Prompt · by Lung Tee · 5 reads
Once you're comfortable with the basic prompt formula, the next step is learning techniques that help AI handle harder tasks more accurately. Uncle Tee has rounded up the most useful ones for you.
Add the sentence "Think step by step before giving your final answer" for tasks that need reasoning, such as calculating costs, planning projects, or analyzing problems. The AI will also show its reasoning so you can check it.
Include 2–3 examples of the output you want. The AI picks up the pattern and tone far better than from a verbal description alone.
Instead of asking for "a full-year marketing plan," split it into analyzing customers, setting goals, choosing channels, and then planning month by month, one step at a time in the same conversation.
Ask for a table, bullet points, or a structure you can use right away, for example: "Answer as a 3-column table: Topic, Details, Budget."
After you get an answer, follow up with: "Review the answer above, find anything that might be wrong or missing, and improve it." The quality improves noticeably.
"Before you start, ask me 5 questions you need answered to do this task." This gets you complete information without having to think of everything yourself.
When you paste a long document, wrap it in markers such as ### or """ and say "The data is between the markers." The AI will clearly separate your instructions from the data.
When you have a good prompt, leave placeholders like [product name] [target customer] and save it as a template you can reuse every time.
"You are a restaurant business consultant. Before starting, ask me 3 questions. Then think step by step to plan next month's promotions. Answer as a table with one row per week, then review your own plan once more."
For a monthly report, split the work into four messages. First, paste the sales data and ask for a summary of key figures. Second, ask it to analyze the causes step by step. Third, ask for an improvement plan as a table. Finally, ask it to review the whole report and adjust the language for executives. The result is far more detailed and accurate than a single prompt.
Ask the AI to answer from several viewpoints, for example: "Look at this plan from the perspective of customers, staff, and the shop owner." This helps reveal weaknesses you might overlook.
Almost any text-based AI tool. The principles are the same.
Not at all. If you organize it into clear sections, the AI will understand it well.
Advanced techniques help AI handle complex work better. Practice one technique at a time until it feels natural, then combine them. For ready-made templates, check out 500 Prompts.
