How to Write Your First AI Prompt (And Why It Matters)

What Is a Prompt?

A prompt is simply the instruction you give to an AI tool. It's like briefing a new colleague — the clearer you are, the better the result.

Most people's first prompt is something like "write me a marketing email." The result is usually bland and generic. Here's how to do better.

The CTG Formula

We teach a simple framework: Context, Task, Goal.

Context

Tell the AI who you are and what your situation is.

Bad: "Write a sales email."

Good: "I run a small gardening business in South London. We do residential garden maintenance and landscaping. Our customers are homeowners aged 35-60."

Task

Be specific about what you want produced.

Good: "Write a short email to existing customers offering a 10% discount on our autumn garden tidy-up service. Keep it friendly, not pushy. Maximum 150 words."

Goal

Explain what success looks like.

Good: "The goal is to get customers to reply and book a tidy-up before November. Include a clear call to action."

Putting It Together

Full prompt:

"I run a small gardening business in South London. We do residential garden maintenance and landscaping. Our customers are homeowners aged 35-60. Write a short email to existing customers offering a 10% discount on our autumn garden tidy-up service. Keep it friendly, not pushy. Maximum 150 words. The goal is to get customers to reply and book a tidy-up before November. Include a clear call to action."

That prompt will give you a dramatically better result than "write a sales email."

Common Mistakes

• Too vague: "Make it better" — better how?
• No constraints: No length, tone, or format guidance.
• Asking for too much: One clear task beats five muddled ones.
• Not iterating: If the first result isn't perfect, tell the AI what to change.

Practice Makes Better

Prompting is a skill. The more you do it, the more natural it becomes. Start with simple tasks — write an email, summarise an article, brainstorm names — and build up.

Want hands-on practice with feedback? Book an AI Confidence Session and we'll work through real prompts for your real tasks.