Like any other groundbreaking innovation, leaders in every industry have been encouraged to tap into artificial intelligence and integrate it into their business. However, if you haven’t really dipped your toe in the AI pool, you may be completely at a loss for where to even start.
Or, perhaps you dabbled with ChatGPT a few years ago, and weren’t impressed with its response, so you wrote it off as a fad and haven’t touched it since. In this case, it’s very possible you were overlooking the importance of the prompt you gave AI.
AI Prompt Tips and Tricks
Think of the AI platform you want to use as an intern. Like any intern you hire, it will only be as helpful as you make it based on the information you provide. If you told your brand-new intern to “go create a landscape design,” they’ll probably give it their best shot, but you can’t get mad at them when you never told them it needed to include a fire pit, pollinator-friendly plants and fit in a 1,000 square foot yard.
This is why prompts are so essential. If you give AI a vague input to start with, it’ll give you a very generic, lackluster response in return. However, if you take the time to teach it and give it the necessary information, it can generate useful, specific responses based on your needs.
If AI doesn’t give you the response you’re looking for, don’t just sigh and decide you’ll have to do it yourself. Coach it just like you would if an intern didn’t deliver what you requested, so it can learn and do better moving forward.
A good prompt is specific, outlines the tone needed and provides relevant variables like your location and target market.
One way to build a strong prompt is to tell the AI to “act as if…” and then tell it what type of persona to take on. For instance, “Act as if you are a landscape sales consultant writing a follow-up email to a homeowner who asked for a quote last week but hasn’t responded” can work if a salesperson is looking for some new strategies to generate a response from prospects.
Layered prompts are where you define the role you want it to assume, provide the task you want it to perform, as well as your style guide and examples of what you’re looking for. While it may take a little more effort on the front end, you’ll get better outputs that are suited to what you’re looking for.
You can also utilize hashtags to serve as side notes and keep your prompt clean while providing extra details, like your region or fleet stats. Building on a prompt can also help you refine the output you’re seeking.
Another way to improve your results is to include dos and don’ts of what you expect. Also, think about how you want the output presented. AI can create tables, lists, summaries, and more.
Depending on what you’re using the AI for, choosing to ask a question versus give a command in the prompt can result in different results. If you are looking to brainstorm or want options, asking a question will give you open-ended or general answers, such as “How can I improve customer retention in my landscape business?”
Commands are good for when you want structured, formatted content, like “Create a bulleted list of mulching benefits for residential clients.”
Lastly, you can always ask the AI if it understands your request or needs any additional information in order to produce a better outcome.
Examples of Basic Prompts
If you’re still on the newer side of using AI, below are some basic prompts that can get you started.
For marketing
- “Write a short Facebook post announcing that our spring cleanup schedule is filling up fast. Make it friendly and urgent.”
- “Give me three Instagram caption ideas for before-and-after photos of a seasonal color project.”
- “Create a Google Business post promoting our weekly mowing services in [City, State]. Mention reliability and curb appeal.”
For HR
- “Write a job description for an account manager. Include required experience and preferred skills.”
- “Summarize the key responsibilities of a lawn care technician in bullet points.”
- “Act as if you’re a brand-new employee starting your first day on a mowing crew. What information would help you feel prepared and confident?”
For operations
- “Draft a simple checklist for a weekly crew safety meeting.”
- “Summarize how to prep equipment for winter storage in bullet points.”
- “Write talking points for a crew leader to explain mulching benefits to a customer.”
More Advanced AI Prompts
If you want to move on to more advanced AI prompts, you can test out these prompts listed below to help with strategic thinking, internal processes and developing content.
Strategic Planning
- “Act as if you are a landscape business consultant helping a growing company improve profit margins during peak season. Suggest three operational strategies to increase revenue without adding more crews.”
#business_model: residential maintenance & design/build
#region: Southeast
#pain_point: burnout, inefficiency
#growth_goal: +15% revenue
- “Act as if you are a competitor in our market. Give me a SWOT analysis of our landscaping company to help us sharpen our edge.”
#company_size: 30 employees
#target_clients: mid to high-end residential
#location: Charlotte, North Carolina
#recent_changes: added seasonal color installs
Internal Processes
- “Suggest three ways to streamline crew routing for maximum efficiency during peak mowing season.”
#fleet_size: 8 trucks
#scheduling_tool: Aspire
#client_density: medium - “Create a detailed onboarding checklist for a new lawn care technician, including safety protocols, equipment training, and customer interaction expectations.”
#company_size: 25 employees
#region: Mid-Atlantic
#equipment: zero-turn mowers, backpack blowers, edgers
Developing Content
- “Act as if you create newsletters for a high-end landscape design company. Give me 10 newsletter subject lines that would appeal to luxury homeowners interested in curb appeal and outdoor living.”
#region: Pacific Northwest
#focus: hardscaping, lighting, outdoor kitchens
#tone: elevated but not pretentious
- “Act as if you’re an SEO consultant. Suggest blog topics and keyword phrases a lawn care company in the South should target to increase website traffic and generate leads.”
#city: Atlanta, Georgia
#competitor_strength: strong online presence
#main_service: fertilization and weed control
