Reading time: 6 minutes • For: Anyone using ChatGPT, or who gave up on it

ChatGPT Results Disappointing? 7 Prompt Rules That Fix It Instantly

The Problem in 30 Seconds

You ask ChatGPT something. The answer: generic, superficial, unhelpful. You think: "Overrated."

The truth: ChatGPT is like a brilliant intern. It can do everything. But only if you tell it what and how.

Bad prompt = bad answer. Always.

This article: 7 rules. Immediately applicable. Better results starting today.

Why 90% of All Prompts Fail

One word: Vagueness.

"Write me something about marketing."

ChatGPT guesses. And guesses wrong.

Same goal, two prompts:

❌ "Write an email to customers."

✅ "Write an email to a customer who hasn't ordered in 3 months. Goal: Schedule a meeting. Tone: friendly, not pushy. Maximum 80 words."

The difference: 15 seconds more effort. 10x better result.

The 7 Rules

1. Assign a Role

ChatGPT adapts. Tell it who it should be.

Formula: "You are a [role] with [experience]..."

❌ "Explain SEO."

✅ "You are an SEO consultant with 10 years of experience. Explain the 3 most important ranking factors for a marketing team with no prior knowledge."

Why it works: Role determines depth, language, perspective.

2. Define the Goal

Without a goal, ChatGPT delivers "something".

Formula: "Goal: [concrete outcome]..."

❌ "Write a customer email."

✅ "Goal: The customer should book a 15-minute call."

One sentence. Changes everything.

3. Provide Context

ChatGPT doesn't know your company. Help it.

Formula: "Context: [industry, situation, audience]..."

❌ "Create a LinkedIn post."

✅ "Context: B2B SaaS, 20 employees, target audience is HR managers in German medium-sized companies."

More context, less guessing.

4. Specify the Format

"Text" could be 3 sentences. Or 3 pages.

Formula: "Format: [length, structure, style]..."

Examples:

"5 bullet points, 1 sentence each"
"Table: Problem | Solution | Example"
"Maximum 100 words"
"Like a tweet"

Clarity in format = clarity in output.

5. Show an Example

One example says more than 100 words of explanation.

Formula: "Here's an example of the desired style: [example]"

When important: Tone, brand voice, specific style.

Pro tip: Copy-paste an existing text as reference.

6. Set Boundaries

Say what you don't want.

Formula: "Avoid: [X, Y, Z]"

Examples:

"No jargon"
"No clichés like 'in today's world'"
"No longer than 150 words"

Boundaries ensure focused, relevant results.

7. Iterate

The first output is rarely perfect. That's okay.

Useful follow-up prompts:

"Make it shorter."
"Add more examples."
"More casual / more formal."
"Give me 3 variations."

ChatGPT is a conversation. Not a vending machine.

The Formula to Copy

You are a [ROLE] with experience in [AREA].
Context: [SITUATION, AUDIENCE]
Task: [WHAT]
Goal: [WHICH OUTCOME]
Format: [LENGTH, STRUCTURE]
Avoid: [WHAT NOT]

Save. Adapt. Reuse.

Before / After

Before:

"Write a newsletter email."

After:

"You are an email marketing expert for B2B SaaS.

Context: New feature for automatic invoicing. 
Target audience: CEOs and CFOs, German SMEs.

Task: Newsletter email introducing the feature.

Goal: Click on CTA to try for free.

Format: Subject + 3 short paragraphs + CTA. Max 120 words.

Avoid: Sales language, exclamation marks, 'we're excited'."

Result: Usable. Immediately.

3 Mistakes Everyone Makes

Mistake	Better
Too much at once	One task per prompt
No iteration	Ask follow-ups, refine
Not saving prompts	Good prompts = templates

Conclusion

7 rules. 80% better results. 20% more effort.

Assign a role
Define the goal
Provide context
Specify the format
Show an example
Set boundaries
Iterate

Next step: Try it today. A real task. A good prompt.

Keep Learning

A new prompt every week. Directly in Slack or Teams. With explanation, variations, quiz. 5 minutes.

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