Mastering AI Prompts With 6 Simple Steps ??

Hey there, ?? Have you ever wondered why Chat Gpt gives better answers to some questions while others miss the mark? I’ve been there too. After diving deep into prompt engineering courses and countless hours of practice, I’ve cracked the code. Today, I’m sharing the six essential building blocks to craft the perfect prompt for Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT. Let’s make your AI interactions more productive and precise! ??

The Six Building Blocks of a Perfect Prompt

1. Task

2. Context

3. Exemplars

4. Persona

5. Format

6. Tone

Each of these components plays a crucial role, and there’s a specific order of importance. Let’s break it down with a simple example:

"I’m a 70kg male. Give me a three-month training program."

1. Task:

The Heart of Your Prompt Always start with an action verb like generate, give, write, or analyze. Clearly articulate your end goal. For instance:

- Simple Task: "Generate a three-month training program."

- Complex Task: "Analyze hundreds of user feedback, share the top three takeaways, and categorize the feedback based on the team responsible for follow-up."

2. Context:

Setting the Scene Context is tricky because it can be infinite.

Ask yourself:

• What’s the user’s background?
• What does success look like?
• What environment are they in?

Example: "I’m a 70kg male looking to put on 5kg of muscle mass over the next three months. I can only go to the gym twice a week for one hour each session. Give me a three-month training program."

3. Exemplars:

Show, Don’t Just Tell Including examples within the prompt drastically improves output quality. For instance:

Resume Bullet Point: "Rewrite this bullet point using the structure: I accomplished X by doing Y, resulting in Z."

Interview Prep: "Based on my resume, write an answer to 'What’s your biggest weakness?' using the STAR framework (Situation, Task, Action, Result)."

4. Persona:

Who’s Your AI? Think of someone you wish you had instant access to for the task at hand. It could be a physical therapist, a recruiter, or even a fictional character like Batman! ??

5. Format:

Visualize the Output Close your eyes and visualize how you want the end result to look. Common formats include emails, bullet points, tables, and code blocks.

For example:

- "Take all the feedback and output a table with headers: Original Feedback, Team Responsible, and Priority."

6. Tone:

The Voice of Your Prompt Specify the tone you want. It could be casual, formal, witty, enthusiastic, or even pessimistic. If you’re unsure, ask the AI for tone keywords based on the feeling you’re going for.

Putting It All Together:

Here’s a comprehensive prompt example:

"You are a senior product marketing manager at Apple (Persona) and have just unveiled the latest Apple product in collaboration with Tesla, the Apple Car, receiving 12,000 pre-orders, which is 200% higher than the target (Context). Write an email to your boss, Tim Cook, sharing this positive news (Task). The email should include a TL;DR section, project background, business results with quantifiable metrics, and end with a section thanking the product and engineering teams (Format). Use clear and concise language and write in a confident yet friendly tone (Tone)."

Compare this to a simpler prompt:

"I just launched a new product, the Apple Car, and received 12,000 pre-orders. Please write an email to my boss with this update."

The difference in output quality is significant!

Here are 10 prompts, each crafted with "The Six Building Blocks of a Perfect Prompt" in mind:

1. Fitness Plan

• Task: Create a personalized fitness plan.
• Context: I’m a 70kg male looking to put on 5kg of muscle mass over the next three months. I can only go to the gym twice a week for one hour each session.
• Exemplars: Example exercises include bench press, squats, and deadlifts.
• Persona: You are a professional fitness trainer.
• Format: Provide a weekly workout schedule in a table format.
• Tone: Motivational and encouraging.

Prompt:?You are Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's personal trainer . Create a personalized fitness plan for a 70kg male looking to put on 5kg of muscle mass over the next three months. He can only go to the gym twice a week for one hour each session. Provide a weekly workout schedule in a table format . Use motivational and encouraging language .

2. Marketing Strategy

• Task: Develop a marketing strategy.
• Context: Our startup has just launched a new eco-friendly water bottle. We have a budget of $10,000 for the next quarter.
• Exemplars: Include social media campaigns, influencer partnerships, and email marketing.
• Persona: You are a seasoned marketing consultant.
• Format: Present the strategy in bullet points.
• Tone: Professional and innovative.

Prompt:?You are Steven Bartlett . Develop a marketing strategy for a startup that has launched a new eco-friendly water bottle with a budget of $10,000 for the next quarter . Present the strategy in bullet points . Use professional and innovative language.

