Master the Art of Better AI Prompts: Specificity Over Politeness

# I am GPTed: "The Art of the Better Prompt" --- Hey, I'm Mal, and welcome back to *I am GPTed*. Today we're tackling something that'll actually change how you talk to AI—and no, it's not about memorizing some fancy framework with five syllables and a trademarked name. **The Technique: Specificity Over Politeness** Here's the thing nobody tells you: AI doesn't care if you say "please." It cares if you're *specific*. Most people treat their prompts like they're asking a stranger for directions. They're vague, hopeful, and then disappointed when they get a generic answer. Let me show you the before and after. *Before:* "Write me a LinkedIn post about AI productivity." *After:* "Write a LinkedIn post (150 words max) for a project manager who's skeptical about AI. Make it conversational, mention one specific productivity win (like saving 2 hours on status reports), and end with a question that invites comments. Use casual language—no corporate speak." See the difference? The second one actually works. I learned this the hard way after spending three months wondering why my AI outputs felt like they were written by a motivational poster. **A Use Case You Probably Haven't Considered** Most people think AI is for creative writing or coding. But here's where it actually saves my life: **decision documentation**. You know that moment when your team makes a decision, and three months later someone asks "why did we choose that?" and nobody remembers? Use AI to document it. Feed it the context, the options you considered, and the reasoning. It'll create a clear record in minutes. Future you will be grateful. **The Mistake I Still Make (And You Probably Do Too)** Asking AI to do too much in one prompt. I'll throw it a novel—five different tasks, contradictory requirements, the kitchen sink—and then act shocked when the output is mediocre. The fix? Break it into steps. One task per prompt. It's slower, but the quality jump is ridiculous. I know this. I *know* this. And I still catch myself doing the multi-task monster prompt at 11 PM when I'm tired. Don't be me. **Your Practice Exercise** Here's something simple you can do today: Take a real work problem you're currently facing. Write two prompts for it—one the way you normally would, and one with ruthless specificity. Run both. Compare. You'll see immediately why this matters. **Evaluating What You Get Back** When AI gives you something, don't just accept it. Ask yourself three things: Does this sound like *me*, or like a corporate training video? Does it have specifics, or is it full of vague platitudes? Would I actually use this, or would I spend 20 minutes rewriting it anyway? If the answer to that last one is yes, you need to iterate. Give it feedback. Tell it what's wrong. AI gets better when you push back. --- Thanks for listening to *I am GPTed*. If this helped you stop talking to your AI like it's a Magic 8-Ball, hit subscribe. And hey—this has been a Quiet Please production. Lea This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.