Prompt Engineering for Business: Getting Better Results from AI

The difference between a mediocre AI response and an exceptional one often comes down to how you ask. Prompt engineering—the art of crafting effective instructions for AI—isn't just for developers. It's an essential skill for anyone using AI in their work.

This guide covers practical techniques that work across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and other AI tools. No technical background required.

Why Prompts Matter

Most people use AI like a search engine: type a question, hope for the best. But AI models respond dramatically differently based on how you frame your request.

Consider these two approaches:

Weak prompt: "Write me a marketing email"

Strong prompt: "Write a marketing email for our B2B software product targeting operations managers at manufacturing companies. The email should introduce our new inventory forecasting feature, be 150-200 words, professional but warm in tone, and include a clear call-to-action to book a demo."

The second prompt will consistently produce usable content. The first will produce generic filler.

The CRAFT Framework

Use this framework for any business prompt:

Context

What's the background? Who's involved? What's the situation?

Role

What role should the AI assume? Expert consultant? Copywriter? Data analyst?

Action

What specific action do you want? Write, analyse, summarise, compare?

Format

How should the output be structured? Bullet points? Email? Report? Table?

Tone

What's the appropriate voice? Formal? Conversational? Technical?

Example using CRAFT:

You are an experienced HR consultant (Role). Our company is a 200-person manufacturing firm experiencing high turnover in entry-level positions (Context). Analyse the following exit interview data and identify the top 3 retention issues (Action). Present your findings as a brief executive summary with bullet points (Format). Keep the language professional but accessible for non-HR readers (Tone).

Technique 1: Be Specific About Output

Vague instructions produce vague results. Specify exactly what you want:

Instead of: "Make it shorter" Try: "Reduce this to 100 words while keeping the key message about cost savings"

Instead of: "Improve this email" Try: "Rewrite this email to be more persuasive, add urgency, and include a specific deadline for the offer"

Instead of: "Summarise this document" Try: "Summarise this document in 5 bullet points, focusing on action items for our sales team"

Technique 2: Provide Examples

AI learns patterns. Show it what you want:

Write product descriptions in this style:

Example 1: "The Nova Chair combines ergonomic excellence with minimalist design. Adjustable lumbar support and breathable mesh keep you comfortable through long work sessions. Clean lines complement any office aesthetic."

Example 2: "Built for serious home cooks, the ProChef 9000 delivers restaurant-quality results. 1800 watts of power, precise temperature control, and a 6-quart capacity handle everything from delicate sauces to batch cooking."

Now write a description for: [your product]

This "few-shot" technique dramatically improves consistency.

Technique 3: Chain Your Thinking

For complex tasks, break them into steps:

I need to create a presentation on our Q4 results. Let's work through this step by step:

1. First, identify the 5 most important metrics from this data
2. For each metric, explain the trend and its business implication
3. Suggest one slide title and 3 bullet points for each
4. Finally, recommend an opening hook and closing call-to-action

This produces more thoughtful, structured outputs than asking for everything at once.

Technique 4: Define Constraints

Limitations focus the AI:

• Word counts: "Keep it under 50 words"
• Audiences: "Explain for someone with no technical background"
• Exclusions: "Don't use jargon or buzzwords"
• Requirements: "Must include a specific call-to-action"

Example:

Write a LinkedIn post about our new partnership with Acme Corp. Maximum 200 words. Must mention the benefit to customers. No corporate buzzwords. End with a question to drive engagement.

Technique 5: Iterate, Don't Start Over

Your first prompt is a draft. Refine the output:

• "Make the tone more conversational"
• "Add more concrete examples"
• "The third paragraph is too long—tighten it"
• "Good structure, but make the opening more attention-grabbing"

AI maintains context throughout a conversation. Use it.

Common Business Use Cases

Email Drafting

Draft a professional email declining a meeting request. I'm too busy this week but want to maintain the relationship. Suggest an alternative—a 15-minute call next week. Keep it warm but brief.

Meeting Preparation

I'm meeting with the CFO to discuss our department's budget request. Role-play as a skeptical CFO and give me the 5 toughest questions I might face about this proposal: [paste proposal]

Document Summarisation

Summarise this 20-page report for a busy executive. Use this structure: Key findings (3 bullets), Risks (3 bullets), Recommendations (3 bullets), Next steps (3 bullets). Total length: under 300 words.

Data Analysis

Analyse this sales data and identify: 1) Top 3 performing products, 2) Worst performing region and possible reasons, 3) Notable trends, 4) Three recommendations for next quarter. Present as a brief report with tables where helpful.

Competitive Analysis

You are a market research analyst. Compare our product positioning against these three competitors based on this information: [paste details]. Identify our key differentiators and gaps in our positioning.

Mistakes to Avoid

Being Too Vague

"Help me with marketing" gives the AI nothing to work with. What kind of marketing? What product? What audience? What format?

Information Overload

Pasting a 50-page document with "summarise this" often produces worse results than selecting the most relevant sections.

Not Iterating

Accepting the first output when it's close-but-not-quite. Push for what you actually need.

Forgetting Audience

AI defaults to general audiences. Specify who will read the output—their role, expertise level, and what they care about.

Skipping Examples

For any recurring task, develop a template with examples. It takes minutes to create but saves hours over time.

Building Prompt Templates

For tasks you do repeatedly, create templates:

Weekly Report Template:

Write a weekly progress report for my manager. Include:

• Top 3 accomplishments this week
• Key metrics: [paste metrics]
• Blockers or risks (if any)
• Priorities for next week

Keep it factual, professional, and under 200 words. Use bullet points.

Customer Response Template:

Draft a response to this customer complaint: [paste complaint]

Acknowledge their frustration, apologise for the inconvenience, explain what happened briefly (without making excuses), state the specific resolution, and offer something for their trouble. Warm but professional tone.

Store these in a document. Reuse and refine them.

Moving Forward

Prompt engineering is a skill that improves with practice. Start by:

1. Auditing your current prompts — Are they specific enough?
2. Using the CRAFT framework for important requests
3. Building templates for recurring tasks
4. Iterating instead of accepting mediocre outputs

The time invested pays dividends. Better prompts mean better outputs, less editing, and more value from your AI tools.

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