Before you dive in, test your prompts with our free Prompt Scorecard to see exactly where they can improve.
Most ChatGPT advice is too abstract. "Be specific." "Provide context." That's not wrong, but it doesn't show you what to actually do.
This guide is different. We'll walk through real tasks—emails, reports, content, analysis—with exact prompts you can steal and adapt. No theory fluff. Just practical examples that save you hours every week.
The 30-Second Framework
Every effective prompt has three parts:
- Role: Who should the AI be?
- Task: What exactly should it do?
- Format: How should it deliver the output?
That's it. Let's see it in action.
Writing Emails in 60 Seconds
The Problem
You stare at a blank email for 10 minutes, trying to strike the right tone.
The Solution
Following up after a sales call:
You are a B2B sales rep at a software company.
Write a follow-up email to a prospect I spoke with yesterday.
Key points from our call:
- They're frustrated with their current CRM's reporting
- Budget decision happens in Q2
- Their team is 15 people
Tone: Professional but warm, not pushy
Length: Under 150 words
Include: A specific next step
Delivering bad news to a client:
You are a project manager at a marketing agency.
Write an email to a client explaining that their website launch
will be delayed by 2 weeks due to unexpected technical issues
with their payment integration.
Tone: Apologetic but confident, focus on solutions
Include: What we're doing to fix it, new timeline, offer for a call
Avoid: Blame, excuses, overly casual language
Asking your boss for something:
Write a short email requesting approval for a $2,000 budget
to attend a marketing conference.
Include:
- 3 specific benefits to the company
- How I'll share learnings with the team
- Acknowledgment that timing might not be ideal
Tone: Respectful, concise, not desperate
Length: Under 100 words
Time saved: 10-15 minutes per email × multiple emails daily = hours back every week
Creating Content That Doesn't Sound Like AI
The secret isn't asking AI to "write a blog post." It's breaking the task into stages.
Stage 1: Generate the Angle
I'm writing about [topic] for [audience].
Give me 5 unique angles that AREN'T the obvious take everyone else writes.
For each angle, include:
- A working headline
- Why this angle is fresh
- One surprising insight to anchor it
Stage 2: Build the Structure
I'm going with angle #3.
Create an outline with:
- A hook that creates curiosity (not a generic intro)
- 4-5 main sections with specific subpoints
- A conclusion that gives readers a clear next action
Each section should have a "so what?" - why the reader should care.
Stage 3: Draft Section by Section
Write section 2 from the outline.
Style guidelines:
- Short paragraphs (2-3 sentences max)
- Use "you" language, talk directly to reader
- Include one specific example or data point
- No filler phrases like "In today's world" or "It's important to note"
Stage 4: Make It Sound Human
Review this draft and remove anything that sounds like AI wrote it:
- Generic phrases
- Overly formal transitions
- Repetitive sentence structures
- Unnecessary hedging ("might," "could potentially")
Also add:
- One contrarian opinion or hot take
- A specific story or example only I would know
- Shorter, punchier sentences where it drags
[paste your draft]
Browse our Prompt Library for complete content workflows - from SEO blog posts to LinkedIn content to email newsletters.
Analyzing Data Without Being a Data Person
Summarizing Survey Results
Here are results from our customer satisfaction survey (N=847):
[paste your data]
Analyze this and give me:
1. Top 3 insights leadership will care about
2. One thing that surprised you in the data
3. Specific recommendations for each insight
4. Any warning signs we should address immediately
Format as an executive summary I can share in Slack.
Making Sense of Competitor Research
I've gathered information on 5 competitors in our space.
[paste competitor notes]
Create a competitive analysis with:
- A comparison table of key features/pricing
- Where we're winning vs. losing
- Gaps in the market none of them address
- Messaging angles they're all using (so we can differentiate)
Turning Meeting Notes into Action Items
Here are my rough notes from a 1-hour strategy meeting:
[paste messy notes]
Clean this up into:
1. Key decisions made (bullet points)
2. Action items with owners and deadlines
3. Open questions that need follow-up
4. Any risks or concerns raised
Format so I can paste directly into our project management tool.
