Free guide · Step 1 of 3 · ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini
You don't need magic words. AI does good work when it knows what you want, why you want it, and who it's for. This guide shows you how to say that in under a minute, by typing or just by talking.
01
A search box wants keywords. A new colleague needs a briefing. They're quick and capable, but they weren't in the meeting. They don't know your client or your deadline, and they can't guess what "make it better" means to you.
"Can you write a short email to Dana? She's missed two payments. I want to keep her as a client, so be friendly, but I need a payment date by Friday."
02
A good brief answers four questions. For a quick job, one line is fine. For anything that matters, add the parts that are missing.
What do you want?
Say the result, not the steps. "A two-paragraph reply that says no politely."
Why, and for whom?
Who will read it, what happened before, and what has to happen next. People skip this part most, and it makes the biggest difference.
What does good look like?
Paste something you like, such as an old email or a post in your voice. One example teaches tone better than a list of adjectives.
How should it come back?
Length, layout, and one or two firm rules. "Under 120 words. Keep the prices exactly as they are."
Fill in what you know. Your prompt builds on the right as you type. Nothing you type leaves this page.
Your prompt
Act as an executive assistant with 20 years of experience. Rewrite this email to be professional.
The AI gets a job title but no idea who's reading or what needs to happen.
Goal: Rewrite this email so it sounds calm and firm. Context: It goes to a client who has missed two payments. I want to keep working with them, but I need a payment date. Example: Here's an email of mine whose tone I like: [PASTE] Format: Under 120 words. Keep the invoice numbers exactly as they are. Email: [PASTE YOUR DRAFT]
Now it knows the reader, the goal and the limits. Every line is optional.
03
Most people type short prompts because typing is slow. Talking is faster, so you end up explaining more. If you have a lot in your head, press the microphone in the message box and just talk for a minute or two. Don't worry about order or "ums."
Press the microphone and say everything: the goal, the backstory, what worries you, what a good result looks like.
Use the prompt below. The AI sorts your ramble into a clear brief.
Read the brief, answer its questions, correct anything it got wrong, then tell it to go ahead.
Below is a messy voice note about something I need help with. Turn it into a clear brief I could give you, using four headings: Goal, Context, Example, Format. Don't guess at anything important that's missing. List it under "Questions for me" instead. Then wait for my answers before you start the task. Voice note: [TALK OR PASTE HERE]
04
You don't have to think of everything up front. For bigger tasks, ask the AI to interview you first. It's often better than you are at spotting what's missing.
Before you start, ask me up to 5 questions, one at a time, about anything you'd need to know to do this well. Wait for each answer before asking the next one.
What it looks like
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Most AI apps now have a thinking or reasoning option. With it on, the AI works through the problem before it answers. Typing "think step by step" used to help. On today's models it adds little, because they already reason when it's needed.
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If you paste the same background into every chat, save it instead. There are three places to put it, from broad to narrow.
Who you are and how you like answers. It applies to every chat.
I run a small bookkeeping business. Write in a warm, direct tone. Use short paragraphs. If my question is unclear, ask before answering.
Where: ChatGPT: Settings, then Personalization. Claude: Settings, then Instructions for Claude. Gemini: Customize in the side menu.
One ongoing piece of work, with its files and rules kept together.
A "Client newsletter" project that holds your brand voice notes, last month's issue and a few lines on format.
Where: Claude and ChatGPT both have Projects in the side menu.
One task you do the same way every time, saved so the AI can follow it on request.
A "weekly client update" skill that always uses the same headings and ends with next steps.
Where: Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini all support skills. Gemini is turning Gems into skills from November 2026.
Building skills is step 3 of this path, in the Agent Folder Blueprint.
07
Some tricks that went around in 2023 and 2024 never helped much, and newer models don't need them. Researchers and the AI companies' own guides now say you can let these go.
"IMPORTANT: You MUST..."
Instead: Say it once, normally, and explain why it matters. Anthropic says newer models follow instructions closely and can overreact to shouting.
"I'll tip you $200" or "this is life or death"
Instead: Leave them out. Wharton researchers tested both in 2025 and found no reliable effect on hard test questions.
Opening every prompt with a job title
Instead: Say who the answer is for and what it's for. A 2025 Wharton study found expert personas didn't make answers to hard factual questions any more accurate. A role can still help set the tone.
Asking for reasoning in words
Instead: Use the thinking switch. Wharton found the phrase added only a few percent on reasoning models and made answers 20 to 80 percent slower.
A 300-word prompt to fix one sentence
Instead: Start short and follow up. OpenAI's guide for ChatGPT users says short prompts often work and follow-ups are normal.
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Each one follows the four-part brief. Replace everything in [square brackets] with your own details. They work in ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini.
Rewrite the message below so it sounds [calm and firm / warm / direct]. It's going to [who], and I need them to [what you want them to do next]. Keep my meaning, and keep any names, dates and numbers exactly as they are. Keep it under [number] words. Message: [PASTE YOUR DRAFT]
Explain [topic] to me. I'm new to it, and I need to understand it well enough to [why you need it, like "talk to my accountant"]. Use one everyday comparison. Then list the 3 things I should learn next, with one sentence on why each matters.
I've attached [a contract / a proposal / a report]. I need to decide [the decision] by [date]. Find the 3 biggest risks or open questions in it, and quote the line each one comes from. Write it as a short brief for someone who won't read the whole thing.
I'm deciding whether to [decision]. Right now I'm leaning toward [option] because [your reason]. Give me the strongest honest case for and against it. Then name the assumption I'm most likely getting wrong, and the one fact that would most change your answer. Don't just agree with me.
I've attached a screenshot of [an error message / a settings page / a form]. I'm trying to [what you're trying to do]. Tell me what I'm looking at, the exact next step to take, and anything I shouldn't click or change.
Compare [3 tools or services] for [what you need them for]. I'm [who you are, like "a one-person design studio"] and my budget is [amount]. Make a table with price, what each does best, and the main drawback. Link a source for every price, and say when each one was last updated. Then tell me which one you'd pick for me and why.
I want to learn [skill] well enough to [goal] in [time frame]. Make me a simple weekly plan. After each week's summary, ask me 2 questions to check I've got it, one at a time, before we move on.
Below is everything on my mind about [project or week], in no particular order. Sort it into a plan: what has to happen first, what can wait, and what I can drop. Flag anything that has a deadline. Ask me about anything that's unclear before you finish. Brain dump: [TALK OR PASTE HERE]
09
Never paste passwords into a chat. Before you share client details or anything confidential, check your app's data settings. Many personal plans can use your chats to improve future models unless you turn that off.
AI can sound sure and still be wrong. Treat every answer as a first draft. Check names, numbers, dates, quotes and links before you use them.
The cheat sheet
Get a printable two-page cheat sheet by email, with everything from this guide that's worth keeping in view.
What's next
Once you're using the same prompt every week, it's time to turn it into a repeatable process. That's step 2.
© 2026 Visual Intelligence Co.
