A good prompt gives AI five things: a role, your business context, the specific task, the response format and the constraints (what not to do). The more specific the context, the less generic the answer. The templates in this guide work in ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude, but a person should review every result before it's sent or published, and you should never paste sensitive customer data.
- Basic structure: role, context, task, format and constraints.
- Give it examples of how you write; AI imitates better than it guesses.
- Ask for questions or a draft first, then refine in two or three rounds.
- Store your business's standing context in custom instructions or projects.
- Don't paste your customers' personal, financial or health data.
Why your answers come out generic
If you type "write me a post for my business" into ChatGPT, you'll get something that could work for any business on the planet. That's not the tool's fault: it doesn't know who you are, who you sell to, how you talk or what you want to achieve. It fills the gaps with the most average thing it knows.
The other reason is that most people ask for everything in a single sentence and accept the first answer. The people who get the most out of AI in their business treat it like a conversation: they ask, review, correct and ask again.
The fix isn't learning weird tricks, but giving it the same context you'd give a new employee. If you tell a new hire "make a post," they'll also ask you about what, for whom and in what tone. AI doesn't always ask; you have to get ahead of it.
This guide works the same in ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude or Copilot. If you haven't decided which one to use yet, check the comparison in ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude for business.
The structure of a good prompt
| Element | What you tell it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Role | The expertise it should answer from | "Act as the customer service lead for a bakery" |
| Context | Who you are, who you sell to, where | "Family-owned bakery in Torreón, orders by WhatsApp, customers aged 25 to 50" |
| Task | Exactly what you need | "Write a reply to this 2-star review" |
| Format | How you want it | "80 words max, no emojis, a single paragraph" |
| Constraints | What to avoid | "Don't offer discounts or blame the customer" |
Two extras that greatly improve the result:
- Examples. Paste two or three pieces you've written and like. "Write in this style" works better than "write in a friendly way."
- Ask it to ask. End with "before you answer, ask me any questions you need." It saves you corrections.
You don't need all five elements in every message. For something quick, like fixing the spelling in an email, the task alone is enough. But for any text a customer will read, it's worth spending a minute writing out the full context: it's the difference between fixing three lines and rewriting everything. The templates below already follow that structure; just replace whatever is in square brackets with your business's details.
Templates for customer service and reviews
Replying to a negative review
You're in charge of customer service at [business], a [type of business] in [city]. Reply to this Google review in a kind, professional way. Acknowledge the problem without making excuses, explain in one sentence what we'll do so it doesn't happen again and invite the person to message us on WhatsApp to resolve it. 70 words max, no emojis, no discounts offered. Review: [paste the review].
Quick replies for WhatsApp
Based on these frequently asked questions from my customers [paste the list], write short answers to save as quick replies in WhatsApp Business. Warm, casual tone, 3 lines max each. If an answer depends on information I didn't give you, mark it [MISSING INFO] instead of making it up.
The [MISSING INFO] part is key: it forces the model to admit what it doesn't know instead of inventing it. For the full review process, see how to get Google reviews.
Templates for sales and marketing
Product description
Write the online store description for this product: [name, dimensions, material, uses]. Audience: [who buys it]. Include a paragraph on benefits, a list of specifications and one line about shipping to [area]. Don't use unproven superlatives like "the best" or "unbeatable." 150 words max.
Social media content ideas
I run a [type of business] in Torreón. My customers often ask [3 common questions]. Suggest 10 Instagram post ideas that answer those questions, each with a title, the suggested format (carousel, reel or photo) and a closing line inviting people to message us on WhatsApp. Don't suggest giveaways.
Follow-up email on a quote
Write a short follow-up email to a client who received our quote for [service] a week ago and hasn't replied. Professional, no-pressure tone. Offer to answer questions on a 15-minute call. Give me two versions: one formal and one more personable.
If you're going to track the links you include in those emails or posts, use the UTM builder.
Templates for admin and operations
Payment reminder
Write a WhatsApp message reminding a customer that their invoice is due in 3 days. Friendly, clear tone; include the placeholders [invoice number] and [date], and offer the payment options: bank transfer and card payment. 4 lines max. Give me a second version for when it's a week past due, firmer but respectful.
Meeting summary
Here are my messy notes from today's meeting: [paste notes]. Organize them into: decisions, action items with owner and due date, and unresolved topics. If an action item has no owner, flag it.
Analyzing sales in a spreadsheet
Here's a summary of sales by month and by product, with no customer data: [paste table]. Tell me which three products grew the most, which ones declined and what questions I should ask myself to understand why. Don't invent causes; propose hypotheses and how to test them.
To organize the action items that come out of the meeting, you can drop them into the Eisenhower matrix.
How to iterate instead of starting over
The first answer is almost never the final one. Instead of deleting it and asking again, correct what you already have:
- "Shorter, cut it in half."
- "Remove the phrases that sound like advertising."
- "That's not how we talk in Torreón; make it more direct, as if the owner were saying it."
- "The second paragraph is fine; rewrite only the first."
- "Give me three headline options and explain how they differ."
When you find a prompt that works, save it. ChatGPT has custom instructions and projects; Claude has projects with instructions; Gemini has Gems. That's where you can keep your business context so you don't have to repeat it every time.
And always check the facts: models can state false things with great confidence, especially figures, laws and dates. We explain this in the E-E-A-T guide, in the section on AI-generated content.
Templates for your website
AI can also help improve your website's pages, as long as you supply the real data. Two uses we recommend:
Finding the questions you haven't answered
I run a [type of business] in [city]. Here's the page for my main service: [paste the text]. List the questions a customer would probably ask before hiring us that this page doesn't answer. Rank them from most to least important. Don't write the answers yet.
Rewriting a page's opening
Rewrite the first paragraph of this page so it answers directly, in two or three sentences, what we offer, who it's for and what area we serve. Use only the information in the text. If an important detail is missing, point it out at the end instead of making it up. Text: [paste the text].
Those direct openings are exactly what AI assistants and Google's summaries look for. The full method is in AI-citable content. Then check the result with the Google preview tool to fine-tune your title and description.
What you should never paste into an AI chat
AI tools are useful, but what you type may be stored and, depending on the plan and settings, used to improve the models. Before you paste something, ask yourself whether you'd post it in a WhatsApp group full of strangers. If the answer is no, remove it or change it:
- Customers' full names along with phone numbers, emails or home addresses.
- Health data, medical records or test results.
- Card numbers, bank accounts, or RFCs (Mexican taxpayer IDs) with full tax details.
- Passwords, access keys and credentials for any system.
- Contracts or confidential third-party information.
Swap in [CUSTOMER 1], [AMOUNT] or [DATE] and you'll get the same help. The full rules are in data privacy when using AI. If you want to turn these prompts into automated processes (ones that run on their own when an email or form comes in), that's what we do in our automation service.
