3 Tips to prompt like a pro, it's a mind shift not a skill

So you'll get better results and save time

What happens when a content pro tests and plays with AI tools for 2 years? You get AI tips that save time, improve output, and spark better ideas.

Prompting isn’t about skills; it’s about mindset.

Why it matters: faster and better results in less time.

Of course, there are some ‘golden’ rules that you have to configure your AI to get the best results in your brand voice or use the RICE model with a prompt at least 250 words long.

But there's also an easier way.

Be specific. Treat AI like a 5-year-old
Keep it simple. Break tasks into steps
Be human. Say please, and thank you

→ It's all about how you think, treat, and chat with AI.

Let's dive into my 3 uncommon tips.

Tip 1. Treat and give AI instructions like a 5-year-old

You get the best results if you give AI detailed instructions in simple words. No jargon, no fuzz.

Compare it to giving instructions to a 5-year-old.

→ Not because AI is dumb but because clarity wins.

The simpler and more specific you are, the better and more accurate the response, and less editing later.

What not to do
Imagine you want your 5-year-old to make you a peanut butter sandwich. You could ask:

‘Can you make me a peanut butter sandwich.’

However, without giving details on how to do it, you know your kid will struggle.

If you're lucky, you get something that looks like it, or you get the separate ingredients, no knife or plate, and you'll somehow have to build the sandwich yourself. Or it gets so confused and starts hallucinating, so you get something completely different.

Do give specific and detailed instructions
You'll get your peanut butter sandwich if you ask your 5-year-old to:

'Please open the bag with bread, take two slices out of the bag, and put them next to each other on a plate. Get a knife. Get the peanut butter jar. Open the jar with both hands. Once it's open, get the knife and dip it deep into the jar. Scoop some peanut butter and smear it on one of the two slices, from side to side, top to bottom. Once that one slice is covered, put the knife down and close the jar. Put the second slice of bread on top of the first one, which has peanut butter on it. And bring me the plate.'

This is exactly the reason why good prompts are long prompts. Detailed and specific. And step-by-step, as explained in the next tip.

Tip 2. Break your complex request up into small, simple, sequential steps

In line with the first tip, don't complicate your prompts. If needed, break your request up into smaller, simple steps, where you guide AI step-by-step through the process.

This reduces errors and prevents hallucinations by AI.

→ The more complex your prompts, the more difficult it is for AI to grasp what you want.

Explained by example.

Your objective is to make the copy on your website easier to understand and faster to read. So you need to analyze the writing level and then have AI rewrite it in B1 intermediate English.

Example of a complex prompt
This is a complex prompt where you ask AI to complete several tasks simultaneously in one go.

'Can you analyze the copy on www.xyz.com/page and rewrite the content so it's in B1'

The response will be mediocre, filled with mistakes and hallucinations. This is because your request is complex and requires too many steps at once: pull up, analyze, and rewrite the copy.

Example of a simple and sequential prompt
It's better to break it up. First, you do this; then you do that, followed by XYZ.'

‘Can you pull up the copy from www.xyz.com/page? After you do that, paste it here in ChatGPT. Once you do that, we will go to step 2.’

- now ChatGPT pastes the copy into the chat and asks you for the next step.

‘Can you analyze this copy on the B1 reading level and give me suggestions for improvement so I can make the changes myself?’

- ChatGPT now will present the copy in the ‘with canvas’ feature with the suggestions in the comments, which you can accept or decline.

→ If you break a complex request up into small, simple, sequential steps, I guarantee you'll get better results.

For the last tip, it's all about your tone.

Tip 3. Say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’

Treat AI like an equal. Have a conversational tone, and don't boss it around.

No need to go overboard, starting your prompt with a simple ‘can you…’ already does the trick.

→ This politeness does something to your brain

It's not that ChatGPT will run faster or try harder if you're friendly.

However, your tone defines the outcome. The more friendly, specific, and detailed you are, like you're chatting with a coworker, the clearer your instructions, and the better the response will be.