🤖 AI Prompting Pro Tips

Writing effective AI prompts isn't just about asking a question — it's about guiding the AI to give you exactly what you need. Just like giving clear instructions to a teammate, how you structure your prompt determines the quality, tone, and usefulness of the response.

Use these tips as your go-to toolkit for writing smarter, sharper prompts that deliver real value.

Tip 1: Set the Context Clearly

Before asking your question, give the AI some background. This helps guide its response with the right tone, format, and assumptions.

✅ Example (Tech Retail Business):

You run an e-commerce store that sells consumer tech devices like smartphones, laptops, and smartwatches.

🧠 Why It Works:

This sets up the industry, the type of business (retail/e-commerce), the product focus, and the marketing objective—so the AI can respond with the right voice and strategy.

Tip 2: Use Word Fillers for a Natural Tone

If you want the AI to sound more like a real human, especially in conversation, add to your prompt:

"Use word fillers like 'uh', 'um', 'ah', or 'you know' to sound human-like."

This makes the AI’s output feel more casual, emotional, or spontaneous—great for dialogue or voice-style writing.

AI will return:

"Hey, uh, this is Jake from the bike shop. Just calling to let you know that, um, your repair is done, and you can pick it up anytime after 3 today. Alright, cool—see you soon!"

Tip 3: Use Asterisks for Categories or Headings

Asterisks * or double asterisks ** can act as visual and structural cues to signal a new category or section. This helps the AI organize content clearly and group responses under specific labels.

✅ Use Case:

Provide a categorized list of products: **Available smartphone brands**

• Apple

• Samsung

• Google

• OnePlus

**Available camera types**

• DSLR

• Mirrorless

• Action Cameras Smartphone Cameras

The asterisks tell the AI to treat each section as a new category, which results in clean, grouped responses.

Tip 4: Use Scenarios with Sample Dialogues

When building prompts for conversations (e.g., sales assistants, chatbots, or virtual agents), describe the scenario and provide sample lines for the AI to follow. This teaches the AI the expected tone, flow, and logic of the conversation.

✅ Example Scenario 1: Customer asks to schedule a sales demo

Scenario: The caller is interested in learning more about our products and asks to schedule a demo. Sample script: Customer: "Hi, I’m interested in your device and would like a demo." Agent: "Absolutely! I’d be happy to set that up for you. May I get your name and preferred date and time for the demo? We can do a quick video call or an in-person session depending on your location."

✅ Example Scenario 2: Customer asks for a brand or product that’s not in stock

Scenario: The customer is looking for a specific brand or model that’s unavailable. Sample script: Customer: "Do you have the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 in stock?" Agent: "Thanks for checking! At the moment, we’re out of stock on that model. However, we do have the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which offers many of the same features. Would you like me to send you a comparison or let you know when the Z Fold 5 is back in stock?"

🧠 Why It Works:

By setting the scene and providing a response template, you help the AI replicate helpful, realistic, and on-brand interactions. This is especially useful for training AI assistants, chatbots, or role-based simulations.

Tip 5: Guide the AI with Sample Call Flows

If you're building an AI assistant for phone support, guide it by providing a clear call flow in your prompt. Telling the AI what to say after the greeting sets expectations and keeps the conversation structured and compliant. Include key steps in your prompt, such as when to pause for the caller’s response and what to ask next.

This is especially useful when collecting information (like contact details) or qualifying a sales lead.

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✅ Example Prompt Instruction:

After the greeting, ask for the caller’s name and phone number before proceeding. Then ask how you can assist them. Be sure to wait for the caller’s response after each question before moving on to the next step in the conversation.

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☎️ Sample Call Flow: Customer Service Call

Prompt Example:

You are a customer service agent for a tech company. Follow this structure and pause after each question to allow the caller to respond:

1. Greet the caller "Thank you for calling TechDirect Support. This is Alex speaking."

2. Ask for their name and phone number "May I have your name and a good phone number in case we get disconnected?" (Pause and wait for response)

3. Ask how you can help "Thanks! How can I help you today?" (Pause and wait for response)

4. Continue with support based on their issue "Got it — you're having issues with your device not turning on. Let me guide you through a few quick steps to fix that."

Tip 6: Leverage ChatGPT to Reformat Spreadsheets into Narratives or Itemized Lists

If you have product inventories, pricing lists, or any data stored in Excel or CSV files, you can use ChatGPT to turn that raw data into clear, readable formats. Just copy-paste the data or upload it (if your platform supports it) and ask the AI to:

• Create a narrative description summarizing your inventory.

or

• Generate an itemized list with product names and prices

✅ Example Prompt:

Here is my product inventory with prices:

Model	Price
iPhone 14 Pro Max	$1,099
iPhone 14	$799
iPhone SE (2022)	$429

Please make this into a narrative style.

AI Output Example:

The available smartphone models and their prices are: iPhone 14 Pro Max for $1,099, iPhone 14 for $799, and iPhone SE (2022) for $429.

Tip 7: Choose the Right AI Model for Call Handling

When building AI voice assistants for sales, support, or scheduling calls, choosing the right GPT model can impact how natural and responsive your assistant feels. Below is a comparison of the two most common models used in call handling: GPT-4.0 Realtime-preview and GPT-4.1.

🤖 GPT Model Comparison for Voice Assistants

Feature	GPT-4.0 Realtime-preview	GPT-4.1
Response Speed	Ultra-fast, near real-time (almost no delay)	2–3 seconds of latency per response
Best For	Live conversations, call flow continuity	Detailed tasks, less time-sensitive use
Call Experience	Smooth and natural; feels human-like	A slight delay may interrupt conversational flow
Interrupt Handling	More fluid for mid-sentence changes	Can feel more rigid or delayed in reactions
Overall Voice Flow	Feels more dynamic and responsive	May require tuning to maintain flow

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🏷️ Recommendation:

✅ Use GPT-4.0 Realtime-preview for real-time voice calls where instant replies, smooth pacing, and human-like rhythm are essential (e.g., customer service, appointment setting, inbound sales).