Most business owners are using AI backwards.

They open ChatGPT or Claude, type “write me a marketing email,” get something generic, and then complain that AI doesn’t work for their business. Sound familiar?

The problem isn’t AI. It’s the prompt. Here’s the simple 3-part formula that separates people who get great results from AI and those who don’t.

Part 1: Give AI a Role

AI responds to context. The more you tell it about who it’s supposed to be, the better the output. Start every prompt with “You are a [role].” For example: “You are an expert marketing copywriter who specializes in local businesses.” That single line transforms the quality of everything that follows.

Part 2: Describe the Task and the Audience

Don’t just say what you want — say who it’s for. “Write a marketing email” is weak. “Write a 200-word marketing email for a plumbing company targeting homeowners in Edmonton who need emergency pipe repair” is strong. The more specific you are about the audience, the tone, and the goal, the more useful the result. Think of it like briefing a new employee: the more context you give, the less you have to revise.

Part 3: Tell It the Format You Want

AI will default to whatever format it thinks is appropriate — which is often a wall of text. Tell it exactly what you want: “Give me 5 bullet points,” “Write this as a short paragraph,” or “Format this as a step-by-step numbered list.” This saves you from having to reformat everything after the fact.

Putting It All Together

Here’s what a fully built prompt looks like using all 3 parts:

“You are an expert marketing copywriter who specializes in helping small businesses. Write a 3-sentence promotional message for a restaurant in Calgary promoting their new weekend brunch menu. Write it in a warm, friendly tone aimed at local families. Format it as a single paragraph ready to post on Instagram.”

That prompt takes 45 seconds to write and produces something you could actually use. Compare that to “write an Instagram post for my restaurant” — which produces something you’d delete immediately.

Your Action Step This Week

Pick one task you’re doing manually right now — writing a follow-up email, drafting a social post, summarizing a report — and write a prompt using all 3 parts. Role + Task/Audience + Format. Run it and see what you get. I’d bet you’ll be surprised.

Next week, we’ll cover the AI tools that are actually worth paying for — and the free ones that do just as much. Until then, keep experimenting.