Effective Prompts

Interaction with AI tools, such as Microsoft 365 Copilot, largely depends on the quality of the prompts or instructions we provide.

Crafting a good prompt can be crucial for obtaining accurate responses and useful solutions, especially in professional settings, where its application is directly linked to increased productivity and the generation of relevant content.

Here’s a brief practical guide based on Bravent’s experience to help you make the most of Copilot in your daily work.

The Four Key Ingredients of a Good Prompt

The quality of the output provided by an AI assistant is deeply tied to the clarity, detail, and politeness with which you formulate your request. It’s important to consider the following four elements:

Objective: Clearly explain what you expect to obtain. Be specific about whether you’re looking for informative content, an analysis, a recommendation, or an action.
Context: Justify why you need the information and who is involved. This helps tailor the response to your particular case.
Sources of information: Specify the documents, data, or references Copilot should base its response on.
Expectations: Define the format, level of detail, tone (formal, casual, technical), and any additional requirements for the output.

And remember: the best results require precision and clarity. If the first response isn’t perfect, refine your prompt and try again until you get what you need.

Additional Tips for Creating Effective Prompts

Consider the context: Assistants usually only have access to the current conversation context, so provide enough details from the start.
Maintain a professional and clear style: The language you use directly influences the tone of the response.
Use proper grammar and punctuation: Well-written prompts avoid misunderstandings and confusing answers.
Use quotation marks to delimit actions: If you need Copilot to write, edit, or replace text, use quotes to mark exactly what part should be processed.
Start fresh when changing tasks: If you’re asking something new, indicate that it’s a “new topic” to avoid confusion.

Practical Tips & Tricks for Your Prompts

Here are some useful tips and tricks to get the most out of AI and extract real value from Copilot’s responses.

Role Play: “Imagine you are…”
Ask Copilot to assume a specific role (e.g., marketing manager, HR leader, teacher) to tailor the response to that person’s goals and language. Use it when you want the output to reflect a specific point of view or experience.
- Example prompt: “Imagine you are the marketing manager of an insurance company with 200 employees. Write a short email to announce a new customer loyalty program.”

Add tone and audience:
Specifying the tone (e.g., friendly, formal, persuasive) and audience (e.g., executives, students, customers) helps Copilot adapt the message style. Use it when you want the message to be well received by a specific group.
- Example prompt: “Write a friendly and encouraging message for my team to celebrate the end of a successful quarter.”

Step-by-step reasoning:
Asking Copilot to think step by step improves clarity and logic, especially for complex tasks. Use it when you need structured explanations or processes.
- Example prompt: “Explain step by step how to create a project timeline using Microsoft Planner.”

Compare and contrast:
Helps Copilot highlight differences, pros, and cons between two or more options. Use it when evaluating tools, strategies, or decisions.
- Example prompt: “Compare the benefits and limitations of using SharePoint vs. OneDrive for document collaboration.”

Teach me like I’m new:
Ask Copilot to explain things in simple, beginner-friendly language. Use it when your audience isn’t familiar with the topic.
- Example prompt: “Explain what Copilot is in simple terms, as if I’ve never used AI before.”

Generate variations:
When you’re unsure about the results, ask for multiple versions of the same idea to choose the best one. Use it when brainstorming or generating creative content.
- Example prompt: “Generate 10 different tweets to promote a local music festival organized by the city council. The tone should be friendly and engaging, and each tweet should include a call to action.”

Add constraints (length, format, style):
Helps Copilot produce results that meet specific requirements by setting limits like word count, tone, or output format. Use it when you want a ready-to-use result for a specific context, like a slide, two paragraphs, or a 200-word report.
- Example prompt: “Summarize this document in no more than 100 words, using bullet points and a neutral tone.”

Add a reference point or analogy:
Makes abstract or technical topics easier to understand by comparing them to familiar concepts. Use it when explaining something new to someone with little prior knowledge.
- Example prompt: “Explain how a digital signature works, using an analogy that compares it to signing a physical document at a notary.”

And we’ll end with the most important tip: be polite when talking to Generative AI. When it rules the world… it’ll surely remember who treated it well! 😉😉