You’re probably hearing a lot about AI-enhanced productivity in the workplace and how automated writing assistance is the future of business writing. Indeed, artificial intelligence technologies are making it easier for anyone to create clear, concise, effective, professional communications of every kind—if you know how to use AI prompts. Read on to learn why mastering AI prompts is critical for high-quality business writing, discover how to create effective business prompts, and browse quality business prompts to get you started on refining your professional writing with AI.
What is a business writing prompt?
A business writing prompt is a clear, concise directive for AI that provides enough context for AI to understand and work to achieve your business writing goals.
The benefits of using AI business writing prompts
A 2023 Microsoft survey of 31,000 workers across the globe found that workers spent an average of 57 percent of the workday engaging in some form of communication, 68 percent of people say they don’t have enough uninterrupted focus time during the workday, and 62 percent struggle with too much time spent searching for information. Properly using AI and AI business prompts can shift this paradigm, and saving time is just one of its many benefits. Other benefits include:
- Increased efficiency and speed: AI can help you get your work written, edited, and fact-checked in minutes, if not seconds.
- Data analysis: AI automates data-crunching tasks, uncovers hidden patterns, and make data-driven predictions at superhuman speed and scale.
- Report generation: AI automates the effort, offers insight suggestions, and ensures clarity.
- Improved accuracy: Grammar and punctuation issues are easily avoided with AI, as are data-analysis inaccuracies.
- Consistency of brand voice: Once your AI model is trained to understand your brand voice and style guidelines, it can ensure your company’s business writing adheres to your voice.
- Personalized content iterations tailored to specific audiences and segments: Data analysis allows AI to customize the tone, language, and examples used for your business writing to resonate with specific audience segments, amplifying your message’s impact.
- Cost reduction: Time equals money. Less time spent crafting business communications means less expense underwriting the efforts.
- Scalability: Automating repetitive tasks allows for handling larger content volumes and personalization for diverse audiences while maintaining quality and consistency.
- Enhanced creativity: Eliminating mundane tasks liberates your team to focus on innovative business solutions through creativity, brainstorming, and crafting impactful, strategic messages.
Key features of high-quality business writing prompts
AI has a lot of amazing qualities, but it’s not a mind reader. It must be told what to do or given solid direction. Without quality information, you won’t get quality results or perhaps any results at all.
For example, we prompted Google’s generative AI chatbot, Gemini, to write a business email with a simple, vague command: “Write a business email.”
Gemini’s response was similar to how anyone might respond with such a nebulous request:
“I’d be happy to write an email for you, but I need some more information first. Please tell me:
- Who is the recipient of the email? (e.g., colleague, client, customer)
- What is the purpose of the email? (e.g., request information, provide an update, deliver bad news)
- What is the desired tone of the email? (e.g., formal, informal, friendly, persuasive)
- Is there any specific information you need to include? (e.g., deadlines, attachments, links)
The more information you can provide, the better I can tailor the email to your specific needs.”
Now look at Gemini’s response when we use the prompt “Write a business email alerting all staff members that we will be closed for business on December 1, 2024, due to hazardous weather.” The response is very different because the business prompt included information on the intent, type of desired business communication, the audience, and message details:
“Unfortunately, I cannot draft the email without knowing your company’s tone and style guidelines. However, I can offer you a template you can adapt based on your specific needs:
Subject: Important Notice: Company Closure on December 1st, 2024, Due to Hazardous Weather
Dear Team,
As you may be aware, hazardous weather conditions are expected to impact our area on December 1st, 2024. With the safety and well-being of our employees as our top priority, we have decided to close all company offices and operations on that day.
[Based on your company’s style, choose one of the following:]
- We understand this decision may cause some inconvenience, and we appreciate your understanding.
- We apologize for any disruption this may cause to your schedules.
- We believe this proactive measure is necessary to ensure everyone’s safety during this potentially dangerous event.
[If applicable, include information about alternative arrangements, such as:]
- Remote work options: If your role allows for remote work, your manager will reach out with specific instructions.
- Essential personnel: If you are designated as essential personnel, your manager will be in touch with further details.
- Communication: We will continue monitoring the weather and providing updates if necessary. Please check your email and our company communication channels for further information.
[Include the following information:]
- Reopening schedule: We plan to reopen for regular business hours on [date and time].
- Stay informed: For the latest weather updates and potential impact information, please refer to the following resources: [List of resources, e.g., local weather agency websites or social media pages]
We appreciate your cooperation in ensuring everyone’s safety during this time.
Sincerely,
[Your Name/Department]
Please note: You may need to modify this template depending on your specific company culture, business communication style, and any additional details you want to include.”
With a little information about the audience and subject matter,Gemini was able to deliver a very usable template that includes business email formatting, including a subject line, salutation, body copy, closing, signature line, and possible tones, plus suggested additional information that might be helpful to the email recipients. Had we provided more details, we would have gotten even more personalized results (and we can achieve further personalization with follow-up prompts).
