Before you start8 steps · about 9 minutes
Before you start
- An AI chat tool: ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot or Claude
- A real task you'd like help with this week
- Anything the AI needs to read: notes, examples, a web page
- About 10 minutes to practise
Good to know: On a free or personal account? Turn off using your chats for training in the settings, and never paste in customer details. Our "AI is a tool, not a replacement" guide explains how.
Part 1The CAWR formula
Step 1 of 8Part 1 · The CAWR formula
1C is for Context: who, what and why
AI knows nothing about your business unless you tell it. Say what you do, where, who your customers are and what you're trying to achieve. Using the same details every time? Save them in your tool's custom instructions, a project or a Gem so you don't have to repeat yourself.
Step 2 of 8Part 1 · The CAWR formula
2A is for Action: one clear job
Start with a verb and be specific. "Write three subject lines for our spring newsletter" beats "help with email". Big jobs work better in stages: outline first, then draft, then polish.
Step 3 of 8Part 1 · The CAWR formula
3W is for Warnings: what to watch out for
Name the few things that would spoil the result, like US spelling, a salesy tone, too much length or made-up facts. Where you can, say what you want instead ("use UK spelling" works better than "no American English"). Stick to the essentials, or the AI can overcorrect.
Step 4 of 8Part 1 · The CAWR formula
4R is for Result: what good looks like
Say exactly how you want it back: bullet points, a table, a 100-word paragraph, an email, a CSV for a spreadsheet, even HTML. Add the tone and length too.
Part 2Level up
Step 5 of 8Part 2 · Level up
5Show it an example
Paste a piece of writing you like, or a past post that did well, and say what to copy from it. Examples are one of the most reliable ways to steer tone and format.
Step 6 of 8Part 2 · Level up
6Let it ask you questions first
End your prompt with "Before you start, ask me any questions you need answered." The AI then fills the gaps with your facts instead of guesses.
Step 7 of 8Part 2 · Level up
7Refine, don't restart
Treat the first answer as a draft. Stay in the same chat and steer it: "shorter", "more like option two", "make the opening friendlier". Good prompting is a conversation.
Step 8 of 8Part 2 · Level up
8Check it before you use it
Read every word. Check facts, figures, prices and anything legal, then make it sound like you. AI can state wrong things with total confidence.
All 8 steps done
Guide complete. Nice work.
Prompt pro! Now try one of the prompts below. Keep a copy of the whole guide, with every step, tip and source, for next time.
Stuck on anything? Tell us where and we'll pick it up from there.
Part 3Copy-ready prompts
Each one uses the CAWR formula. Swap anything in [square brackets] for your own details.
Build your tone of voice guideDo this first. Paste the guide into future chats so everything sounds like you.
Action: Analyse the tone and style of the examples: how formal they are, sentence length, favourite words and phrases, and anything distinctive. Turn it into a one-page tone of voice guide I can paste into future chats.
Warnings: Use UK spelling. Only describe what's actually in the examples.
Result: Short sections headed Our voice in one sentence, Do, Don't, Words we use, Words we avoid, plus two before-and-after examples.
[Paste your three examples here]
Plan a month of social postsTwelve ideas built around the questions your customers really ask.
Action: Suggest 12 social media post ideas for the next four weeks, mixing tips, behind-the-scenes, customer questions and offers.
Warnings: Keep every idea specific to a [type of business], not generic. Use UK spelling and no more than three hashtags per post.
Result: A table with columns for Week, Platform, Post idea, Opening line and Call to action.
Write a blog post, outline firstGets your knowledge into the post, not the AI's guesses.
Action: First, ask me up to five questions about my own experience with this topic. Then write an outline with an introduction, four to six sections and a conclusion. Wait for my OK before writing the full draft.
Warnings: Use my answers for examples rather than inventing them. Flag any fact or figure I should double-check.
Result: The outline as headings with a one-line note each. Then, once I approve, a draft of around 800 words in plain paragraphs.
Reply to a Google reviewA calm first draft for the tricky ones. You personalise it and post it.
Action: Write a reply I can post on our Google Business Profile.
Warnings: Keep it calm, personal and never defensive. Leave out the customer's personal details and don't offer anything in return for changing the review.
Result: Two options under 80 words each, one warmer and one more formal.
Write FAQs for a service pageAnswers built only from your facts, with gaps flagged.
Action: Write clear answers for the FAQ section of our [service] page.
Warnings: Use only the facts I've given you. Wherever you'd need information I haven't provided, write [CHECK] instead of guessing.
Result: Six to eight questions with answers of two or three sentences each, in plain English with UK spelling.
Why a few more words make all the difference
Google has found that people's first prompts in Gemini are usually under nine words, while the prompts that work best average around 21. Those extra words are context, and context is what turns a generic answer into one that fits your business.
Best-practice tips
- Longer beats shorterA few sentences of context almost always beat a one-line request.
- One job per promptAsk for one thing at a time, then build on it in the same chat.
- Give it your factsPaste your prices, opening hours or service list rather than hoping it knows them.
- Name the audience"For busy homeowners" or "for other business owners" changes the whole answer.
- Ask for optionsAsk for three versions, pick the best, then ask it to improve that one.
- Save your winnersKeep prompts that worked in a note, so the next job takes seconds.
Questions, answered
Which AI tool should I use?
ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot and Claude all handle everyday business writing well. The CAWR formula works in all of them, so start with whichever fits the tools you already use.
Do I need a paid plan?
Not to start. Free plans are fine for learning. Paid business plans add more usage and admin controls, and with some providers they keep your chats out of model training by default.
Why does AI sometimes make things up?
AI tools predict likely-sounding text, so when they don't know something they can guess confidently. Give it your facts, and ask it to flag anything it isn't sure about.
Can I reuse the prompts on this page?
Yes, that's what they're for. Swap anything in [square brackets] for your own details.