Getting the most out of AI interactions starts with the prompt. The way you ask your question or present your request greatly influences the AI's response. With some simple strategies, you can ensure that AI provides you with useful, accurate, and relevant results.

In this guide, we’ll explore practical tips for writing great AI prompts that boost the quality of the responses you get.

Be Direct: The Power of Clear Prompts

When it comes to AI, clarity is king. A vague or open-ended prompt can leave the AI guessing, which leads to less helpful answers. The clearer your prompt, the more targeted the AI’s response.

What Not to Do:

Tell me about the meeting

What to Do:

What did the team agree on regarding the project deadline

This sharp focus on the project deadline will guide the AI to give you the exact information you're looking for.

Set the Scene: Use Context for Better Responses

AI thrives when it knows what’s going on. Including context about the situation, meeting, or discussion helps narrow down the response and avoids irrelevant details.

What Not to Do:

Can you summarize the call

What to Do:

Summarize the decisions made regarding the new marketing strategy in this call

By specifying the topic—marketing strategy—you steer the AI in the right direction and get more relevant output.

Precision Matters: Don’t Leave Room for Interpretation

Ambiguity is an AI’s worst enemy. When your prompt is too broad or could be understood in multiple ways, the response may not match your expectations. Avoid ambiguous words and phrases to ensure clarity.

What Not to Do:

How did the meeting go

What to Do:

What concerns did the client raise about the delivery timeline in this meeting

This specific question gives the AI clear guidance on which part of the meeting to analyze.

Name the Players: Use Specific Names Where Possible

When dealing with multiple participants or topics, it’s helpful to use proper names to identify speakers or items. This allows the AI to focus on information from the right source.

What Not to Do:

What did the client say

What to Do:

What did Sarah mention about the client’s expectations on this call

By naming Sarah, the AI knows exactly who to focus on, increasing the accuracy of the response.

Keep It Natural: Speak Like You Normally Would

While brevity is important, overly brief or cryptic prompts won’t get you the best results. On the other hand, extremely long prompts may confuse the AI. The sweet spot lies in using natural, conversational language.

What Not to Do (Too Short):

Feedback on sales

What Not to Do (Too Long):

Could you please give me a detailed and comprehensive overview of all the feedback that was provided during the sales call, including comments made by each individual and the areas they highlighted for improvement, along with any positive points mentioned about the team's efforts and suggestions for future actions?

What to Do:

What feedback was given by the client during the sales meeting

This prompt is natural, and clear, and gives the AI enough direction to provide a solid response.

Break It Down: Ask One Question at a Time

When you ask multiple questions in a single prompt, the AI might get confused and provide incomplete or mixed answers. It’s better to focus on one specific query per prompt.

What Not to Do:

What did the team decide about the budget and who was assigned tasks

What to Do:

What did the team decide about the project budget during the meeting

You can always follow up with a second question.

Tailor for Simplicity: Use Non-Technical Language When Possible

Unless you're working with a highly specialized AI, using technical jargon may lead to confusion or inaccurate responses. Simple, straightforward language works best.

What Not to Do:

Can you explain the impact of non-relational databases on performance tuning

What to Do:

What did the team say about how the database affects the system's performance?

By keeping the language simple, you ensure the AI understands the question and provides a meaningful answer.

Final Thoughts

Effective AI prompts are the key to unlocking insightful, helpful, and relevant responses from AI tools. By being specific, providing context, and using natural language, you can get the most out of your AI interactions.

Start experimenting with these best practices and see how the quality of your AI responses improves. Remember, a well-crafted prompt leads to a well-crafted response!

References:

• OpenAI's Guide on Prompt Engineering