In part 2 you used an AI assistant for a week. You probably noticed that results varied a lot: some answers were usable straight away, others were generic. Most of that difference comes from the instruction, often called the "prompt".
You don't need special tricks or paid prompt packs. You need to tell the AI what you'd tell a capable new assistant on their first day.
The five-part pattern
1. Who you are. Your business, location and customers. "I run a physiotherapy clinic in Indirapuram. Most patients are office workers with back and neck pain, and elderly patients after surgery."
2. The task, and who it's for. "Write a WhatsApp message to patients who haven't come back after their first two sessions."
3. The facts it must use. Prices, dates, policies, offers, names of services. "Sessions are ₹700. We're open 8 am to 8 pm, closed Sunday. Home visits available within 5 km." Without facts, AI invents plausible ones. See why AI makes things up.
4. The limits. Length, language, format, and what not to do. "Under 60 words. Hindi and English versions. No discount. Don't mention their condition, because WhatsApp messages can be seen by family members."
5. An example. Paste something you've written before that you liked, and say "match this tone". This one step changes output more than any other.
You won't need all five for every task. For anything that goes to customers, use all five.
Before and after
Before: "Write a message for customers about Diwali." Result: a generic greeting with fireworks emojis that could come from any business.
After: "I run a sweets and namkeen shop in Moradabad, 30 years old, known for kaju katli. Write a WhatsApp message to regular customers about Diwali gift-box orders. Facts: boxes from ₹600 to ₹3,500, orders by 25 October for delivery, free delivery within the city above ₹2,000. Under 70 words, warm but not flowery, Hindi first then English. No emojis. Here's a message we sent last year that customers liked: [paste]." Result: a message you can send after a light edit.
Three more habits
Ask for options. "Give me three versions: one formal, one friendly, one very short." Choosing is faster than rewriting.
Give feedback, not a new prompt. "Shorter. Remove the second sentence. Make the offer clearer." The conversation remembers context, so build on it.
Ask it to ask you. "Before you write it, ask me any questions you need answered." Useful for bigger tasks like a job description or a policy.
Save what works
When an instruction produces good results, save it. Keep a simple document of your best instructions, with blanks for the parts that change:
Review reply: "I run [business] in [area]. Write a reply to this Google review. Thank them by first name, mention the specific thing they liked or disliked, and if negative, offer to fix it on WhatsApp at [number]. Under 50 words, warm and professional, no excuses. Review: [paste]."
Most assistants also let you save standing instructions about your business (ChatGPT calls them custom instructions; others have similar settings), so you don't repeat "who you are" every time. Put your business description, location, customers and tone there.
Saved instructions are the first step toward routines, the subject of part 4.
What not to put in instructions
The same rule from is ChatGPT safe for business data? applies: no customer phone numbers, Aadhaar, bank details or health information. Use "Customer A" instead of a name if you need to describe a situation.
Checklist for this lesson
- Write a three-line description of your business, customers and tone
- Add it to your assistant's custom instructions
- Redo one task from last week using all five parts
- Try "give me three versions" on a customer message
- Start a document of your best instructions, with blanks
- Save at least three instructions you'll reuse weekly
Next in the masterclass: Part 4, turning repeat work into routines. For more task ideas, see how to use ChatGPT in a small business. Teams who want a session on this can find it under our AI consulting.
