Prompt Like a Pro: It's Not What You Ask, It's How You Ask It

As generative AI becomes more embedded in our daily workflows—from drafting emails and summarizing articles to brainstorming ideas and writing code—the key to getting great results lies in one often overlooked skill: asking the right question in the right way.

This practice is known as prompt engineering. While it may sound technical, it’s something anyone can learn. You don't need to be a programmer to master it—you just need to know how to guide the AI effectively. Below, we break down five essential techniques, each with real-life examples, to help you write better prompts and get smarter answers.

Be Specific – Tell the AI What You Want, and How

The biggest mistake most people make when prompting AI is being too vague. AI models don’t assume your intent; they respond based on probability patterns. The more clearly you define what you want, the more relevant and actionable the answer becomes.

Example:

• Vague: "Tell me about marketing."
• Specific: "Explain how small businesses can use Instagram to build brand awareness, including three strategies with real examples."

Why it works:
Being specific gives the AI direction. You’ve defined the subject (small businesses), platform (Instagram), goal (brand awareness), format (three strategies), and even the style (examples). The response you get is no longer generic—it’s tailored.

Set a Persona – “Act as a teacher/chef/lawyer.”

You can change the style and perspective of the AI's response by assigning it a role or persona. Whether you're writing for kids, professionals, or creatives, telling the AI who it should be aligns its tone, vocabulary, and depth with your audience.

Example:

• "Act as a high school biology teacher and explain how vaccines work."
• "You're a startup CTO. Explain the pros and cons of using open-source LLMs in production."

Why it works:
Personas shape the AI’s voice. A teacher will simplify, a CTO will get technical, and a journalist might use narrative structure. It’s a fast way to get the right tone and level of detail.

Give Examples – Show the AI What Good Looks Like

If you want the AI to write in a certain style or format, show it an example. This method, called few-shot prompting, allows you to demonstrate patterns you want the AI to mimic.

Example:
“Here are two examples of funny product reviews. Write a similar one for a coffee grinder.”

• Example 1: “This toaster is so smart it might get a degree before my kids.”
• Example 2: “I bought this vacuum and now my dog thinks it's a rival alpha.”

Why it works:
Examples reduce ambiguity. The AI can detect that you're aiming for humor, exaggeration, and a casual voice—and will follow that pattern in its output. This works for everything from resumes and emails to poetry and ads.

Add Constraints – Word Count, Tone, Format

Constraints help focus the AI’s output. Rather than limiting creativity, they narrow the response to match your intended use—especially important when your prompt needs to produce content for a specific platform or context.

Example:

• "Write a LinkedIn post under 150 words that’s inspirational but avoids clichés."
• "Summarize this blog post in bullet points, using a professional tone and no more than five bullets."

Why it works:
Constraints act like rails. Word count, tone, and formatting give the AI boundaries that help avoid fluff or misalignment. You end up with content that’s not just correct—but also usable right away.

Iterate – Don’t Settle on the First Result

AI output is non-deterministic, meaning the same prompt can give different results each time. That’s not a bug—it’s a feature. The first draft can help you clarify your intent. Use it as a springboard and refine your prompt to get closer to what you really want.

Example:

1. First draft: “Summarize this article.”
2. Second iteration: “Make it more engaging for a Gen Z audience.”
3. Third iteration: “Add a closing question that encourages readers to comment.”

Why it works:
Prompting is iterative. You don’t need to write the perfect prompt on your first try. With each refinement, the AI better understands your goal—and you get better results.

Final Thoughts

Getting good output from AI isn't about asking harder questions—it's about asking clearer ones. With just a few adjustments in how you frame your prompts—adding specifics, assigning personas, providing examples, setting constraints, and iterating—you can turn any AI interaction into a more productive and creative collaboration.

Whether you're a student, marketer, developer, or just curious, mastering prompt engineering will make AI one of your most powerful tools.