Prompt engineering is the art of clear, human-first communication designed to get effective results from AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Grok. Regardless of which tool you choose, understanding how to create clear prompts helps you receive genuinely helpful responses.
Here's your practical guide to making prompts work powerfully for you.
What Exactly Is Prompt Engineering?
Prompt engineering means crafting clear, purposeful instructions to guide AI tools to deliver responses that genuinely help you. Think of prompts as clear conversations—where clarity and context determine the quality of the response you receive.
Core Principles of Effective Prompts
- Clarity: Be specific about what you want.
- Context: Briefly provide essential background.
- Outcome-focused: Clearly define your desired outcome.
Example of an unclear prompt: "Help me improve my marketing."
Example of a clear prompt: "You're an experienced marketing consultant. Suggest three actionable strategies to increase engagement in my online coaching community, which serves spiritually-aware entrepreneurs interested in AI."
Common Prompt Structures for Everyday Use
Question-based Prompts
Asking insightful questions generates insightful responses.
- Example: "What are three critical questions a purpose-driven entrepreneur should ask before launching an online course?"
Instruction-based Prompts
Giving straightforward tasks for clear outputs.
- Example: "Outline a short, inspiring newsletter email inviting my subscribers to a free AI masterclass. Keep the tone conversational and aligned with values of integrity and compassion."
Role-based Prompts
Assigning roles to AI to tailor the advice.
- Example: "Respond as a productivity coach. Recommend a simple daily routine using the Pomodoro technique for a busy entrepreneur working Monday through Thursday."
Practical Prompting Tips for Better Outcomes
- Clearly state your goal at the beginning of the prompt.
- Specify the tone or style you prefer (e.g., professional, conversational, inspiring).
- Use iterative prompting—adjust your next prompt based on the AI’s first response.
Example of iterative prompting:
- Initial Prompt: "Suggest three ideas for an upcoming podcast episode about everyday spirituality."
- Iteration: "Expand on idea number two, including a clear outline of key talking points for a 20-minute episode."
Common Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
Vague Prompts
- Poor: "Give me business ideas."
- Better: "Suggest three profitable business ideas for a spiritually-focused coach wanting to leverage AI."
Assuming Implied Context
- Poor: "What's next?"
- Better: "I just completed a launch for my new AI coaching course. Suggest two next-step strategies for keeping engagement high among new participants."
Real-Life Examples: Prompts that Inspire Action
Leadership Development Prompt
"Act as a leadership expert. List five thoughtful questions I can reflect on each morning to remain grounded and purpose-driven in my coaching practice."
Content Creation Prompt
"You're my AI copywriting assistant. Draft a concise LinkedIn post announcing my upcoming masterclass, focusing on helping coaches integrate AI into their workflow. Include a friendly call-to-action inviting people to sign up."
Strategic Decision-Support Prompt
"Respond as my business advisor. Evaluate two possible pricing strategies—monthly subscription vs. one-time fee—for my AI mastery course targeting established, purpose-driven entrepreneurs. Explain the pros and cons clearly."
Prompting Ethics and Responsible Use
Being mindful of ethical considerations keeps your prompts and the resulting outputs aligned with integrity:
- Always avoid biased language.
- Be clear and transparent about your intention.
- Regularly check outputs to ensure they align with your core values of compassion and integrity.
Recommended Framework: The STAR Method
Simplify your prompting using the STAR method:
- Situation: Describe what's currently happening.
- Task: Clearly explain the task or goal.
- Appearance: Define precisely what a successful response looks like.
- Refinement: Adjust and iterate the prompt based on initial responses.
Example using STAR: "Situation: I've noticed lower engagement in my weekly emails. Task: Suggest improvements to increase reader interaction. Appearance: Offer three practical, actionable tips tailored to purpose-driven entrepreneurs. Refinement: After the first response, ask the AI to expand specifically on tip number two with clear examples."
Next Steps: Implementing Prompt Engineering Effectively
- Practice Daily: Experiment daily with different prompt styles and observe the responses.
- Evaluate Results: Track the prompts that consistently yield the best outcomes.
- Refine Your Prompts: Continuously iterate and refine based on past successes and insights.
- Share Insights: Discuss and share your experiences with others in your community to learn collectively and enhance your prompting skills.
