DON'T JUST COPY. CUSTOMISE.
A prompt is a starting point. Your context makes it useful.
You do not need to become an AI expert. Start with a real task, add the right details and keep your judgement in the loop.
WATCH THE WALKTHROUGH · 3 MINUTES
From book to better prompt.
Follow a real example from AI Prompts for Business Success: find a chapter, choose a prompt and make it useful for your business.
Chapter 11 · Section 4 · Prompt 466. The added business details are a fictional teaching example.
Read the video transcript
Start with a business challenge
In this short example, we'll turn one prompt from AI Prompts for Business Success into a practical brief for your AI tool. Start with the business challenge you want to work on. Today, let's improve marketing.
1. Find your area
Open the table of contents. You don't need to read the book from beginning to end. Scan for your challenge. Here, we choose Chapter eleven, Marketing Strategy and Lead Generation, starting on page eighty four.
2. Open the chapter
The chapter introduces the topic and groups prompts into smaller sections. These help you narrow a broad challenge, such as marketing, into a specific piece of work.
3. Choose a section
Scan the section headings. We want a practical plan, so choose Section four, Create a Simple Marketing Strategy, on page eighty six. The contents page shows exactly where to go.
4. Select a starting prompt
On that page, compare the available prompts. Prompt four hundred and sixty six is a good fit: Create a ninety day marketing plan with weekly activities for lead generation. This is our starting point.
5. Make the prompt yours
Before you paste it into your AI tool, build it out. Chapter one explains six useful elements: role, task, context, format, tone and examples. The book credits this structure to Jeff Su.
Add a role and a clear task
First, give the AI a role and a clear task. Act as a marketing adviser for a small service business. Create a ninety day lead generation plan. Keep the original prompt as the core of your request.
Add business context
Now add context. Our fictional example is a two person bookkeeping business serving local trades. We want twelve qualified discovery calls over ninety days. We can spend five hundred dollars a month and three hours a week.
Specify the output format
Specify the format so the answer is easy to use. Ask for a weekly table with the activity, target audience, channel, owner, time, cost and success measure. Ask the AI to keep the plan within your limits.
Set the tone
Set the tone. We want practical, friendly language in plain English, without hype. This helps the recommendations and any sample marketing messages sound appropriate for our customers.
Include an example to follow
Add an exemplar: a short sample that shows the style you want. For this fictional business: Spend less time chasing receipts and more time running your business. Ask for clear benefits and everyday language, rather than exaggerated promises.
Your complete prompt
Bring the six elements together in one prompt. You now have a specific brief instead of a general question. The complete copyable example is included with this video. Replace the fictional details with your own before using it.
6. Use it and refine it
Paste the complete prompt into your preferred AI tool. Ask it to clarify missing information and label assumptions. Review the response against your budget, time and customers. The first answer is a draft you can improve.
Turn the answer into action
If the plan is too ambitious, follow up: Reduce this to two priority activities per week. Then draft the first message and a simple tracking sheet. Check the details and choose one action to start this week.
Find. Personalise. Apply.
That's the process: find your challenge, choose a section, select a prompt and add your context. Use examples to guide the result, then review and refine. The book gives you a starting point. Your business knowledge makes it useful.
Find your focus
Start with the task or challenge in front of you.
Make it yours
Add your business context and the result you need.
Put it to work
Use your AI tool, review the answer and refine.
THE SIX ELEMENTS
Tell your AI what good looks like.
Role
The perspective you need.
A supportive leadership coach.Task
The work you want done.
Prepare a team conversation.Context
What makes your situation different.
We missed two internal deadlines.Format
How you want the answer presented.
Five questions and an action table.Tone
The way it should sound.
Respectful and constructive.Examples
A useful model or reference.
Begin by asking what got in the way.TRY IT FOR YOURSELF
Make a prompt your own.
Act as a practical business development adviser. Task: Write a helpful follow-up email about a proposal we sent last week. Context: We are a commercial landscaping business. Our prospect manages three office buildings. They are considering our grounds maintenance proposal. Format: An email under 150 words with one clear next step. Tone: Professional, friendly and helpful. No pressure. Example or guidance: End by offering a short call to discuss questions. Ask me for essential missing information. Do not invent facts. Highlight assumptions for me to review.
What a useful answer could look like
A useful follow-up would refer to the three sites, offer to clarify the maintenance scope and suggest a short call. It should not invent a price, deadline or conversation.
Illustrative guidance, not a live AI-generated response. Your AI tool may give a different answer. Review it before use.
Explore the related bookKeep the conversation going.
Your first answer is rarely the final answer. Ask the AI to explain assumptions, make it more specific or give you an alternative.
- What information would improve your answer?
- What assumptions have you made?
- Make this more realistic for our available time.
- What should I verify before using this?
External resource credited to its creator. The six-element approach in the books is supported by this recommended tutorial.