Solving Problems Systematically
When you're stuck, use ChatGPT as a thinking partner—not just an answer machine.
The "Help Me Think" Prompt
I'm trying to solve this problem: [describe situation]
Don't give me solutions yet. First:
1. Ask me 5 questions that would help you understand the full context
2. Point out any assumptions I might be making
3. Reframe the problem in a different way that might reveal new solutions
The "Devil's Advocate" Prompt
I'm planning to [your decision or plan].
Argue against this decision. Tell me:
- What could go wrong
- What I'm probably not seeing
- Who would disagree and why
- The strongest alternative I should consider
Be genuinely critical, not just balanced.
The "Second Opinion" Prompt
I wrote this [email/proposal/strategy doc]:
[paste your work]
Review it as if you were:
1. My skeptical boss who's seen too many of these
2. The person receiving it who's busy and impatient
3. A competitor who wants to find weaknesses
What would each person critique? Be specific and harsh.
The Prompts That Actually Move the Needle
After working with thousands of prompts, these patterns consistently outperform:
1. Specify What NOT to Do
Bad prompts only say what you want. Great prompts also exclude what you don't want.
Write a LinkedIn post about leadership.
DO NOT:
- Use buzzwords (synergy, leverage, innovative)
- Start with "I'm excited to announce"
- Include more than one emoji
- Be longer than 150 words
2. Give Examples of What Good Looks Like
Write me a cold email subject line.
Good examples (what I want):
- "Quick question about your Q4 plans"
- "Idea for [Company Name]'s checkout flow"
Bad examples (what I don't want):
- "URGENT: Don't miss this opportunity"
- "Introducing [Product] - the revolutionary solution"
3. Request Multiple Options
Never accept the first output. Always ask for variations.
Give me 5 different versions of this headline.
Range from conservative/safe to bold/risky.
For each, note what audience it would resonate with most.
4. Chain Your Prompts
Complex outputs need multiple steps. Don't ask for everything at once.
Step 1: "Outline the key points"
Step 2: "Expand point #2 with examples"
Step 3: "Now write the intro that hooks the reader"
Step 4: "Review and tighten the whole thing"
When ChatGPT Gives You Garbage
It happens. Here's how to fix it:
Problem: Too Generic
Fix: Add constraints and specifics
That's too generic. Rewrite with:
- A specific example from the SaaS industry
- Numbers or data where possible
- Language a VP of Marketing would actually use
Problem: Too Long
Fix: Set hard limits
Cut this in half. Remove:
- Any sentence that doesn't add new information
- Filler phrases and transitions
- Anything that sounds like corporate speak
Problem: Wrong Tone
Fix: Give a reference
Rewrite this in the style of [specific person or brand].
More conversational, like talking to a smart friend.
Read it out loud - if it sounds stiff, fix it.
Problem: Factually Questionable
Fix: Ask for verification
For any claims or statistics in your response:
- Note which ones you're confident about
- Flag anything I should verify independently
- Remove anything you're uncertain about
Free Tools to Work Faster
Prompt Scorecard
Paste your prompt, get instant feedback on what's missing. Clarity, specificity, context, format—see your score and exactly how to improve.
Reverse Prompt Engineer
Found a great AI output somewhere? Paste it in and see what prompt could have created it. Learn by reverse engineering.
AI Persona Creator
Build detailed expert personas ("CFO with 20 years in manufacturing") for more specialized responses than generic role prompts.
Prompt Library
Stop starting from scratch. Hundreds of tested prompts for sales, marketing, operations, content, and more. Copy and customize.
Start Here
Pick one task you do repeatedly—a weekly report, a type of email, a content format. Build a prompt for it using the patterns in this guide. Save it. Refine it over time.
That single optimized prompt will save you more time than reading ten more articles about prompt engineering.
The goal isn't to become a "prompt expert." It's to get your work done faster and better.
Want structured training? Our Prompt Academy walks you through building prompts for your specific workflows.