Have you ever asked an AI tool a question and thought, "Well... that wasn't very helpful"?
You're not alone.
Many people assume AI either works perfectly or doesn't work at all. The truth is much simpler: the quality of the answer depends on the quality of the question. Learning how to write better prompts is one of the quickest ways to improve the value you get from AI.
Imagine hiring a new employee and saying:
"Go create a report."
You'd probably get a lot of questions back:
AI works the same way. The more context you provide, the more useful the response becomes.
Instead of asking:
"Write me a marketing email."
Try asking:
"Write a friendly marketing email announcing our upcoming AI webinar for small business owners. Keep it under 200 words, include three benefits of attending, and end with a clear call to action to register."
The second prompt gives AI a purpose, an audience, a tone, and a desired outcome — making it much easier to produce content that's ready to use.
Whenever you're using AI, include these five elements:
This simple framework can dramatically improve the quality of AI-generated content.
Need to summarize a long document? Try this:
You are a business analyst. Read the following document and provide:
- A one-paragraph executive summary.
- The five most important takeaways.
- Any risks or opportunities mentioned.
- Three recommended next steps.
Write the response in clear, professional language suitable for a business owner.
Whether it's meeting notes, proposals, reports, or policies, this prompt can save valuable time while helping you focus on the information that matters most.
Once you've got the formula down, here's another everyday use for it: letting AI review and improve documents you've already written. Whether it's a proposal, report, policy, customer email, or meeting notes, AI can help make your writing clearer, more professional, and easier to understand.
Try this prompt in Microsoft Word with Copilot, or your preferred AI assistant:
Review this document and improve it for clarity and professionalism. Rewrite any awkward sentences, correct grammar and spelling, suggest stronger headings, and provide a brief summary of the key points. Maintain the original meaning and write in a professional business tone.
This prompt is ideal for:
Instead of spending time editing line by line, let AI do the first review. You can then make any final adjustments before sharing the document — saving valuable time while producing polished, professional results.
Open a document you've written in the past month and try the prompt above. Compare the original with the AI-enhanced version and see how much clearer and more polished it becomes.
Small improvements like this can quickly add up, helping you work more efficiently and communicate with greater confidence.
The people getting the best results from AI aren't necessarily the most technical. They're the ones who have learned how to communicate clearly with it.
Like any new skill, prompting becomes easier with practice. Small improvements in the way you ask questions — or the documents you hand it to review — can lead to dramatically better answers.
If you'd like to learn practical prompting techniques, discover real business use cases, and see AI in action, join our upcoming AI webinar.
You'll leave with simple strategies, ready-to-use prompts, and the confidence to start using AI in your daily work.
Register today and discover how better prompts lead to better results. Check out www.attitudeit.ca/ai-confidence and register today. Call our team at 905-432-7751.