01/07/2025
Welcome back!
If you’ve read the earlier blogs or already started using the E-Portal Essex chatbot, you’ll know it acts more like a helpful colleague than a search engine.
But here’s the trick:
Don’t just ask one question – start a conversation.
The more the chatbot knows about your situation, the more tailored and useful the answers will be. You don’t need to write the perfect prompt straight away – just say what you’re trying to achieve. The rest will flow naturally.
Let’s look at a structure that helps get great results every time – we call it The 5 P’s.
🖐 The 5 P’s: A Simple Prompt Formula
Tell the chatbot what kind of expert you’d like it to be.
This helps it draw on the right knowledge and tone.🟢 Try:
“Act as an experienced CEO of a mental health charity.”
“Be a creative, strategic social media trainer for small charities.”
Give background to help the chatbot understand your context.
What’s your goal? What challenges are you facing? Why are you asking this question?
🟢 Try:
“We want to open a second office in Essex, but we’re unsure if we’re ready.”
“We aim to double our client base in 18 months. Our TikTok strategy needs work.”
“Attached is our strategy and last year’s Impact Statement.”
Now clearly explain the task. Say what you want and what to avoid.
🟢 Try:
“Please outline the key considerations and give pros and cons from several angles.”
“Do not talk about a long term commitment – I need to be flexible.”
“Tell me what similar organisations are doing. Propose a unique approach for me.”
“Ask me if you need more details before answering.”
Say how you want the answer to be presented – format, length, tone.
🟢 Try:
“About one page of A4, using bullet points where useful.”
“Keep the tone professional but not too formal.”
“Please use emojis where appropriate.”
Once you have an initial draft, improve the draft step-by-step. Ask it to tweak tone, add content, or reformat.
🟢 Try:
“Make it more natural and less businessy.”
“Add more detail to point 2.”
“Put the risks into a table with a mitigation column.”
“Suggest ways we could involve stakeholders.”
Once you’re happy with the output – personalise it and make it your own before sharing.
🚀 Try It Today
Pick one topic that’s on your mind today.
Ask your first question – then follow it up with at least three extra prompts to shape the answer. You’ll be amazed how much better it gets.
💬 And finally – do you need to say “please” and “thank you” to a chatbot?
We’ll leave that for a future blog ... !
Next Week: Make It Yours – Getting the Chatbot to Speak Your Language