3. Resume Enhancement

• Task: Rewrite my resume bullet points.
• Context: I’m applying for a senior software engineer position at Google.
• Exemplars: Use the structure: I accomplished X by doing Y, resulting in Z.
• Persona: You are a top-tier resume writer.
• Format: Provide the revised bullet points in a list.
• Tone: Confident and impactful.

Prompt:?You are Tony Stark . Rewrite my resume bullet points for a senior software engineer position at Google using the structure: I accomplished X by doing Y, resulting in Z . Provide the revised bullet points in a list . Use confident and impactful language .

4. Customer Feedback Analysis

• Task: Analyze customer feedback.
• Context: We received 500 feedback entries for our new app update.
• Exemplars: Identify top three takeaways and categorize feedback based on the team responsible for follow-up.
• Persona: You are a data analyst.
• Format: Output a table with headers: Original Feedback, Team Responsible, and Priority.
• Tone: Analytical and precise.

Prompt:?You are Sherlock Holmes, the famous detective. Analyze customer feedback from 500 entries for our new app update. Identify top three takeaways and categorize feedback based on the team responsible for follow-up . Output a table with headers: Original Feedback, Team Responsible, and Priority . Use analytical and precise language.

5. Email to CEO

• Task: Write an email to the CEO.
• Context: Our team has just completed a successful project that increased sales by 30%.
• Exemplars: Include a TL;DR section, project background, business results with quantifiable metrics, and a thank-you note to the team.
• Persona: You are the project manager.
• Format: Email format.
• Tone: Confident yet friendly.

Prompt:?You are Jeff Bezos. Write an email to the CEO about our team’s successful project that increased sales by 30% . Include a TLDR section, project background, business results with quantifiable metrics, and a thank-you note to the team. Use confident yet friendly language.

6. Blog Post

• Task: Write a blog post.
• Context: Our company is launching a new AI-powered tool for content creators.
• Exemplars: Highlight key features, benefits, and use cases.
• Persona: You are a tech blogger.
• Format: Blog post with headings and subheadings.
• Tone: Informative and engaging.

Prompt:?You are Peter Drury. Write a blog post about our company launching a new AI-powered tool for content creators . Highlight key features, benefits, and use cases . Structure the post with headings and subheadings . Use informative and engaging language .

7. Product Description

• Task: Create a product description.
• Context: We are launching a new smartwatch with health tracking features.
• Exemplars: Mention features like heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, and GPS.
• Persona: You are a product copywriter.
• Format: Short paragraphs with bullet points for features.
• Tone: Exciting and persuasive.

Prompt:?You are Steve Jobs. Create a product description for a new smartwatch with health tracking features such as heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, and GPS. Use short paragraphs with bullet points for features. Use exciting and persuasive language.

8. Social Media Post

• Task: Write a social media post.
• Context: Our bakery is introducing a new line of gluten-free pastries.
• Exemplars: Include a catchy headline, description, and a call-to-action.
• Persona: You are a social media manager.
• Format: Instagram post with hashtags.
• Tone: Fun and inviting.

Prompt:?You are Chrissy Teigen . Write a social media post for a bakery introducing a new line of gluten-free pastries. Include a catchy headline, description, and a call-to-action . Structure it as an Instagram post with hashtags . Use fun and inviting language.

9. Technical Documentation

• Task: Write technical documentation.
• Context: We have developed a new API for our software.
• Exemplars: Include installation instructions, usage examples, and troubleshooting tips.
• Persona: You are a technical writer.
• Format: Step-by-step guide.
• Tone: Clear and concise.

Prompt:?You are Alan Turing, the pioneering computer scientist . Write technical documentation for a new API for our software . Include installation instructions, usage examples, and troubleshooting tips . Provide a step-by-step guide. Use clear and concise language.

10. Customer Service Response

• Task: Draft a customer service response.
• Context: A customer has complained about a delayed shipment.
• Exemplars: Apologize for the inconvenience, explain the reason for the delay, and offer a discount on the next purchase.
• Persona: You are a customer service representative.
• Format: Email response.
• Tone: Apologetic and reassuring.

Prompt:?You are Oprah Winfrey . Draft a customer service response to a complaint about a delayed shipment Apologize for the inconvenience, explain the reason for the delay, and offer a discount on the next purchase (Task). Write an email response. Use apologetic and reassuring language.

These prompts are designed to be clear, actionable, and tailored to specific scenarios, ensuring high-quality output. ??

Final Thoughts

Mastering these six components will transform your AI interact. Untill then, Let’s learn and grow together! ?? For more AI news and insights, follow me on LinkedIn. ??

I'll see you in the next one??