As these two AI responses suggest, high-quality business writing with AI starts with high-quality business prompts. Fortunately, quality business prompts are easily crafted if you include the following key features:
Specificity
As the example above shows, the more specific your prompt, the more targeted and relevant the response. Include as much detail as you can about your desired output. Share the company tone of voice or use brand tones to define them. Specify your audience. With AI prompts, the more you give, the more you get.
Clarity
Clear, unambiguous language in your business prompts helps generate precise, desired AI responses. Let’s use the email prompt as an example again, only this time we’ll make the request less targeted: “Write a message that we will be closed on December 1, 2024, due to hazardous weather.” Now check out the response:
“Attention Valued Customers:
Important Notice: Closure on December 1, 2024, Due to Hazardous Weather
Due to the expected hazardous weather conditions on December 1, 2024, we will be closed for the safety of our employees and customers. We understand this may cause inconvenience, and we apologize for any disruption to your plans.
We will reopen for regular business hours on December 2, 2024.
For more information or to inquire about specific services, please contact us at [phone number, email address, or other contact information].
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. We appreciate your business.
[Your Business Name]
Please remember to update the message with your specific business information and contact details. Additionally, you may want to consider adding specific details about the expected hazardous weather to further inform your customers.”
Notice how Gemini’s response makes assumptions about who the author is (a business), who the audience is, and when the business will reopen. Also, the content no longer includes an email subject line, and there are fewer suggestions for further refining or improving the message.
Context
Context reduces ambiguity, improves accuracy and relevance, sets expectations and writing style, and helps achieve more accurate, relevant, and creative results. The more information you include in your prompt about what you want from your AI business writing, the better your results will be. Let’s look at that email example again, slightly modifying the context.
Here’s the response to the prompt when we specify the business is a preschool, the audience is concerned parents, and we want a loving, sweet tone:
“Subject: Snuggle Weather Alert! Preschool Closed December 1st for Safety
Dear Wonderful Parents,
Snowflakes may be swirling, but sometimes winter winds whisper “stay cozy inside.” With love for our littlest learners, we’ve made the warm decision to close on Sunday, December 1st, due to anticipated weather.
We know this might change your plans, but your child’s safety is always our top priority. Think of it as an extra day for cuddles, cocoa, and magical memories! Build a blanket fort, snuggle with books, or bake yummy cookies (sharing definitely encouraged!). ✨
We’ll miss our sunshine makers dearly, but we can’t wait to see their happy faces again soon! Stay safe, stay warm, and know we’re sending love your way. ❤️
With love and warm wishes,
The [Preschool Name] Team”
Now notice how the email changes when we ask Gemini to “Craft the same message for customers of a skateboard shop and make it as brief as possible while keeping a skateboarder tone”:
“Subject: Bail on Grindin’, Not the Shop: Closed Dec 1st for Wild Weather
Yo shredders,
Mother Nature’s droppin’ a gnarly line on Dec 1st, so shop’s steppin’ off the deck for safety. Don’t sweat, your grinds and flips can wait. Crew’s stayin’ dry so we can hook you up next day. Peace out, stay rad!
-The [Shop Name] Team”
Clearly, with business prompts, you get what you asked for.
Goal-oriented structure
For optimal results, structure prompts to align with the specific goals of the communication; include what you want to achieve.
A prompt for social media marketing might include the specific platform, target audience, desired theme or goal, and tone, such as, “Generate three funny, engaging Instagram captions for Gen Xers, promoting our sustainable product launch, using humor and emoji.”
A reporting prompt might look like this: “Analyze sales data comprehensively across regions, categories, and segments, identifying key trends, actionable insights, and recommendations.”
Customer service teams might benefit from a prompt like this: “Analyze customer feedback and data to identify top recurring questions and pain points, generating clear, concise FAQs for our website and support channels.”
Adaptability
Adaptable business prompts are like Mad Libs: By changing a few words, they can be tailored to reach different audiences, platforms, or campaign goals and written in different tones, styles, lengths, and formats. For most business prompts, adaptability is crucial because it allows you to maximize impact and resources, boost engagement, and update your prompts for relevance as conditions change.
Inclusion of keywords
Industry-specific keywords in business prompts guide AI content generation toward the desired themes and ensure that the content aligns with your brand, reader, and vision, using relevant terminology. The skateboarder and preschool email examples above show how different results can be attained with a few variations of keywords. Other examples of guiding keywords? “Sustainability,” “luxury travel,” and “automotive industry,” to name a few.
Supporting files
Depending on your goals, you may need or want to include supporting documentation, images, reports, or guidelines in your business prompt. For example, if you want AI to generate a report, you may need to include data. Also, sharing your style guidelines ensures that the output aligns with your company’s voice.
Feedback loop integration
You’ll rarely get the exact results you want with a single prompt. Perhaps you omitted information that would have been helpful, such as a desired number of words, sentences, or paragraphs. Or mabe the content is great, but the tone isn’t quite right. This is where feedback prompts are very helpful. You can prompt AI to refine its output with specific directions, such as “Keep all the facts shared here, but use only half the number of words,” “Change the tone to be slightly more upbeat,” or “Never use the word ‘moist.’” Feedback prompts help you get closer to a final draft before you do a final edit. They also enhance AI learning and accuracy, improving AI responses over time.
