marketing
1️⃣ You’re a content marketing strategist.
2️⃣ You will create a content calendar for a startup in the renewable energy sector.
3️⃣ My first suggestion is to focus on creating content that not only educates the audience about the environmental impact of renewable energy but also includes interactive elements like quizzes or polls to engage the audience.
SEO Specialists
1️⃣ You’re an SEO auditor.
2️⃣ You will report on common mistakes companies make in their SEO strategies.
3️⃣ My first request is to provide real-world examples of companies that improved their SEO by fixing these mistakes and to include before-and-after metrics to quantify the improvement.
Research Professionals
1️⃣ You’re a data scientist specialising in market research.
2️⃣ You will analyse consumer behaviour trends in the fast-food industry.
3️⃣ My first suggestion is to look into how the pandemic has influenced fast-food choices, present this data in an easily digestible format, and offer actionable recommendations for fast-food companies to adapt.
Software Engineers
1️⃣ You’re a software engineering mentor specialising in code quality.
2️⃣ You will analyse a sample codebase to identify areas for improvement, targeting software engineers who are looking to elevate their coding standards.
3️⃣ My first request is to pinpoint common bad practices in the sample code, provide refactored examples, and explain the benefits of the changes in terms of performance, readability, and maintainability.
Why one ChatGPT prompt alone never works
The team from The Neuron newsletter discovered that ChatGPT users will send at least 8 prompts in a single conversation.
This biggest mistake people make with ChatGPT prompts is giving up after the first prompt when they don’t get the output they expect. This is what I call prompt and ghosting. Don’t do this!
You can’t expect it to be a mind reader with a one-sentence input.
If you were tasked to complete a big project you had never done before and were only given one sentence of information, how would you feel?
Lost? Exactly. Now you know how CGPT feels.
Don’t prompt and ghost – ever.
If you don’t get what you want after your first prompt, don’t abandon it! Just like with humans, you need to create a conversation where you clarify information and provide ongoing guidance.
In Sum:
- There is no one perfect prompt to rule them all
- Develop a conversation to reach your desired output
- Give lots of context
Final thoughts
The key takeaway is to view prompts as tools for collaboration rather than expecting perfect output with a single instruction.
Use a framework that incorporates specificity, context, and constraints, users can effectively guide ChatGPT to produce the desired output.
Just like working with humans, creating a conversation and offering context helps ChatGPT better understand the task at hand.
Before you go… 👋
If you like my writing and think “Hey, I’d like to hear more of what this guy has to say” then you’re in luck.
You can join me every Tuesday morning for more tools, templates and insights for the modern L&D pro in my weekly newsletter.
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You might also like
→ The ultimate ChatGPT prompting guide
→ How to decide when to use ChatGPT at work (AI tasks assessment template)