AI business writing prompts, with examples
Now that you have a solid understanding of the importance and key features of quality AI business prompts, you can refine your prompts for optimal output. Below, we share AI writing prompts for various business writing tasks. Use or refine them to suit your needs to maximize AI technology in business writing.
Email response prompts: Automating standard email replies to improve efficiency
Every business can benefit from the time savings and voice consistency of automating standard email replies. For sales teams, email topics might include acknowledgment of an inquiry, confirmation of order status or estimated delivery, tracking information, and return requests. Marketing teams can craft responses to leads that include relevant information and follow-up details. AI can also help with internal communications, such as automated responses to meeting requests, feedback, and out-of-office alerts.
Email response prompt example:
- “Create a concise order confirmation email using a professional but friendly tone and including all relevant information.”
Report-generation prompts: Assisting in compiling business reports with structured templates
The days of laboring over reports are over. If you provide your AI model with a template, data, and a prompt listing your desired insights, the target audience, and your brand tone, AI can create your reports for you. This heavy lifting goes beyond organizing and analyzing data, formatting and drafting text sections, and crafting visualizations. AI technology can also suggest improvements and find references, ensuring that all key points are covered accurately and objectively. Provide clear prompts, and you only need to give your AI-generated report a final edit and review.
Report-generation prompt examples (written with AI!):
- “Generate a Q3 2023 financial performance report for our company, using the provided template and incorporating data from the sales, marketing, and operations departments. Focus on key metrics like revenue growth, profitability, and marketing ROI. Highlight any major trends or areas for improvement, and present the information clearly and concisely for our board of directors.”
- “Based on the market research survey data I’ve uploaded, create a report analyzing customer preferences for our new product line. Identify the target demographics, preferred features, and potential purchase barriers. Include relevant graphs and charts to visualize the data, and conclude with product development and marketing strategies recommendations.”
Marketing content prompts: Generating ideas and drafts for marketing materials
AI is mighty as a marketing tool. It can consider data-driven insights, identify trends, provide starting points for content creation, and act as a brainstorming partner, enhancing creativity and boosting efficiency. It is more of a starting point than a final step; AI doesn’t do all the work for you. Instead, it provides a foundation to refine your vision based on your expertise and goals.
Marketing-content prompt examples:
- “Create a social media post for our new organic dog food line. Target dog owners who value healthy eating. Use a friendly, caring tone and highlight a specific product feature like grain-free. Include emoji and a relevant hashtag.”
- “Generate a blog post about our new lasagna bolognese recipe. Explain the origins of the dish and the nutritional benefits. Use a conversational tone and offer tips and interesting facts about the ingredients. Include subheadings and suggest visuals to enhance engagement.”
Customer-support script prompts: Crafting effective responses for customer inquiries
Scripted responses for common customer-support queries improve customer interaction and ensure quick, effective communication in an on-brand tone.
Customer-support script prompt example:
- “Write a customer-service response script to respond to a customer who wants to know when their dog food order will arrive, knowing they received an order number and tracking information. Make the tone professional and friendly.”
Meeting summary prompts: Assisting in creating concise and clear meeting summaries
AI makes the mundane manageable, if not nearly effortless, including creating a polished document from a meeting recap. Prompt your AI model with a quality business prompt and your recap notes to keep track of and share discussions and action items efficiently.
Meeting summary prompt example:
- “Create an organized summary of the New Ice Cream Flavor brainstorming meeting on January 31, 2024, using the following notes.”
Integrating business writing prompts with your team
Once your team is comfortable using AI, they’ll be freed up for more creative and meaningful pursuits. This is motivation enough to get everyone excited to master the art of writing business prompts. You can do several things to help them get started:
1
Share this article.
2
Choose AI models that will work best for your business needs (think grammar checks, style suggestions, data crunching, etc.).
3
Offer guidance on training and integrating AI writing tools into daily business processes. You can do this one-on-one or through in-house training. You can even prompt AI to create a short teaching manual on crafting quality AI writing prompts, give your team problems to solve with AI, and discuss and refine the prompts and the results together.
4
Ensure everyone has access to your company style guidelines and any other documentation that will help bring context to writing prompts.
5
Finally, remind your team that AI is a tool, not a replacement, for their judgment, editing, and expertise. Used properly, it will improve the quality and efficiency of their business writing skills and free everyone up to be more productive.
Business writing prompts FAQs
What are business writing prompts?
Business writing prompts are clear, concise directives that provide enough context for AI to understand and work to achieve your business writing goals.
Can AI writing prompts fully replace human input in business writing?
AI is a tool—not a replacement—for human judgment, editing, and expertise. It should be used as part of a business writing strategy to improve the overall quality and efficiency of business writing and free up your team to be more productive and creative.
How can managers ensure the quality of AI-generated content?
To manage this efficiently, training should be set up around using AI technology in business, reviewing how to avoid the risks associated with AI-generated content. Also, ensure that your team understands how to write quality prompts, using the brand’s style guide and AI to check grammar and punctuation. Emphasize the importance of requiring a final read and edit of all AI business writing to be sure it’s original and on-brand.